Weekly Match Reports - Winter 2025/26
(A big thank you to Jonny Peacock)
Week 14 - (19th February)
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Jeff wrote a set of questions this week that made for some interesting results, good stuff. There is now no team left unbeaten after the Plough lost for the first time since August, but second-placed Blenheim did not gain ground as they lost too. It was good to see the Pheasant Brill winning their inaugural match in their new venue.
In Wolvercote it finished Plough 65 - 83 Bunch! It was with understandable trepidation that the Bunch! faced up to their invincible stablemates, but a bonus on the first question, plus Beth's epileptic inspiration, saw the away team take a three-point lead into a drawn round two, in which the two unanswered questions were shared. Further bonuses on the Bill of Rights and Oak Trees (complete guess) made a mockery of the home team advantage in round three, and full houses on the pictures of jockeys and pop trios meant that suddenly the Bunch! were nine points up. Cometh the hour, cometh David Parr to ace answers in round five on Radio 4, Welsh Islands, and even Peppa Pig, and stretch the margin right up to eleven. Time for a rousing comeback from the league champions-elect? No - no fewer than four more away bonuses in round six, and a 14-4 scoreline, clinched the tie with a round to spare, the give-it-away finale providing the Plough, gracious in defeat, with a consolation 11-8 on an enjoyable evening under Rupert's avuncular stewardship and amid delicious food which even featured tasty spinach.
Royal Blenheim 60 - Castle 68. An enjoyable night at the Blenheim with a very weird game of 2 halves! The Blenheim won 3 of the 4 early rounds and by the end of round 4 were in the lead by 44 points to 35, and it looked like it was all over for the Castle. Luckily the questions in the last 3 rounds were much more to our taste and we took the lead by 1 point in the 6th round. The give it away round fell very much in our favour and we won it by 12 points to 5.
With two of the Nomads regulars away on their half term holidays (it’s a very young team), there was everything to play for when The Masons Arms were welcomed to Bletchingdon. Whether the missing Nomads had gone to Alton Towers or Thorpe Park (other venues are available), neither would have provided the rollercoaster that took place in the, always busy, Bletchingdon Sports & Social Club. The Nomads got off to a flying start taking Round One 12-5; then the Masons took Round Two 8-11. Then disaster struck the visitors as the Nomads took Round Three 11-2 thereby setting up a surely unassailable lead of 13 points ahead of the Picture Round. But we all know what happens on a rollercoaster. Strengthened by the usual massive tray of sandwiches, sausage rolls etc, the Masons hit back and won rounds Four, Five and Six - reducing the lead to just 6 points as the teams got to the “Give it Away” Round. And the Masons weren’t finished yet. They lapped up the first four questions they were given, resulting in just a 3-point difference as the teams prepared for their last two questions. So it could have gone either way but, fortunately for the Nomads, the Masons couldn’t answer their last two questions, and so the round was drawn with the Nomads finishing winners Nomads 71 – 65 Masons Arms. Going on the Merry-Go-Round would have been less stressful – but nowhere near as exciting! A great evening enjoyed by all.
Chequers 73 - 51 The Sun. Thanks to the theatre, it was a busy night in Chipping Norton when the nearest parking seemed to be in Charlbury! A very friendly quiz was played between the two local teams who know each other very well, in a very noisy pub that had live music playing as well.
The Chequers were always slightly on top taking the first three rounds 11-6, 13-7, and 8-6. Only 1 point in the picture round, so going into the second half The Chequers led 45-31. Possibly too much of the delicious London Pride at half time by The Sun led to a major collapse in round 5 by 11-2. But was a comeback on the cards......The Sun winning Round 6, 7-11. But alas no, it was the only round they were to win. Normal service was resumed in round 7 with The Chequers taking it 10-7, for a final score of 73-51.
Windrush Club 52 - White Hart 65. The White Hart charged out of the blocks with a scarcely believable 16-2 win in the first round. This was consolidated by narrower margins in the next couple of rounds and a near full house in the pictures for a 48-27 lead at the break. Whether it was the food, another round of drinks, or (more likely) their luck running out, the visitors struggled to score a point thereafter, while their hosts finally found some form, including a particularly strong 11-4 final round. Still, the damage had been done, and the White Hart had long since stumbled over the line.
And finally, a report from new venue the Pheasant, John (El Capitano). Pheasant, Brill (formerly Clifden Arms, formerly Chandos Arms) entertained the King's Arms, Woodstock in another new venue for both. The King's Arms were welcomed into the quaint hill-top village of Brill with its famous 17th century windmill and panoramic views over several counties. Unfortunately nothing to see, it was dark! The pub was 'food' busy and the question-master and the visitors had to cope with a noisy hubbub during early parts of the quiz. After a close first round, the Pheasant successfully 'Took their pick', scraped the '3 by 4' and amazingly won their 'Achilles heel' - the picture round. After a splendid dish of chicken casserole and chips, the King's Arms found their form winning rounds 5 and 6, to be within 5 points for the start of Give It Away. However the Pheasant avoided being shot and held their nerve to win by nine points: Pheasant, Brill 70, King's Arms 61.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a selection concerning US Presidents from this week below.
Q1: Which Democrat did George W Bush defeat when re-elected in November 2004?
Q2: On which Scottish island was Mary Anne MacLeod, mother of Donald Trump, born?
Q3: Donald Trump graduated from which state’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in May 1968 with a BSc in economics?
A1: John Kerry.
A2: Lewis.
A3: Pennsylvania.
Week 13 - (12th February)
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Week thirteen, unlucky for some, lucky for others, what does that prove? There was one further washout this week, resolved by agreement as a draw with the average scores of the other matches. No call for the pools panel.
Chequers 77 - 66 White Hart. From a now fully thawed North, an exciting and close game between the Chequers and The White Hart ensued. It seemed like the wind was in the sails of The White Hart when they won the 1st round 10-8, No one from the Chequers has ever watched Hollyoaks! (Or will be doing so in the future....) The second and third rounds went to The Chequers 9-6 and 13-6, The Picture round was all square at 17-17 so a lead of 8 for The Chequers at half-time. Curly chips, chicken Goujons, and Mozzarella balls (well, cheesy filled fried things!) were eagerly demolished by both teams before commencing the second half. The fifth round was tied at 10-10, and the 6th going to The White Hart 11-8. Only 5 points in it going into the last round, and it was anyone's game, but The Chequers held their nerve and picked up 2 bonuses winning the round 12-6.
The Bunch! took an early lead with an F1 bonus, but the Blackbird levelled things by taking the last five points of the first round. A margarine bonus then enabled the home team to eke out a three-point advantage in round two, as both teams battled with an unusually noisy library and the sloppy Sandra Bullock question. Eking continued as the Bunch! shaded round three thanks to Smith must score; and with bigger margins on the pictures and in round five (where the Blackbirds mastered the Zorro question but picked both subjects that neither team knew) the home team built up a healthy advantage; it was the same story of a narrow home win in the remaining rounds, thanks to Beth's last-second inspiration on Carrie. All this around plentiful yummy food, alcohol flowing freely (including over the tables), and convivial visitors on a pleasant evening. Bunch! 77-60 Blackbird.
The Castle left the safety of the city ramparts to travel to Bletchingdon where the Nomads hadn’t lost a home game since November. Both teams found the questions rather more difficult than usual with the Nomads winning Rounds 2 & 5 despite not reaching double figures (8-5 and 9-5 respectively). Indeed, through the evening, there were fifteen questions which neither team could answer. Unfortunately for the visitors though, the Nomads got more of their questions right and picked up more bonuses, thereby taking all of the first six rounds and going into Round 7 with an unassailable 19-point lead. Ironically, The Castle just edged the final round - but the final score was still Nomads 75 – 57 Castle.
The Plough went west to wild wet Witney for a sociable night at the Windrush Club. Lots of varied sporting activity going on, as usual, in this lively club. The visitors got away well with two bonuses in the first round to take it 6-14, but the home side stormed back, winning 13-6 in round three to pull back most of the lost ground. There was only four points in it after round five, but the Plough took the final two rounds by margins of seven each to win Windrush Club 64 – Plough 82.
Another royalists' derby in the city centre but the King's Arms were a man down and it showed in the scoring with the Blenheimers winning all seven rounds, despite their proximity to the distracting sight of Brentford trebucheting the Arsenal goal with corners and throw-ins. The quiz was tough but fair, with unusually low scores achieved in a number of rounds, notably the sixth, 7-5 to the home team. The Blenheim missed out on 4 points by answering 'Zorro' to the Anthony Hopkins question and 'In the Bin' to the Banksy one. They pleaded the 'surnames only required' rule but it was to no avail with this stern, unbending question-master (Jeff). But the last eight points of the contest went to the home team as they pulled away to win: Royal Blenheim 77 - 52 King's Arms.
