Round Britain Quiz Meet The Teams

South of England

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  Fred Housego

  Fred Housego was the 1980 BBC Mastermind champion and has since built a varied career as a broadcaster, including being a Round Britain Quiz panellist since 1997 – alongside his continuing work as a London cabbie.

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  Marcel Berlins

  is one of Britain’s most respected legal journalists. He writes a regular column in the Guardian newspaper and is a former presenter of Radio 4’s Law in Action.

North of England

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  Jim Coulson

  Jim is one of the UK's leading crossword setters – a member of the Times Listener puzzle team – and a setter of other high–profile crosswords since 1974. Professionally a Consultant Wood Scientist, he also has a passionate interest in Morris Dancing, and is a collector, writer and performer of Mummers’ plays.

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  Diana Collecott

  Diana Collecott has an international reputation for her work on women writers and special interests in 20th century art and literature. After a teaching career at Durham University, where she directed the Basil Bunting Poetry Centre, she now combines research and writing with twin passions for gardening and travel.

Northern Ireland

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  Polly Devlin OBE

  Polly Devlin OBE is a writer, film maker and conservationist. Her first book All of Us There has been republished as a Virago Modern Classic, and her latest book is A Year in the Life of an English Meadow.

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  Brian Feeney

  Brian Feeney is a respected historian, columnist and commentator, the author of a number of books including Sinn Fein: one hundred turbulent years, A Pocket History of The Troubles, and is co-author of the award-winning Lost Lives: the stories of the men, women and children who died as a result of the Northern Ireland troubles.

Wales

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  Patrick Hannan

  The late Patrick Hannan was one of Wales’s foremost journalists. A former political correspondent, he presented two weekly programmes on Radio Wales. His last book was A Useful Fiction: Adventures In British Democracy.

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  Peter Stead

  Peter Stead is a Swansea-based historian, writer and commentator on political and cultural matters. He is Founding Chairman of the Dylan Thomas Literary Prize.

The Midlands

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  Rosalind Miles

  Rosalind Miles is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, including The Women's History of the World and the acclaimed historical series featuring Guenevere and Isolde. As a journalist and broadcaster, she has contributed to many periodicals and programmes at home and overseas.

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  Stephen Maddock

  Stephen Maddock is Chief Executive of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Before joining the CBSO he worked at the BBC Proms for seven years. He is a lapsed violinist, singer and conductor, as well as a quiz and crossword addict and a proud Man City fan. He lives in Solihull with his wife and two young children.

Scotland

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  Alan Taylor

  Alan Taylor is Associate Editor and Literary Editor of the Sunday Herald newspaper and is a former Managing Editor of the Scotsman. His books include The Assassin’s Cloak: An Anthology of the World’s Greatest Diarists, and What A State! Is Devolution for Scotland the End of Britain?

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  Michael Alexander

  Michael Alexander is an author and translator who held the Chair of English at the University of St Andrews. His recent publications include A History of English Literature and Medievalism: the Middle Ages in Modern England.