Weekly Match Reports - Summer 2026
(A big thank you to Jonny Peacock)
Week 15 (27th August)
As the rains returned, and perhaps we have had the final heatwave of 2026, some of the heat went out of the results this week. The scores were lower than the previous few weeks, but the competitive spirit is still strong.
In Headington Quarry the final score was Masons Arms 63 – Castle 57. The first round in the Masons – Castle clash resulted in an impressive 12 points each, but rounds 2 and 3 went to the visitors. The Castle had something of a catastrophic picture round, which left the home side with a lead they didn’t ever relinquish, although the final round wasn’t high scoring for either team. Something in the questions definitely suited the quarry home team this week. As usual a great night out, with excellent beer and food.
With the Nomads needing a miracle in the last round James duly obliged with Guess of the Night on the pet alligator at Q1 below, the home team taking the round 9-7 to add to a 10-7 margin in round six with bonuses on F1 and Film Directors. But the damage had been done by the visitors, notably in a decisive 15-4 round five (with bonuses on Hopalong Cassidy, Borg, and Adam Faith) which produced a 20-point buffer. Earlier the Nomads had edged the pictures, but the Bunch! had won the first three rounds as the home team chose Daisy rather than Buttercup for the Woodentops cow and thought of absent friends as neither team knew Fictional Army Regiments.
As ever it was a pleasure to be in Bletchingdon to see old friends, John Clark reading with aplomb amid the bountiful sandwiches. Nomads 62 - 77 Bunch!
It all started well for the White Hart at the Plough, first four questions all right, but the last two of the round went to bonuses for the hosts. Then four more in the next two rounds left the Eynsham crew 40-18 adrift going in to the picture round. The White Hart bounced back, winning round five after a spectacular home team beer spill and a break for a sporting commentary, but 12-4 in round six put the match out of their reach. Lovely food came out for everyone and a fun, sociable evening ended Plough 86 – White Hart 52. Howard’s disbelief that his random guess of The King’s Fusiliers was a thing to see!
Another win for the Woodstock team this week: Blackbird 62 - King's Arms 67. A much closer match than the result suggests, with the gap never more than three points until the last round. King's Arms lead by three after round 1, then the Blackbird fought back to lead by one after round 2. After a drawn picture round Blackbird led by two, then came a five-point swing to King's Arms in round 5. Blackbird closed the gap to a single point in round 6 but King's Arms pulled away with a couple of bonuses in the last round. Several questions stumped both teams, but the delicious food helped distract us all anyway.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a television selection from this week below.
Q1: Which TV character had a pet alligator called ‘Elvis’?
Q2: Last appearing in 1984, who played Stan Ogden in Coronation Street?
Q3: Which TV Arts programme was succeeded by The South Bank Show in 1978?
A1: Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice)
A2: Bernard Youens.
A3: Aquarius.
Week 14 (20th August)
Average scores were high again this week, with some spectacular scores and aggregates, as the summer season nears the close. Three teams are in with a good chance of winning the championship, and any one of the three premiership teams could still take the crown.
The Ploughman’s Bunch! were home to their stablemates the Plough, in the latest iteration of their long-running rivalry. The Bunch! were out of the blocks like sprinters with a first-round lead of 13-8, thanks to a bonus and their opposition taking the one unanswered question… then round 2 to went to the visitors 8-13 thanks to a bonus and their opposition taking the one unanswered question. The Plough won the next three rounds, including the pictures, thanks to Howard, to go into a 7-point lead. The Bunch! chipped two off that in round 6, to they had a 5-point deficit going into the final round. The teams were still separated by 5 at the half-way point when a Bunch! bonus reduced that to 2, with just one question each to go. Neither team gave it away, so a final round score of 11-8 left the Bunch! ruing their missed chances, and the Plough grateful for Q3 below, as the match finished Ploughman’s Bunch! 76 – Plough 78. Excellent food sustained the teams and question reader Stuart in a match of the highest quality, where each team secured three bonus points and only seven questions were unanswered.
The King’s Arms welcomed the Nomads to Woodstock for what turned out to be a very competitive game. Both teams found the questions difficult with the losing team averaging 7.8, and the winning team 8.7, in the non-picture rounds. The teams shared the first four rounds equally with the King’s Arms one point up at the start of Round Five. But at that point the Nomads regained the lead and also edged Round 6 - although it wasn’t until Question 9 in the final round that the match was finally decided with the Nomads eventually taking the game King’s Arms 63 – 69 Nomads. In addition to the quiz, both teams enjoyed a pleasant selection of drinks, sandwiches and the most divine chips ever!
The White Hart were at home to the Masons for something of a basement clash. The visitors shaded the first 2 rounds before the hosts returned the compliment to have a 2-point lead after the pictures. A strong round 5 put the White Hart 8 points ahead with a possible chance to relax, only for a decidedly away-friendly round 6 which meant that the lead briefly changed hands again. However, the luck was reversed in Give It Away, with all the 'stinkers' falling to the visitors, enabling the White Hart to edge to a rare victory. As ever, a friendly affair between two closely matched teams. White Hart 66 - Masons 60.
Does a game between the Cricketer's Arms and the Blackbird count as an East Oxford local derby? If so, the Leysians will be a little disappointed that they didn't make more of it. The home team roared off the grid with a 12-6 start and took Round 2 10-5 as well, despite the visitors snagglepussing an excellent bonus with F. Scott Fitzgerald. But it was the Themed Round which really quashed any doubt about the final result, the Cricketer's winning 13-2 with bonuses on the Caveman, tycoon and William Travis. The Picture Round was gobbled up by both sides and the Blackbird took advantage of having first pick in Round 5 to claim a 13-10 win thanks to the death of all first born (of which there were several in the home team). But Rounds 6 and 7 were pure carnage - 13-2 and 10-2 with the Bird, who had successfully answered 'Jones' to questions on Ivor the Engine and Marc Bolan failing to complete the hat-trick with the NZ rugby player. As quiz-setters are understandably reluctant to set questions to which the answer is 'Smith', is 'Jones' statistically the percentage guess when you have no idea? Not from now on, it won't be. And so it was Cricketer's Arms 88 - 48 Blackbird before both teams got to sample the splendidly spicy chilli con carne. It seems that the Blackbird even has competition for providing the finest fare in this part of town...
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on twentieth-century fiction from this week below. Weekly
Q1: The 2008 film ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ is based on whose 1922 short story?
Q2: Which Kurt Vonnegut anti-war novel, subtitled ‘The Children’s Crusade’ describes the experiences of Billy Pilgrim?