Clifden Arms vs The Sun, Hook Norton - SCORE DRAW! due to weather, 69-69, end to end stuff. Captain Mole of Worminghall reported on the local conditions, having locally for his whole life (initially on a farm three miles away), he is Chairman of Oakley Parish Council and has worked with Bucks Council on the hydrology of this part of Bucks, in an effort to stop the floods we get in the local villages!! (It's not worked though, mainly because Oxford City closes the flood protection gates stopping our water entering the Isis at Oxford). Hot news! The Clifden Arms are relocating right now to the very pleasant Pheasant in Brill, aptly named.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a Pop music selection from this week below.
Q1: The 2013 jukebox musical ‘Beautiful’ features the songs of which American singer/songwriter?
Q2: What was the title of Prince’s first top ten single, reaching number 4 in 1984?
Q3: Who had a hit in 1992 with ‘Iron Lion Zion’?
A1: Carole King.
A2: When Doves Cry.
A3: Bob Marley.
Week 12 - (05th February)
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The Ploughman’s Bunch! are back on winning form, but a best-forgotten early season form finds them still rooted to the foot of the Premier League: Masons Arms 61-84 Bunch! The jovial Masons team took the last round 11-8, drew rounds three and five, and also had a good start - the scores standing at 8-8 as the first four pairs went with serve. Otherwise, however, the full-strength visitors, complete with Martin on the subs' bench, uncertain whether to watch the darts or the rugby, rather ran away with it, taking the last six points of round one and winning the second round 14-2 (the home team picking the three questions no-one knew); and also shading the pictures and round five by slimmer but still significant margins. The delicious food complemented the fine choice of beers and was itself augmented by Emma's birthday cake; Barbara read superbly, unfazed by Jeff's cruel and unusual concentration of Latin terms. A good team effort by the Bunch! included a string of inspired answers/guesses on things like Steve Owen, Al Martino, the huarizo, St Vitus, cheekbones, David Haye, Reblochon, Vigornia, and the battery of barracuda.
Plough 89 - Blackbird 67. The Plough welcomed the Blackbird to north Oxford with the return of John Conway to steady the ship. Unfortunately, the Plough established a commanding lead in rounds 1 and 2 due in no small part to Nancy’s knowledge of beetles and Howard’s knowledge of Godfather actors and the Arctic Monkeys. The Blackbird mounted a mini revival in rounds 3 and 4 but it turned out to be a false dawn as the last three rounds went the way of the Plough due to Nancy answering a collective nouns question correctly (who would have thought that would happen?) and Amy’s Lincolnshire poacher. A high scoring match played in good humour and some outstanding answers provided by both sides.
Sun Hook Norton 57 - 81 Royal Blenheim. It was a naughty night to be dodging the potholes on the way to Midwinter Norton, but the Blenheimistas made it to the Sun in one piece and received a warm welcome from our friends in the north. That warm welcome extended to the first two rounds when, following a pattern established by most of the City Boys' opponents in the last few weeks, the home team found that their neurons and synapses had been sauteed in treacle for the duration of the first two rounds. 4-13 quickly turned to 6-25 as the visitors clocked up bonuses on Lake Placid, the rhinoceros beetle, the huarizo and Training Day. But, continuing that recent trend and having been comprehensively eclipsed, the Sun shone brightly for the rest of the contest and won three of the next four rounds. They suddenly started to pick the right questions, compensating for the fact that the only bonuses scored in Rounds 3-7 were by the Blenheim on Albert Finney, reblochon (answer of the night from Brian?), John Lowe and Lord Kitchener. So, although the visitors' satisfaction was marred slightly by the Blockbuster in which they quickly scribbled down the four England Women's managers before wrangling with the harder stuff, then handed across the sheet with the football question left blank. 4 points up the Swanee - d'oh! Still, a fabulous pork casserole and chips in a spacious and lovely setting.
White Hart 74 - Clifden Arms 56. Despite having to press-gang the usual skipper Kevin into question master duties, the hosts raced to a 13-4 lead in the first round. Aided by some inspired (i.e. very lucky) guesses and the rub of the green in terms of how the questions fell, they shaded most of the other rounds to end with a reasonably comfortable victory over the friendliest of visitors.
On a very wet cold night in Witney, the welcome at the Windrush Club as always was warm. Round 1 went the way of the visiting Chequers 7 -12, Round 2 was a similar story with the Chequers winning 6 -11, but was round 3 the turning point......The Windrush winning that 9-7.
Only 1 point in the pictures 19-18...Making the half time score 39 - 49. Lovely sandwiches and sausage rolls at half time helped to soak up the beer..!! The second half started much the same as the first with the Chequers winning rounds 5 and 6.....8 -10 and 7-12. The Windrush made a late comeback with a win in the 7th round ...10-8. But the late rally was to no avail with the Chequers winning the match: Windrush Club 64 – Chequers 79. A very enjoyable evening in a really nice busy location......and nice to see so many youngsters out enjoying themselves.
On a night wetter than an otter's pocket the Nomads sallied forth to the King's Arms. The first two rounds was a seesaw affair first Nomads then the King's Arms, leaving the home team one point up. Nomads ground out the next two building an 11 point lead going into round 5. The traditional round 5 collapse didn't appear, but the King's Arms still clawed back some ground. Nomads narrowly took round 6 and King's Arms squeaked the final round by 1, but it wasn't enough. Nomads running out victors King's Arms 66-74 Nomads.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a random selection from this week below.
Q1: Vigornia was the Roman name for which English city?
Q2: What is the name for a cross from a male llama and a female alpaca?
Q3: Which soft French cheese is used in the potato dish ‘tartiflette’?
A1: Worcester.
A2: Huarizo.
A3: Reblochon.
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Week 11 - (29th January)
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As the second half of the winter season starts, and it’s still cold, there were some strong performances this week, but little change in the league standings.
The Plough are still unbeaten, despite the great performance by the Chequers Chippy, who were level several times but could never quite turn that into a winning lead. The visitors had a warm welcome to a very busy pub, good to see such a thriving trade, and were shown to a warm comfortable room at the back, perfect for a match between two teams in top form. The first round was taken by the visitors thanks to one bonus from Howard’s reliable cricket knowledge. Glynis confusion (Johns – Barber) gave the Chequers the only bonus in round two to recoup some ground, then the home team won round three to level the scores. The Plough took round five to pull ahead before a tied round six set up the prospect of a thrilling finish. The Chequers drew level, again, with a bonus on Madonna’s raspberries, but then the away side got away with ten unanswered points before the final question went to the hosts, to finish Chequers 78 – Plough 86, a great match.
Bunch! 90-73 Castle. Always a pleasure to welcome Maureen and the Castle, and under Stuart's chairmanship both teams impressed in a full-house first round (including Lilongwe (twinned with Tipperary)). Guessing the wrong way on the Orkneys, and choosing the one question (Charity Singles) neither side knew, the Castle were unlucky to lose round 2 8-13; but when the Bunch! finally stumbled on the first question of round three, the away team capitalised, storming magnificently back with excellent answers of Meco and Workington which cut their deficit to a single point going into the delicious food (some kind of cheese scone a particular favourite). But it was the home team that powered away after the break, squeezing out a couple of points on the pictures before taking round five 13-6 in a decisive sequence which saw a bonus on Op Shops and the unlucky Castle this time choosing both questions neither team knew. A pot luck tennis bonus extended the lead and, with Beth on fire with her answer on Papal Inflammability she gave the Castle the two further unanswered questions in the last round to complete a victory that might have been considerably narrower on another night.
Without Captain Conway or the menace things looked foreboding for the Blackbird after round one! The masons got off to a cracking start leading 12 to 6. But much like the determined dogged Badgers they are the Blackbird pulled the score slowly back to lead by one going into round seven. Level before the final question, strontium provided salvation! Thanks the the Masons for a great night, the food always top notch and question master Paul riding high on a Mayo win last weekend. Say it quietly, Mayo for Sam. Blackbird 66 - Masons 64.
