OK, well, here we are peeps: the last post on this blog of this decade. Unless you're counting counting 2020 as the last year of the decade, which, given that 2000 is, technically speaking, the last year of the old millennium, rather than the first of the current, is sort of correct. But let's not get bogged down in technicalities now.
It was a strong first week's play on this year's Christmas UC series; ahead of its resumption tonight, let's quickly recap it.
Monday 23rd: Leeds vs Clare Cambridge
Leeds: Jonathan Clements, Henry Gee, Rev. Richard Coles, Tim Allen
Clare Cambridge: Elin Manahan Thomas, Marcel Theroux, Amanda Spielman, Allison Pearson
In which Rev. Coles and Ms Pearson joined the list of people to have been on both Xmas UC and an Only Connect charity special. Leeds took the lead early on, and never lost it, ultimately running out 205-55 winners, and will definitely be coming back later this week.
Tuesday 24th: Birmingham City vs Wadham Oxford
Birmingham City: Bunny Guinness, Carole Boyd, Ian Skelly, Jim Crace
Wadham Oxford: Jonathan Freedland, Tom Solomon, Anne McElvoy, Roger Mosey
Cue jokes on Twitter about why wasn't Trevor Francis on the Birmingham City team! Again, Wadham took the lead early on and never relinquished it, despite a valiant recovery from their opponents. Wadham won 160-75 and, unless both the remaining winning teams today and tomorrow beat it, they'll be back later in the week.
Wednesday 25th: Guildhall vs U.C.L.
Guildhall: Catherine Bott, Bob Barrett, Monica Dolan, Charles Edwards
U.C.L.: Pen Hadow, Poppy Sebag-Montefiore, Maryam Moshiri, Hugh Griffiths
An enjoyable Christmas Day contest between two pleasant sides. It was U.C.L.'s better start that ultimately proved the difference, and though Guildhall valiantly fought back, U.C.L. saw the game out, and won the match 165-120; we'll definitely be seeing them again later in the week.
Thursday 26th: Liverpool vs Hull
Liverpool: Emma Jane Unsworth, Roger Bolton, Anna Maxwell Martin, Beverley Hunt
Hull: Matthew Halsall, Tracy Borman, Lucy Beaumont, Joanna Nadin
It was the bonuses that won this game, with Hull only answering one starter more than their opponents, but faring considerably better on the bonuses, 16 out of 21 to Liverpool's 5 out of 18. Thus, Hull won 150-75; again, should tonight's and tomorrow night's winners not beat that, we'll be seeing them again.
Friday 27th: Royal Holloway vs Sussex
Royal Holloway: Jackie Hunter, Emma Bridgewater, Fern Riddell, Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Sussex: Mark D'Arcy, Zoe Strimpel, Kim Newman, Perdita Barran
Last match of a strong opening week, and another comfortable victory. Royal Holloway took the first starter, but Sussex quickly took the upper hand, and ran out comfortable 130-70 winners, unfortunately not enough for a return.
So, Leeds and U.C.L. are definitely coming back, Wadham have a half decent chance, and Hull are most vulnerable. But it was a fine first week, with all five winning teams getting good scores; we can only hope this week's offerings will continue this strong trend!
Back next week with a review of that; until then, thank you to everyone who has supported me and this blog this year and this decade (/this decade so far), and have a Happy New Year!
Monday, 30 December 2019
Monday, 16 December 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 2: Match 5: Huddersfield vs Manchester
Evening all. Well, here we are: the last (regular) UC of the 2010s; can still remember watching St John's of Oxford beat Girton of Cambridge in the first of the decade back in the big freeze of January 2010. I am still planning my Review of the Decade, but have decided to hold it off until this current series is over, and cover the ten series recorded this decade. For now, though, on with tonight's show, with the winners fighting to be on the top row for the first QF preliminary (if past years are anything to go on).
