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History Men beat Charabancs
Victory for the History Men keeps them in second
place
 Ivor
treads in the footsteps of Felix
When
we faced the Charabancs in the first match of the
season we were put to the sword and defeated by 12
points. So it was very satisfying to win this
game by a sufficient margin to clear our points
'score difference' as well as retain our current
second place in the league. Indeed after two
rounds we were nine points ahead but, unlike last
week, did not implode. Had the quiz however
been determined on who won the last 6 rounds the
Charas would have won by a point. A moderately
difficult quiz (an aggregate score of 72) with
unanswereds breaking 4-4, Charas getting more twos
(9-7) and our superior steal rate (8-3) being the
major factor in the win. Damian with 4 twos
was MVP (but still on the losing side).
Fantastique but unrequited
(R2/Q5)
We had a pleasant, though long, evening at the
Parrswood. With other groups in attendance
(including Boy Scout big-wigs in full dress) we were
allocated the quiet corner behind the kitchen close
to the subsidiary Gents. This is very useful
in our league. Tonight all four Charas, me and
QM Guy were over 65 and we oldies (or wee oldies)
appreciate such kindnesses.
How interesting to find out things about our
neighbourhood (Round 4) including the fact that
Mendelssohn must have wandered close to where we
live now. None of us (shamefully) had heard of
the 1857 Art Treasures Exhibition (Round 8) but at
least the questions were accessible. The 'Punny'
Round still teases. I missed the winner of the
beauty pageant in the hardwood trade, and all the
Charas were stumped by the Boat Race obsessive (but
not our vexillologist Young David).
Keats noted "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever".
Is a quiz a thing of beauty? Sometimes it is a
thing of beauty for Ivor whilst remaining a work in
progress.
Second longest creature on earth
(R3/Q5)
CKC beat Bards
CKC continue their trek back to the upper climes
 Kieran's
reassessing his team management skills
Well
this is definitely a thing now; six wins and a draw
from our last seven games, four of them without our
man smashing it for a maximum again and again.
I can't point to one thing that has made the
difference. We've had a bit more rub of the
green - we were very unlucky in some of the early
season games. We've also got more comfortable
playing with our new, regular line up and much
better at conferring; quite often it feels just like
the old times.
Black Bob's return from the high seas coincided with
David heading off to Vietnam, there's a story in
that I'm sure. David's absence is only
temporary - unless Bob deems a longer stay is
required - and the fixture-setting gods have
fortunately arranged matters such that last
night is the only game he will miss. That's just as
well since Martin is also on holiday (in Spain) for
the next couple of weeks. Come to think of it
there's something going on here; David and Martin
away, Barry permanently relocated to Norwich and
young Liam®, who ably deputised for David against
the Bards, is contemplating a life-changing move to
Australia. What's the common denominator in
all this? Should I be reassessing my team management
skills?
All that's left of 1235 Didsbury
(R4/Q3)
There was one odd punter in The Living Room watching
the Liverpool game so we moved to the middle room
which was mercifully free of darts players.
The Bards were good company as always and the Bogota
Bucaneer helmed everything smoothly to a conclusion
pretty much dead on 10.00pm.
After the game Martin and Bard Jim developed their
theory that the Second World War was nothing more
than an elaborate plot to stem the rise of Grimsby
Town in the 1930s and to decimate the fishing
port's main industry. It's an intriguing idea
and it should get some traction in today's 'free and
easy with the truth' world. I doubt it would
attract the attention of the orange thing across the
pond but maybe Ian Kershaw (I'm sure he browses this
site) could shed some light on it?
Manchester's 1857 Grand Art Treasures exhibition
entrance - now just a way in to Costa Coffee, etc.
(R8/Sp2)
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Albert beat Electric Pigs
Albert go third beating the Pigs at the Sun in
September
 Ethel's
James, officiated and gives his verdict
I QM'd
last night for Albert in this match. It was a
relatively low-scoring affair - mainly due to a high
number of confers. The half dozen or so
unanswereds were equally balanced between the
popular culture and the high culture questions.
In the
'Puns' round, I accepted 'Met Ball' as an answer -
as the phrase 'Met Gala' has only been used in
recent years. I could hear the Pigs debating
this - and (despite the restrictions on electronic
devices in The Sun in September) quickly asked Chat
GPT for a view exbefore they gave their answer.
My question about Limoges referred to the champlevé
enamels which were what was displayed at the
exhibition - but I hadn't anticipated that Limoges
might also be famous for something else.
Evelyn offered porcelain (well, she said "china")
which became an important Limoges industry in the
late 18th and 19th centuries - but was not displayed
at the exhibition. The fact that the previous answer
was definitely porcelain should have been a steer as
well. I'm sure Mike will find a picture of a
fabulous piece of Limoges enamel work for the
website.
Champlevé
ware from Limoges
(R8/Q6)
Opsimaths lost to Prodigals
A
comfortable win keeps the Prods well clear of the
chasing pack
 With
a hint of nostalgia Mike reviews last night's 8
quizzers
I QMed
this one which gave me the opportunity to reflect on
all 8 players, most of whom I have been quizzing
with for many years.
The
Prods are at present indisputably the leaders of our
pack. This week renowned history writer and
VAT king, Michael, and accomplished TV producer,
Richard, were absent on other duties. The team
therefore contained 'Mad Man' Jimmy,
passionate Stopfordian, John, Queen of Jam and
Jerusalem, Anne-Marie, and, making a very welcome
return after years away serving the country, and
indeed the world, on nuclear matters in Vienna and
beyond, Mark Bassett, CMG.