In Bletchingdon it was the Nomads at home to The Sun from Hook Norton – a northern clash that’s always enjoyed by both teams. Both teams started well, and looked on good form, as Round One ended 10-10. However, the Nomads then dealt their visitors a devasting blow by taking Round Two 14-5. They also edged the next two rounds before delivering another blow by taking Round Five 12-4, giving themselves a 21-point lead going into Round Six. The Sun never gave up though and Round Six was drawn – as would Round Seven have been had The Sun chosen the right 50:50 option for alcoholic French flying geese. So, a valiant comeback, but not one that could change the overall result which was Nomads 84 – 60 The Sun. However, the answer of the night came from Dave Webb of The Sun who was the only person in the room who knew that it was Meco who had a No 1 hit with a disco version of the Stars Wars theme in 1977. So a great evening with much banter and even more food.
A big and sincere apology is due to the lovely folk of the White Hart in Eynsham for the shocking playing conditions at the Blenheim, Royal or otherwise. Visiting teams are used to struggling to compete with the racket produced by a thousand hooray Henries (Henrys?) with decibellage at Motörheadian levels, but this was something else. You couldn't hear yourself speak, never mind your teammates. Jeff bellowed out each question, then bellowed it again, then a third time, then called Time, so both sides missed out on points they might otherwise have got, through struggling to get some sort of handle on the question, lack of time or failure to hear the other side's wrong answer. Heads throbbed and tempers frayed. It simply isn't an acceptable venue in the middle of term. Sorry, folks. As to the game ... in only a few weeks, the home team had successfully erased its collective memory of every single one of Travis Head's 629 (629!) runs in the Ashes, so that was a bad start but bonuses on Niamey and Columba gave them a 9-6 lead at the end of Round 1, increased to 20-13 when they made a better job of picking the answerable categories in Round 2. But the White Hart picked up all six points on C20 PMs at the start of Round 3 and the first three points on 1977 to take a narrow lead, only for the homers to edge ahead again with Malmö (where's the umlaut, Jeff?). The Eynshamites missed only Walter White on the picture round to creep back again but failed to capitalise on first choice in Round 5, unlucky with the choices and the Statue of Unity. The Blenheim then forgot that Prometheus was a Titan before he sided with Zeus and went for shape-shifting Proteus instead, but recouped the damage with Cinnabar. With a 5-point lead to defend going into Round 7, an early bonus on Oran (the setting for La Peste, one recalls from schooldays) gave the Blenheim breathing space and led to a final score of Royal Blenheim 74 - 66 White Hart. Time for a sharp exit....
A rather surreal Clifden Arms, Worminghall welcomed both the Windrush Club and the Clifden Arms for the quiz. No one at the pub was aware we were going to be there, despite the maitre d' confirming everything was OK only two days previously (she was not present). The chef, on his way out, was persuaded to stay to provide chicken (wings and nuggets) and chips, which were served 25 minutes into the quiz, so that he could go home! Back to the quiz though, the Clifden shocked everyone, including themselves, with a full set of 2's is round one and a bonus (13-8!). Windrush pulled odd points in rounds two, pictures and round five, but the Clifden were four points to the better in rounds three and six (during which "last orders" were called). Going into 'Give It Away', despite a ten-point lead, it looked fragile, especially as Windrush took all their first four question and a bonus against a solitary two points to the 'home' team. Nerves steadied though with the appearance of 'Kier Hardy' and the leg finished 6 : 11 in favour of the Windrush. Food was fine (albeit early), the company was good/friendly, and the question master was his normal chirpy STRICT self. A good evening for the home team. Match result: Clifden Arms 70 - Windrush 65.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a food and drink selection from this week below.
Q1: Grey Goose is a brand of vodka from which country?
Q2: Which type of bread, with a chewy texture and large holes, was created by Arnaldo Cavallari in 1982?
Q3: Equivalent to sixteen standard bottles, which size of champagne bottle is between Jeroboam and Methuselah?
A1: France.
A2: Ciabatta.
A3: Rehoboam.
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Week 10 - (22nd January)
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All of the teams doing well in their leagues won this week, with most results fairly decisive, and only one close match. The average score was exactly the same as last week, but there was a bigger difference between the winning and losing scores. What does it all mean? Who knows. It’s week ten, the half-way point of the winter league, and we are still having fun.
The only tight match of the week was a very closely fought game, with the Castle winning the first 4 rounds, the Blackbird winning rounds 5 & 7 and round 6 ending in a draw. There were only a few questions that baffled both teams which was good, and we rattled through very nicely. It is always nice to play the Blackbird, final score Castle 73 - Blackbird 72, so the Castle stay top of the championship, and the Blackbird are still well clear at the top of League One.
Kings Arms 52-87 Bunch! The full-strength away team got off to a flyer, taking round one 15-2: but the depleted hosts, who had known the answers to many of their visitors' opening questions, then rallied superbly to win the next two rounds, both by a single point (with good pop knowledge outweighing David Parr's of the Famous Five). But the Bunch! then had a good picture round to extend their lead by six. Another fifteen points for the away team in round six (one star signs question quoting the exact birthday of Charles, and the other falling close to that of David Quinn) were sandwiched between more modest margins in the other two rounds (despite our wrong guess on Geronimo, amid general and admirable Harry Potter ignorance, and with some final inspired answers by Beth on Apostles and Cocktails) to see the visitors comfortably home. The blockbuster saw a full house for the Bunch! on rugby league, thanks to the two Davids. It was an enjoyable evening, in very civilised surroundings, and the chips were absolutely to die for.
The Blenheimistas arrived at the Windrush Social Club in three cars. The first two sustained the usual damage as they tried to navigate the shrinking wormhole through to the car park. The third, driven by guest star, Brian, dropped off a couple of the regulars before the driver decided that discretion was the better part of valour and he would park elsewhere. 25 mins later he had still not made it back from Minster Lovell (or wherever it was) and the away team was 7-2 down in his absence, stalled on the grid with Nico Rosberg. Relieved to find Brian was still alive, the city boys rallied strongly to lead 10-7 at the end of R1 and then, like last week, went into overdrive for rounds 2 and 3, winning them 13-6 and 11-6 respectively, nicking handy bonuses on Boca Juniors, 'I Want You Back' and the Duke of Wellington 19-34 down, the Windrush then deployed their other secret weapon, a tray laden with sandwiches and sausage rolls. Unable to withstand temptation, the visitors pigged out and, also like last week, lost the remainder of the contest 50-46. The Windies only missed one picture and took Round 6 by a convincing 13-6 when the Blenheim's knowledge of Not Going Out proved defective, possibly from having gone out too much. For this correspondent, there was also the shattering discovery that he shared a birthday not just with the great Bill Shankly but also with one Keir Starmer. But the Windrush were never going to make up the huge gap and the visitors headed off to the car body shop after an excellent evening's entertainment. Windrush 69 - 80 Royal Blenheim.
From the rapidly thawing frozen North, the Chequers played The Chandos or is it Clifden Arms..!! One of them anyway. After being well and truly thumped by the Royal Blenheim last week, The Chequers bounced back with a fine win. The first two rounds went to the Chequers 10-4, 11-9 with the Clifden Arms having a bit of a nightmare on Round 3 only scoring 2 points, the round ending 10 - 2 to The Chequers. Only 1 point between the teams in the picture round. The second half was closer in all 3 rounds, but the Chequers took all 3, 13-10, 13-10 and 12-8. The big score difference was helped by The Chequers picking up 10 bonus points. The questions this week really suited the two young members of The Chequers, `Charlotte and Connor`, who had a superb evening. A really good evening with a spread of Scampi and Chips washed down with lots of London Pride. Final score: Chequers 84 - 57 Clifden Arms. A rarity......not one person in the room had heard of the 1970s group `The Peppers`!! (note from Jonny – I didn’t know either, it was a number 6 hit in October 1974, French disco music, on Top of the Pops… but totally wiped from my memory!).
It’s always a great night and a fairly even match when the Nomads visit Eynsham to play the White Hart. But the latter didn’t look likely on this occasion as the Nomads won the first four rounds (8-10, 2-12, 7-9 and 16-18) to head into Round 5 on an upward trajectory and a massive 16-point lead. However, it’s amazing what a beer break can do! Refreshed, the home team rallied and more than halved the deficit by taking Round Five 15-6. They then took Round Six 13-10 which meant that they were now on the up and only 4 points behind as the game reached the “Give it Away” Round. Although somewhat stunned, it was the Nomads that rallied this time. They gave away well and correctly answered everything they were given to take the final round 8-13 and so end the match White Hart 69 – 78 Nomads. Regardless of the result though, it was still a great night with lots of beer, banter and food and superbly run by Question Master Trevor.
And the highest score of the week, and also the season so far, was for the Plough, in a fun friendly fixture against long-time colleagues the Masons Arms. Under Nancy’s steady captaincy the home team won every round, the first and the last by the widest margins, 13-6 and 14-4. The high-water mark for the Masons came at the start of round three with some excellent Fanny knowledge – identifying the aunt (not a typo) of Dick. The night belonged to the Plough, though, with eleven bonuses including the usual films and musicals from Howard. It all ended Plough 91 – Masons Arms 64, with the Plough unbeaten and leading the league; what could possibly go wrong?