Huddersfield, appearing on UC for the first time, won a low scoring first round tie against the Open University 145-125 on the last correct starter of the match. They were the same foursome as that time around:
Sean Fisher, from Huddersfield, studying History
Rebecca Wilson, from Leeds, studying Chemistry
Captain: Andy Cook, from Walsall, studying History
Aaron Cahill, from Norwich, studying Drama
Manchester ran out winners by 185-145 in their first match against Jesus of Oxford, a team good enough to survive to the play-offs and go on to reach the QFs. Hoping to join them were the also unchanged quartet of:
Jack Rogers, from Cheshire, studying Maths
Melissa Johnson, from South Africa, studying Economics
Captain: James Green, from the Wirral, studying Modernist Literature
Adam Booth, from Greenford in London, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Cook picked up where he left off last time around as he identified the derivation of the term 'Cold War' for the first starter; bonuses on breeds of donkey gave the Terriers one correct answer. A penalty dropped Manchester into negative equity, but Huddersfield failed to capitalise, though they were unlucky to, as Mr Cook got all the information right, but not what was asked of him. Mr Green pulled his side back to 5 by identifying Wes Anderson for the next starter, and the Mancunians also managed one correct bonus. Mr Booth then lost another five for buzzing wrongly just as the question was finishing, but, again, Huddersfield, didn't pick up. Another penalty reset Manchester's score to nought; Mr Cook did pick up this time, and his side duly took two bonuses on the work of Rachel Whiteread. The first picture round, on cities that have hosted the main conference of European Maritime Day, went to Manchester; no bonuses followed, which left them trailing 35-10.
Mr Rogers duly got them moving in the right direction again as he took the next starter, and one bonus from a tough set on physics went with it. Ms Johnson then ensured all four Manchester players already had a starter to their names; bonuses on German cities proved more to their liking, a full set, and with it the lead. With the bit now between their collective teeth, Mr Green quickly identified the word 'Kompromat' for the next starter; one bonus followed, as did another starter for Mr Rogers, and two bonuses on astronomy.
Neither side identified Rossini's Barber of Seville for the music starter; the music bonuses, on works completed in a relatively short time, went to Manchester, who took the sole bonus they needed to get into triple figures, now leading 100-35. And on they powered as Mr Green took the next starter, which gave them a classic UC bonus set on words differing in their first letter only, of which they took two. Mr Cook finally reawoke Huddersfield by taking the next starter; one bonus on nuclear physics ensured they wouldn't be joining the Sub 50 club. Back came Manchster as Mr Rogers quickly identified Charles Fourier as the coiner of the term feminism; bonuses on suspension bridges gave the Mancunians one correct bonus. A second starter in a row went to Mr Rogers, and two correct bonuses followed this time.
The second picture round, on artworks donated to the New York Museum of Art by Lillie Bliss, went to Manchester; one correct bonus took their lead to 170-50. The game was now all but over as a contest, as confirmed when Mr Green took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on South American deserts.
Still, Huddersfield went out on a high, as Mr Cook identified the play 'The Ferryman' for the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on anatomy was banged out in short order. The Terriers captain took a second starter in a row, but just the one bonus on the work of dramatist John Webster followed this time. Mr Green took the last starter of the game, identifying Helvetica as the font derived from the native name of Switzerland, but they were gonged before they could answer the first bonus. At the gong, Manchester won 205-90.
A rather slow contest, but an enjoyable one between two pleasant teams, good on them for clapping each other at the end. Unlucky Huddersfield, but, as Paxo said, a respectable performance for a first time entrant institution, thanks very much indeed for giving it to us. Well done Manchester though, and best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Green was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Cook was best for Huddersfield with all five of theirs. On the bonuses, Huddersfield converted 8 out of 15, while Manchester managed 18 out of 37 (with three penalties).
And that's it for this year, and indeed this decade! Christmas UC starts next Monday and runs weekdaily for two weeks. The student series will return on the 6th of January.
Only Connect is also now pausing for some festive specials, which start two weeks today; tonight's last regular match of the year, and decade, between the Endeavours and the 007s, ended in a comfortable win for the latter, 26-15.
Huddersfield, appearing on UC for the first time, won a low scoring first round tie against the Open University 145-125 on the last correct starter of the match. They were the same foursome as that time around:
Sean Fisher, from Huddersfield, studying History
Rebecca Wilson, from Leeds, studying Chemistry
Captain: Andy Cook, from Walsall, studying History
Aaron Cahill, from Norwich, studying Drama
Manchester ran out winners by 185-145 in their first match against Jesus of Oxford, a team good enough to survive to the play-offs and go on to reach the QFs. Hoping to join them were the also unchanged quartet of:
Jack Rogers, from Cheshire, studying Maths
Melissa Johnson, from South Africa, studying Economics
Captain: James Green, from the Wirral, studying Modernist Literature
Adam Booth, from Greenford in London, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Cook picked up where he left off last time around as he identified the derivation of the term 'Cold War' for the first starter; bonuses on breeds of donkey gave the Terriers one correct answer. A penalty dropped Manchester into negative equity, but Huddersfield failed to capitalise, though they were unlucky to, as Mr Cook got all the information right, but not what was asked of him. Mr Green pulled his side back to 5 by identifying Wes Anderson for the next starter, and the Mancunians also managed one correct bonus. Mr Booth then lost another five for buzzing wrongly just as the question was finishing, but, again, Huddersfield, didn't pick up. Another penalty reset Manchester's score to nought; Mr Cook did pick up this time, and his side duly took two bonuses on the work of Rachel Whiteread. The first picture round, on cities that have hosted the main conference of European Maritime Day, went to Manchester; no bonuses followed, which left them trailing 35-10.
