Bards (0) beat (0) History Men

The Bards sail through to the Val Draper final

Ivor is not too happy about Anchorage...

Our semi-final saw the meeting of the defending Cup winners, the Bards, and the three-times Cup winners, the Historymen.  This is our fourth meeting this year: the Bards won both the league games and the Historymen won the Lowly Grail semi final.  The Bards had a team so strong that Tony relegated himself to the bench (rather than the Bench).  We found ourselves missing Anne (holidays) and reserve Rupert (grandbaby sitting).  So, with Mike H in the QM seat, Mrs C was co-opted to seat 1, fearful that once again Lady Luck would be fickle with her favours.

Both teams had a Cup handicap of 0 and both were eager for the fight.  The Historymen started very well and at half time were a point ahead (17-16).  Then what was already a difficult quiz became more so for us.  Of our eight questions in Rounds 5 and 6 we had six unanswereds and conceded two steals.  That rather sucked the life out of our game (indeed some were losing the will to live) but we battled on.  

Not a good toss to win and go first.  The very first question was controversial as the USA has a lot of cities.  Admittedly many are no bigger than a hole in a hedge by the side of an Arkansas road with three residents, a dog, and 15 guns, but our answer of Pomona, in California, has 151,713 people, a state university and is every bit as eminent as Anchorage!

QM Mike adds...

Enjoyed QMing again after many weeks missed, but what a long, hard-going quiz.  Surprisingly though, amidst so much obscurity, conferring and repeats, there were quite a few answers that I would have got easily.  Nevertheless the quiz went on far too long and finished well after 11!!

(R6/Q2)

Prodigals (-4) lost to (-1) Opsimaths

Opsimaths come from behind to claim a place in the Val Draper final

Mike watched it all even if he didn't hear it all...

Somewhat odd match at the Club where just 53 points were amassed in a lengthy evening which suffered profoundly at the start from an unholy racket in the main lounge where legions of 'Chorlton Wheelies' (as Anne-Marie dubbed the local cycling club devotees) pranced around in orange lycra trying to outshout the City fans watching the inevitable happen in Munich.  I was probably the most discombobulated by the noise and had pretty much given up on the quiz when Richard took matters into his own hands and led us to the Snooker Room where the noise was less intrusive.  The Orange Army racket died down shortly thereafter as the alcohol took its toll.  If anyone saw a mangled heap of metal tinged with flashes of orange spreadeagled over Lapwing Lane late last night, well you now know why.  Throughout this pandemonic first part to the evening QM Stella was a model of patience repeating ad nauseam (especially for me).  Thanks, Stella.  I'm pretty sure our extra low aggregate score owed something to the trying environment as we struggled to hear and concentrate.

Despite all this the Opsimaths (Howell, Emma, Brian and me) chalked up an historic victory over the Prodigals (Anne-Marie, Jimmy, Richard and John) after trailing our foes for the first 6 rounds.  As a result we are into the Val Draper final next week and just one step away from a WithQuiz prize we've never ever claimed.

Even though we finished well past 10.30 there was still time to chat and  enjoy some laughs with each other.  Richard shared some stuff about University Challenge where, alongside Clare (former Opsimath), and Tom (current Shrimp), he has just completed the recordings of the series after the one currently showing on BBC2.  And whilst on the subject of the media and quizzes try tuning in to Round Britain Quiz next Monday on Radio4 where Northern Ireland (including ex-Opsimath, Paddy Duffy) take on Wales.