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a sporty selection from this week below.
Q1: Which Finnish driver won his only Formula 1 Championship in 2007?
Q2: With which Argentinian team did Diego Maradona finish his career, making 30 appearances from 1995-97?
Q3: Which is the only country to host the summer Olympic Games and not win a gold medal?
A1: Kimi Räikkönen.
A2: Boca Juniors.
A3: Canada (Montreal, 1976).
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Week 9 - (16th January)
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Another stormy Thursday, but not stormy enough to wash out any matches, so all results are real, like it or not, this week. All four premier league teams won, so no change in any league standings there, but a win for the Castle takes them to the top of the championship, and the King’s Arms unaccustomed win took them to second place in league one.
The Kings Arms had their first win since the opening night of the season, and they seemed to be continuing their subsequent form after failing to answer any of their first three questions and giving away two bonus points at the same time. Salvaging the rest of the round left Blackbird ahead 10 - 7 but then came round two. Blackbird consistently picked the wrong questions and a score of 4 - 13 left Kings Arms in the heady position of actually leading. The gap remained largely the same until the final round where a 12 - 8 win for the Blackbird was not quite enough. As usual a thoroughly entertaining evening, accompanied by good food - especially a delicious and warming stew - and an agreement between both teams that Herefordshire sounds much better without a rogue letter 'T'. Blackbird 65 - Kings Arms 66.
With the Nomads now concerned that their captain could be called up for duty at any time, the match kicked off promptly at 8.00pm. The home team were obviously unsettled though and the Windrush took the first round 6-14. However, the Nomads retaliated immediately taking the second round 15-6. Who would have dared predict the winners at this stage? The Windrush narrowly took round three before the Nomads began to build a nine-point lead by winning the Picture round 18-12 and then round five 10-8. Would nine points be enough though as they went into Round 6? Well, it was close! The Windrush took rounds six and seven and there were only two points in it at the end. The Nomads hung on though claiming victory with a final score of Nomads 73 – 71 Windrush. It was another great night between these two teams – with all the usual banter and an endless supply of food and drink.
The Plough team packed like sardines into a taxi to sail across the flooded Otmoor to a warm Buckinghamshire welcome at the Clifden Arms Worminghall. Toby behind the bar was taking care of the VPA – Vale Brewery’s finest went down a treat, and Tony was ready to ask the questions as soon as the visitors’ team was completed by Nancy, our return transport and MVP. The visitors made a strong start, eleven ahead after two rounds, but the friendly home team found their form with draws in rounds three five and seven. A very welcome and generous helping of food was supplied – chunky chips, chicken goujons and wings, gone in a flash. A good-natured and sociable match finished Clifden Arms 64 – Plough 86, and away.
The Bunch! made their customary slow start as Jeremy insisted that first-class stamps are blue (I often know colours, but not what they're called), but a dong bonus saw us still edge the opening round; round two was drawn, with each team picking one of the two unanswered questions. We began to hit our stride in round three with a bonus on Peterhouse, only to falter over Stanley Baldwin. The turning-point in what had been a close match came with the pictures - the -stan flags in particular defeating the Sun and leaving the Bunch!, after scrummy food, eleven points to the good. Round six was close until Geoff Parr inspired his son into an unlikely perfume bonus, but either side of that scores of 11-4 and 13-4 (helped by going second on Sportswear and Biscuits, and despite the Answer of the Night of Berwick Street from the visitors, complementing their almost exact Pluto one earlier) cemented a comprehensive victory over very affable opponents on an enjoyable evening, under Martin's assured chairmanship (shrewdly correcting Hertfordshire to Herefordshire, not that that help either team get the actual poetry festival answer). Ploughman’s Bunch! 86 - Sun Hook Norton 55.
A Lovely night at the Masons Arms with brilliant food and great choice of drinks, and for the first time today arrived without being soaking wet! The first round was superb with both teams drawing 12/12 maximum points, well done! The Masons won the picture round by 1 point, and whilst the Castle won the remaining rounds, they were all close scores. We were very impressed that the Masons worked out correctly the completion of the orbit of Pluto as I think most of our team were unaware until we heard that question that Pluto had not completed an orbit since it was discovered. Both teams also discovered that no one knew what the three word motto of the European Union was! An extremely pleasant night finished Masons Arms 70 - Castle 83.
It was a grotty January night to be heading south into Oxford past actual Blenheim (Palace), finding somewhere to park, worrying about the congestion charges and all the rest of the malarkey that goes with playing at the (out-of-term quiet) Blenheim and the Chequers may well have regretted stepping out, especially as the first half unfolded. The first round was close enough (12-8) with the home team securing bonuses on Sabalenka and Pundit but failing on airport codes, but the next two rounds were not. Both finished 15-6 to the home side with bonuses on Capt Roy Brown, Morocco Mole and BSE's very own John Selwyn Gummer (Bury St Edmunds, that is) in Round 2 and House of Love, Dead Poet's Society and Charles River (Dance?) in Round 3. Despair seemed to be setting in. But the rest of the contest was a whole lot closer - indeed, the Chequers won the remaining four very close rounds by a single point to close the gap very slightly to a final score of R. Blenheim 88 – Chequers 67. Thanks again to Jeff for trekking down from Ledbury to read his own questions. At the end of the day, it gets very dark, and the score was Royal Blenheim 88 - Chequers 67.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a city selection from this week below.
Q1: Which capital city airport has the code NRT?
Q2: The battle of Culloden took place near which Scottish city?
Q3: In which city was Leon Trotsky assassinated?
A1: Tokyo (from Narita).
A2: Inverness (1746).
A3: Mexico City (in 1940).
Week 8 - (8th January)
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And it’s a Happy New Year from me, and a Happy New Year from him, what does 2026 hold? Who knows, I don’t, but the forecast was for a wild stormy night, and a couple of matches were cancelled by agreement.
On a dark, and not nearly as stormy as predicted night, the Masons journeyed to the pleasant environs of the Clifden Arms, Worminghall. The visitors took an early lead in round one, which unusually they managed to preserve all the way to the final flag, in spite of an early wobble in round two. Questions on 60s F1 drivers, WW2 ships and BBC correspondents were all grist to the Masons’ mill. Great night out with friendly opposition at a nice venue. Score Clifden Arms 57 - Masons Arms 76, their first win since week one, in sunny October.
Another rara avis was spotted, like the woodpecker, in Eynsham as the Ploughman’s Bunch! registered their second victory of the season, and their first since foggy November. The Bunch! carried their 2025 form straight into the first pair of questions of the New Year, conceding three points; but stormed Gorettiesquely back to take the next three bonuses, and then converting the six-point lead into ten after two rounds (Beth giving the correct answer on Lorna Doone to exorcise a bad experience sometime last century when 'R.L. Blackmore' was disallowed by an over-zealous question-master). The White Hart took round three 10-8, but a three-point gain on the pictures extended the away lead. Then the home team edged round five, with a bonus on the Faroes (which I had always thought were named after the early Egyptian colonisers), before the Bunch! again impressed on the paired Pot Luck questions with bonuses on Beatrix Potter, Canada, and DOS. There was time for the White Hart to win the final round, but more than enough of a lead for the Bunch! to make it home safely, which we then did despite the weather conditions after a very enjoyable evening in good company and a welcoming environment (including food from pizza boxes, which did not include pizza but was nevertheless enthusiastically snaffled). White Hart 68 – Ploughman’s Bunch! 83.
Wolvercote was spared the worst of the storm, calm in north-west Oxford. A full Plough team, and well wrapped-up question master Rupert, welcomed the Castle from the inner city. The home team won every round, and every bonus, but the visitors kept up their spirits, and their top-class banter. Toasted cheese rolls and chips were very welcome at half time, like the good range of tasty beers. Final score: Plough 87 – Castle 71.
The Blenheim passed, well, Blenheim en route for the welcoming Kings Arms in Woodstock - just one bonus apiece, leaving it all-square from the off. Round 2 proved challenging for the visitors – where exactly was Mother Teresa from? Not the Albanian capital. The away team crept into a narrow lead in Round 3. Two fifths of the team weren’t around in 1968 but realised that Joseph is a more apt musical than Hair for a school setting. In the pictures, Lee J. Cobb proved elusive, and the Blenheim’s collective college knowledge didn’t stretch to a personal Jesus. While the Woodstock team were personally acquainted with the She Wolf of France, the Blenheim knew what a slide rule was for and it meant a full house in Round 5: 12-12! In the final round, the stars aligned for the away team to make the final score 66 to the Kings Arms, 79 to the Royal Blenheim.
