Withington Pub Quiz League - quizbiz 23/05/18

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23rd May 2018

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Results & Match Reports

Val Draper Cup Final:

Opsimaths lost to Prodigals

Plate Final:

Dunkin' Dönitz beat Electric Pigs

Val Draper Cup Final:

In a packed back lounge at the Club the two local teams slugged it out in a keenly fought 'derby final' with The Prodigals ultimately clinging on to to their match-long lead to beat The Opsimaths by a mere 2 points.

The Prodigals started with a single point handicap advantage which they extended in the first few rounds maintaining a strong lead throughout until the Opsis rallied late on and very nearly snuck it at the last. There were 25 twos scored during the evening (14 for the Prods to the Opsis' 11) and 11 questions went unanswered (7 falling to the Prods and 4 to the Opsis).

Above all it was it was a contest of great enjoyment with plenty of laughs between two teams that were straining every brain tissue to take Val's Cup. Not only was the keenness of the contest proof that our Wednesday evening hobby still has legs, but the presence of almost as many spectators as players testified to the fact.

There was some excellent quizzing (as V C-M would say) from both tables whilst I officiated as QM with Jitka keeping the score. Of course I kept the identity of which 'non-finalist' team had set which round hidden but when Prodigal Michael declared the Rhyming Couplets Round the brave product of a 'bald mind' I couldn't help smiling at Father Megson's bald(ish) pate which was staring straight back at me. It seems my hearing aid was relaying the wrong vowel and he'd said 'bold mind'. That round was the clear 'Round of the Paper' winner at both Final venues and had us all smiling (although Brian was not at all sure that the setters had maintained scansion throughout their answers). Finally, as the clock moved past 10 o'clock, it was Jimmy who stymied the great Opsimath surge in Round 8 by conjuring up some long lost knowledge of Albert Hofmann's bicycle trip to slot home a conferred point and make the game safe for the Prodigals.

Last year's Val Draper winning captain, Ivor, was on hand with a finely polished trophy to present an ecstatic Anne-Marie with her just desserts (as you can see). And from all of us at the Albert Club to the missing Dave 'this one's for you'.

Plate Final:

Meanwhile down south at the (much maligned?) Griffin the Dunkin' Dönitz squad were beating The Electric Pigs to hoist the Plate. So the final time this season Kieran waxes lyrical....

"And so to our home of 25+ years, the decaying, dispiriting, down in the dumps Griffin. The first home game for David and me since February 21st though Barry and Martin had performed heroics on the same turf only two weeks ago which was the only reason why the four of us were there for one last time tonight. If we are to rehome ourselves we left in some style.

Initially we were thrown totally out of kilter because Groundhog Day hadn't summoned up the four Rodinistas for a battle in which we would score 34 points and they wouldn't. Instead five perky pigs faced us across the great divide running down the middle of the front lounge of the House of Usher. I should make it clear that the Pigs only fielded four porkers at any time, Dave replacing Andrew at half time.

A few years back we played TMTCH in the cup, in the first season in which handicaps had applied and we started 12 points down. Eventually we went through on the drawing of straws having tied the game proper and the spares. So the Pigs' 11 point advantage before a question had been asked didn't faze us at all. Nonpareil QM Bob was in his accustomed place and all was right with the world. Even the superheated nature of the room was down to the unseasonable bank holiday weather rather than the furnaces in the bowels of the pub working overtime to kill off the few remaining regulars before last orders was even a speck on the horizon.

And we set about our task in the same way we have in every match this season. Two points were taken out of the deficit in the first round, five more in the second and we took the lead on the last question of Round 3, never to relinquish it. Barcelona and Roma have got nothing on the Dönitz in this sort of form. Unanswereds went marginally against the Pigs (6 to our 4) but on an unadjusted score of 44-27 that made little difference.

Highlight of the night was Councillor Simcock in an extended tip of the tongue agony as he sang, yes sang, the entire lyric before gloriously and triumphantly answering "Echo Beach". Never has an opposition point been cheered more loudly by all sides as that one was. I also liked the nod to Dave 'you buy one, you get one free' Barras in that phonetic alphabet round with the 'Juliet Bravo' question. Yes I got a two for it.