Mr Rogers duly got them moving in the right direction again as he took the next starter, and one bonus from a tough set on physics went with it. Ms Johnson then ensured all four Manchester players already had a starter to their names; bonuses on German cities proved more to their liking, a full set, and with it the lead. With the bit now between their collective teeth, Mr Green quickly identified the word 'Kompromat' for the next starter; one bonus followed, as did another starter for Mr Rogers, and two bonuses on astronomy.
Neither side identified Rossini's Barber of Seville for the music starter; the music bonuses, on works completed in a relatively short time, went to Manchester, who took the sole bonus they needed to get into triple figures, now leading 100-35. And on they powered as Mr Green took the next starter, which gave them a classic UC bonus set on words differing in their first letter only, of which they took two. Mr Cook finally reawoke Huddersfield by taking the next starter; one bonus on nuclear physics ensured they wouldn't be joining the Sub 50 club. Back came Manchster as Mr Rogers quickly identified Charles Fourier as the coiner of the term feminism; bonuses on suspension bridges gave the Mancunians one correct bonus. A second starter in a row went to Mr Rogers, and two correct bonuses followed this time.
The second picture round, on artworks donated to the New York Museum of Art by Lillie Bliss, went to Manchester; one correct bonus took their lead to 170-50. The game was now all but over as a contest, as confirmed when Mr Green took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on South American deserts.
Still, Huddersfield went out on a high, as Mr Cook identified the play 'The Ferryman' for the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on anatomy was banged out in short order. The Terriers captain took a second starter in a row, but just the one bonus on the work of dramatist John Webster followed this time. Mr Green took the last starter of the game, identifying Helvetica as the font derived from the native name of Switzerland, but they were gonged before they could answer the first bonus. At the gong, Manchester won 205-90.
A rather slow contest, but an enjoyable one between two pleasant teams, good on them for clapping each other at the end. Unlucky Huddersfield, but, as Paxo said, a respectable performance for a first time entrant institution, thanks very much indeed for giving it to us. Well done Manchester though, and best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Green was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Cook was best for Huddersfield with all five of theirs. On the bonuses, Huddersfield converted 8 out of 15, while Manchester managed 18 out of 37 (with three penalties).
And that's it for this year, and indeed this decade! Christmas UC starts next Monday and runs weekdaily for two weeks. The student series will return on the 6th of January.
Only Connect is also now pausing for some festive specials, which start two weeks today; tonight's last regular match of the year, and decade, between the Endeavours and the 007s, ended in a comfortable win for the latter, 26-15.
Monday, 9 December 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 2: Match 4: Imperial vs St John's
Evening all. Here we are at the penultimate regular UC of the 2010s, and as its nearly 2020, I am planning a UC Review of the Decade. Now whether I do it at the end of the year and cover exactly the 2010s or wait until the end of the current series and look back on the last ten series (2010-11 to 2019-20) I haven't decided yet; opinions welcome. For now, though, on with the usual business.
Imperial College London racked up the highest score of the first round, as they beat Brasenose of Oxford 255-70, dominating almost throughout. They were the same foursome as before:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
St John's College Oxford also comfortably won their first match, beating Wolfson of Cambridge 115-40 in the lowest scoring UC match of the Paxo era. They were also unchanged from before:
Sam Burns, from Walthamstow in London, studying History
Isabella Morris, from London, studying English Language and Literature
Captain: Asher Leeks, from Beckenham in London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Aaron Soor, from Woodford in London, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and St John's started with a misfire, allowing Mr Rich to pick up where he left off by taking 'Simon Bolivar' for the first starter; a full set of bonuses on the subtitles of books was a strong statement of intent from the Londoners. They then lost five of their own on the next starter though, but St John's failed to pick up. The Oxonians then slipped up again (I think possibly the first time, in the BBC era at least, that the first three starters saw penalties incurred), and Mr Rich swept in for the pickup; two bonuses followed. Mr Soor finally got St John's moving in the right direction again, giving them a bonus set on trios whose names began with A, B and C respectively, of which they took one. Mr Brooks then was first in with Lincolnshire (just after I got it), but just one bonus on scientific terms ending 'grade' followed. The first picture round, on maps illustrating outbreaks of disease, went to St John's; two bonuses followed, which cut their arrears to 55-25.