Q3: Which Michael Cunningham novel won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and was made into a 2002 Oscar-winning film?
A1: F. Scott Fitzgerald.
A2: Slaughterhouse-Five.
A3: The Hours.
Week 13 (13th August)
Thirteenth of August, week thirteen… unlucky for some, but then it always is. After a couple of lower-scoring weeks the average scores rose with the temperature this week, and following the astronomical theme of the week, no team was even partially eclipsed, and no shower had a meteoric rise up the league.
After a slow start to the season, waiting until week five for their first win, the Nomads continue their assault on the Championship. On a fairly warm evening the Cricketer’s headed north to Bletchingdon in search of some cooler air. Whilst unsuccessful in that venture, they did get off to a cracking start in the quiz, winning the first round 7-12. Never ones to give up, the Nomads fought back and reduced the deficit to just a single point before the Picture Round - which was drawn. So still everything to play for. The visitors increased their lead slightly in Round Five but then, much to everyone’s surprise, suffered what turned out to be a fatal blow losing Round Six 14-3. Whilst it was undoubtedly a team effort, a special mention here must go to Pete Baker of the Nomads who, single-handedly, racked up the maximum 6 points from the first two pairs of questions on English Rivers and Breweries. The Nomads also edged the final round resulting in a final score of Nomads 76 – 67 Cricketer’s Arms. In addition to the quiz, both teams enjoyed a selection of cold drinks and copious amounts of freshly made sandwiches.
The Plough welcomed the King’s Arms all the way from Woodstock, and got off to a flying start, leading 26-10 after two rounds. That pace settled down for the rest of the quiz, but the away team played the long game, runners-up in each until the final round. That 15-2 second round scuppered them, but the King’s Arms stayed jolly and upbeat throughout a good-natured match, fuelled by half-time fish and chips, it was just like being at the seaside, but without the kamikaze seagulls. Captain Tim steered the Plough calmly through the dog day doldrums of late summer. Final score on a sweltering summer night was Plough 78 – King’s Arms 54.
Castle 74 - White Hart 53. Record temperatures in Oxford saw a meeting of two old adversaries suffering from depleted numbers. The White Hart pulled in a family member for his debut game, whilst the Castle trained in Carsten from his temporary abode in Bristol. 4 vs 4 then and very close in the early stages with the away team carrying a 2 point lead going into the picture round, where they increased their lead by another 2 points. Round 5 was where the wheels came off figuratively speaking with a 15-0 advantage to the Castle, from which the White Hart never recovered! The Castle are now kings of the castle, up to the top of the championship.
Masons Arms 53 - 73 Ploughman’s Bunch! With skipper Beth on the beach, and deputy Martin in the mountains, it fell to Captain Muggins to lead out the Bunch! team into the blissfully air-conditioned arena - confident in the knowledge that if two competing answers were in play he would unerringly select the wrong one. A false dawn saw birds and fruit help the Bunch! to a five-point lead in round one, before plumping for Tallin and Tulips rather than Helsinki and Hyacinths presented the lead back to the home team in a six-point swing in round two. David Parr's Tiffany ... Mitchell? limited the damage in the Vintage Soaps mini-round; but then the Masons picked the two B-questions neither team knew to finish a first half from Topsy-Turvy Land two down, the Bunch! lead eked out to three on the pictures (David Quinn with Guetta and Blocker) over huge plates of delicious food. Despite bafflingly rejecting Cymbeline the visitors took round five 10-6; and round six was a decisive 13-4 (despite considering Burnley for the brewery before opting for Oldham). Company Name Changes in the give-it-away rang a bell, but again the answer escaped us on an enjoyable night overseen by excellent reader Barbara.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on English towns from this week below.
Q1: About 6 miles west of Teignmouth, the rivers Lemon and Teign meet in which Devon market town?
Q2: In which town are administrative headquarters of Shropshire?
Q3: Moorhouse’s Brewery is located in which Lancashire town?
A1: Newton Abbot.
A2: Shrewsbury.
A3: Burnley.
Week 12 (6th August)
League standings are stabilising as we approach the end of the season, but it’s still all to play for, and both divisions are undecided, wide open, and anybody’s!
The Plough enjoyed (most of) their first team visit to the Cricketer’s Arms, with a good selection of summer beers available. It all started so well for them, the away team winning the first round and all level at 42 each after the pictures. Hope springs eternal, bolstered by a two-point lead with two rounds to go, the visitors withstood the hosts’ increasing confidence. Then disaster struck the Plough in round six, 12-6 with two bonuses from an in-form home team to take a six-point lead into the final round. Jeff was singing, not literally, all night, delivering on regular music questions (were there really fourteen, plus five pictures?). The final round was tied at ten apiece, and the match ended Cricketer’s Arms 69 – Plough 65, and the premiership is looking more open as the season enters the endgame. A massive buffet of cheese rolls, ham rolls, and Swiss Rolls bedecked the bar, gratefully received by all to cap off a warm welcome in a lively, friendly pub.
The match at the King's Arms began badly for the Masons with a 12-point deficit after the first two rounds. Masons won round three and the pictures to reduce the gap to 7, but King's Arms won the remaining three for a convincing victory. As usual the match was played in good spirit, including Masons generously granting Kings a bonus point, saying that Rome and the Vatican were basically the same place. Another win for the King's Arms 71 - Masons Arms 50.
Ploughman’s Bunch! 64-59 Castle. Something of a topsy-turvy game saw some tricky home questions in round one help the Castle take a five-point advantage; but they then picked both questions neither team knew in the second round as well as in the first two mini-rounds in the 3x4, and by the break, bolstered by David Quinn's boxing, the Bunch! were four up - a lead then halved over the pictures and distinctly moreish food. 10-4 to the Bunch! in round five (thanks, as ever, to Charles's Brain) looked to have sealed it, but some tricky home questions in round six saw the lead cut to a perilous three (despite David Parr's DJ Otzi, matching his earlier Uno), which in turn reduced to one point at one point in the give-it-away. But steely resolve and inspired picking by stand-in captain Martin, and key answers on Bridge over Troubled Water and Absolute Beginners, saw the Bunch! squeak home under Stuart's near faultless questioning.