And what about our friends in the north? There were cancellations in Hook Norton and Chipping Norton, so the matches were declared a draw with the average scores of those played: Chequers Chippy 73 – Nomads 73, and Sun Hooky 73 – Blackbird 73. That’s a practical solution and a fair result.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a geography selection from this week below.
Q1: In which American national park is the vertical rock formation El Capitan?
Q2: What is the largest province (not Territory!) of Canada by area?
Q3: How is the former country Upper Volta now known?
A1: Yosemite.
A2: Quebec.
A3: Burkina Faso (capital: Ouagadougou, I just had to say that)
Week 7 - (11th December)
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All four Championship teams who had a match this week won, yet none caught up with the Chequers, who had a bye. There was no change in league standings in any division, with all four League One sides losing, and an even mix of win and lose in the Premiership.
The Plough decamped to the city centre for a keenly anticipated all-premiership game at the Blenheim. Jeff was there to read his own questions, making himself heard above the lively crowd. The first two rounds were drawn ten-all, the second round unusually seeing two bonuses for each team, so it all could have been very different. The Blenheim moved ahead in round three with two more bonuses about 2025, leaving the Plough in the past. The visitors regained three in the pictures to start the second half only three behind when it had felt much worse. Two strong rounds, 6-13 and 10-13, for the Plough put them seven up (other pop is available) going in to the final round. But nothing could change as both teams got all six of their answers, 12-12 to finish Royal Blenheim 74 – Plough 81. It all could have ended so differently if the questions had fallen better for the home team, and the Plough acknowledged in their post-match analysis that they never expected to turn the match round in a 28-38 second half.
It was a black and white match as two famously mercurial sides produced a topsy-turvy battle at the Blackbird. Having edged the first 2 rounds to establish a 5-point lead, the White Hart then had what is becoming their obligatory '3x4 disaster' to leave the hosts 2 points ahead. A leisurely picture round was spent enjoying the typically excellent food, courtesy of Paula, and it seemed somehow fitting that the scores for that and the following round (when some people were still eating) were even. The White Hart then hit a bit of a hot streak in round 6 to give them a 4-point lead heading into Give It Away. The hosts chipped away at the lead, such that it came down to the last 2 questions with the visitors one point up, and all too well aware that they had lost their last match by a single point. Fortunately for them, both the Film Quotes and Eurovision questions proved to be gettable, meaning they could stumble over the line doing their best to look relaxed about it. An excellent evening with the friendliest of company.
Final score: Blackbird 68 - White Hart 69.
The Nomads’ tactics for their match against the Clifden Arms was to try and build up a substantial lead before they went into their traditional “Round 5 collapse”. This they managed to do, taking three of the first four rounds, and therefore beginning Round 5 with a 42-33 lead. However, they then forgot the plan and actually won Round Five 11-7. Realising their mistake, they then collapsed in Round Six instead. This meant that the gap going into the final round was still nine points. The Nomads also edged Round Seven though, so the final score was Bletchingdon
Nomads 68 – 57 Clifden Arms. There was laughter, beer and sandwiches – all in all, an excellent night’s quizzing!
Masons Arms 48 – Sun Hook Norton 68. By the halfway stage there was little to separate the teams. Fortune favoured The Sun both in the round 5 Take Your Pick and the round 7 Give it Away. So the final result rather flattered The Sun, the reverse could have so easily happened. There was a lovely atmosphere of friendly rivalry, some bonding in views over the naming of Austin cars and some head-scratching chat about Oxford managers. The company was great, the food generous and tasty, and the Boltmaker went down a treat.
And our occasional chess-themed match ended Castle 67 - Kings Arms 53. Very nice game once everyone had recovered from the city centre being totally gridlocked with late night shoppers.
The Kings Arms won the 2nd and 7th rounds and the Castle the remaining rounds. There did seem to be a large amount of questions (23) that both teams didn't score on which was a shame.
The blockbuster questions on Oxford United and non-euro countries went down very well though.
The Windrush Club made the short trip to Wolvercote to take on the Ploughman's Bunch! and a very close quiz ensued, which pivoted on a single round. The Windies DUG OUT a small lead in round 1, 9-10 and the hosts replied by PULLING out a 10-7 win in round 2 to make it 19-17. Once again, the Windrush REAPED a good result from the 3x4 round with a 4-11 win for a 23-28 aggregate. The home side CULTIVATED an 18-17 win on the pictures and followed that by PICKING up an 11-10 score in the 2nd Take Your Pick round. Both teams shared the HARVEST 11-11 in round 6 to set up a tense Give It Away round. It was another close round with just 1 question dropped, in which The Bunch! FURROWED a 12-10 win. Overall that meant the visitors had PLOUGHED their way to a narrow win:
Ploughman's Bunch! 75-76 Windrush Club. Many thanks and a Merry Xmas to the genial hosts for a great evening with good food and beer in a friendly welcoming pub.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a Christmas selection from this week below.
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Q1: Which group had a number 13 hit with ‘Christmas Lights’ in 2010?
Q2: The first ever King’s Speech in 1932 was written by which author?
Q3: Which world leader formally resigned in a televised speech on Christmas Day 1991?
A1: Coldplay. (is that The Winter’s Tale? or The Iceman Cometh?)
A2: Rudyard Kipling.
A3: Mikhail Gorbachev.
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Week 6 - (04th December)
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So this is Advent, and what have we done? For a start, there is the weekly quiz, and the scores this week were the highest of the season so far, six weeks in. That’s no consolation to the three wise teams with a bye this week, but they may not have known all the answers anyway.
It was a cracking game in the maelstrom of the pre-Christmas Blenheim, with Jeff once again rising to the challenge, decibel-wise, to get his own questions across. The Nomads seemed to have acquired a few new faces on their travels and they fought back brilliantly from a 7-point deficit at the end of Round 2 after misfortunes with Alphonse Capone and greyhounds. Round 3 generally favours the home team, of course, but some poor category selection and a bonus with Lazio reduced the gap to 2 points. But it was in Round 5 that the match really turned around. 9 questions were answered correctly for 2 points and the Royalists were pretty confident of the answers on the other 3 on John Wayne, the Caucasus and, most glaringly, the Pope quote. A little knowledge proved to be a very dangerous thing indeed. So the itinerant drifters surged into a 57-54 lead. Bonuses on Mrs Hudson (see Q1 below) and the Clangers restored the home team's narrow advantage but the match was finally drawn when Tom Watson's famous 1977 Open triumph was misremembered as being at Muirfield rather than Turnberry. A fair result although overall the home team, with 5 of the 7 bonuses scored, was left to rue its poor category selection, 8 of the 11 unanswered questions being on their side of the fence. So your correspondent only has himself to blame... final result: Royal Blenheim 76 - 76 Bletchingdon Nomads.
The Sun 79 - Castle 76. There was very little to separate the teams throughout so that by the end of round 6 the scores were all square. The give-it-away round was going to be crucial, so thanks are due to the good-naturedness of The Castle players and the common sense of the question reader on the Dickens question. The Castle's spirit exemplifies the reason why Thursday night quizzing in the league with old friends and rivals is still a pleasure, and cheers to the other matches played in the same spirit.
Windrush Club 61 - Blackbird 75. Good evening as usual at the Witney abode, scoreline very flattering to the away side, but beggars can’t be choosers, 2-3 points swing to the Bird in most rounds, a spirited final round to the Windrush proved to no avail. Lovely selection of sandwiches to top off the night.
In a cozy warm pub in the depths of the frozen north a very tightly contested and high scoring quiz was played. Round 1 finished 10-10, Round 2, 11-10 and Round 3, 11-9 and the picture round was drawn at 18-18. 50-47 to the Chequers going into the second half. The Bunch then won Round 5, 11-10 and Round 6, 13-10. So going into Round 7 the Bunch led 70-71. A couple of superb answers from the two young quizzers in the Chequers team saw them win the round 10-7 winning on the last question of the evening. Chequers 80 - Ploughman's Bunch! 78. A good pint of London Pride and tasty fish and Chips was very welcome.
