-1. What nationality was the composer Chopin?
-2. Who was the first man to swim 100m in less than 1 min.?
-3. What band took its name from an aboriginal expression for a very cold evening ?
-4. What was the name of the organisation Napoleon Solo fought against?
-5. From which former province of Spain did Cervantes’ Don Quixote come?
-6. What is the name of the small flap that prevents food and fluid from entering the windpipe?
-7. The Vedas are the sacred texts of which religion?
-8. By what name was Joseph Merrick known when he appeared in fairground sideshows?
-9. Which of the Beatles is last in the line on the album cover for Abbey Road?
-10. In heraldry, if an animal is sejant, how is it represented?
-11. The breed standard of two dog breeds require them to have a blue-black tongue. Name either.
-12. What is this sound?

3. Three Dog Night

It was indeed, jb!

4. I know the show but don't remember enough about it so this may be who Napoleon Solo was with but I don't know any other answers so:

U.N.C.L.E

(and I don't know what the letters stand for)

Nice try oldbroad, but like you thought, that was the outfit Napolean Solo was with. (United Nations Centre for Law Enforcement, or something equally daft!)

12. It sounds like a woodpecker.

5. La Mancha

It does Remi, but isn't

Nice one, Marian!

7. Hinduism

6. Epiglottis

Bernie

2. Was it Tarzan (aka Johnny Weissmuller)?

8 The Elephant Man ??

Yes, michele,Bernie, flotsam and Mad !

9. George Harrison

My favourite Beatle

1. Polish

Good one, manxman

12. Someone trying to pull start a lawnmower?

It's not that, Lady K, but you're right in that it's something mechanical rather than a bird. And it's connected with something that moves...

10. Sitting on its haunches?

A wild guess on

12. hydraulic jack

#12 ... I've heard that sound

11. Chow Chow ??

flotsam - spot-on!

Mad - good call! The other one is Shar Pe (always thought that was what that nice Mr Trump signed his memos with)

oldbroad - you're in the right sort of area. It's to do with cars, and is a sound you rarely hear on modern cars

4. T.H.R.U.S.H.