Whether playing at home or away, recent matches between the Blackbird and the Nomads have always ended in a win for the Blackbird. Against this background, and with their captain still away, the Nomads knew they would be facing an uphill struggle. However, we all know that quizzing can throw a curveball and on this occasion the questions just didn’t suit the home team. This meant that, as well as getting more of their own questions right, the visitors were also able to pick up 13 bonus points resulting in a most unexpected final scoreline of Blackbird 44 – 77 Nomads. Thankfully, the constants that never change though are the warm welcome, friendly camaraderie and excellent hospitality provided by the hosts. The Blackbird will be back!
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on actresses from this week below.
Q1: Adapted from a Colin McInnes book, in which 1986 film does Patsy Kesit play ‘Crepe Suzette’?
Q2: Who is the actor father of actresses and models Scarlet Rose, Sophia Rose, and Sistine Rose?
Q3: In the TV series Friends, who played Chandler Bing’s father Charles Bing?
A1: Absolute Beginners.
A2: Sylvester Stallone.
A3: Kathleen Turner.
Week 11 (30th July)
Average winning scores were lower this week, so the Cricketer’s Arms lose out a little on their usual score, as their opponents could not compete, due to the holiday season and running commitments. That’s a feature of the summer season, there’s always other stuff going on. So there are only three matches to report on, all won by the away team.
The Blackbird were hosts to the Castle, a team they feel they do not have a good record against. Jonny offered his services as question reader, and with plenty of full glasses the quiz began, slowly. The first pair of pop questions went unanswered, the first of seventeen in the match, and the Blackbird kept their powder dry until question five. As suits a difficult quiz, it was low scoring throughout the match, but the Castle had the better of it, drawing two rounds and winning four. The home team saved their best form until the final round, winning that 12-7 including a run of five without reply. Answer of the night has to be Blackbird Captain John C with Q2 below, but Rob from the Castle landed a bonus on Q1, together with other great music knowledge. Paula fed the teams with a super selection of roasties, doorstep sandwiches and meaty treats, supplemented with tasty veggie options. Jonny was made to feel very welcome by Yorkie and the Blackbird crew – great pub, great team. And the score? Blackbird 56 – Castle 63.
The quarry quizzers quickly quested questions in Bletchingdon, securing their third win of the summer to rise a place in the championship. A slightly different Masons line up journeyed to Bletchingdon, to take on the Nomads who had had to dig deep into the reserve team. Summer is definitely here. Round one was a 5/12 Masons benefit, but round 3 did the most damage to the home team with the score going 13/3 to the visitors. The final score was Nomads 45 – 71 Masons. Fantastic food, and an enjoyable encounter.
King's Arms 57-78 Bunch! Narrow wins in all rounds for the Bunch! added up to an overall winning margin that belies the facts that bonuses were shared 3-3, and that of the fourteen unanswered questions, twelve went to the King's Arms. So, for example, the first round saw a home bonus on Punk Rock Groups wiped out by Solomon Grundy, before Phil Vickery's clothing brand baffled both teams and the easier paired question went to the away outfit. Round two saw good answers from either team on Burnden Park and Stella Rimington - the latter anticipating the S.R. mini-round that went 0-4 against the luckless hosts. Unusually the Bunch! even edged the pictures, before the pattern continued with the teams swapping bonuses on Radio 2 and Asia and no-one getting Albert Finney when the King's Arms picked Final Films. Ditto Edale, Good Will Hunting, and Saye's Law in round six, before memories of the give-it-away round were eclipsed by the classy chips and fine ham and cheese sandwiches, ably deconstructed by steely skipper Beth to crown a pleasant evening in Woodstock.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a pop music selection from this week below.
Q1: Blur had two UK No 1 singles, with ‘Country House’ and which other song?
Q2: Adding English lyrics to the African melody ‘Wimoweh’, which group had a 1961 US #1 single with ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’?
Q3: Which 1967 Lulu top ten hit was written and recorded by Neil Diamond in 1966?
A1: Beetlebum. (1997)
A2: The Tokens.
A3: The Boat That I Row.
Week 10 (23rd July)
When the music’s over, turn out the lights, as Jim (not Van) Morrison sang. Back to the weekly head-to-head league matches after Jeff’s enjoyable music quiz, the beat is over, but the heat goes on. Two home wins, two away wins, no close matches, I feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach, empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone.
The Castle rise to second place in the championship this week with a checkmate in a chess-themed match against the King’s Arms. We had a very pleasant night with several people turning up out of breath due to the road works on the Abingdon Road, followed by a lot of disbelief that the Botley road hiccup will only take 4-6 weeks to repair - which for some reason nobody believes it will be open this year! The King’s Arms absolutely slaughtered us in the first round winning 10-3, and we drew rounds 4 and 6, but rounds 2,3,5 and 7 went our way. The address of Mrs Brown’s Boys stumped everyone as did Ormskirk making gingerbread! Castle 62 – King’s Arms 53.
The summer season Arms Race continued in the Quarry a week after the Music Quiz in the same venue. The catering was back up to the usual masonic high standards, the question-reading was brilliant, and the home team were congenial and over-generous throughout. The apostrophe-less Masons had one of those evenings where they got all the right answers but in the wrong order or just after the bell sounded. Were the first three rounds really tough, or was it just the summer languor? The Masons picked up a bonus at the beginning of Rounds 1 and 2 with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mrs Brown's Boys but the Cricketer's had the easier 2-pointers to eke out a 10-14 lead, stretching to 14-21 after the third attritional round, notable for the embarrassing general ignorance of all things African. A 16-16 picture round kept the home team within range but that was as good as it got for them, with 4-11, 5-10 and 4-15 scores completing the contest, just as Luke Littler wrapped up his QF on the telescreens. Give it Away bonuses on Esure, Holywood and hurling rounded off an awkwardly comprehensive victory. Final score: Masons Arms 43 - 73 Cricketer's Arms.
White Hart 57 - 80 Ploughman’s Bunch! top score of the week and the top aggregate too. Trevor oversaw a sedate start, with the Bunch! taking bonuses on the Nobel Peace Prize and Mark Twain Forest as the pub thinned out; but a 2-9 round two, as the White Hart followed up good Dad's Army knowledge with a series of less fortunate choices, stretched the away lead handily; and then three bonuses in round three saw the visitors establish a decisive advantage. It was nip-and-tuckier from then on, with the pictures drawn (as it were) and round five finishing 11-10 to the Bunch! thanks to a bonus on Malory Towers. An influx of boisterous youngsters, seemingly intent on claiming for the White Hart the title of noisiest quiz pub in succession to the Royal Blenheim, led to the teams decamping upstairs as the Bunch! notched twelve points in each of the last two rounds to come away with the spoils (Charles on top form throughout). The only disappointment about the nice sandwiches was that they arrived in misleading pizza boxes, topically referencing the Trojan Horse.
