Withington Pub Quiz League - QuizBiz 10/04/19

Upset at the Parrswood as the Pigs beat the Shrimps;

elsewhere the Bards, Prodigals and History Men go through to join them in the Val Draper semis

Mantis Shrimp lost to Electric Pigs

Ethel Rodin lost to Bards

Prodigals beat Dunkin' Dönitz

Opsimaths lost to History Men

Prodigals beat Dunkin' Dönitz

A decisive win for our new league champs

Anne-Marie texted the result and from a packed Albert Club (United on the telly that is - not quiz spectators). Apparently the Donuts were three-handed as Barry was at Old Trafford watching the European Cup match.

Mike H who was acting as QM at the Club adds that it was an entertaining quiz game against a pretty rowdy background with the football hordes in the front room urging on the Reds. He speculates that his southern accent may also have been a reason for the frequent requests by the teams for him to repeat himself. Finally he'd like to register his total disagreement with Fr M over the critical assessment contained in Question 12 of the Bingo Round...he rather likes Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight!

“A device for demagogues and dictators”

(R5/Q7)

Ethel Rodin lost to Bards

A 6-point margin for the Bards takes them into the semi finals of the Val Draper Cup - though Ethel also go through winning a place in the Plate as the evening's second highest scoring losers.

Stan & Ollie go all modern in 1929

(R5/Q5)

Mantis Shrimp lost to Electric Pigs

A 14-point margin of victory for the Pigs.

This was the upset of the round with the high-flying Shrimps comprehensively defeated by the league's wooden-spoonists. Indeed even without their 12 point handicap advantage the Pigs would have won through.

As lowest scoring losers the Shrimps qualify as setters for next week's Cup and Plate semi-finals but, as they set last week, I was on the point of asking the second lowest scoring losers (the Dunkers) to do the honours. However Tom Benson got in touch straight after their defeat and said that the Shrimps would be very happy to set nonetheless. So while both Dunkers and Shrimps now retreat from the WithQuiz fray until next season (though of course they are pitted against each other in a fortnight in the WIST final) it will be the Shrimps who provide next week's paper. Many thanks to Rachael, Tom and the rest of the Shrimps!

More balls than Wigan Athletic -

Uncle Joe hits his two billionth

(R4/Q7)

Two very Scottish Scots

(R5/Sp1)

Opsimaths lost to History Men

The History Men win a close encounter by just two points

Mike B reports

It was a very late start for this one as the Albert Club was hardly in a fit state to host one quiz match yet alone two. The Prodigals pitched up to the Club first and grabbed the back room leaving the Opsimaths and the History Men roaming Didsbury looking for a football-free zone. In the end we lighted upon the Parrswood where - despite the fact that the Shrimps and the Pigs were in full session - we could settle down in peace and comfort. Indeed so cavernous and empty was the Parrswood that all four matches this week could have been happily accommodated in its vastness. How does this Marie Celeste of a pub keep going?

The Shrimps had already bagged the 'poop deck' room so we settled into the cosy area to the left of the main door. Surrounded by photos of yesteryear's entertainment stars who (I presume) had had some association with the former ABC theatre across the road (now a block of flats) we kicked off just before 9pm.

Brian was in the QM seat with Jitka keeping score. It was a lengthy match and we only just got to the winners' round of drinks and spares just after 11pm. The History Men were ahead all evening but never by much so the result was still in the balance right up to the end of Round 8.

Of course the atmosphere was raucous and great fun (it had to be with Ann playing). Chatting to Opsimath Innis afterwards we agreed that WithQuiz has managed to combine erudition, competitiveness and humour in a unique blend that makes our Wednesdays great fun. We doubted that Merseyside or London quizzers enjoyed themselves half as much with their more formal brands of competition.

Towering figures for all seasons

(Tiebreaker 3)

And mentioning Innis, what an acquisition he's been for the Opsis! Apart from a blank spot regarding Scottish hills on view from his family home in Milngavie his careful application of encyclopaedic knowledge to the Opsi cause this season has been invaluable. He's now well embedded in the media quiz show production world and is soon off to Belfast apparently to work on Mastermind question-setting over the summer. Thankfully he'll be back with us in good time for the next WithQuiz campaign in the autumn.

And finally it was great to welcome Hilary back to our team last night. Hobbling on sticks after her recent knee operation she nevertheless looked well and is recovering fast. She'll be playing again next week as we take on the Plate competition.

A more-ish dish from Italy

(R6/Q8)

Quiz paper set by...

Charabancs of Fire

Average aggregate 71.5

An aggregate score a bit below the season's overall average of 77.4, this was on the tough side but full of interesting flourishes - and a fair bit of wordiness.

Francis Aungier Packenham

(R1/Q3)

A couple of 'editorial problems' caused some head-scratching in the Opsi/History Men match....Where was Bingo Round Question 17? And surely the 'Cakes and Ale' quote comes from Twelfth Night not Othello? We resolved both issues amicably and moved on. As ever with a Charabanc paper the prejudices of the setters bubbled under the surface as Brexit, Eric Clapton and mawkish Irish ballads came in for rebuke. Overall a most enjoyable trip through the highways and byways of the collective Chara noddle!

Both Anne-Marie and Mike H from the Albert Club match rated it a fairly tough paper. Though Mike H added that he found the quality of the questions pretty good bearing in mind the short amount of time that the Charas had to prepare.

From Mourneview to Parc des Princes – quite a season!

(R5/Sp2)

Question of the Week

This week both the Opsimaths and the History Men liked the beautifully phrased question about Glenavon FC (contributed by Fr M maybe?). It was the second Spare question in Round 5:

Yet another mournful season draws to a mediocre close for semi-professional Glenavon FC. Yet it all started so promisingly last July when their ecstatic fans at Mourneview Park, Lurgan, saw them come from behind to win the first leg of their Europa League qualifier. The defeated team's manager back then has since received a pay rise. Who is he?

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

Finally Fr M sends this message:

"If you squint and look closely at the extreme top - left of this image of a black hole captured by the Event Horizon Telescope, you can just about make out Q17 from last night's quiz. How it got there from the Charabancs' printing press remains a mystery."