Jimmy's recollection was that he started with the
Prods just 10 years ago as Mark disappeared off to
work with the IAEA in Vienna so they couldn't recall
having been in the same Prods line-up together
previously. Last night put that right and it
worked towards a convincing Prods victory.
Bond bungees
(R7/1995)
As for
the Opsis there was Charlotte fresh from a stellar
season on Only Connect where her Worker Bees
ended up a very creditable fourth-placed. Of
course the recording of these programmes took place
a few months back but their final match (the 3rd/4th
place play off) was only aired this Monday.
Apparently the whole OC vibe is enormous fun
and VC-M is a hoot. Alongside Charlotte was
Paul whose work in the overseas charity sector is
more vital than ever since USAID was wantonly
destroyed by you-know-who and the UK decided to
drastically cut back its overseas aid budget.
Paul is our newest recruit and has reached the
quizzing stage where he is quite often fairly sure
of the answer but prefers to nestle in the comfort
of conferring to confirm his knowledge. The
sooner he moves to the next stage where he goes for
the two will gift the team some vital extra points.
The rest of the team comprised Brian, ace quiz paper
setter and the Methuselah of the Opsis line-up, and
skipper Howell consistently our best performer.
I used to work with Howell back in the 1980s for
Barclays Bank at Radbroke Hall near Knutsford.
Before that Howell worked for Barclays in London in
the old Royal Mint buildings next to the Tower of
London where the Chinese have just gained government
approval for their super embassy. Next time
you see Howell ask him why the Chinese might come to
regret their choice of site. The tale involves
rugby players and laminating machines.
009 bites the dust
(R7/1983)
As for
the match, it went as might have been predicted for
a table top/table bottom clash. A comfortable
margin for the Prods but, until the final round,
never one where the Opsis didn't have the hope of a
recovery. Best moment for me was the 'Napoleon
of Crime' question in Round 5. How could
'Moriarty' be twisted to become a Scotsman saying
"It more hurty". Nice try but neither team saw
the blindingly obvious answer for this one.
So yet
again it was a Wednesday lubricated by good ale in
the company of some extraordinary folk.
Oh,
and before they get too cocky, after the match we
retrieved the Orkney Dark trophy (awarded to the
winners of each Albert Club derby match) from its
perch on a high shelf. By my count the Opsis
have won 41 of the 73 derby matches to date so
you've got a bit to go yet Prods!
Cheers!
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David with helmet and sword
(R6/Q4)
Quiz paper set by...
... Ethel Rodin
Average Aggregate score 73.3
A few
points below par for the season to date but full of
good thoughtful questions. Once more the 'Punny
Old World' format raised plenty of smiles and groans
but star round for us at the Club was the
'Blockbuster Bingo Famous movie scenes' round.
Very nicely constructed and delivered. Full
marks to whichever Ethel thought this one up.
Just
one gripe from an ageing QM whose eyesight is
deteriorating: why, oh why, use such small font?
Most of the paper seemed to me 10pt with added
embellishing information in 8pt! Why not use
14pt throughout? OK, the whole paper might
consume another sheet but so what?
A natural Run-on for Wayne
(R1/Q6)
...
so what were Ivor's views ...
An
impressive paper from Ethel. The front cover even
outdid the Opsimaths’ past offerings (by having
pictures in colour!). Having each round on a
single page certainly helps the QM. Some of
the questions were rather erudite and not suited to
Philistines but nothing wrong with that. It
would be a dull quiz if we relied on general
knowledge questions from, say, Celebrity
Mastermind. Anne was disappointed that the
Golden Age of the Silver Screen (if that is not an
elemental mixed metaphor) related to Michael’s
choice of 70s-90s blockbusters rather than the
black-and-white 30s and 40s fare we used to watch on
Sunday afternoons in the 1970s, just after the
Big Match (ITV) or the Grand Prix (BBC).
It was interesting to note that the villains in
these more recent epics often reflected the
geopolitics of the time the film was made (Nazis,
then Russians, then Libyans, then South Africans,
then North Koreans). I wonder if there will be
a future epic starring Brigitte Nielson as a crazed
Danish warlord in charge of killer polar bears
taking on, say, a re-imagined Captain America in icy
wastelands (the greatest film there has ever been...
must win all the Oscars...).
No GCSEs and £23m
(R3/Q4)
...
and Kieran's views ...
We
liked the paper and even did well on the 'Art
Treasures' round, much to our surprise. It was one
of those evenings where everything came off; no
fewer than eight 'vague idea' guesses earned points
for us and we picked up four bonuses from the Bards
who were not so lucky. Only two unanswereds, both
falling to our guests, and overall a very good paper
and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Looking at
the other scores it seems the paper suited both
teams in the Griffin more than the rest of the
league so we're very happy to commend Ethel for
their excellent effort.
Something old, something new ...
(R2/Q2)
Question of the Week
This week many of the questions were smartly worded
and it was this that attracted the Prodigals to Round
2 Question 2 ...
Who are these two people who share the same forename
and
were born 13 days apart in London in 1958? One
is an Oscar-winning actor, the other a musician.
Despite the sound of their surnames, the actor is
younger than the musician.
For the answer to this and all the week's other
questions click
here.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee
- probably in the hands of the Boston mob
(R8/Q4)
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