The Plough were steered by Captain Peacock to take the win against the Blackbird. The home team were nine points up after two rounds and consolidated up to round six. Having left it a bit late, that’s when the Blackbird found their form with three bonus points to make up lost ground to be in contention going into the final round. Monster salvers of pizza, prawns and other ‘picky bits’ (never thought I’d write that, but I have softened it with ironic italics and quotes) sustained the contestants. A bonus each in the final round scotched a late Blackbird rally, and at the end of the day it was Plough 75 – Blackbird 61.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on rivers from this week below.
Q1: On which river does the German city of Hamburg stand?
Q2: The 1750Km long Limpopo River empties into the sea in which country?
Q3: Published 1946 - 51, ‘Darrell Rivers’ is the main character in which six-novel series?
A1: Elbe.
A2: Mozambique.
A3: Malory Towers.
Week 9 (9th July)
Week nine, halfway through the summer season, and it’s hot, hot, hot. The average scores were higher this week, like the temperature (no, I don’t).
The Plough team took a cool cab onto the sweltering plain of the Otmoor to Bletchingdon Sports and Social Club, taking care not to move behind the bowler’s arm as a game of cricket-ball was in progress. The clubhouse was busy and lively, as ever, and there was a warm welcome and cold beer for the visitors from the deep south (Wolvercote, six miles travel). Question reader John set up his PA and let battle commence. It was a good first round for the hosts with a Greek island bonus to lead 13-8. The Plough chipped away at that lead, especially in rounds three (8-14) and six (8-11) with the teams level at 50-50 after a strong 19-15 picture round for the Nomads. Heaped platters of food were gratefully received and devoured while the TV football continued. Jonny managed to rile both the question master and the opposing captain by wrongly implying (saying) that Wales is a principality not a country, sincere apologies due and offered. The slight was not sufficient, however, to fire up the home team to a win, and the victory after a hard fought and friendly evening was to the away team: Bletchingdon Nomads 73 – Plough 81.
Blackbird 63 - Masons 62. Lovely balmy evening in Blackbird Leys, against a very studious but jovial Masons Arms. A very tight quiz all evening, with The Bird having a slight advantage in most rounds, except the Picture Round were we bombed, anyway the Bird had a 5-point advantage going into the infamous "Give it away round", where the Masons excelled, going down to the last 2 Questions, the Bird pulled a bonus with Lead Singers, and clinched victory with a correct answer on the TV subject. Thank you to David Quinn, for reading the questions, in his own unique style, and finally a big thanks to Paula for her catering skills, with a selection of various snacks, which included a vegetarian options.
Cricketer's 82 - Castle 45. Unfortunately, with absences and the Castle only able to field three, the result looked a foregone conclusion and that is what proved to be with the Cricketer's winning every round except the last which ended eight all. The home side might have even improved on their total if they still had a certain no longer playing vicar who would have had no trouble recalling the name of the Archbishops of Canterbury.
In the King’s Arms Woodstock the rounds themselves were split evenly, three each with pictures tied. However, the home team’s winning margins of 5, 7 and 6 proved decisive in the end. An unusually high number of bonuses (12!) across both teams helped keep things interesting. And a special night for first time question reader Maurice, who handled things nicely and took the sensible option of spelling Latin phrases instead of attempting the pronunciation. King's Arms 68 - White Hart 58.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a sporting selection from this week below.
Q1: At which racecourse is the ‘Midlands Grand National’ run every March?
Q2: In which stadium was the main opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics held?
Q3: Which racecourse hosts the Kingwell Hurdles, Badger Beers Handicap, and Elite Hurdles?
A1: Uttoxeter.
A2: San Siro (Milan).
A3: Wincanton.
Week 8 (2nd July)
Tim Busby set a more difficult quiz this week, with an average score of only 62, and just one team (the Bunch!) breaking the 70 limit. The most-improved team right now is the Nomads, up from the foot of the Championship to second place in just two short weeks.
There was a high-scoring all-premiership match in Wolvercote: Ploughman’s Bunch! v Cricketer’s Arms. Despite the absence of Nick (reportedly in cross-gartered stockings), the Cricketers got a full house on the blockbuster, after thrashing the Bunch! 12-4 in the give-it-away round (getting all their questions right and giving away the four no-one knew). Alas/luckily the home team had already carved out a 21-point margin going into that last round, surviving their usual reverse on the very opening pair of questions to take the lead after round one with bonuses on Cycling (DQ) and Monopoly. A palsied reluctance to offer a couple of correct answers cost the Bunch! in round two but it could have been worse, the lead lost and then just regained thanks to Charles's Tudor and then Dennis the Menace and Usain Bolt. Beth's inspiration on Chorley, plus surprisingly solid answers on London Boroughs, and then Martin's Mystic Meg and Mathew Murdoch and an unheard-of win on the pictures saw the home side's advantage extend to seven over delicious hot dogs and chips. A bonus on Budapest bridges extended the lead, despite Trevor's answer of the night of The Swale (unless it was the later Jupiter), before a storming round six (15-6) saw the Bunch! move out of reach with bonuses on Germany, Africa, and Ranks - which was just as well given the spirited rally from the visitors that was to come. Bunch! 74 - 61 Cricketer’s Arms.
Lovely evening, as always in Eynsham. Very tough quiz this week, anyway the Blackbird off to a flyer in round 1, next 3 rounds nip and tuck, but the last 3 rounds Blackbird stormed away to claim the victory. Lovely pub, opposition very jovial, good bar staff, nice array of sandwiches, also during the World Cup, all draught Ales, Lagers & Guinness available at under a Fiver a pint, a must visit PH if you’re in the area for the Eynsham carnival this weekend. White Hart 41 - Blackbird 68.
The Castle lowered the drawbridge to welcome the Nomads to the city. The Nomads rather stormed in however taking Rounds 1 & 2 and holding a commanding 8-point lead as a result. The Castle defences were strengthened and only one point separated the teams in each of Rounds 3,4, 5, and 6 – both teams winning two rounds apiece. So the 8-point margin remained as the battle entered its final phase – the ‘Give it Away’ round. By now the boiling tar was ready and The Castle were able to dent the Nomads attack but, unfortunately for them, only by two points. So the final result was Castle 63 – 69 Nomads.