It's behind you! With panto season in full swing in Wolvercote (Oh no it’s not!) the King’s Arms followed the star to the Plough for a fine night’s quizzing. The home team, very glad to have Nancy back from her world tour and captain for the week, getting off to a storming start with three bonuses in the first round and two in the second. The visitors won round three with a twenty-first century pop bonus, and two of the three final rounds were drawn, but the Plough were assured of the victory with a 14-6 round six. At the end of the day, it gets very dark. The final score was Plough 90 – King’s Arms 73. Both teams raised their game, with only four answers missed, each scoring their highest totals of the season so far in a great match, played in a friendly spirit.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a selection on books set in London (no, not Dickens) from this week below.
Q1: What was the name of Sherlock Holmes’ housekeeper?
Q2: Who wrote the 1722 book A Journal of the Plague Year, set when the plague hit London in 1665?
Q3: Which novel by W Somerset Maugham is set in London, Paris and Tahiti?
A1: Mrs Hudson.
A2: Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731).
A3: The Moon and Sixpence.
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Week 5 - (27th November)
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As the Dodo bird said after the caucus race (Alice in Wonderland, do keep up): “Everybody has won, and all must have prizes”. That’s where we are now, five weeks into the season and there is no team without a win, with inaugural victories for the Sun Hooky and the Bunch! giving thanks, as it’s Thanksgiving, Black Friday eve, when everything becomes more expensive overnight. For those who like this sort of thing (me) there was striking consistency in the aggregate scores, which range from 139 to 142, isn’t that interesting.
The Sun travelled south to Woodstock, hoping for a positive result, which they got. This was a game of two halves. The King's Arms took the early lead and kept it to round 5 when The Sun were luckier in their picks, and fortunes were reversed. With a couple of "steals" in round 6, The Sun ran out eventual winners: King's Arms 65 - Sun 75. The Sun enjoyed the genial company and good beer and felt relieved to record their first win of the season.
What a quiz night was had at The Masons Arms, as the convivial hosts welcomed the Windrush Club to Headington Quarry...The home team looked to be SCULPTING an unassailable lead with first round scores of 11-5 and 11-6. The visitors then CHIPPED away at the deficit, taking the 3x4 round 8-10 for an AGGREGATE scoreline of 30-21. The Mason's then BLOCKED the comeback by winning the Picture Round 16-14. With 3 rounds to go and arrears of -11 points, the Windies started to CHISEL away at the stone-face. Scores of 10-12 and 8-10 in rounds 5 & 6 didn't quite reduce the Masons' lead to RUBBLE, but a -7 points EDIFICE meant the visitors just might be able to GRIND out a result. And so it was that, for the first time in The Windrush's history, they not only got right all the questions the host Gave Away but even quarried 3 bonuses. The end result was a truly METAMORPHIC win for the Windies: Masons Arms 70 – Windrush Club 72.
It was a very closely fought game at the Castle with the White Hart winning rounds 1,6 and 7. The Castle led for most of the time until they were well and truly beaten in the last round by 4 points to 11. Luckily hanging on to win by 1 point overall. A very pleasant evening ended Castle 70 - White Hart 69.
The Plough packed like sardines into a big taxi, heading across wild country to the playing fields of Bletchingdon, or is it Bletchington? With Howard on manoeuvres and Nancy giving thanks, the visitors entered the arena to see only a duo in opposition, missing players here too. Paul and Bev were ready for 2 v 4, but were joined by Pete, later by Maria and even later still Dan made the full five under the steady control of quizmaster John. The Nomads raced into a 5-0 lead with a bonus, but the Plough replied with two of their own to take the first round 7-10. Convincing leads in rounds 3 and the pictures put the away team 13 up after the tasty and generous buffet break. Then the final three rounds went to the Plough for a clean sweep. The hosts were unlucky to get more than their fair share of the blank questions, and it finished as the taxi home pulled in to the drive: Bletchingdon Nomads 58 – Plough 82.
Good evening as always at the Blackbird, against the Chequers, the first 3 rounds very close, with only the minimum separating the teams, the "Busby Babes" were on sparkling form. The beloved picture round was the Chequers’ nemesis, with an 8-point swing to the home team, which proved crucial, the hosts held their nerve to gain victory. Thanks to Quiz setter Jeff for reading in his own unique style. Lovely food to top off a good evening, which finished Blackbird 81 - Chequers 60.
And finally, a report of a first triumph from previously habitual winners: Ploughman’s Bunch! 79-61 Clifden Arms. The home team secured the first bonus point of the match on the last question of round two - but the Clifden Arms were still seven points ahead, having won the first two rounds convincingly. They moved further ahead at the start of round three; but then disaster struck them as the Bunch! took the next 13 points (with Beth's Twang, some inspired duck-work, and an unfortunate early bird answer of Telstar) to go into the pictures, after the delicious food, an unlikely four points ahead - eking this out to five thanks to the Booker Prize-winners. A semblance of normality intervened with an 11-11 round five, before another run of bonuses saw the home team win round six 14-5 (thanks to David Quinn's horse-racing knowledge, which was sandwiched between Jessica Lange and Ascension Day) and take an unassailable lead into the give-it-away, where it increased thanks to the visitors' admirable ignorance of Pokemon and prisons. A see-saw match but a highly enjoyable, good-natured, and convivial evening, thanks to Stuart's kind last-minute help as question-master.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a sporting selection from this week below.
Q1: Who captained England for three men’s cricket tests between Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook?
Q2: Who are the only Women’s Super League team not affiliated to a football league team?
Q3: Which Spanish cyclist is the only one of four riders to win five Tours de France and the only one to do it in consecutive years (1991 – 95)?
A1: Kevin Pietersen.
A2: London City Lionesses.
A3: Miguel Induráin.
Week 4 - (20th November)
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The Chequers continue their 100% start to the season and are now at the top of the championship, the only team with that perfect record. In League One the Clifden Arms are clearly settling into their new home, winning again to go top, and the Blenheim take over at the top of the Premier League with a convincing win against the pointless Bunch! the only team in that state.
On a bitterly cold night in the Frozen North, the Chequers narrowly overcame the Masons Arms in a very tight game. The Chequers won all three of the first half rounds, scoring 11 points in all three rounds, but then lost the pictures 17-15 making the first half scores 48-35 to the Chequers. The Scampi and chips at half time (and a slice of delicious Birthday cake for all.!!!!, as `Mrs Potter` was celebrating her birthday) was welcomed by all. The sugar rush from the cake seemed to do the Masons Arms the world of good, they got into their stride winning rounds 5, 6 and 7, similar to the Chequers scoring 11 points in each round. But the 13-point half time deficit proved too much of a hill to climb and they finished the night 5 points adrift. A very enjoyable night - good quiz, good company, good food and an excellent pint or two of `Timothy Taylors`. Chequers 73 - Masons Arms 68.
They don't get much closer at the Windrush. Clifden Arms (nee Chandos Arms) travelled to Witney and promptly forgot where the Club was! However, despite being two minutes late we were given a warm welcome. GAME ON! Clifden Arms went into a one-point lead; round 2 and they retained their one point lead, and after round 3 still one point ahead! Picture round and the one-point lead remained. Then Shock! Round 5 the Windrush reversed the score and led by one point. Clifden Arms turned on the misfiring afterburners in round 6 and scraped into a heady lead of two points!. All to play for in GIVE IT AWAY - unbelievably Windrush with two questions left, gave Clifden the one remaining question that both teams knew. Phew that was close! Great evening and very friendly home team, question master and staff. However, only 5 bonuses all night! FINAL SCORE: Windrush Club 61 - Clifden Arms 64.
The Blackbird’s fine start ended with a visit from the city centre, Blackbird 63 - Castle 73. Though the Castle won 5 of the 7 rounds it was a close fought match all the way through. Both teams had Dr Hook's Sylvia's Mother down as the answer and discounted it for another title! The Green Ghost cocktail had never been heard of by both teams either. As always at the Blackbird we had a lovely night with a lot of laughter and of course the wonderful array of food put on by the pub.
The Plough were hoping to extend their good start to the winter and welcomed their old friends from the Sun Hooky. Howard knew who done it (see question 1 below) to secure a bonus in round one for the Plough to win the round and go into a narrow lead which they soon lost and only briefly regained in the final round. The Sun kept their nerve to keep the lead for the next five rounds, winning four to the home team’s three overall. A tense give-it-away round looked to have been salvaged by the Plough thanks to Ruth’s bonus on the Blue Peter garden vandals. But it was all level up to the final question, then there was a sting in the tail when both teams failed to identify St Ambrose as the patron saint of beekeepers and had to settle for a draw: Plough 65 – Sun Hook Norton 65.
