Thornton Quiz Night – Friday 2nd October ’26
Thornton Artisan Festival update
The first of the new annual Thornton Artisan Festival’s was held over the weekend of the 26th, 27th and 28th of June 2026 and raised £2,440.90 for the benefit of Thornton Community Centre. (More information can be found on previous posts).
The money raised will be put towards the upgrading of the heating systems in both halls which is old and failing and very expensive to run (the electricity alone is in excess of £4,000 p.a.).
Following on from this success an application has been made to the National Lottery to fund 41 solar panels on the roof of the Centre to start our journey into becoming energy efficient and carbon neutral as funds allow.
If you have any spare cash and would like to help the trustees fund a number of projects to enhance the facilities at the Centre (new heating, decked area, car park extension) for the benefit of the community for years to come then donations can be made through the following QR code.
There was a paper quiz held over the festival weekend which closed last weekend. 50 cryptic clues to find Leicestershire Place names.
The winner of the £10 prize was Sue Black with 49 correct answers. Congratulations.
This quiz is copyright of Gill Tapping – but if you would like to use it as a local fund raiser then please contact me and make a small donation to Thornton Community Centre. I have a number of this type of quiz written over recent years.
A new fund raising quiz on sweets and chocolates will be out soon. Cost £1. If you would like a copy when it is ready – email: – thorntonvillage@aol.com.
Thornton Artisan Festival will be back next June 2027 – the 25th, 26th and 27th
Thornton Quiz Night
Another very successful fund raising night on behalf of the Community centre.
58 ‘quizzers’ in 10 teams came to the centre on Saturday to test their knowledge and logical capabilities.
There were the usual 100 questions, a mix of a picture round, general knowledge, connections, logic and riddles.
All teams scored in excess of 80 out of 100. But the team that came top for the second time in a row was the ‘Bluetits’ with a score of 92.
£51 in cash prizes were handed to the winners and runners up. There were 14 raffle prizes won. Leaving a total of £475, donated to the Community centre towards essential works on the heating system.
Thank you to everyone who took part and for your generosity in purchasing raffle tickets and donating prizes, and to those who helped set up and later dismantle the tables and chairs.
Thornton Quiz Night – 21st February 2026
McSmith Events – Comedy Night
A new events company based in Thornton, McSmith Events, hosted their first event at Thornton Community Centre on Saturday 11th October.
Together with Comedy Hotspot they brought the first of what is hoped to be many Comedy nights to Thornton.
It was a hoot, three excellent comedians and a very funny host entertained us over a two and a half hour period, with the occasional short break to replenish our drinks from the bar set up in the meeting room and kitchen.
Don’t miss the next one on Friday 20th February 2026 – tickets available soon.
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable evening and something very different for Thornton.
In keeping with their ethos, McSmith Events ran a raffle with some excellent prizes, to raise money for the Community Centre (a charitable organisation that relies on donations, grants and bookings). Plus promised a £1 from every ticket sold to be donated to the centre.
The Trustees sincerely thank McSmith Events for their donation of £204 towards the running costs of the Centre.
McSmith Events are a family-run company based in Thornton, Leicestershire, bringing top-quality entertainment to local community spaces.
From comedy nights to quizzes and parties, our events supports talent, community spaces, and good causes.
Email – info@mcsmithevents.co.uk
Mobile – 07359 894186
Website – https://www.facebook.com/people/McSmith-Events/61578637385404/#
Quiz Night news – 6th September
The latest quiz night at Thornton Community Centre was well attended as usual, with 60 ‘quizzers’ turning out for a night of fun, sharing chatter, drinks and a buffet whilst puzzling over the new quiz format, which now includes not just general knowledge questions and a picture round, but also a mix of logic and cryptic clues. All projected on to the big screen at the centre.
100 questions were answered and £51 in prize money was handed out, together with 15 raffle prizes , 2 spot question prizes and a booby prize.
£450 was donated to the Community Centre towards the purchase of new chairs for the centre.
Hopefully the next quiz will be in January.
New quiz available – fund raiser for Thornton Community Centre
Many of our website readers love the cryptic quiz produced from time to time by a local resident (me).
A real brain teaser. Perfect accompaniment to your ‘elevenses’.
There is a new one available – this time the theme is birds of the UK.
Contact me on thorntonvillage@aol.com if you would like one.
Or if you could sell a few to colleagues, family and friends – that would be really helpful.
All monies raised will be donated to Thornton Community Centre towards the purchase of new chairs (hopefully with a bit of padding on the seats!), to fit on the new chair trolleys recently purchased.