The Plough went up the hill to Headington quarry and came back down again later feeling lucky to have won the match against the Masons Arms. In a low-scoring tie the home team took the first round 8-7 with two bonus points. All subsequent rounds could have gone either way, except for the 3x4 round 2 which the Plough took by five points with their two bonuses. Those five points proved critical, not to say lifesaving, for the visitors by the end of the night. There was only one point in it on the pictures, then rounds five and six were drawn, so there was seven points separating the teams going into the final round. The Plough were in danger of giving it away, but the last seven questions were answered correctly by both teams so somehow the prospect of a victory slipped away from the Masons, and it finished Masons Arms 58 – Plough 62.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on motor racing from this week below.
Q1: Name one of the two drivers for Mercedes in the 2026 season.
Q2: In 1962 Stirling Moss had a huge, almost crippling, and F1 career-ending accident on which British circuit?
Q3: Which Bradford-based manufacturer made the Jupiter sports car from 1950-54?
A1: George Russel or Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
A2: Goodwood.
Week 7 (25th June)
A midsummer night’s dream, and it’s a scorcher! All four home teams won, with an average score of 79, the highest of the summer, like the temperature (no, I don’t). One of those home winners, the Blackbird, ended the winning run for the Bunch! which dated back to December (2025, don’t get carried away). So, there is now no team unbeaten, and none without a win either.
A spirited performance and a deserved win by the Blackbirds in sweltering conditions ended the league's only 100% record as they turned a four-point deficit after round one into a four-point winning margin by the end of round seven. Despite the fiendish away Shakespeare question the Bunch! had edged ahead with bonuses on Musicals and English rivers, but their lead was halved in round two (where David Quinn had the answer of the night on Ashes captains), by failure on the next of a long sequence of topics on the night which are normally a source of points: castles. Round three was drawn, before the pictures halved that lead again, now going down to a single point as both teams tucked into Paula's delicious array of food (the pate a particular favourite). Round five was also drawn, with each team choosing one unanswered question, as the tension mounted. In round six the teams swapped bonuses on Christian Names and Football Nicknames, but the home team nicked the lead via superior knowledge of vegetables. On to the give-it-away round, and it was advantage Blackbirds as they gave Collectors, which neither team knew, and although the Bunch! levelled things with Charles's bonus on Platinum Singles, it was the home captain's giving away of both of the other questions neither team knew (Novels and P&O) which proved decisive in a tightly-fought contest, the questions admirably read by Mick. Final score: Blackbird 71 - 67 Ploughman’s Bunch!
Matches between the Nomads and the White Hart are usually too close to call and this one looked like no exception as only one point separated the teams by the end of Round 2. However, in accordance with FIFA rules, 23 minutes had now passed and so the Question Master stopped the game for a hydration break. However, everyone knows what can happen when you restart and, sure enough, the visitors crashed to a 11-2 defeat in Round 3. They quickly recovered to draw the Picture Round but, by then, it was half-time and another break. When the game restarted, the White Hart, unsettled by a second break, lost Rounds 5 & 6 and so the Question Master decided not to call the second half hydration break and, instead, reverted to the more familiar beer break. Alas, that couldn’t restore the White Hart’s fortunes, and the final result was a very uncharacteristic Nomads 76 – 51 White Hart. As always, the game was played in great spirits, and both teams look forward to the return match on the hopefully cooler date of September 3rd.
Cricketer's Arms 81 - King's Arms 54. After the King's Arms took lead following the first two rounds the Cricketer’s took command, winning heavily in every subsequent round except for the away team first take your pick in which all twelve chosen questions were answered correctly.
Top score of the week, on a high-scoring week for the home team winners, was the Plough who warmly welcomed the Castle to a very warm venue. The away team suffered a 14-4 first round, and were 14 adrift after the next round, and 21 behind going into the picture round. Round six was another one-sided affair, where the Plough landed three bonuses on the unlikely trio of Noddy Holder, Nigel Farage and Bad Boy Zinc. The Castle secured their own bonus with the Exeter Grecians but by then they were an irrecoverable thirty-six points overdrawn. The final round started with four unanswered questions and finished in a face-saving 7-7 score draw. A balmy, not to say barmy, night ended Plough 86 – Castle 50.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on names from this week below.
Q1: What is the real Christian name of singer Noddy Holder?
Q2: Singer ‘Adele’ was born with what surname?
Q3: What was the Christian name of ‘Colonel Blood’ who tried to steal the Crown Jewels in1671?
A1: Neville.
A2: Adkins.
A3: Thomas.
Week 6 (18th June)
There is now no team without a win, following the King’s Arms first victory, and there were other significant moves in the Championship. The average winning score, 76, was the highest of the season so far, and the average losing score was the lowest at 56. It’s a funny old world.
First victory of the summer season for the King’s Arms boosts them up two places in the Championship. The score makes the result seem more decisive than it was, a 12-8 score in round 7 making the final total a bit flattering to the home side. Scores were even after two rounds, and Blackbird led by a point after the pictures, but the last three rounds all went to home team. The final score was King's Arms 69 - Blackbird 61.
And the Castle jump up a couple of places to lead the Championship after their win this week. A very warm evening with a fair bit of checking to see how the Switzerland game was progressing.
Round 1 was very slow off the mark with neither team getting any of the first 3 questions correct and ending in a 7-7 draw. From there on the Castle won all of the other rounds except for losing the picture round by one point. The Trumpeter Swan baffled everyone, and surprisingly everyone had forgotten about Derek Jameson taking over from Ken Bruce! It all ended Castle 75 – Masons Arms 42.
The Plough took the team S1 bus to wild west Eynsham for a warm welcome at the traditional cosy White Hart, always a great place to have a quiz. The Yabba was flowing and in good form, supplemented by All Sorts IPA from the Little Ox brewery. Genial question reader Trevor took control, but the Plough missed their opening question again, another slow start conceding a bonus to go three points down. The visitors found their form to go fourteen ahead after two rounds, consolidating a solid performance to end a very sociable encounter White Hart 53 – Plough 79.
