Withington Pub Quiz League - quizbiz 24/11/10

It's tight at the top as the Prodigals and the Pigs tuck in behind SPW

Results & Match Reports

Calluna Pussycats succumbed to the might of the high-flying Electric Pigs - though the Pigs were keen to say how much they enjoyed their night on the tiles with the Pussycats and their excellent QM.

Bards lost at home - but only just - to SPW. Kieran reports:

"A very convivial evening with the Bards at Didsbury Cricket Club which is a great addition to the league's venues - good beer, reasonably priced, and a decent room in which to hold the match."

Prodigals confirmed their new found strength with an impressive home victory over the Charabancs of Fire.

Historymen enjoyed a comfortable victory over Compulsory Meat Raffle. Ivor writes in:

"The Historymen won with a round to spare but our visitors were actually ahead after three rounds. I was in the QM chair tonight which I always enjoy especially when I would struggle with the questions if I was on the receiving end (which is often the case with Albert quizzes).

We had an enjoyable evening and for the first time we could refer to our 'Young David' as 'Middle-aged David' as he is considerably older than any of the Meat Raffle. It is most strange posing the question 'Who won Wimbledon in 1986?' to someone only born in 1989."

Ethel Rodin got the better of TMTCH at the White Swan.

Quiz Paper Verdict

This week's paper was set by Albert. A common moan from all quarters about the mistaken assumption that Glossop is in Greater Manchester (Round 6 Question 8) but otherwise plenty of approbation. Kieran's feedback from the Cricket Club:

"The evening was complete when Martin discovered that Jim (ex X-pat and now a Bard) was a fellow Harry the Haddock follower from just round the corner in Great Grimsby. Jim wasn't playing last week but agreed that he was outraged by Ethel's rogue non league question. Looks like I was wrong in my assertion that Martin bore the hurt alone.

Question of the week? The shocking revelation (oh really?) that City and United conspired eighty years ago to choke off a threat from Manchester Central (Round 6 Question 7). Plus ca change as Michel Platini would say.

But to continue my griping about inaccurate football questions.......its pair? Since when was Glossop in Greater Manchester? The Bards were most aggrieved as were we as both teams came up with the likes of Horwich, Hyde and Stalybridge. Are SPW really the only team in the league with a halfway competent knowledge of football?"

.....and Ivor comments:

"The quiz was variable in difficulty. I think going first was an advantage given the spread of unanswerables (3-9 in our game).

Having said that the QotW was the one posed to Peter (where I said “if you know this answer I’ll buy a hat and eat it”) namely the real life character who was the inspiration for Professor Yaffle. Neither Peter nor my colleagues knew the answer but CMR did. The continuing influence of the Peter Firmin/Oliver Postgate canon through the generations is confirmed. Now should I get a trilby or a bowler?"

The Question of the Week

This week the Prodigals and the Charabancs vote for Round 6 Question 5:

What government post was held by Isaac Newton between 1699 and 1727?

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

Father Megson

Iron In The Royal Sole?

A Chairde,

People often stop Fr Megson in the street and say things like "Bless me Father but would you get your hands out from beneath your cassock or you'll be bringing the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church into disrepute.....and, by the way, I booked a coach to take the wife and kids to Ladybarn last Sunday to see the Festival of Culture but when we got there Sean had a sign over the bar saying 'Please don't ask for culture as a kick in the groin often offends'. You're doing a great job Father - with admin skills like yours you should be in the Irish government. Are you Biffo in disguise?"

If only ould eejits like that would read the Daily Telegraph properly instead of harranguing men of God outside the Ann Summers emporium. Not only did it print the statement issued by Buckingham Palace in full on the front page but it even dedicated its editorial four days running to the now infamous 'Swangate' affair. Here is the statement again for any of you cretins who don't take the Torygraph.

"It is with great sadness that HM The Queen must announce that one was unable to officiate at the State opening of Britain's inaugural Suburb of Culture gala. This was due to one's inability to gain admittance to the Stadium of Murk situated on the Boulevard of Dreams (formerly Green Street) in the parish of Ladybarn. In royal mitigation it must be said that one might reasonably assume that proffering one's passport and a note of the realm clearly showing one's portrait would be deemed sufficient evidence of identity no matter how stringent the security measures. Sadly one had not taken into one's account the level of pigheadedness shown by the oik at the door with the scouse accent who was intent on taking exception to one's footwear. When one pointed out that one was the head of State attending his flea-ridden little back street boozer in an official capacity and in any case what he took to be metal was in fact fcekin ermine, he informed me in colourful but somewhat unnecessary language that one could not come into his taproom in them heels not even if one were Steven fcekin Gerrard himself. One wonders what the young people of poorer quality in Liverpool spend the day doing in their minor Grammar schools or, if they even know the meaning of the simple phrase 'lesé Majesté'.

"Sadly this unfortunate incident means that one's grandson and his common fianceé may now be forced to reconsider their plans to celebrate their forthcoming nuptials with a right royal knees-up in the lounge bar of the same establishment. Their respective hen and stag nights will however proceed as planned as the oik with the scouse accent has already cashed and laundered the cheque remitted to him by one's Chancellor, the Right Honourable gorgeous Georgie, as a deposit for the finger buffet, sundry crisps, peanuts, pork scratchings and the four crates of Old Tom. 'Be there or be square' as one often hears the youngsters saying nowadays".

God save me

Liz (one's Queen)