Home > Bamber Gascoigne

Gascoigne was born in London, England, and has aristocratic connections. He studied English literature at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and came to fame as the presenter of popular television quiz show, University Challenge, in 1962. Although he has written several books, mostly on history, and presented other television programmes, his name is permanently connected with University Challenge in the minds of most people -- despite the fact that, since 1994, the show has been presented by Jeremy Paxman.

In the programme's early days, Gascoigne set all the questions himself. His style of presentation is often held up as an example of excellence. His questioning was firm yet polite, and his judgement scrupulously fair. A phrase he often used became something of a catchphrase: "I'll have to hurry you".

In the 1970s he presented The Christians, a television documentary series on the history of Christianity.

In recent years he has devoted much of his time in establishing an online history encyclopaedia called "History World" [1].

In the early hours of Wednesday August 8August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. Events 1585 John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in quest for the North West Passage. 1588 Battle of Gravelines ends Defeated by the English duri, 1979Events January-February January 1 Sino-American relations: United States and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings. Gascoigne was witness to the burial by Kit WilliamsKit Williams is the author of Masquerade (Jonathan Cape, London, 1979, BooksEnthsiast.com), a pictorial story book which contained clues to the location of a genuine valuable golden hare buried by Williams, and witnessed by Bamber Gascoigne, "somewhere in Br, the author of MasqueradeA masquerade is a ball, dance, or party; in which, participants wear elaborate costumes and hide their true identity. See masquerade ball. The Masquerade is a fictional term, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade describing the efforts of, of a valuable golden hare in an earthenware jar "somewhere in Britain". The treasure hunt which followed was pursued worldwide. Gascoigne summarized his experiences thus:

Tens of thousands of letters from Masqueraders have convinced me that the human mind has an equal capacity for pattern-matching and self-deception. While some addicts were busy cooking the riddle, others were more single-mindedly continuing their own pursuit of the hare quite regardless of the news that it had been found. Their own theories had come to seem so convincing that no exterior evidence could refute them. These most determined of Masqueraders may grudgingly have accepted that a hare of some sort was dug up at Ampthill, but they believed there would be another hare, or a better solution, awaiting them at their favourite spot. Kit would expect them to continue undismayed by the much publicised diversion at Ampthill and would be looking forward to the day when he would greet them as the real discoverers of the real puzzle of Masquerade. Optimistic expeditions were still setting out, with shovels and maps, throughout the summer of 1982.

In the Young Ones episode "Bambi" he is parodied by Griff Rhys JonesGriff Rhys Jones (born 6 November 1953) is the comedy partner and foil of Mel Smith. He was born in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Griff was educated at Brentwood School, Essex, where he met Charlie Bean (Executive Director of the Bank of England) and Douglas Adams, as " Bambi Gascoigne" (with considerable emphasis being placed on the resemblance of his name to the DisneyAlternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. or simply Disney was founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. It is the number tw character).

His name appears in one version of the Monty Python Lumberjack Song when Michael Palin sings of the "Quercus maximus Bamber Gascoigneii".

Bamber Gascoigne is also an authority on the history and techniques of printmaking and graphic reproduction, with publications such as Milestones in Colour Printing and How to Identify Prints.