Ethel Rodin beat S&C Fliers

A comfortable win for Ethel earns a passage to the Semis

With no History Men match Ivor was able to QM this encounter

A very good performance from Ethel Rodin who won all three formats of the quiz tonight.  The S&C Fliers were very good company (the S&C is the Sun and Castle their local Stockport base).  This was their first appearance in the WIST Champions Cup and they only qualified because a higher-placed side could not raise a team for the contest.  They were very much a 'family team' with John and Helen married and son Danny joining the line up too.  Their fourth player was Mike, and, for good luck, their founding member Jim was in attendance too.  Jim is 84 so a mere youth compared with some of our Withington league members. 

Like Ethel Rodin the Fliers were experienced quizzers and not unduly troubled by the differing formats.  Indeed afterwards it was revealed that John had played in the 1968 University Challenge team for his college Balliol alongside the author Christopher Hitchens.  Those were the days of Bamber Gascoigne, who also wrote all the questions, and was fondly remembered as a convivial host.  And of course, being produced by Granada, there was excellent accommodation for the southern teams visiting Manchester for the recordings, and generous appearance money for the Junior Common Room coffers back at college.

The quiz progressed at a fast pace and the QM role was easy - though some of the questions were not!  In Bamber’s day a thorough knowledge of Greco-Roman culture was probably sufficient to get by.  Now an interest in Peppa Pig is needed (or rather having children or grandchildren with an interest in porcine affairs).  That was no problem for Ethel's James, and presumably the current Leader of the House is as up to date in the Peppa universe, as BoJo was before her.

Alexandra beat Opsimaths

The Alex march into the Semis as the only Stockport team left standing

Mike sums up from Opsi Seat 3

Oh dear!  Another drubbing.  This time at the hands of the cream of Stockport.  We couldn't have lost to a more friendly and welcoming squad and we wish them well in the next round - and perhaps the one after that?

In truth without the late lamented Nick, and with Howell elsewhere, we were ill-equipped to deal with the subject matter in this week's paper.  Of Rugby (League or Union) we collectively knew zilch and when it comes to spatial awareness of Shipping areas it is neither our forte nor in our soul.

Having said that there were a few 'shout-outs' to register.  The question about the presenter of The Tournament (a daytime TV quiz show) came across on offer and our Charlotte was able to say "I know that - I was on it and won £4,000!".  What's more Emma was the only one amongst all 8 competitors who knew that Emma Lazarus had penned the verse on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.  As for me I cottoned onto the Four Weddings and a Funeral theme early on to help my team mates (much to the amazement of Emma who thought I wouldn't even have heard of the film yet alone know about its content).  We were hot on beavers and otters as well  - but these few small triumphs could not disguise the fact that we were outplayed by a superior opposition.

We snaffled our sandwiches (de rigueur at the close of Stockport quiz matches) and shuffled off back across the Mersey with our tails between our legs.