Withington Pub Quiz League - QuizBiz 03/04/19

Handicap system does its stuff as Prodigals and Opsimaths gain narrow victories in high-scoring first round Cup matches

Prodigals beat Charabancs

Albert lost to Opsimaths

Prodigals beat Charabancs

Just one point in it as this year's Champs knock out the Charas

Fr M from his pulpit...

The Charas - the crumbliest, flakiest quiz team in the world. We had it within the palms of our hands all evening but ran out of stamina right at the end. Just one Viagra tablet short in a breathtaking climax. Great game, great opposition, great questions.

...and a text from Anne-Marie confirms that it was the 'Pop Music' Round "what did it for the Prods".

Wyndam Lewis’s magazine launches a new art movement

(R8/Q3)

Albert lost to Opsimaths

The visitors just edge it in a close match at the Moss

Mike O'B's sideways glance...

A tense, thrilling and high-scoring match in which the lead changed hands several times before we just lost out on the final pair.

The opening round produced the first perfect score I can recall - 4 twos to each team. As QM Eveline gave a relatively restrained performance hitting just two of the Albert team for a perceived lack of respect for her position. We have attempted to counsel her about this, reminding her that she does not want to see the inside of Styal Prison again. Those of you who were kind enough to contribute financially to our 'Free the Levenshulme One' campaign would think that your support was wasted if there was a recurrence of her previous behaviour.

Great Northern Railway’s architectural gift to Manchester

(R4/Q3)

“I only asked you to take your hat off when entering Notre Dame!”

(R2/Q3)

..and from Mike B an Opsi view...

A jolly end of season encounter between the teams that finished level on points in 3rd and 4th places in the table. Cup handicap points (Opsis -2; Albert -1) hardly mattered as the two teams stayed pretty much neck and neck throughout. The Opsis led into the animal-themed pop trivia of Round 5 but, with both Brian and myself devoid of any relevant knowledge it was the Albert squad who led out of this round. Thereafter the visitors caught up and edged ahead so that going into the final pair of questions in Round 8 they were one point in front. The Opsis conferred to get Purim so that Stephen O'Brien had to get a two on the Pentecost question in order to earn a tiebreaker; he guessed wrong and the game was up for the home squad.

Eveline was firm, fair and friendly as QM - if anything favouring the visitors whenever her team mates got a tad rowdy. Mike O'Brien's plastic shopping bag that he brings to all Albert's matches gets ever more packed with his various captain's knick-knacks. Both the Rat of Reproach and the Paddle of Rebuke made appearances from the bag during the evening - but alas to no avail.

The Opsimaths have won all the WithQuiz/WIST trophies on offer down the years apart from the Val Draper Cup. Could this be the year?

Ravel’s Piano Concerto in D Major for Left Hand

- commissioned by a thoughtful man's brother

(R6/Q7)

Quiz paper set by...

Compulsory Mantis Shrimp

Average aggregate 85.0

Well you can't argue about the level of the scoring as the Shrimps managed to produce a fine paper with just a few days' notice. As Mike O'Brien observed in his report there were 8 straight twos in Round 1 at the Fletcher Moss - not a bad way to kick off the evening.

A wide spread of subject matter and questioning techniques followed as has become the norm in papers from the Shrimps. Neither team at the Moss clocked the '130 Questions' Round theme although the answers were mostly gettable without knowing the thread - and both teams groaned at the 'crap culture' on offer in the 'Bestial Pop' Round.

Round 4's hidden theme was (fairly obviously) London Underground line names and it reminded me of a conversation I had a week ago with Shrimp Richard, Opsi Clare and Prod Michael at the Albert Club monthly quiz. Michael had contended that it was fine for WithQuizzers to get regular questions on the London Underground whereas no Quiz League of London contestants should be expected to know about the Manchester tram system. The former was general knowledge; the latter was local knowledge. Hmmm!

Cheek to Cheek

(R2/Q6)

Question of the Week

This week I have chosen the excellent Welsh Scrabble question (Round 8 Question 2) which neither team got right in the Fletcher Moss match - but it led to a fascinating bout of speculative conferring - just what all good quizzes should contain:

In Welsh Scrabble, five single-letter tiles present in the English version are omitted. Two of these are Q and Z. Name any two of the others.

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

...and some sunny countries with which to end

(R2/Q1)