They duly increased again though as the mononymous Brandon, wearing a jumper with a picture of Alex Trebek on it to show support for him (he had just been diagnosed with cancer when this episode was filmed), identified the artist Mary Cassatt for the next starter; a full house of bonuses on Pulitzer Prizes followed. Mr Leeks broke back in for St John's, which gave them a bonus set on UK dales, of which they took one. Mr Soor didn't quite get the right end of the stick on the next starter, allowing Brandon to take the points; a bonus set on last year's (men's football) World Cup saw both me and them get Iceland and Brazil, but miss Belgium.
The music round, on jazz artists who went solo after coming to fame alongside Miles Davis, went to Imperial; two bonuses took their lead to 120-40. And it was just getting bigger as Mr Rich identified the Ordnance Survey for the next starter; a tough bonus set on powers of ten gave the Londoners five points. Brandon was in quickly for the next starter for knowing that six non-Earth planets were known to exist by 1820, and got told off by Paxo for 'finding the questions insultingly easy'! Two bonuses followed, before Brandon took a second starter in a row, and a full set of bonuses on historic English counties pretty much ended the match as a contest.
The second picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on films edited by Dede Allen, went to St John's, who took one bonus, which took the scores to 180-55. Mr McMeel cemented Imperial's win when he took the next starter, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on high scoring words in Scrabble, of which they took two.
So now it was just a question of how much higher both sides could go; Mr Leeks pulled one back for St John's, and a bonus set on the 'stan' countries gave them a full set in short order. Mr Rich pulled Imperial past 200 as he took the next starter, and a bonus set of Tudor rebellions was also dispatched reasonably easily. Mr McMeel was first to work out the next starter; just one bonus on Italian cinema followed, but it mattered not. The next starter was a rerun of a famous bad answer from the show in the 90s: "Pen y Fan is the highest point in which national park?" Neither side said 'Snowdonia' this time; Mr Leeks did get the right answer of the 'Brecon Beacons' though, and another full bonus set deservedly took St John's into triple figures. Mr Brooks took the last starter, and his side answered the one bonus there was time for correctly. At the gong, Imperial won 255-105.
Another good watchable contest, even if it was a rather one sided one. Unlucky St John's, but a valiant performance in the circumstances, thanks very much for playing! Very well done Imperial though, and very best of luck in the QFs; definitely a team to watch!
The stats: Mr Rich was the best buzzer of the night with five, while Messrs Leeks and Soor got three each for St John's. On the bonuses, Imperial converted 26 out of 37 (with one penalty), while St John's managed 11 out of 18 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the last regular UC of the decade! Again, I don't know who's playing yet, but will be sure to retweet anything I find.
Only Connect was much closer tonight, with the second qualifier, between the Forrests and the Choristers; after a tight contest all the way through, including a welcome mention of Punch and Judy toothpaste (my favoured toothpaste for a while!), the Choristers won it on the last Missing Words of the show, winning 22-21!
Imperial College London racked up the highest score of the first round, as they beat Brasenose of Oxford 255-70, dominating almost throughout. They were the same foursome as before:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
St John's College Oxford also comfortably won their first match, beating Wolfson of Cambridge 115-40 in the lowest scoring UC match of the Paxo era. They were also unchanged from before:
Sam Burns, from Walthamstow in London, studying History
Isabella Morris, from London, studying English Language and Literature
Captain: Asher Leeks, from Beckenham in London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Aaron Soor, from Woodford in London, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and St John's started with a misfire, allowing Mr Rich to pick up where he left off by taking 'Simon Bolivar' for the first starter; a full set of bonuses on the subtitles of books was a strong statement of intent from the Londoners. They then lost five of their own on the next starter though, but St John's failed to pick up. The Oxonians then slipped up again (I think possibly the first time, in the BBC era at least, that the first three starters saw penalties incurred), and Mr Rich swept in for the pickup; two bonuses followed. Mr Soor finally got St John's moving in the right direction again, giving them a bonus set on trios whose names began with A, B and C respectively, of which they took one. Mr Brooks then was first in with Lincolnshire (just after I got it), but just one bonus on scientific terms ending 'grade' followed. The first picture round, on maps illustrating outbreaks of disease, went to St John's; two bonuses followed, which cut their arrears to 55-25.
