Smoke Fairies just missed out by one point to the Bards in the clash of the titans at the Griffin.  Kieran reflects on the match....

Well what can I say?  Fantastic contest which went right to the wire on an excellent Charas paper with Gerry in attendance to receive well deserved plaudits. 

We led for the first five rounds, though never by more than 4 points and (pace Ivor) the stats show the paper was well crafted to produce a close game.  The 4 non-choice rounds were drawn 19 - 19, the 'pick your subjects' rounds went 12-11 in favour of the Bards, and the blockbuster bingo was drawn 9-9.  No complaints, no quibbles and no imagined bad luck to be carried over to future contests.  I really don't think we could have played any better and we were beaten by a team that did enough on the night to get the win.  Tony can you please cosy up to Bobby Manc and help God's own team across the line in three months time?

With all respect to the Prodigals, Ethel and The Men, it seems certain that the Bards will be champions and deservedly so.  They've stayed the course and distance (yes I had to didn't I?) and have been the best team this season by some distance.  Of course there could still be a Devon Loch style collapse but I put as much faith in that as I do in George Osborne realising he's a complete tool and committing ritual suicide on live TV during Macca's cheeky chappie performance of 'Her Majesty' on June 4th.  We can always hope, and it would rather grab world attention in a way that an 86 year old upper middle class granny really couldn't.  Still enough of the stuff that dreams are made of. 

Congratulations Tony & The Bards.  Decent, worthy, gracious and affable champions elect.  We want it back (but we said that last year).  We'll keep trying though, and it'll never be easy against us - that's all we can promise. 

Now if I only knew which bas***d erected that ticker in The Griffin that's just about to click round to '2'.....

Historymen ended up making home advantage tell against the Albert at the Red Lion. In a startling report from Ivor hinting that WithQuiz may in fact be eternal, he blows the lid on Albert's youth policy........

It was a family affair for the Albert tonight with son Stephen joining his parents Michael and Mary in the line-up alongside Eveline.  No family connections in the Historymen, however.  Our families are glad to see us out of the house on Wednesdays so they can watch 'Desperate Housewives' or 'Spooks' in peace.

The Prodigals lost to the Opsimaths in a rip-roaring evening of jollity at the Albert Club.  The laughter and merrification got to such a level at one stage in the back room that the TV watchers in the main lounge couldn't hear themselves swear.  Playing the Prodigals is always great fun and tonight was no exception.  It was also good to see a svelte Dave Rainford back in the fray.

Electric Pigs, down to just three trotters, clung on for victory over Compulsory Meat Raffle at the Fletcher Moss.

This week the paper was set by The Charabancs of Fire.  This was a just wonderful evening's entertainment crafted by real experts.  It was hard to think it could get better by the time we got to the end of Round 6 (was pretty much what I said to Danny in the Gents at 10.30) and then it just did.  The final 2 Bingo Blockbuster rounds were a master-class in the art of question-setting.  As you'll see below I have actually departed from the norm and selected 2 Questions of the Week - and I'm laying odds here and now that one or other will win the coveted Question of the Season award in a few weeks time at our End of Season evening.  So well done Charas.  I think the enforced White Swan evacuation is having a very good effect on you all.

From the Fletcher Moss Councillor Simcock describes the Charas effots as "hugely enjoyable".

Meanwhile from the Red Ivor sums up the feelings of Albert and the Historymen...

The Charabanc quiz always seems to suit us and it was pleasing to see the popular format of 'pick your own' and 'blockbusters' reappear.  The subjects for the former not always obvious but pleasing to get two easy Bible questions.  1950s/60s Ulster children from both traditions never get these wrong.  I wonder how the late Bob Holness would have coped with “I’ll have VD Bob”.  Not that VD is a widely used euphemism anymore.  It is genito-urinary medicine or the GUM clinic - a name that sometimes causes confusion especially if you are looking for an emergency dentist.

This week I echo the feelings of at least 6 of our teams and select 2 questions - if only to underline what a good paper this was.

First of all Bingo Blockbuster Question 17 (TMWOSCG):

In a rare moment of wit following the British royal family's decision to change its name, Kaiser Wilhelm suggested what new name for one of Shakespeare's plays?

....and then Bingo Blockbuster Question 3 (MR):

What was the name of the research scientist who helped J Lyons and Co. maximise their profits by coming up with a process that enabled them to bulk out their ice cream by pumping more air into it?

Since we're now getting near to the end of the League season I've added the Cup, Plate and End of Season fixtures to the Fixtures page.

After this week's derby match at the Club the Prodigals and the Opsimaths made the draw to see which teams would have a bye to Round 2 of the Val Draper Cup and which would play each other in Round 1 - and the results of this draw are shown on the Fixtures page.  I have used exactly the same format as last year just adjusting things for the fact that we have 11 rather than 12 teams this year.  Note that 2 of the 3 losing teams in Round 1 will set the question papers for Round 2 and the Semi Finals, and that the questions for Round 1 of the Cup will be set by one of the teams getting a bye into Round 2.

Because there are fewer teams - and because we started a fortnight or so earlier than last season - we will finish the whole fixture list at the start of May rather the start of June and I think this is what we all favour.  With less pressure on the calendar I have decided to allow a week off after Easter (i.e. Wednesday April 11th).

Finally I plan to implement exactly the same handicap system as we used last year since my recollection is that - after a fairly heavy debate beforehand - the majority found the system we used worked fairly well.