Thornton Community Centre is a registered charity (521506) managed by a small group of trustees on behalf of the residents of Thornton.
Solve 50 cryptic clues to name UK birds. Cost £1 – Prize £10. Closing date – 1st October ’25
Thornton Quiz Night is back – 6th September
Festive quiz – the results are in
Thank you everyone for taking part – £86 was raised for the Community Centre from the ‘sales’ of the quiz paper.
This one proved a bit trickier than usual – I thought it was easy but then I knew the answers! No one got all the answers correct this time but three entries had 48 out of the 50 correct. Well done to Sue B, Lynda T and Adam K.
But there can only be one winner and after an independent draw of the 3 papers the winner of the cash prize was Lynda Tyers.
Thank you to Thornton Nurseries for selling the quizzes in the cafe.
For those interested in the answers – they are as follows:-
01. Goes crazy at Christmas (8) CRACKERS
02. All by yourself (4, 5) HOME ALONE
03. That old story (8) CHESTNUT (Not nativity – this one caught a lot of folk out)
04. Charts the Festive Season (6, 8) ADVENT CALENDAR
05. The Simpsons family dog (6,6,6) SANTAS LITTLE HELPER
06. A Londoner sees with these (5, 4) MINCE PIES
07. Phrase often used in May’s 2017 election campaign (6, 3, 6) STRONG AND STABLE
08. Joseph’s occupation helped him nail it (9) CARPENTER
09. Carrier for coal or potatoes maybe (4) SACK
10. Trog goes to this cave (6) GROTTO
11. Funny man Skinner is enraged (12) FRANKINCENSE
12. At this very late hour does it matter (8, 4) MIDNIGHT MASS
13. Top Gun’s maverick navigator (5) GOOSE
14. Trio of monarchs (5, 5) THREE KINGS
15. In an American League of its own (3) IVY
16. Fork handles, you must have misheard (4, 7) FOUR CANDLES
17. Ernie, Ernie, Ernie (5, 4, 3) THREE WISE MEN
18. Brrr he’s frosty today (3, 7) THE SNOWMAN
19. The elf’s prickly pal (5, 5) BUDDY HOLLY (Some put Holly Berry for this one)
20. Hollywood (10) TINSELTOWN
21. Keeping the cops warm (4, 2, 8) PIGS IN BLANKETS
22. This Scandinavian is elegant, smart and dapper (9, 6) NORWEGIAN SPRUCE
23. Born here, Asian or European or a bit of both (6) TURKEY
24. Their crib, ‘ragmen’ live here (6) MANGER
25. Party time, 24 hours of punch (6, 3) BOXING DAY
26. Pagan, parasitic and poisonous (9) MISTLETOE
27. Choice of container, tin, plastic, cardboard (9, 3) SELECTION BOX (Some put Christmas Box)
28. Probably grows in Belgium (8,6) BRUSSELS SPROUT
29. Listen, do they signal the coming of Christ (4, 3, 6, 6) HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
30. Many of the ‘rat pack’ dreamed of this at one time or another (1,5,9 ) A White Christmas
31. Skinflint (7) SCROOGE
32. A Swiss smile maybe (3, 6) THE GRINCH (Most put Say Cheese – but CH are the letters denoting Switzerland and GRIN is a smile)
33. A Yuletide song (1, 9, 5) A CHRISTMAS CAROL
34. Small percussionist (6, 7, 3) LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
35. Billy Bob Thornton’s Naughty Nicholas is no Saint (3, 5) BAD SANTA
36. All is quiet, and the sun has set (6, 5) SILENT NIGHT
37. Star turn at Red Nose Day (7) RUDOLF
38. Pam, Tim and One other will star  in this show (9)  PANTOMIME
39. Trois poules (5, 6, 4) THREE FRENCH HENS
40. A celestial object (5) COMET (Some put Angel)
41. The clink of ice in a glass of Whisky (6, 5) JINGLE BELLS
42. Not out (3) INN
43. Sprite, often described as mild and green (5) FAIRY
44. Fred’s initial security device keeps the pen closed (5) FLOCK
45. Spoil + Fastener + Pot (8) MARZIPAN
46. In a fight, have this knocked out of you (8) STUFFING
47. A walker, you’ll have a stick and use this Compass point at Xmas (5, 4) NORTH POLE
48. Badges of honour (11) DECORATIONS
49. Christmas hymn needing maintenance (5, 7) CAROL SERVICE
50. Call this alcohol, what a cheek (6, 5) BRANDY SAUCE
Flower, Plant & Herb Cryptic Quiz – answers
Thank you to everyone who took part in another of my cryptic quizzes.
The theme of this one was to coincide with Thornton Open Gardens in July and added to the fundraising efforts in aid of the maintenance of St Peter’s Church.
This quiz proved to be a ‘bit of a challenge’ with some regular quizzers saying it was harder than my usual cryptic quizzes.
There were just two ‘quizzers’ who got all 50 questions correct .. congratulations to them – neither of them were local, but were visiting from Ilfracombe and Nottingham respectively.
But, there can only be one winner – the two names were put in a hat and Jan Ward from Nottingham was the winner of the £10 prize.
The answers are: –
- 1. First sign of a white Christmas (8) – SNOWDROP
- 2. A wise man (4) – SAGE
- 3. You may see this in the blink of an eye (4) – IRIS
- 4. Is she shrinking? (6) – VIOLET
- 5. Clinging female (3) – IVY
- 6. What did ‘Ben rave’ about? (7) – VERBENA
- 7..She likes ‘keeping up appearances’ – HYACINTH
- 8. You might have this on your hands when you’ve finished gardening (5) – THYME
- 9. You ‘split’ these bulbs to propagate (6) TULIPS
- 10. Prudence (6) – THRIFT
- 11. Jeer at this fruit (4, 6) – MOCK ORANGE
- 12.Nearly top of this football league (7) – CAMPION
- 13. What is our ‘main goal’ about? Answering this clue of course (8) MAGNOLIA
- 14. Chris Hoy & Chris Frome often slightly muddled can be described as this (8) – CYCLAMEN
- 15. Sizzling card game (3, 3, 5) RED HOT POKER
- 16. Did this summon Thomas Beckett to his death? (10, 4) – CANTERBURY BELL
- 17.Picture this legendary Welsh creature (10) – SNAPDRAGON
- 18. A clean sweep with this plant (5) – BROOM
- 19. Female singer/songwriter born in 1979 (4) – PINK
- 20. ‘Stare’ hard to see this flower (5) ASTER
- 21. The Universe (6) – COSMOS
- 22. Is my ding-a-ling depressed? (8) – BLUEBELL
- 23. Watering can attachment (4) – ROSE
- 24. Did she get hitched on a tandem? (5) – DAISY
- 25. Females cloak (5, 6) – LADYS MANTLE
- 26. Rubber gloves? (9) – MARIGOLDS
- 28. Symbol of remembrance (5) – POPPY
- 29. Go faster, better (9) – SPEEDWELL
- 30. Remember (6,2,3) – FORGET ME NOT
- 31.’Vain to the core’ (8) – VERONICA
- 32. All alone in the onion patch (7) – PETUNIA
- 33. US state climber (7) – MONTANA
- 34. Up early to ‘egg on’ this song bird (8) – LARKSPUR
- 35. This ‘proper’ English lady is out late in the day (7, 8) – EVENING PRIMROSE
- 36. At its best between dawn & noon (7, 5) – MORNING GLORY
- 37. Has she been involved in a punch up? (5,4, 5) – BLACK EYED SUSAN
- 38. National flower of Mexico (6) – DAHLIA
- 39. Assume this position to meditate (5) – LOTUS
- 40. Colloquial – great, fantastic, brilliant (4) – MINT
- 41. Head gear of a man of the cloth (9) – MONKSHOOD
- 42. Canine coppice (7) – DOGWOOD
- 43. Sweet food nurtured by bees (11) – HONEYSUCKLE
- 44. There are definitely strings attached to this plant (5) – VIOLA
- 45. Whether they are green or blue, when I am Queen, you will be my King (8) LAVENDER
- 46. Shy and introverted especially at parties (10) – WALLFLOWER
- 47. ‘All is ready for Mary’ (9) – AMARYLLIS
- 48. Our late Queen always had much to do (4, 6) – BUSY LIZZIE
- 49. Beside the lake beneath the trees fluttering and dancing in the breeze (9) Â Â DAFFODILS
- 50. 24 hours and she’s gone! (7) – DAYLILY
This quiz is copyright of Gill Tapping, Thornton village – and may not be reproduced for any purpose without the author’s permission.
If you are a fundraiser for your local charity I have some similar cryptic quizzes to this one, on various topics and am happy for their use in fundraising in exchange for a small donation of £10 which will be given to the Friends of St Peter’s towards the maintenance of the church and grounds.
Thornton 