They duly increased again though as the mononymous Brandon, wearing a jumper with a picture of Alex Trebek on it to show support for him (he had just been diagnosed with cancer when this episode was filmed), identified the artist Mary Cassatt for the next starter; a full house of bonuses on Pulitzer Prizes followed. Mr Leeks broke back in for St John's, which gave them a bonus set on UK dales, of which they took one. Mr Soor didn't quite get the right end of the stick on the next starter, allowing Brandon to take the points; a bonus set on last year's (men's football) World Cup saw both me and them get Iceland and Brazil, but miss Belgium.
The music round, on jazz artists who went solo after coming to fame alongside Miles Davis, went to Imperial; two bonuses took their lead to 120-40. And it was just getting bigger as Mr Rich identified the Ordnance Survey for the next starter; a tough bonus set on powers of ten gave the Londoners five points. Brandon was in quickly for the next starter for knowing that six non-Earth planets were known to exist by 1820, and got told off by Paxo for 'finding the questions insultingly easy'! Two bonuses followed, before Brandon took a second starter in a row, and a full set of bonuses on historic English counties pretty much ended the match as a contest.
The second picture starter was dropped; the bonuses, on films edited by Dede Allen, went to St John's, who took one bonus, which took the scores to 180-55. Mr McMeel cemented Imperial's win when he took the next starter, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on high scoring words in Scrabble, of which they took two.
So now it was just a question of how much higher both sides could go; Mr Leeks pulled one back for St John's, and a bonus set on the 'stan' countries gave them a full set in short order. Mr Rich pulled Imperial past 200 as he took the next starter, and a bonus set of Tudor rebellions was also dispatched reasonably easily. Mr McMeel was first to work out the next starter; just one bonus on Italian cinema followed, but it mattered not. The next starter was a rerun of a famous bad answer from the show in the 90s: "Pen y Fan is the highest point in which national park?" Neither side said 'Snowdonia' this time; Mr Leeks did get the right answer of the 'Brecon Beacons' though, and another full bonus set deservedly took St John's into triple figures. Mr Brooks took the last starter, and his side answered the one bonus there was time for correctly. At the gong, Imperial won 255-105.
Another good watchable contest, even if it was a rather one sided one. Unlucky St John's, but a valiant performance in the circumstances, thanks very much for playing! Very well done Imperial though, and very best of luck in the QFs; definitely a team to watch!
The stats: Mr Rich was the best buzzer of the night with five, while Messrs Leeks and Soor got three each for St John's. On the bonuses, Imperial converted 26 out of 37 (with one penalty), while St John's managed 11 out of 18 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the last regular UC of the decade! Again, I don't know who's playing yet, but will be sure to retweet anything I find.
Only Connect was much closer tonight, with the second qualifier, between the Forrests and the Choristers; after a tight contest all the way through, including a welcome mention of Punch and Judy toothpaste (my favoured toothpaste for a while!), the Choristers won it on the last Missing Words of the show, winning 22-21!
Monday, 2 December 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 2: Match 3: Courtauld vs Glasgow
Evening all. So, as was pointed out in a comment on last week's blog, thus far, we've seen the two play-off survivors procede to the second round, the first time that's happened since the 2011-12 series. Two more regular matches after tonight, then we pause for the usual Christmas celebrity fare. On paper, one could be forgiven for thinking tonight's result a foregone conclusion. No such thing as that on UC though...
The Courtauld Institute of Art won a specialist London derby against the LSE in their first outing, taking a low scoring contest 145-90. They were unchanged from that match:
Ash Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Glasgow won the first match of the series back in July, taking a strong early lead against Lancaster and ultimately seeing it home 230-95, which was the highest score of the round until Imperial bettered it in the penultimate match of it. They were also unchanged from that time:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyne, studying Education
Off we set again then, and the first starter of the match asked after the term 'millennial'; Ms Collinge was in first to correctly offer it, and the London side took one bonus on seaside towns with multiple words in their names. Neither side took the next starter, Mr Prance very quickly took the next, and his side took full advantage with a full bonus set on directors noted for music videos. The Courtauld captain took a second starter in a row, but their fortunes swung back the other way, no bonuses this time. Mr Whitworth took Glasgow off the mark with 'Afghanistan', giving his side a bonus set on Norwegian literature, of which they took two. The first picture round, on titles of novels in French, went to Courtauld, who took another full set, which gave them a lead of 80-20.