When the Bunch! met the Nomads it was nip and tuck early doors, with the home team benefitting from some unlikely music knowledge but falling for the Martian question before recovering with bonuses on South America and Thunderbirds to edge the first round; but then conceding a bonus on Addison's Disease in round two to reduce the lead to two points despite David Parr's last-second inspiration on the Greek National Anthem. Solid answers from the Bunch! in the 3x4 (including David Quinn's Curling, Charles's Trumpeter Swan, and Beth's mascots and Ernie Wise) were followed by the usual setback in the pictures; but after some lovely food (the Coronation Chicken mini-baps a particular hit), with serve in round five, and after swapped bonuses, and another inspired home Statues answer, the Nomads picked the one question neither team knew and conceded another bonus at the death to find themselves ten points down. Then Bunch! bonuses on Agatha Christie and, thanks to Ron's unfortunate incident many years ago, Fractures completed a slightly flattering victory - skipper Beth sure-footed even on T.S. Eliot. It was a pleasant evening with friendly opposition under Martin's assured chairmanship, abetted by John Clark keeping an eye on the scores (in the pub and in Los Angeles). Ploughman’s Bunch! 82 – 66 Bletchingdon Nomads.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a literature selection from this week below.
Q1: The Martian Chronicles is a 1950 Science Fiction work by which American author and screenwriter?
Q2: What is the name of the 1977 Richard Adams book in which title characters Rowf and Snitter are hunted following their escape from a government research station?
Q3: In the Life of Pi by Yann Martel what is the name of the Bengal Tiger?
A1: Ray Bradbury.
A2: The Plague Dogs.
A3: Richard Parker.
Week 5 (11th June)
Before this week’s matches there were two teams with a 100% record, now there is one, and just the sole team without a point, now there are none, so it’s all settling down, after only five weeks.
Those two unbeaten teams met at “the clash of the titans” in Wolvercote, when the Plough were hosts to their great (indeed, great) rivals the Ploughman’s Bunch! There could only be one winner, and that was how it turned out. Quite the game of two halves: with the questions falling kindly for the “visitors” in round one (carrots, and bonuses on Robbie Williams and the Demeter) the Bunch! raced into a five-point lead and this was ultimately to prove to be decisive; further good fortune (Madonna) and Charles's Cocoa knowledge then extended the lead to eight, before the Plough picked two questions that neither team knew at the start of round three and suddenly the away team were twelve points to the good. Ruthlessly (she was reading the questions) the Plough then chipped away at the deficit, clawing back two points on the pictures before winning round five (despite Charles's confident Nobel answer and anguished searching for the phenol one), a bonus for the Plough on Curling the first of a few potential turning-points on which the hosts didn't quite capitalise. The Plough also won round six as the Bunch! unluckily conceded bonuses on bombers and swimming to reduce it to a four-point game in a tense finale - but a gentle question on Motorways and excellent answers on Buildings, Inventions, and Space Flight saw the give-it-away round end all-square and the Bunch! take the spoils (Howard's answer of the night on Tarka the Otter coming too late, in the spare questions). A solid all-round team performance under Beth's steely captaincy was fuelled by yummy food at the halfway point. Plough 66-70 Bunch! last team standing unbeaten.
Stranded as the only ‘pointless’ team in the league, the Bletchingdon Nomads were hoping to turn that around. There was an element of trepidation for both teams going into the match at the Bletch Club, both being winless up to this point although the King's Arms had managed a draw. But with the Nomads back to full strength after being without three key players the previous week, things looked to be going their way as they stormed into a nine-point lead after two rounds. Some lively debate ensued as to whether Shakespear's "The Tempest" is really a comedy (a Google enquiry at the end of the quiz confirmed that, officially, it is). From the third round, the tide began to turn somewhat as the King's Arms began to claw back at the Nomads' lead, winning rounds 3, 5 and 6 by small margins, round 5 proving particularly challenging for both teams, each recording low scores. Going into the final 'Give it away' round, the Nomads still held a six-point advantage but, failing to answer the first two questions they were given, the lead was down to a single point at one stage. They kept their nerve, however, and edged ahead again leaving the King's Arms needing a 3-0 on the final two questions on 80s and 90s Rock & Pop to force the draw - but it was the Nomads who achieved the 3-0, meaning the match eventually ended Nomads 70 - King's Arms 64.
In sleepy hollow Headington Quarry the Masons welcomed the White Hart Eynsham for their first win of the summer. The early rounds suggested another tight encounter between these two teams, with the hosts taking the first round, before the White Hart edged ahead to lead by three after the pictures. A couple of more comfortable wins gave the visitors a ten-point lead going into the final round, which even they couldn't manage to throw away. Needless to say that the final two questions left were on 80s and 90s rock and pop, and were both answered correctly (naturally). As ever, good beer, good food and a warm welcome: Masons Arms 55 - White Hart 65.
The Blackbird resounded to the commentary for the opening game of the 2026 Geopolitics World Cup (result: pub empty) as the Cricketer's Arms arrived to partake of a rather more civil pastime. In truth, it wasn't a great evening for the congenial hosts. Despite impressive recollection of the name of Dracula's Russian schooner in Round 1, they trailed 8-11 and seemed lost at sea throughout Rounds 2 and 3, continually picking the categories that no one knew the answer to and losing those rounds 4-12 and 4-13. With a score of 16-36 after 3 rounds, the result was not in serious doubt. The last four rounds were a lot closer but it was an evening when only seven 1-point bonuses were scored all night, suggesting there were a lot of questions that everyone knew the answer to (e.g. Snickers, Starburst, Gulliver's Travels, heart transplant, Everton/Spurs, Nena) or no one did (e.g. sitcom creators, WW2 planes, Grape Tree). Round 6 proved a big challenge for both sides but the Cricketer's eased three or four lengths clear in the home straight, nourished by one of the Blackbird's famous (lush?) spreads. Final score: Blackbird 55 - 84 Cricketer's.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on World War II aircraft from this week below.
Q1: Which company produced the Halifax and Hampden bombers?
Q2: Which US company produced the Wildcat and Hellcat fighters?
Q3: Which company produced the Wellesley and Wellington bombers?
A1: Handley Page.
A2: Grumman.
A3: Vickers.
Week 4 (04th June)
Cooler weather and a rainy night did nothing to dampen the keen competitiveness this week, as all three Premiership teams won their matches. The Castle take over the top spot in the Championship with a narrow win, but there is still quite a way to go, it’s a marathon not a sprint, cliché alert.
Way out in wild west Eynsham there was an extremely close match played with a lot of laughter on both sides. The white Hart won round 3 with a 7-point lead and the picture round with a 3-point lead, whereas the Castle pulled it back in all of the other rounds with a small lead in each and it really went down to the wire! The Planck Constant, bird and aquatic terms questions totally baffled everyone as did the Vintage TV series - Land of the giants which no one seemed to remember.
An extremely pleasant night and the food was delicious. White Hart 64 - Castle 65.
