Withington Pub Quiz League - Quizbiz 09/02/22

Prodigals extend their lead at the top squeaking a home win against the Pigs while KFD lose to the Charas; Ethel keep up the chase but Albert slip back

Prodigals beat Electric Pigs

Ethel Rodin beat History Men

KFD lost to Charabancs

Bards beat Albert

Prodigals beat Electric Pigs

Lucky Prods just squeak home in this top v bottom clash

Jimmy reports...

It was close. Tight as a gnat's chuff as we used to say in the print trade in less enlightened times.

The Pigs were extremely unlucky with the lead changing hands several times. In the end it all boiled down to fortunate choices in the 2021 Deathlist Bingo round.

A cracking night all round that got everyone’s dormant quiz muscle memories flexing again. It's good to be back.

Banksy's Superhero NHS

(R1/Q1)

to which winning skipper Anne-Marie adds...

A very close match at the club tonight which all hinged on the last question. Thank goodness for good old Captain Tom!

Topsy Turvy game with a great performance by The Pigs.

My QotW R7 Q5.

So good to be back!

"The bummers were being chased by farters when they drooped their bums on the London dicks"

(R4/Q1)

Ethel Rodin beat History Men

A comfortable victory as Ethel keep up the pressure on the Prods at the top

Ivor goes philosophical...

Some readers will recall (probably those on the spectrum) that in the corresponding match report in November, I commented that going into a match against Ethel Rodin the Historymen regarded a defeat by fewer than 10 points as a worthy and achievable aim. On that occasion we had an unexpected victory (despite Ethel’s Greg scoring 7 twos). Tonight however the universe was restored to order, planets were back in their orbits and we were sent packing by 10 points. The margin of victory was due to Ethel’s superior two rate (their 15 to our 7) with Geoff and James getting 5 each. Still a loss does not always put a dampener on the social side and there was plenty of banter during and after the quiz. This included reflection on how our world has changed (probably a topic for all oldies) and not necessarily for the better. Children today are amazed we once had to queue outside a red phone box, push in 2p pieces when we heard the pips (or even further back push button A or B) if we wanted to speak to a friend. Finding out what was the atomic weight of samarium necessitated finding a book, and writing 3 hour essays on the causes of the First World War could not be cut and pasted or outsourced to an Indian student for $2.99. With so much knowledge at their fingertips will students of the future ever bother to remember anything and paradoxically end up worse at quizzing compared with us? But I must not decry all technological advances - a highlight of the evening was a trip home in James's new electric Jaguar which is more pleasant than trudging home by Shank’s pony.

Linking the Forth, the Clyde and the Union

(R6/Q4)

Reflections from Mike H...

First of all many thanks to James for the lift back - much appreciated.

Another good quiz from the Opsimaths with some intriguing rounds (the Med, Crime, and I really liked the concept of the 'Events of Last Year' round) - just wish it hadn't been such a recent year! It wasn't really until the Searchers that I felt more relaxed

Favourite question? Round 5 Question 8 - Vanessa got it!

and a tailpiece from 'Jaguar' James...

Where are you placing the head of John the Baptist in the picture? When at school I remember there being about 14 heads here and there, one in the Umayyad mosque (featured in a different question), one in Rome, and then the one I’ve seen, a gold plated monstrosity in the reliquary of Amiens cathedral - the building of which was largely funded by the revenue from this trinket, which had been pillaged from Constantinople in the 4th crusade.

The orthodox church has three separate feast days celebrating the various earlier rediscoveries of this relic.

Last resting place for John the Baptist's head

(R3/Sp1)

Cheese and Wine's the business - running the country's just for fun

(R1/Q8)

KFD lost to Charabancs

A welcome win for the Charas against high-flying KFD in this Griffin derby

Damian shows a smile...

To paraphrase the great Toyah Wilcox, "It's a victory, it's a victory!". Yes, the Charas have opened up the second half of the season by scoring a rare (but all the more welcome for that) victory against KFD, a team against whom, in their various manifestations over the years, we have often battled successfully or, at least, competitively. Tonight proved no exception. Somehow we managed to survive a disastrous first round (scoring just 1 point to KFD's 8).

Altogether it was an inauspicious start with John arriving a week early at the Albert Club for a match he thought we were playing against the Prodigals and Graham arriving at the right venue in the right week but late due, apparently, to tram delays.

It also featured an infamous blurt from Yours Truly as I excitedly shouted "The Dave Clark Five" when attempting to answer question 1 of the Hidden Theme round (in true classic blurt fashion, I remain disconcerted that I wasn't immediately awarded a two - but, given the furious looks and hostile gestures of my fellow Charas, I have to acknowledge that my memory must have been playing tricks on me again).

After the debacle of Round 1, and my blurt notwithstanding, we surged into a lead that we never surrendered although it was close all the way through and on a knife edge at the end (as is always the case with KFD).