By acclaim, with no dissenters, the Charas' Rhyming Couplets Round was voted the best of the evening. It was a great idea and any quiz question which can make you consider the awful proposition "Would you rather have Arlene Foster or Herpes Zoster" attains instant immortality. An honourable mention too for the bike ride on acid, one of those WithQuiz moments that just makes you smile.

So a season that will live long in our memories ends. Three trophies (eat that Pep!), innumerable knife-edge games decided at the last by pulling some scarcely remembered, deeply buried, apparently useless piece of trivia from God knows where, and of course that unbelievable match against the Shrimp five weeks ago when we just secured the title.

But above all of that just a whole bunch of fun every Wednesday night from October to May with with a whole bunch of friends sharing a harmless obsession and making it better and better year after year.

Thanks to everyone for so many fantastic memories and see you all next Wednesday.

Dönitz out."

Quiz Paper Verdict

This week the paper was set by 'Knocked Out United'

The average aggregate was 74.0

This was a suitably interesting paper with which to close the 2017/18 campaign proving that when everyone pulls together the sum of WithQuiz's parts can be greater than any one team's contribution.

Gerry and his Chara editors had done a great job in melding and sequencing the submissions from each non-finalist team - so the 4 finalists were most grateful to be served up such a rich feast.

After the matches the 4 competing teams were asked to select their favourite round of the paper and Round 5 (the Rhyming Couplet pairs) set by The Charabancs of Fire came out on top so an award will go to them at next week's prize-giving. Round 4 ('Last Tango in Withington') from the Compulsory Mantis Shrimp came an honourable second with Round 7 (British Birds) from Albert third.

....and the Dave Barras Question of the Week award this week has been nominated by Dunkin' Kieran and Jimmy the Prod and goes to Round 8 Question 7:

What sort of trip did Albert Hofmann take on his bicycle for the very first time in Basel on April 19th 1943? People of a similar persuasion still celebrate April 19th throughout the word as Bicycle Day.

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

.... and also

Next week we celebrate the whole of the 2017/18 season with our traditional Presentation evening at the Albert Club.

James from the Ethel Rodin team has set us a quiz for the evening and a local celebrity will be on hand to present all the gongs. Do please come if you can and lay this epic 40th season of ours to rest.

Oh, and those in possession of the trophies from last year please remember to bring them with you - even if you've won them again this season!

See you next Wednesday.

