SPW & Charabancs (Val Draper Cup) and Opsimaths & Prodigals (Plate) go through to the Finals

Val Draper Cup Semis:

Historymen lost out to the Charabancs down at the Red.  Damian reports:

"Another thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Red in the company of one of our favourite competitors.  Good booze and good conversation filled the atmosphere and we even managed to answer a few quiz questions into the bargain.  Plus Judge Tony came along and volunteered to QM which evened things out nicely as otherwise the Historymen would have been short of a quizzer."

and Ivor:

"We fell behind in the first round and were never able to close the gap.  Once again the chance for significant silverware is dashed for another year.  However things could have been worse because five minutes before we were due to start we heard Peter was unavailable which meant a QM would need to be nominated and we would have to play three-handed against the Charas.  Just then Tony appeared and was promoted to the QM chair with an ale.  So we have no excuse for losing as we played a full strength team (unfortunately the Charas were full strength too!).  Congratulations to them and we do wish them well as they have been beaten cup finalists a few times since their last win in 2002 (one of those being in a tie break against the Electric Pigs in 2006 generating the immortal Bath Headline:  “Lordi, Lordi, What A Finnish”)" (Ed: Thanks, Ivor - yes I'm rather fond of that one myself)

SPW enjoyed a comfortable victory over Albert for whom the handicap system did not deliver a sufficient boost.  Kieran writes:

"Excellent night at former fortress Griffin which, for the first time I can remember, wasn't showing any live sport.  Maybe since Saturday it has been decided that everything should be reset to year zero and a completely new order be instituted.  It was in our favour that it was a high scoring quiz since it's easier to overhaul a big points handicap in those circumstances.  We reduced the deficit very quickly but then fell behind again before establishing a decent lead in rounds seven and eight.

Question of the week was undoubtedly the getting off at Edge Hill one.  Is this the same as the North East's phrase "he got as far as Gateshead"?

I based my bingo selections on football squad numbers (no prizes for guessing which team) and. just as it should be Silva scored, Vieira got an assist, the glorious Nigel De Jong missed spectacularly before El Apache buried the last one in great style!  On to the Charas next week.  5 points down, it should be a good match."

Plate Semis:

TMTCH, like Albert, found the handicap insufficient to beat a strong Prodigals line up

Opsimaths just edged it over the Calluna Pussycats in a contest where the handicap made for a thrilling one point victory

and Ivor on behalf of the Historymen:

"Quiz went down very well with just 10 unanswerables.  On this the 100^th anniversary of the death of Gustav Mahler it was interesting to have not just one Mahler question (name of second symphony), but a question on Bauhaus (the unfortunately named founder Walter Gropius became widow Alma Mahler’s second husband)."

This week the Opsimaths' Scouser Colin votes for Bingo Round Question 28: