CKC lost to History Men

The visitors just steal a victory on the last question

Ivor's knowledge of Sabrina sees the History Men over the line

Back to the Griffin Hotel this week (the scene of our routing by the Charabancs only two weeks ago) to play the team formerly known as the Griffin, who have had more name changes than Prince (the singer, not Andrew).

Tonight the Historymen actually were all men as Anne and Vanessa were absent and Rupert and Ray made their seasonal debut.  CKC might be missing Barry but young Thomas is a very able replacement (apologies to Thomas if 'young' sounds patronising but anyone in our league under 50 receives that soubriquet).

As the score suggests it was a close match and the bald statistics confirm how well balanced it was: unanswereds 2-2; steals 4-4; with our 13 twos just ahead of CKC’s 12.  The game did swing on a few rounds not least the last. It was likely the Historymen would not thrive on modern questions (the clue is in the name).  We were 4 points ahead but then, like Red Rum running down Crisp in the 1973 Grand National, our lead slowly disappeared and CKC were two points ahead with two questions left and the winning post in sight.

Then, miracle of miracles, I got a pop question right to level the scores with the penultimate question, and Kieran was left with the task of getting a winning point on the Booker Prize novel location.  Sadly (for CKC) their attempt hit the post, the rebound came our way (oh dear, mixed sporting metaphors this week) and the match was ours. Our corresponding game last season also ended in a cliff-hanger though CKC emerged as winners then.  That’s quizzing; you win some and you lose some - and we do enjoy it all (especially the winning).  CKC did speculate as to how I would know about Sabrina Carpenter but it is her chart statistics that make her of quizzing interest rather than her 26-year old vital statistics. 

Enzo, Nick and Lolo

(R7/Q3)

Kieran sums up a nail-biter

Hmm that was frustrating, which is a huge improvement on our two previous games this season.   Despite yet another defeat it was a thoroughly enjoyable contest and has restored our faith in going out on winter Wednesdays after a couple of rough weeks.  Only four unanswereds, two each and the match won by a steal on the final question.  I think the History Men owed us that from a couple of seasons ago when we did the same to them.  Congratulations to Ivor & co. and I'm sure they would admit that it could just as easily be us who took the spoils.   

No complaints about any rounds; one or two dodgy pairs here and there; 'Shampoo' and 'Williwaw' being the worst; also the Richard Strauss tricky trick question in the Formula 1 round left a bit of a sour taste.  We lost it on the currencies round when a one point deficit at the start had become five by the end.  Rocky just never occurred to us but it was a perfectly good question on which the History Men picked up the bonus.  

Come the last pair of questions we led by two and then Ivor revealed a frankly highly suspect knowledge of 26-year old pop divas.  It may have set up the win for the History Men but the Pied Piper of WithQuiz is going to be having a long conversation with his confessor.  Then again since it's Ivor maybe not.  My question (the scores level so of course I was always going to confer) was that bloody Booker winner.  We knew it wasn't set on Earth and we went for Mars however the History Men were rather better read in this case, gave the accurate answer and took the points.  If Ethel's editor had made a different decision and put the Nobel laureate in the quiz and the Booker as a spare I'd have been very tempted to go for the two and we certainly would have won.  Fine, fine margins.   

Speaking of men of a certain age of whom we know nothing, Virgin Media dumped an email from Bogota Bob into my junk folder this week.  What dirt do they have on the mild mannered retired head teacher and international man of mystery that the rest of us would pay good money to find out?  I think this question will run and run all through the season.  

The football season has seen three Premier League managerial casualties already and there are at least two more who are currently clinging on by their fingertips.  I fear I'm more Ange than Pep and yeah sure you just want to talk about the first three games of this season and apparently all the seasons before don't count.  Mate.

We're setting next week.  So far I've praised one paper, been more or less neutral about another and trashed the third. That covers all possible takes on question setters efforts - so awaiting the verdict on ours will be tense.  Mate.