Results & Match Reports		Val Draper Cup Final: Opsimaths lost to Prodigals Plate Final: Dunkin' Dönitz beat Electric Pigs
Val Draper Cup Final: In a packed back lounge at the Club the two local teams slugged it out in a keenly fought 'derby final' with The Prodigals ultimately clinging on to to their match-long lead to beat The Opsimaths by a mere 2 points. The Prodigals started with a single point handicap advantage which they extended in the first few rounds maintaining a strong lead throughout until the Opsis rallied late on and very nearly snuck it at the last. There were 25 twos scored during the evening (14 for the Prods to the Opsis' 11) and 11 questions went unanswered (7 falling to the Prods and 4 to the Opsis). Above all it was it was a contest of great enjoyment with plenty of laughs between two teams that were straining every brain tissue to take Val's Cup. Not only was the keenness of the contest proof that our Wednesday evening hobby still has legs, but the presence of almost as many spectators as players testified to the fact. There was some excellent quizzing (as V C-M would say) from both tables whilst I officiated as QM with Jitka keeping the score. Of course I kept the identity of which 'non-finalist' team had set which round hidden but when Prodigal Michael declared the Rhyming Couplets Round the brave product of a 'bald mind' I couldn't help smiling at Father Megson's bald(ish) pate which was staring straight back at me. It seems my hearing aid was relaying the wrong vowel and he'd said 'bold mind'. That round was the clear 'Round of the Paper' winner at both Final venues and had us all smiling (although Brian was not at all sure that the setters had maintained scansion throughout their answers). Finally, as the clock moved past 10 o'clock, it was Jimmy who stymied the great Opsimath surge in Round 8 by conjuring up some long lost knowledge of Albert Hofmann's bicycle trip to slot home a conferred point and make the game safe for the Prodigals. Last year's Val Draper winning captain, Ivor, was on hand with a finely polished trophy to present an ecstatic Anne-Marie with her just desserts (as you can see). And from all of us at the Albert Club to the missing Dave 'this one's for you'. Plate Final: Meanwhile down south at the (much maligned?) Griffin the Dunkin' Dönitz squad were beating The Electric Pigs to hoist the Plate. So the final time this season Kieran waxes lyrical.... "And so to our home of 25+ years, the decaying, dispiriting, down in the dumps Griffin. The first home game for David and me since February 21st though Barry and Martin had performed heroics on the same turf only two weeks ago which was the only reason why the four of us were there for one last time tonight. If we are to rehome ourselves we left in some style. Initially we were thrown totally out of kilter because Groundhog Day hadn't summoned up the four Rodinistas for a battle in which we would score 34 points and they wouldn't. Instead five perky pigs faced us across the great divide running down the middle of the front lounge of the House of Usher. I should make it clear that the Pigs only fielded four porkers at any time, Dave replacing Andrew at half time. A few years back we played TMTCH in the cup, in the first season in which handicaps had applied and we started 12 points down. Eventually we went through on the drawing of straws having tied the game proper and the spares. So the Pigs' 11 point advantage before a question had been asked didn't faze us at all. Nonpareil QM Bob was in his accustomed place and all was right with the world. Even the superheated nature of the room was down to the unseasonable bank holiday weather rather than the furnaces in the bowels of the pub working overtime to kill off the few remaining regulars before last orders was even a speck on the horizon. And we set about our task in the same way we have in every match this season. Two points were taken out of the deficit in the first round, five more in the second and we took the lead on the last question of Round 3, never to relinquish it. Barcelona and Roma have got nothing on the Dönitz in this sort of form. Unanswereds went marginally against the Pigs (6 to our 4) but on an unadjusted score of 44-27 that made little difference. Highlight of the night was Councillor Simcock in an extended tip of the tongue agony as he sang, yes sang, the entire lyric before gloriously and triumphantly answering "Echo Beach". Never has an opposition point been cheered more loudly by all sides as that one was. I also liked the nod to Dave 'you buy one, you get one free' Barras in that phonetic alphabet round with the 'Juliet Bravo' question. Yes I got a two for it. By acclaim, with no dissenters, the Charas' Rhyming Couplets Round was voted the best of the evening. It was a great idea and any quiz question which can make you consider the awful proposition "Would you rather have Arlene Foster or Herpes Zoster" attains instant immortality. An honourable mention too for the bike ride on acid, one of those WithQuiz moments that just makes you smile. So a season that will live long in our memories ends. Three trophies (eat that Pep!), innumerable knife-edge games decided at the last by pulling some scarcely remembered, deeply buried, apparently useless piece of trivia from God knows where, and of course that unbelievable match against the Shrimp five weeks ago when we just secured the title. But above all of that just a whole bunch of fun every Wednesday night from October to May with with a whole bunch of friends sharing a harmless obsession and making it better and better year after year. Thanks to everyone for so many fantastic memories and see you all next Wednesday. Dönitz out."
Quiz Paper Verdict		This week the paper was set by 'Knocked Out United' The average aggregate was 74.0
This was a suitably interesting paper with which to close the 2017/18 campaign proving that when everyone pulls together the sum of WithQuiz's parts can be greater than any one team's contribution. Gerry and his Chara editors had done a great job in melding and sequencing the submissions from each non-finalist team - so the 4 finalists were most grateful to be served up such a rich feast. After the matches the 4 competing teams were asked to select their favourite round of the paper and Round 5 (the Rhyming Couplet pairs) set by The Charabancs of Fire came out on top so an award will go to them at next week's prize-giving. Round 4 ('Last Tango in Withington') from the Compulsory Mantis Shrimp came an honourable second with Round 7 (British Birds) from Albert third.
....and the Dave Barras Question of the Week award this week has been nominated by Dunkin' Kieran and Jimmy the Prod and goes to Round 8 Question 7: What sort of trip did Albert Hofmann take on his bicycle for the very first time in Basel on April 19th 1943? People of a similar persuasion still celebrate April 19th throughout the word as Bicycle Day. For the answer to this and all the week's other questions click here.
.... and also
Next week we celebrate the whole of the 2017/18 season with our traditional Presentation evening at the Albert Club. James from the Ethel Rodin team has set us a quiz for the evening and a local celebrity will be on hand to present all the gongs. Do please come if you can and lay this epic 40th season of ours to rest. Oh, and those in possession of the trophies from last year please remember to bring them with you - even if you've won them again this season! See you next Wednesday.