The Results

This week's Val Draper Cup Round 2 results:

Opsimaths after keeping ahead up to Round 6 just got pipped at the post by SPW

Albert lost out to the History Men who are continuing their late surge - Ivor writes:

"A pleasant evening at the Fletcher Moss and victory over a three-person Albert means a cup run for us at last."

Getaways fought hard but couldn't get the better of the Electric Pigs, the undisputed Cup Kings (as Dave Rainford gallantly acknowledged after the event)

TMTCH smashed their way to a resounding victory against the X-Pats (who sadly had to scratch with Jim the only X-Pat available)

Question Paper - The Verdict

This week the questions were set by Charabancs of Fire.

At the Club we had a cracking good evening as Barry's other ear (that's the one that wasn't plugged into Porto v United), and the rest of us, thoroughly enjoyed an evening of typical Charabanc fare.  Erin's green valleys loomed large but didn't overwhelm.  Our favourite theme was the DJ one in Round 7 - if only to see the pain and, then ultimately the triumph, on Barry's face as he remembered that Jacob's made biscuits as well as (many years ago) spining discs.  Full marks too to Jitka who, playing as a stand in for the United-bound Alice, managed to remember that Chile was the setting for Missing for a crucial 2 points at the end

From the Fletcher Moss Ivor comments:

"Quiz was well received.  QotW - the Hannibal Lector trail which makes Dracula’s perambulations seem rather pedestrian in comparison.

Highlights of the Northern Ireland picture round included comments from Tim worthy of an ancient law lord: 'Pat Jennings - never heard of him' - and: 'that city looks French' (admittedly Armagh does look splendid when the photo is overexposed) - and a blurt from Ivor: 'I thought it was Stiff Little Fingers in retro sixties clothes, sort of looking like Them'.

Misheard question of the week went to Anne who claimed to have heard: 'Which future President escaped from Lincoln prison using a key hidden in a hake.'  Bad luck for Mary O’B who deviated from her default answer of 'if it’s a Dickens' character you haven’t heard of always plump for Our Mutual Friend'.

And talking of deviancy both teams decided to rule out Anne Summers as an answer on the grounds it wasn’t a High Street retailer (at least in Didsbury - well not yet anyway).  And finally Tim followed up his knowledge of lights being lung with the revelation that lamb lungs wrapped in intestines and grilled is a rather tasty Greek delicacy. Waste not want not, but I think tongue sandwiches are exotic enough."

....and from the Gateway Gary's twopennyworth:

"Good quiz with inventive themes.  Good to learn more about an often neglected part of the UK."

Chatterbox

This week I received an email from an irate correspondent - a Getaway who got away - Allan Stores.  Allan writes:

"I read with interest (as usual) the questions from the Quiz of 8th April, and, being a native of Durham, was pleased to see that I could actually answer some of the questions this time around. I was less than impressed, however, with Damian's comments on the quiz.  I quote 'TMTCH's questions were a fair and even spread of subject matter. We were quite good on geological periods, culinary terms, films and authors whilst we slipped up on amateur Tyneside football teams, Tyneside topography and Tyneside lore and legend.'  I've not lived in Durham for some years now, but last time I looked (and even allowing for the creation of Tyne and Wear). Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Crook, Darlington, etc are no where near Tyneside. Putting Barnard Castle on Tyneside is about as accurate as expecting natives of Salford to speak with a scouse accent."

Beware, Damian.  Be-very-ware.  Your card has been marked.

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If you've glanced at the Message Board recently you'll see that I've started a thread about how we organise next season's WIST Champion's Cup.  Mike Wagstaffe (Stockport's mover and shaker) and myself both want to avoid having a Stockport v Stockport (or, for that matter, a WithQuiz v WithQuiz) final in future years.

We suggest a 'Champion's League' approach where the top 4 teams from each league play each other over 4 separate weeks dotted throughout the season (perhaps 2 Wednesdays as now and 2 Thursdays - so as not to place more non-quizzing Wednesdays in the calendar for non-competing WithQuiz teams). The Stockport and WithQuiz teams emerging from these Wednesdays with the most points would then play off in a Final at the end of the season.

Please have a look at this thread and give us some feedback.  We could do with deciding this matter before the the end of this season.

Megson's Pulpit

Another blast from the past.  This piece was published on the website on April 7th 2005 and looks forward to Dave Rainford's triumphant appearance on Who Wants To Be a Millionnaire..........

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Fr. Megson is currently in Rome having a preliminary interview with a view to furthering his desperate and perhaps belated ambition of crawling up the slippery rungs of the Catholic higher management structure.  Early feedback suggests that he scored pretty poorly on the infallibility paper.  But he could be wrong there of course.  Mindful of the great events unfolding back in Blighty he has emailed the following.....

Wot's a gel to do?

A Chairde,

Mounting problems, both physically and metaphorically speaking, for Charles and Camilla as it now appears inevitable that their honeymoon will have to be postoned sine nocte on account of the clash with WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE this Saturday night.

A Clarence House spokesman told WITHQUIZ earlier today:

"Both Charles and Camilla are pig sick about this cock-up caused once again by bloody people.  Fortunately, neither of them are regular viewers of MATCH OF THE DAY so that poses no problem although in fairness Camilla does feel that Gary Lineker can look appealingly equine when he laughs.

"Both Royal parties had anticipated hitting the hay immediately after the lottery draw but now feel that they will be unable to do so since WITHQUIZ will be represented on MILLIONAIRE.  Protocol dictates that they remain bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to cheer Big Dave on this his biggest night since his 21st birthday party at the Red almost exactly 46 years ago today (I wonder what that stripper is doing in her retirement?)."

Regular listeners to this website will know that Dave and Camilla go back a long way.  Right back to that snug in the Red next to the gents.

"Dave is absolutely fab" ,

said Camilla,

"and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for calling him an oik on the occasion of our last tired and emotional meeting.  I did so in the genuinely mistaken belief that he was poor."

One way out of the impasse might be for Dave to drop out of MILLIONAIRE and run instead in the GRAND NATIONAL which kicks off earlier that afternoon.  Dave's trainer feels however that this idea, like Dave, might be a non-starter.

"Dave has been specially genomed to run in a quiz show," said Mr. Heale ,"and his molecules are simply not wired up to compete in a bruising encounter with 7 foot fences.  Nor does he feel intellectually compatible with either horses or with Irish midgets with annoyingly squeaky voices.  We could in no way guarantee that he would get round the course in time for his tea and DR. WHO which tees off at 7pm.  Sorry.  What about if Camilla watches MILLIONAIRE on her ownio and we ask Ethel Rodin to stand in for her in the Royal Bedchamber for just the one night only.  That shouldn't pose a problem, should it?  It will be pretty dark in there and Ethel is about Camilla's height when she's lying down and neither of them know anything about football or Reality TV so it should be perfect.

"Mind you, we'd still have to find a childminder for Baby Tolan who's normally ready for his teddy long before the end of ANT AND DEC.  And we'd need to buy some new jimjams for Roddy who ruined his old ones at the White Swan last week...........oh dear.......it's all a bit of a logistical nightmare isn't it?"

Royals - who'd have them?

Fr. Megson