In downtown Eynsham the visitors took advantage of the White Hart uncharacteristically fumbling the 'old TV' questions to register a couple of bonuses and take the first round 6-8. Although the hosts found their stride to take the lead round 2, it remained tight throughout, meaning that the White Hart took a 5-point lead into the final round. The early give it away questions were shared as both teams seemed strangely keen to hang on to the 'opera' question, but a late bonus led to the hosts taking the victory by a scarcely deserved margin. White Hart 66 - Kings Arms 58.
Meanwhile, in the bearpit under the Westgate, with its live chicken-hunts and general dizzy harlequinade, it was the posh Royalists against the common ploughpeople/ackermen, social warfare of the purest kind. And this time it was the gentry what came out on top - indeed, surprisingly comfortably. The Bunch!, perhaps exhausted after a hard day's tilling the frosty fields, hardly laid a gauntlet on the city-folk, winning not one single bonus in the entire contest. Mind you, the Blenheim only collected three of their own with Green Jelly, Poole and Jess Glynne, reflecting a contest where (one suspects) both teams either knew the answer or were unlikely to guess it. A rare exception to that rule came with Anna's inspired shot (see question 3 below) as an unlikely Dick Turpin. The Blenheim won all the first five rounds, establishing a possibly-unassailable 13-point lead but the Bunch! fought gamely to the end, drawing Round 6 10-10 and finishing on a high in Round 7 with a 10-9 mini-triumph, thanks to the home team's (well, both teams') failures with St Ambrose and the Groovy Greeks. Thanks to Jeff, once again, for bawling out the questions. Royal Blenheim 80 – 68 Ploughman’s Bunch!
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a TV selection from this week below.
Q1: Previously presented by Shaw Taylor and Edward Woodward, who hosted ‘Whodunnit’ from 1974-79?
Q2: Whose TV roles include Danny Baldwin, Ronnie Brooks, and Graham O’Brien?
Q3: Running for four series from 1979 – 82, who played the title role in ‘Dick Turpin’?
A1: Jon Pertwee.
A2: Bradley Walsh.
A3: Richard O’Sullivan.
Week 3 - (13th November)
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Storm Claudia blew in, only a week after the Celebrity Traitors final, creating some quirky matches and interesting results. Jeff cranked up the crankiness of the questions, so the average scores took a dip towards sixty, in some close games.
When two premiership teams without a win so far meet, there is only going to be one winner, or possibly a draw. Dark skies and pouring rain did nothing to quell the excitement of a match between the Ploughman's Bunch! and the Nomads. With the car full, Jeremy had bravely volunteered to cycle to the pub and was duly honoured upon his arrival. The pub was packed, and Question Master Martin, had to be at his usual best to make himself heard. Although seats were hard to find, if you looked closely enough, there were also a couple of players from the Plough nearby – one in plain sight, another hidden behind a pint of Guinness and a newspaper. In line with recent performances, it was no surprise that the Bunch! took an early lead, which they then consolidated in Round 2. However, the Nomads rallied to level the score by the end of Round 3 and then take the lead after winning the Picture Round. Whilst there was still only 2 points separating the teams, the Nomads revival continued - adding another point in Round 5 and three more in Round 6. With the Nomads six points up going into the final round, the Bunch! bounced back but couldn’t quite close the gap. In the event, there was only one winner - the final score was Ploughman's Bunch! 68 – Bletchingdon Nomads 72. Both teams immediately applauded their counterparts - and the Question Master - on what was an excellent match and a very pleasant evening.
In a journey from the frozen North into the big city that would have been more suited to an Ark than a car, the Chequers ventured to the Castle or as the question master referred to it. Our "1870 Parisian Bordello". The scoreline seems a little harsh on the Castle, as we were about to start the game an emergency at home meant the Castle team were reduced to three players instead of the four they hoped. The Chequers won all 3 first half rounds but lost the Picture Round 19-14. Rounds 5 and 6 went to the Chequers with Round 7 being drawn. The Castle were restored to four players for Round 7, but it was too late by then, the damage had been done. A very enjoyable evening in the `Bordello` with a lot of laughs and a nice pint of Hooky. With a chessboard theme possibly evident in the fixture, it all ended
Castle 57 - Chequers 75.
Sun 54 - White Hart 69. The White Hart rode their luck with a series of questions that fell in their favour to take the first round 13-2. The hosts then took the next three rounds to narrow the lead to 5 points after the pictures and induce a few 'here we go again' thoughts for the visitors. However, another two strong rounds for the White Hart restored the lead to 15 points, which they held to the end. A breadth of musical knowledge from Shostakovich to the Hollies via Frank Sinatra proved useful, even if they got the Gilbert and Sullivan question wrong (again).
I am pleased to report on The Windrush Club's first win of the 2025-26 season. In the very pleasant and friendly environment of the King's Arms, Woodstock (where the visiting team were even wished good luck by the barmaid!) a highly good-natured quiz match ensued...the home team made a good start with 10-7 and 10-8 wins in rounds 1 & 2. The 3x4 round, however, proved once again to be a happy hunting ground for the Windies, who overhauled the King's Arms to lead 24-25 before the Pictures. The 1-point lead was extended to a 3-point margin after an 8-10 result on a testing set of pictures. The Windrush never looked back after that and took the following 2 rounds 6-10 and 8-9. Both teams did equally badly in the Give It Away round for a 6-6 score that meant the visitors took the chequered flag: King’s Arms 52 – Windrush Club 60. Many thanks to the King's Arms for a fine evening with great beer (I do love a pint of Gale's HSB!).
And another first win of the winter at Masons vs Clifden: The home team surged quickly got into their stride six points up by round 2. The 3x4 round seemed to wake the Clifden Arms up although neither team scored a single point to the questions on the easily forgotten year 2005. The splendid food revived the Clifden as they took round 5 by four points. Going into Give it Away the slender 3-point lead that the Masons held looked vulnerable. In all my years of quizzing, I have never known known us give the opposition all but one question that they (or us) did not know and they gave us every question that we did know (our one failure was a hearing issue we thought we heard the CX-30 electric car (and said Mazda), however the question was EX30 electric car (a Volvo - which we also knew) - time to get hearing aids! Final Score Masons Arms 55 - Clifden Arms 60, congratulations.
The Blackbird continue their strong start to the season, welcoming the inner-city summer champions the Blenheim. Two bonuses in the first round gave the visitors a four-point lead, which may have been more without guest question-reader Jonny fluffing the music questions. The Blackbird pulled level in the next three rounds to 40-40 after the pictures. Then home team lost by three then won by four to go into the final round one ahead, the tension mounts. Eleven out of the twelve final questions were answered correctly, but the Mount Everest question was a hill to climb, and in the event the hill to die on for the Blenheim, the only question missed in the round which could have gone either way right up until the final question. The Blackbird consistently came up with the answer throughout the quiz, keeping the pressure on the Blenheim. A great match ended Blackbird 70 – Royal Blenheim 68, with abject apologies, sackcloth and ashes from Jonny for that round one slip that may have decided the result. Thanks to Paula for a tasty selection of food and to the Blackbird crew for a great night in a lively pub.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, with a fruit and veg selection from this week below.
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Q1: In the nursery rhyme the little nut tree would bear nothing but a silver nutmeg and what else?
Q2: Birne is the German word for which fruit?
Q3: Aquadulce Claudia (not the storm) and Masterpiece Green are varieties of which vegetable?
A1: A golden pear.
A2: Pear.
A3: Broad Bean. (why couldn’t it have been a pear?)
Week 2 - (6th November)
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You wait ages for a bye, then three come along together. Then to add to the bonfire night general mayhem we had a missing answer, easily resolved, and the gremlins got into an answer. It’s only the second week of the season, and there are but three teams with a 100% winning record. What larks!
After a fallow week with a bye, the Blackbird stormed into contention with a strong performance, going off like a firework. A jovial evening as always at Bletchingdon, the game was played in good spirits, question master John in good form, until the microphone played up, a few Welsh expletives were whispered, anyway he soldiered on. The Bird off to a flyer, and always in control, it just wasn't the Nomads’ night, everything they chose their opponents knew the answers, The Bird couldn't do no wrong, we even guessed the Kegs of dynamite correctly! Good start to the season, but I surmise a few ups and downs to follow. It all finished Bletchingdon Nomads 58 - Blackbird 87.
