Weekly Match Reports - Summer 2026
(A big thank you to Jonny Peacock)
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.