Brian came along to act as QM for us in his customary genial and efficient manner. We often do quite well on his papers and I am relieved that tonight proved no exception.

"iPod - you're fired"

(R2/Q5)

and Graham's pretty happy too...

Well Mike, what can I say!

We're feeling Glad All Over after being in Bits 'n' Pieces. With our table position, we managed to overcome the numbness of our Needles and Pins by searching out the right answers (boom! boom!).

We survived an 8-1 opening round deficit to overcome KFD .... who didn't bring their tiny trophy with them as Kieran is hanging on for a far bigger Trophy at the end of the season ... as I'm sure all of you City supporters are ... as you've never laid your hands upon Big Cup yet.

Despite Tizer boy's late arrival due to a tram delay it seems our new home at the Griffin is working some magic ... every time When We Walk In The Room Damian gets the right answer ... well most of the time.

(Apologies to younger quizzers for Graham's repeated reference to Stone Age pop song titles from the Searchers and The Dave Clark Five - he can't help it, he's old, you know)

Jutland's hero or Jutland's villain?

(R6/Q3)

Bards beat Albert

Albert slip up at the Parrswood to dent their title ambitions

The League's most ruthless skipper, Mike, sums up...

One that got away really.

We had chances to win but fate, stupidity and question interpretation conspired against us - in other words the rest of the team let me down.

As for the paper there is usually some moaning about Bingo rounds but I thought this was quite a good effort in that there was just enough information to make an answer gettable. A slight quibble is that Hiram Maxim was born in America and was an American citizen for most of his life and is usually described as being American or American-British rather than British, which caused some confusion.

Josiah Wedgwood's nod to abolitionism

(R7/Q7)

Quiz paper set by...

...The Opsimaths

Average Aggregate score 79.5

The Opsimaths paper (well, Brian's paper in truth) gets an all-round thumbs up as WithQuizzers celebrate the resumption of League matches after an extended Christmas break.

As an interested party I must stay mum other than to say I thoroughly enjoyed rehearsing it at the Albert Club with my Opsi colleagues last Sunday!

Lugg and master

(R5/Q3)

so what did Damian think...

It was Brian's usual varied mix of the traditional and the classic with more recent fare to boot. As far as we were concerned, it was mercifully free of an over-reliance on sport and modern pop music. In other words - for us - an excellent paper all round.

We all voted for Round 2 ('Poor Predictions by Famous People') as the Round of the Week and there were two nominations for Question of the Week with one going to Round 2 Question 8 and the other going to Round 1 Question 6; some "Surprising, what really?" reactions to the answers to these two.

and Jimmy...

The quiz was a good 'un with plenty of points on offer and much to discuss and debate.

Gripes? I could have done without the Last of the Summer Wine question. "How do I love thee?" - not much.

QotW? The Little Richard/Ladies' clothing label was a very well laid trap which the Prods blundered into like a herd of bewildered bison. Kudos to the setter.

and James...

We enjoyed this quiz. Questions fell particularly well for Geoff and me - both getting 5 twos and conferring on a sixth that we should have gone for.

We all thought Greece must be larger than Croatia in the list of Med countries but it was a spare anyway.

and finally Ivor...

A combined score of 80 suggests a fairly easy quiz but it did not seem so at the time and many questions required some pondering before (in our case) coming up with the wrong answer. Some of these were 'hitting the post' (Gattling instead of Maxim, Einstein instead of Rutherford, Mill Hill instead of Dollis Hill, Falkirk rotating apparatus thing) which is a measure of good setting (having good viable confounders). An interesting range of thematic material was on display. Having a good idea but then sustaining it for 8 questions is very difficult as a rule but the Opsis carried it off well in the double 'double L' round and 'Question and question' round. My QotW was the birthplace of Garribaldi and Henry Cavendish because although I produced the answer I cannot recall why or how I ever knew that.

"I'm not amused - are you?"

(R1/Q4)

Question of the Week

This week Anne-Marie and Tony agree the award should go to Round 7 Question 5...

A maths professor at Warwick University, has derived an equation with three variables: departure time, number of children, and number of activities brought along. What does the equation estimate?

For the answer to this and all the week's other questions click here.

£50 for cutting at least 2 years off the WW2 and saving millions of lives

(R1/Q5)

...and also

It seems the Albert Club is booked for the Club AGM on May 18th, the evening scheduled for WithQuiz's End of Season get-together. So, I have rescheduled our final evening of the season for the following Wednesday, May 25th. The Fixtures page has been changed accordingly.

Largest church in the world - once upon a time

(R3/Q4)

And finally, it wouldn't be right to end without mentioning the passing this week of Bamber Gascoigne - for many of us the guardian of the door through which we entered the world of quizzing. I'm sure he was proud of the way in which our many WithQuiz University Challenge colleagues are keeping the standards of this programme so high. R.I.P.

Month by month - 2021 R.I.P.s

(Round 8)