And the Blenheim bounced back from last week’s draw with a win. Lemmy once told the New/Apollo Theatre (where your correspondent was cowering at the very back of the back, hands over ears): "We are now playing at 118 dB. If we played any louder, the building would fall down." There was no such health and safety announcement at the Blenheim, but the effect was the same. No mere saturnalia, this was full-blown bacchanalia, an all-in-one celebration of Guy Fawkes and his "threescore barrels, laid below" (or was it 36?), Hallowe'en and the finale of Traitors. The acreage of flesh being flaunted was a big challenge to the concentration of the hardy quizzers, but the main problem was that no one could hear Quizzing's Jeff Welch as he gamely attempted to bawl out every single one of his own questions. Professional lip readers had a big advantage but there weren't any of those in attendance The home team got an early bonus with Neil Gaiman and a further one in R2 for remembering the year in which Mary Queen of Scots was executed for exchanging illegal signals with her bridge partner, Anthony Babington (harsh, but fair?) to take a 6-point lead. But a bizarre confusion of Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone pegged them back in Round 3. Who the Dickens knew the great author had those middle names - we certainly didn't. As the din increased, the Masonic brethren (and sisterhood) staged a comeback, winning Rounds 5 and 6 by 9-7 with bonuses on American sport and Lambeth Bridge. So the champions went into the final round, like last week, with a 4-point advantage. At the Castle, it was not enough but this time an early bonus with the Vista operating system settled the nerves and the Blenheim eased home. Jeff was last seen hurrying to the JR for an operation to stitch his vocal cords back together. Final score: Royal Blenheim 75 - Masons Arms 66.
Chequers 78 - King's Arms 49. Always nice to meet up with the King's Arms team. It seemed that the Chequers were unbeatable, even guessed answers turned out correct! We won rounds 1 to 4 14-6, 7-4, 11-6 and 16-13. The King's Arms rallied in round 5 with a 7-8 win but the last 2 went to the Chequers 11-6 and 12-6. And our French correspondent writes: “On a puzzling note, it seems that Jeff might have confused (hopefully not abused!!!) his French wines.... Bordeaux is the capital of Aquitaine, Burgundy is on the other side of the country!!”
Clifden Arms 56 - Castle 72. We had a lovely evening at the Clifden Arms, it is lovely old place with superb food great atmosphere and beautifully warm. The Clifden team won the first round, but then the Castle won all of the remaining rounds. None of us knew the name for a group of eagles or the youngest ages name of the girl guides! We were very impressed that the Clifden got the name of the submarine that sunk the Belgrano correct as most of us didn't have clue, and they were very knowledgeable about anything to do with music.
Plough 88 - White Hart 59. Jonny’s role as captain was made simpler by Howard’s uncanny ability to produce answers he didn’t realise he knew. It was a great team performance from the Plough: after a brief wobble in round two the home team won all the last five rounds by a good margin. The high point for the White Hart was their two bonus answers in round two, but nothing was going their way after that, despite some great pop music knowledge, most impressively the UK Eurovision entrants in 1982, Bardo.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the questions, and here is a pop music selection from this week below.
Q1: Which singer had a top ten hit with ‘Head Over Feet’ in 1996?
Q2: Which singer had a number 4 hit with ‘Stupid Girls’ in 2006?
Q3: Who had a number one single in 1974 with ‘Everything I Own’?
A1: Alanis Morissette.
A2: Pink.
A3: Ken Boothe.
Week 1 - (30th October)
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As the clocks go back, so the winter league goes forward, same thing happened last year. Tim Busby is rejoining the teams as a competitor, and Jeff Welch is resuming question-setting duties, so it’s all change, continuity, a new start, and back to old routine. Hope that’s clear.
The great thing about the quiz league is that there are always surprises, and this week the Masons of League One overcame the Nomads of the Championship: anything can happen, and it usually does. The first regular fixture of the year for the Masons was at home to the Nomads. Question setter Jeff was reading for the evening. Oddly the first three rounds went the way of the home team with the same score: 9-7 x 3. The home team won the pictures and then it was another 9-7 round to the Masons. The penultimate round went to the visitors, but in the end the Masons won through. A great evening’s quizzing ended Masons Arms 64 – Bletchingdon Nomads 57.
The Sun 60 - The Chequers 74. The opening game of the season saw two local sides playing each other. The Chequers got off to a good start winning all 3 first half rounds, 6-10, 8-11 and 3-11. The picture round was just edged by The Chequers 16-15. Sausage and Chips at Half Time was well received by all being washed down with lots of delicious Hooky Bitter. Round 5 was much the same as the first half with The Chequers winning 7-10 but then came the late rally from The Sun winning Round 6, 13-8. No excitement in the final round which was drawn 8-8. A special mention to the two young players in the Chequers team, Charlotte and Connor who came up with some excellent answers. The answer of the night though which had the room in fits of laughter came from The Sun, when asked “What `G` word name is given to a hollow, often spherical rock cavity lined with crystals formed when water seeps into a cavity” Their answer was… ‘A Gloryhole’..!! A very enjoyable night was had by all.
White Hart 71 - Windrush Club 64. Having discussed beforehand the history of close matches between these teams, the early rounds showed a repeat of this history. The score was 25 each after 3 rounds, then 50 apiece after round 5. The hosts eked out a 3-point lead in the penultimate round, which was the largest lead of the match at this point, only for the Windrush to score the first points of the final round and level things up again. The closing questions favoured the White Hart, however, who somehow then eased away to a 7-point victory that had seemed unlikely until the very end.
As the Chandos bow out before Dr Who style regeneration as the Clifden Arms, they were in a state of transformation for the match in Woodstock. The match ended King's Arms 64 – Chandos Arms (now Clifden Arms) 63. A result on a par with England's progress to retaining the Euro title earlier this year (word of the day - "hyperbole"). King's Arms took a slight two-point lead after round one but that seemed to be as good as it would get for the home side. A six-point reversal in round two set the template for (almost) the rest of the match, so that after six rounds Chandos had built up an eight-point lead. And then round seven.... King’s Arms managed to pick almost exclusively questions that Chandos didn't know, and in return Chandos managed to pick almost all questions that King's Arms did know. With the result decided on the home team remembering what was at either end of the M27, an 11-2 score meant King's Arms had stolen victory.
Now that rare beast, a draw: Castle 70 - Royal Blenheim 70, and the summer champions start by dropping a point. As can see a very closely fought game all the way through, 3 rounds were drawn and we each won 2! We were all baffled by the I.O.W festival being garlic question but were very impressed with the Blenheim getting the 2024 Olympics answer of Raygun. So not a bad start to the season.
In Wolvercote there was an all-premiership fixture, a repeat of final match of the summer league five weeks previously: Bunch! v Plough clash of the titans, before other tighter titans emerged. Both teams missed one answer in a drawn first round, then Ruth’s garlic festival knowledge won a bonus for the Plough. Round three was another 10-10 draw but the “visitors” took the picture round by four to go a slim seven points ahead. Round five saw a bonus each, but the Bunch! were unlucky to pick the two questions neither team knew, to slip a perilous seven points behind. Fuelled by tasty pizza and chips, there was much hilarity at the condom question, where the team consensus was to “go with Jonny”! The Plough won the final two rounds by one point thanks to one bonus in each, but with further chuckles at the bellringing question – sally – ‘that rings a bell’. A good-natured, high-spirited night ended Ploughman’s Bunch! 70 – Plough 83, the highest score, aggregate score, and no consolation the highest losing score.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the season of Summer League questions, and to welcome Jeff Welch back for the winter season, here is an American selection from this week below.
Q1: Which American Revolution battle, 28 Sept – 19 Oct 1781, led to the eventual British surrender?
Q2: At which Air Force base is Air Force One based?
Q3: Which was the last contiguous US state to be admitted to the Union, in February 1912?
A1: Yorktown. (Virginia)
A2: Andrews. (Maryland)
A3: Arizona.
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Table Top - (23rd October)
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Back to the Blackbird, Back to the Future, it’s the winter league! Eleven keen quiz teams packed into the convivial back room of the celebrated Leys hostelry to kick of the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, enough clichés already. Question-master Chris Potter made good use of his experience of herding cats to call the room to order. Six rounds and a simultaneous blockbuster kept the quizzers busy while the smart super-synchronised ordering system (write your order on a piece of paper, pay cash, then Yorkie will bring the drinks through) launched without any technical glitches. Why can’t everything be that simple?
Chris cooked up 159 questions to separate the winners from the pack, and after a night of cerebral entertainment.
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Q1: What is the neurological condition where one sense is experienced through another?
Q2: Which term describes animals active at twilight, both dawn and dusk?
Q3: What type of building takes its name from the nine goddesses of the Arts and Science?
A1: Synaesthesia.
A2: Crepuscular.
A3: Museum.
Thanks to the Blackbird team: Glen, Yorkie the barman and especially Paula and the crew for the expansive, delicious buffet, with separate zones for veggie and vegan delights. An orderly queue snaked round (or was it an orderly snake queueing?) with facial recognition software identifying those who returned for seconds and more.
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