What did I say about the Cup and the Pigs?  Well they've only just gone and toppled the Girls at Fortress Griffin......

....so next week it's Pigs v Park for the Val Draper trophy whilst the Opsimaths battle it out with the Albert for the privilege of holding the Plate

The Results

Cup Semi Finals.....

Albert knocked out The Men TCH to reach the Plate Final where they play...

The Opsimaths who got the better of the X-Pats at the Sun in September

The Paper

Ethel Rodin set this week.  Liked by some and not so popular with others.  Clearly the Albert Park were fans but the X-Pats, Albert and Men TCH were not so enamoured.  It certainly suited the Opsimaths after last week's paper though I think going second first, and first second, gave us somewhat easier questions.  Jim had only just won the toss, elected to go first and moaned about having 4 Themed Rounds in the first half of last week's paper, when the QM announced that there was a theme in Round 1 this week.

My own fancy was well and truly tickled by the 'Dorothy Fields' question.  I have just been reading about her this week and knew that she was the genius behind the lyrics to many of Jerome Kern's greatest numbers including the songs featured in Swing Time (such as The Way You Look Tonight).

A good sign for the setters was that I received various nominations for QotW - including Round 4 Question 7 about the name of the Appalachian Pass known as the 'Gateway to the West', and Round 7 Question 8 about the tennis player that had won a Grand Slam title in every year between 1972 and 1986.  Albert Park, however, went for the one quoted below, which, I think on balance, has the necessary star quality.

And if I was to have one gripe, why did the alcoholically themed Round 1 start off with 2 Baileys?  Yes I know Question 1 was themed by the first half of Horace's surname rather than his place of work - but how were we to know this?  We had visions of 8 answers containing a Bailey!!!

(Thursday morning's postscript)

Having just put Ethel's paper up onto the website I feel I did it an injustice last night.  It was a really interesting trawl through a load of eclectica (if there is such a word).  It was also proof that you don't have to have clever themes or even pairings to set a really interesting question - indeed hunting for the second half of a pair or the last 4 questions in a themed round can often lead to substandard papers.

The Question of the Week

The vote this week goes to Round 8 Question 6:

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

Chatterbox

Things are now warming up for a 3 week long end of season flourish......

• Our own Cup & Plate Finals next Wednesday (23/04) at the Albert Club

• The WIST Champions Cup Final a week next Wednesday (30/04)  at Heaton Moor Rugby Union Club when the Napier Girls are pitted against Stockport's champion team, Chunky

• The End of Season Quiz and Presentation evening at the Albert Club on Wednesday May 7th

Even if your team is not involved in the various finals do please come along and support your favourites (or Chunky if you prefer - based on the 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' principle)