The Plough ventured north to Woodstock for a sociable night in the King’s Arms. It was good to see such a spacious pub so well filled with diners and drinkers, leaving a quiet room for the quiz too. Three winter players from Chippy were aestivating further south, and it was good to see Suzanne, Charlotte and Connor augmenting the home team. Connor sat out the second half and of course knew sufficient answers to have made a significant difference to the result, but it was not to be. The visitors started well, taking the first round thanks to Nancy’s deep knowledge of rappers. The home team won four of the seven rounds, but although the Plough only won three, they were all by a margin sufficient to prevail in the match. The Woodstock crew had only a four-points deficit going into round six, but the Wolvercote squad won that round by seven points to put it out of their reach. Fuelled by a generous spread of delicious fat salty chips and freshly cut sandwiches, a good-natured match ended in good time: King’s Arms 61 – Plough 71, enabling both teams to make sharp exit for an earlier bus.
Cricketer's Arms 77 - Nomads 44. The Cricketer's dominated this match, winning every round except round 3 which was a low scoring draw, including a section in which, despite being able to recall obscure facts from decades ago, both teams struggled to remember anything that had happened two years previously.
A depleted Bunch! were lucky to draw the first round against the Masons, as two bonuses were exchanged, before taking what was, in a tight contest, a significant five-point advantage in round two with David Parr's bonus on Bedazzled and Liz's Thousand Island dressing, helped by the visitors taking both questions that neither team knew. More from Liz on Wallsend and another unanswered question for the Masons extended the lead in round three, before they got one back on the pictures. After the usual delicious food, the poor luck of the strong Masons outfit saw them pick two more unanswered questions in round five, to drop another point despite securing the only bonus of the round, in the face of good answers from Charles on Founders, Assassinations, and Palaces. Swapped bonuses in round six again resulted in an 11-11 draw, before some judicious giving and unlikely Novelty Songs knowledge enabled the Bunch! to extend their lead into double figures at the death, under Martin's sure-footed questioning and amid much rejoicing in Bhutan. Ploughman’s Bunch! 76 - Masons Arms 66.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on television from this week below.
Q1: On which fictional island is the TV series ‘Death in Paradise’ set?
Q2: What is the real name of the TV fitness instructor ‘The Green Goddess’?
Q3: Which two people created the TV puppet series ‘Spitting Image’?
A1: Saint Marie, (specifically in the town of Honoré).
A2: Diana Moran.
A3: (Peter) Fluck and (Roger) Law (also known as Luck and Flaw).
Week 3 (28th May)
Welcome to the Enhanced Quiz! Special concessions were agreed, permitting the carefully monitored administration of performance-enhancing substances. Quiz teams were allowed to participate while consuming alcoholic beverages, UK Duty Paid and for sale through licensed outlets. Record-breaking scores were expected… in fact the average team score, 61, was the lowest since May 2025, not quite ‘since records began’. Is it the heat, or are Tim Busby’s questions hotting up too?
The Blackbird take the early season top spot in the Championship with a win in Bletchingdon: Nomads 65 - Blackbird 69. The quiz was nip and tuck all evening, Blackbird taking a one-point lead going into the final round, went down to the last two questions, both music questions, The Nomads "resistance was low" to give the Blackbird the hard-fought victory. Always a pleasure to visit Bletchingdon, the club was packed, the Question master John using a microphone to be heard, great atmosphere, and the beer prices, a throwback to earlier days. Keep up the good work guys.
And up to second place in the Championship are the Masons Arms. A very depleted King’s Arms team journeyed to the Masons. After an initially promising start the next two rounds were drawn with very low scores. The pictures gave the home team a much-needed impetus, and they were then never headed until the final score settled the evening’s competition. A final question on the Stranglers was ideal for the Masons captain who has seen them over 20 times! An enjoyable evening in one the league’s finest venues: Masons Arms 56 - King’s Arms 43.
An all-premiership tie played out in Wolvercote, the Plough hosting the Cricketer’s Arms. The home team took the first two rounds to lead by seven points, but the night was yet young. Plough birthday boys The Gemini Twins were feeling chipper under the stern eye of Captain Howard, but in the next two rounds they relinquished all but one point of their hard-earned lead. Three Plough bonuses in a disastrous round five for the Cricketer’s put the hosts ahead again, then the away team recouped three points to be in a strong position. They won a low-scoring final round too, but not by enough to win the match, so the final score on a hot summer night was Plough 67 - Cricketer’s Arms 63.
The Ploughman’s Bunch! are finding good form early in the season. Two teams of four battled it out under Maureen's assured questioning, with first blood going to the home outfit in the shape of a motoring bonus to take round one 8-7 (although the visitors came close to levelling, saying solidus when a more solid answer of solidi was required). Undaunted, the Bunch! took the next round 11-8 with a bonus on Oscar Peterson, extending the lead thanks to a good guess on Jimmy Cliff in round three. A comfortable five-point lead entirely disappeared after the pictures, though, the hosts' close knowledge of Loose Women leaving the match all square. But round five was decisive, as with serve the Bunch! triumphed 12-4 before a 12-12 full house in round six set the visitors up nicely to romp away at the finish, thanks to more guesses on horsepower and the River Jordan. Although his niece was not actually playing for the team on the night, the Bunch! had no difficulty identifying the fifth man. Castle 56 - Bunch! 70.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with a selection on English towns from this week below.
Q1: In which town is John Fowles novel ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’ mainly set?
Q2: At which 1403 battle was Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy defeated and killed by King Henry IV forces?
Q3: What is the county town of Wiltshire?
A1: Lyme Regis.
A2: Shrewsbury.
A3: Trowbridge.
Week 2 - (21st May)
The scores inched a little higher this week, and the teams set out on a balmy May night for a pleasant evening quizzing. Tim Busby kept things interesting with his usual varied selection of questions, which produced good matches and interesting results.
The Cricketer’s Arms held their first fixture in their new venue, and The Masons had the privilege of being the first away team to play there. It’s a good venue and much more conducive to great quizzing. It was a very close match in which the lead changed numerous times. It always remained tight, and working through releasing the bishop still didn’t get the point for the visitors. But in the final round the Masons took the lead by a single point. A great evening’s quizzing in a great new venue, with Jeff on the questions. Final score Cricketer’s Arms 66 – Masons Arms 67. No spies had been seen in the Cricketer’s training camp, so the result stands!
