Withington Pub Quiz League - quizbiz 01/05/13

The Charas win the Val Draper; Meat Raffle clean up the Plate

Results & Match Reports

Val Draper Final:

Charabancs of Fire managed to overcome the jinx of what has been a mediocre league season and put Cup specialists, The Electric Pigs, to the gladiolus. It was a great fun evening at the Turnpike with Mary, James and Jane looking on as the giants of WithQuiz cup runs slugged it out. Laughter echoed round the beautifully preserved mid-20th century saloon bar throughout the evening. "If it wasn't for the fact that you're in the final I could have sworn you set that 'Popes' round." (Dave the Pig). "What do you mean? I did!" (Gerry the Chara). "The one that reads out what, on University Challenge?" "Pigs! Simcock!". "The Pope Must Die?". "Must have been Nuns on the Run!". The evening ended with gracious applause from the Pigs and all in attendance for the Charas - this year's Val Draper winners.

Plate Final

Compulsory Meat Raffle, honed as they have been by the strict regime imposed by Manchester University's 'Special One', Stephen Pearson, were just too much for The Prodigals. Despite turning up with cakes and champagne to celebrate the University Challenge champion's achievement, the Prodigals were duly stuffed. WithQuiz Handicap officials are already considering whether next season's cup competitions should include some sort of equalising adjustment factor that acknowledges regular acquaintance with Jeremy Paxman. Fortunately Ivor was on hand to give a reasoned judgement...

"First Quiz question tonight for us neutrals was whether to go to the Cup Final or the Plate Final. Could Anne-Marie's promise of cakes and champers (for the victorious University Challenge team) have attracted a good turnout for the Plate Final? Indeed it did - and assorted Historymen, Hangmen, compiler-in-chief Brian and a sidelined Egghead were there to see Meat Raffle take their first ever trophy in the WQL, and then partake in the celebrations."

and defeated Prodigals skipper Anne-Marie reports....

"Well the Prodigals were well beaten by a resplendent CMR who continued their run of top form into the Plate final. It was only right really that we were beaten, since I think we are the only team in the history of WithQuiz to get to a final without actually winning a knockout match! The paper was tough, but fair. Anyway, it would have been difficult to criticise any of the questions with most of the setters represented amongst the audience. Wonder if it was the promise of champagne and cake which drew in all of the Historymen, half TMTCH, a quarter of the Opsimaths, plus a tired and emotional Egghead to watch our match?"

Quiz Paper Verdict

This week the paper was compiled by 'Knocked Out United' (i.e. a combination of all the knocked out teams apart from The Bards - curiously). Opsimath Brian McClintock did the editing and final paper production (for which many thanks). It was quite a tough paper though full of interesting highways and byways. Ivor attending the Plate final viewed it thus....

"One of the harder quizzes of the season with an aggregate score of 63. There were 17 unanswereds though Meat Raffle's Richard got 5 twos (you can see why he was UC captain). However Meat Raffle proved unable to identify Jim Pope! He did die before most of them were born so perhaps there is some mitigation here."

In both finals opinion was split as to the best round of the evening. The Pigs and Meat Raffle went for TMTCH's Round 6 whilst the Charas and the Prodigals opted for the Scottish Islands round set by the Opsimaths. So we're going to split the award this year and it's duly shared by TMTCH and The Opsimaths. Not too inaccurate a reflection of the setting input from these 2 teams throughout the season, maybe.

The Question of the Week

This week the Plate finalists (Meat Raffle and the Prodigals) vote for Round 6 Question 6:

Jim Pope is best remembered as a voice-over announcer for which long running series from 1972 until his death in 2001?

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

Chatterbox

In what was clearly a warm up for their big match tonight a significant element of the Compulsory Meat Raffle team managed to win a match on Monday evening against a foreign University team (from somewhere down south to be precise). Many, many congratulations from all the rest of us at WithQuiz on another stunning victory for Manchester University in University Challenge!!
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Next week sees the all WithQuiz WIST Cup Final at Didsbury Cricket Club between our top 2 teams, The Bards and I Blame Smoke Fairies. Do come along if you can.