Withington Pub Quiz League - quizbiz 18/11/04

Results & Match Reports

Snoopy's Friends lost at home to the rapidly improving X-Pats

FCEK kept up their challenge at the top, beating St Caths down at the White Swan in far-flung Ladybarn**

Fifth Finger beat Electric Pigs in a high-scoring game at the Griffin

Opsimaths lost heavily at home to third-placed History Men

Albert went down at home to Ethel Rodin

** Really worrying news from the White Swan where a drunken siren decided to use the showcase, top of the table, clash between FCEK and St Caths to boost a flagging showbiz career by launching her ample frame at the reclusive Megson. Apparently she mistook him for George Best. Eventually FCEK stewards rugby-tackled her to the ground and hustled her off the pitch. Quizbiz would like to express their disgust at this dreadful incident and, if the culprit should surf her way to this site, then I can tell her here and now that such behaviour would never be tolerated at the Albert Club (Old Lansdowne Road, about half way down on the left, straight through the car park, knock 3 times and ask for the Treasurer). So there!!

Quiz Paper Verdict

This week the paper was another Bingo quiz set by Albert Park. Apart from Ethel Rodin, and the Park's Albert Club rivals, the Opsimaths, the paper got a strong thumbs up. "More like this please" was one comment - "a very good quiz" was the view at the Griffin. On reflection I think it is the sniff of a pop music question dealing with anything later than Hoagy Carmichael that upsets the Opsies and Ethel. "What about proper music?" I can hear Roz's cry ringing in my ears.

One little quibble (which may have been a typo): David Lean directed Summertime in 1955 NOT 1995 as stated (I checked this when I got home from the Club and have entered the correct date on the page on this site). I'm not too sure but I believe the peerless Lean was dead by 1995. Certainly A Passage to India was his last film in 1984.

So, being objective, a pretty good quiz paper from the Park, if not quite up to their excellent setting form of last season.

The Question of the Week

The nomination this week was for Question 43:

Jennie Jerome invented the Manhattan cocktail. What was her other claim to fame?

Click here to see the answers to this and the rest of the week's questions and answers.

Fr Megson

Letter from the Baltics

A Chairde,

Bitter disappointment for all Withquiz junkies this week as Fr. Megson returns still jobless from the Baltics. His last hope of gainful employment disappeared after the Chairman of the legendary FC Skonto Riga admitted that he would probably be hanged drawn and quartered if he were to appoint the much reviled cleric. "Maybe now you should let the Wolves have him", he sneered uncharitably, as Fr. Megson responded with a visible wince.

Some brief impressions of Latvia and Lithuania (I ran out of time and will have to save Estonia for next time):

Baltic Rail is fairly efficient but to use the word "express" in this instance would be as daft as to refer to our DAILY EXPRESS as a proper newspaper. It will get you there in the end, but bring three novels, a bottle of vodka and a cushion with you. Or if you are feeling lazy, you could always stay in Riga Old Town and spend the afternoon in one of its many Irish bars watching reruns of English Coca Cola cup ties on large TV screens. Now there's cultural for you!
Lithuania is far more exotic than the somewhat Scandinavian Latvia. Vilnius is a blend of exquisite Russian Orthodox church architecture and brutalist Stalin-era tenements. The people don't seem as self-assured as the Letts, and designer jeans are not de rigeur - but they are more willing to talk and seem to have a nice self-deprecating sense of humour, neatly summed up by this splendid logo I saw on a T-shirt (covering a rather splendid chest):

I LOVE LITHUANIA - BUT WHERE EXACTLY IS IT?

My favourite fact about Lithuania:

All their lifts seem to be manufactured by a company called Schindler. Now Lithuania is not a country where you can make jokes about death camps with an easy conscience but I must admit I was tickled by the idea of Liam Neeson rising to stardom in a film called SCHINDLER'S LIFT. Sorry about that!

Most esoteric moment: Watching WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE in Lithuanian with Russian subtitles. I must admit I found it tough going - on a par with last week's quiz set by Snoopy Dog by all accounts! The 64,000 litas question was (and I paraphrase):

"Blah blah blahvasi blah blahets blah Jose Mourinho blah blah blahvets. Illi:

     A) ARSENAL                             B) CHELSEA

     C) MANCHESTER UNITED       D) LIVERPOOL?"

The contestant looked at the QM as if he was an idiot (and he probably was) and, without batting a bushy eyelid, plumped for Chelski. I was impressed. Now can you imagine Chris Tarrant asking a contestant from Basildon:

"Which of these Lithuanian football clubs is managed by Viktor Brazauskas. Is it:

      A) KAUNAS                               B) VILNIUS

      C) KLAIPEDA                             D) ZEMAITIJA?

Take your time."

"Well, Chris, I've got an idea but I think I will phone my friend Barry who lives in the Griffin. He knows all the Premiership clubs in the Northwest so he's bound to know this one. Over to you, Baz."

Fr. Megson