Castle v Kings is a match made for a chess question, and there it was, fools mate in two! A lovely trip out to Woodstock and finding the streets there full of people sat outside pubs and cafes under umbrellas in the sunshine, perhaps summer is on its way! A very pleasant evening with most rounds being very close, the first round was drawn, the next four were won by the Castle and the last two rounds by the Kings Arms. The 2nd Elvis question baffled everyone even after we had the answer of Live a Little, Love a Little given, and no one remembered Peter Schmeichel being on Strictly Come Dancing! Very nice food and good company, what more could we ask for? King’s Arms 63 - Castle 67.
The Plough sailed across the ring road for a fun sociable evening at the Blackbird. The visitors were parried at first sight, losing the first round 10-7 despite Howard’s Elvis bonus on King Creole. The Blackbird earned a bonus of their own in the next round, but their opponents secured three to win the round 5-13 to take the lead which they held on to by a diminishing margin throughout. Paula brought out a mighty spread of half-time food: stew, sarnies, bhajis with chilli dip and roast spuds. What a crew, with Captain Glen steering the ship, Yorkie the Steward and Paula in the Galley, and many thanks to Mark Burke for standing in as question reader. With questions on fools mate and fools gold, neither team was a ship of fools. A strong 13-10 round six fightback from the Blackbird took them to within four points of victory, but it was not to be. When “The Great Escape” came up, John Conway commented “we need it” but both teams were fooled by the fools mate chess question and the Plough held on, Escape to Victory: Blackbird 70 – Plough 77.
The Bunch! got off to a good start in their opening match of the summer season, at home to the White Hart. The questions fell in our favour in the first three rounds, with the White Hart unlucky to get 7 of the 10 questions unanswered by either side prior to the picture round, the Bunch going 32-15 up. It was very different from that point on, the remaining four rounds going to the visitors 45-47, including the answers of the night in the last round, with The Toy Dolls, Rosa Parks and The Great Escape. A convivial evening, with thanks to Stuart for reading in his usual inimitable style, and to the Plough for the delicious food: Ploughman’s Bunch! 77 – White Hart 62.
Thanks to Tim Busby for the questions, with an American selection from this week below.
Q1: Which is the only American state capital to start with N?
Q2: When Hawaii joined the Union, who was the first president of all 50 states?
Q3: In March 2026, who did Donald Trump fire as US Secretary of Homeland Security?
A1: Nashville.
A2: Ike, Dwight D Eisenhower.
A3: Kristi Noem.
Week 1 - (14th May)
And the summer runners are off! It’s the same nine teams participating as in 2025, but with one side relocating: the Royal Blenheim team are now based at the Cricketer’s Arms in Temple Cowley. Here’s to a warm and lively summer, may the best team win, and everyone have fun.
Last summer's champions were the Royal Blenheim, perhaps partly due to the racket generated by their braying supporters. In an attempt to prove that they won on merit, the Blenheimistas have rebranded as the Cricketer's Arms (Nick Smith has asked us to note the apostrophe before the 's', folks - you may be docked marks if you get this wrong in your match report). The only current cricketer in the team was delegated to write his report after an opening night victory in the dungeons of the Castle. The home team, no longer fired up by the challenge of a Westgate local derby, were only able to field four players but stormed out of the blocks with a 13-10 Round 1 scoreline, thanks to some Millwall/Middlesbrough confusion in the cricketing ranks. The visitors edged closer with bonuses on the University of Arizona and the Graf Spee in Round 2 before Betty Boo helped them edge ahead in Round 3 and then a further 2 point gain on the pictures. But Round 5 was effectively the decider, 6-13 to the visitors, including bonuses on Wal-Mart, Jimmy Tarbuck and James II. Perhaps the questions in the last two rounds were a little harder or maybe both sides took their foot off the gas, but these were also won 7-8 and 4-8 by the Marshmen, to produce a win for Cricketer's (Arms). All in all, a most enjoyable start to the season against ever-congenial opponents who will surely score strongly when they have a full complement of five. Final score: Castle 61 – 77 Cricketer's Arms
Good night in a very lively Masons Arms. Blackbird, missing Captain Conway, again slow out of the blocks, 12 down after 3 rounds. However, they would go on to win the last four rounds, including an incredible 17-2 victory in Round 5. Final score Masons Arms 48 - Blackbird 60. Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat as a colleague commented. Good food served by friendly landlord Chris, who really knows how to pull in a crowd. Nice to see in these times.
White Hart 67 – King’s Arms 67. The White Hart welcomed their old friends from the Kings Arms for what is usually a closely fought encounter. The hosts started well, despite a schoolboy error of jumping in with an answer and consequently confusing Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball, thereby gifting a bonus point. Still, it was early days and unlikely to be important. The Kings Arms then had a couple of strong rounds, including a clean sweep on the 'name the year' section, to the extent that they led by four points going into the pictures. The hosts re-grouped (i.e. had another drink) and managed to edge the next few rounds to leave it level coming into the final round. It seemed that neither side wanted to win, as points were hard to come by in the Give It Away, and the scores were still level for the final question on what was supposed to be a White Hart specialist area, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. No such luck, though, as both teams' guesses were wide of the mark, leaving it level at 67 each apiece, as Trevor would say. An enjoyable match and a fair result, just don't mention Kenny Ball (or Acker Bilk).
The Nomads wandered to the Plough for a top-quality match which could have gone either way and was only decided at the end of the final round. The pub was busy with diners from Saltsjöbaden Choir, Stockholm on a short local tour. The Swedish singers (not Jenny Lind or Abba) broke into song later, but thankfully the quiz teams resisted the temptation to sing along. The quiz had no shortage of harmony and cooperation as the Nomads kindly gave up John Clark their question reader to conduct proceedings, thanks for that. There were only four bonuses all night, three to the Nomads, and a regular scattering of unanswered questions, but it was a very close match all night. The Plough took the first round with their only bonus, but the Nomads came back very strongly in round two, only for the teams to draw level in the pictures and the next two rounds. We were even-stevens going into a low-scoring final round, with half the questions unanswered, and the result decided in the last few questions, but this time it was the Plough who started the summer season with a win: Plough 74 – Bletchingdon Nomads 72.
Thanks to Jeff Welch for the season of Winter League questions, and welcome back to Tim Busby for the summer season, with a science selection from this week below.
Q1: Which Noble gas, element 18, takes its name from the Greek for ‘inactive’ or ‘lazy’?
Q2: Which Italian physicist’s law states that equal volumes of gas at the same pressure and temperature contain equal numbers of molecules?
Q3: What is the chemical name for Epsom Salts?
A1: Argon.
A2: Avogadro.
A3: Magnesium Sulphate.