And it increased again as Mr Prance took the next starter, and two bonuses took them already to 100 points. Mr Whitworth came back in for Glasgow with 'woodpecker', and, again, the Scots side took a pair of bonuses. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but a set of bonuses on canals proved not to their liking, none taken.
The music round, on concept albums of this decade just finishing (weird to think that!), went to Courtauld, who took two bonuses, one of which provided this week's Only Connect crossover answer in 'Kate Tempest', which gave them a lead of 120-50. It increased when Mr Whitworth gave an answer he realised was wrong just as soon as he interrupted to say it; Mr Prance duly did the pick up, giving his side a bonus set on works in the Brera Gallery in Milan, of which they, again, took two. Mr McRobert brought Glasgow back into the match with 'bone marrow', but, again, his side got nothing from a bonus set on animals of the weasel family. Ms McAllister won the visible race to the buzzer when it became apparent 'needle' was the word being sought by the next starter; one bonus from the obligatory Shakespeare set followed. Back came Courtauld with Mr Prance again doing the honours; bonuses on meteor showers saw the Londoners employ the popular tactic of saying the same answer, in this case 'Perseids', three times and getting it right on the third go! Mr Whitworth quickly shot in on the next starter with 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' though, and two bonuses just about kept them within touching distance.
The second picture starter saw Mr Whitworth beat the art specialists to the buzzer to identify the work of Lucien Freud; the bonuses, on nude self portraits, gave the Scots side two correct bonuses, which took the scores to 155-110. Still just about closable if they could get a run together, but when Mr Prance took the next starter, the job became a lot harder; one bonus followed.
A slip-up from the Courtauld captain gave Glasgow a chance to break back in, but they had to let it pass. The next starter was dropped too, with suggestions that the Caribbean and the Red Sea are in the Pacific only resulting in laughter! A third starter in a row was dropped, but when Mr Haigh took the next, that was game over; one bonus on the life and work of VS Naipaul followed. Glasgow went out with a flourish, as Mr Whitcombe ensured all eight players had contributed a starter, and another pair of bonuses followed. Ms McAllister took the last of the game, and one of the two bonuses there was time for followed. At the gong, Courtauld won 180-145.
A good contest, the result of which I doubt many could have seen coming. Unlucky Glasgow, but a fair performance to go out on nonetheless, thanks for playing! Very well done Courtauld though, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Prance was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Whitworth was best for Glasgow with five. On the bonuses, Courtauld converted 17 out of 30, while Glasgow managed 12 out of 26, with both sides incurring one penalty each.
Next week's match: again, don't know, watch my Twitter feed, will retweet as soon as I see anything.
Only Connect began its qualifier matches tonight with the Lexplorers vs the Suits; after a very tough contest, with two especially hard walls, the Lexplorers came from behind in the Missing Vowels to win 13-9.
The Courtauld Institute of Art won a specialist London derby against the LSE in their first outing, taking a low scoring contest 145-90. They were unchanged from that match:
Ash Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Glasgow won the first match of the series back in July, taking a strong early lead against Lancaster and ultimately seeing it home 230-95, which was the highest score of the round until Imperial bettered it in the penultimate match of it. They were also unchanged from that time:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyne, studying Education
Off we set again then, and the first starter of the match asked after the term 'millennial'; Ms Collinge was in first to correctly offer it, and the London side took one bonus on seaside towns with multiple words in their names. Neither side took the next starter, Mr Prance very quickly took the next, and his side took full advantage with a full bonus set on directors noted for music videos. The Courtauld captain took a second starter in a row, but their fortunes swung back the other way, no bonuses this time. Mr Whitworth took Glasgow off the mark with 'Afghanistan', giving his side a bonus set on Norwegian literature, of which they took two. The first picture round, on titles of novels in French, went to Courtauld, who took another full set, which gave them a lead of 80-20.
And it increased again as Mr Prance took the next starter, and two bonuses took them already to 100 points. Mr Whitworth came back in for Glasgow with 'woodpecker', and, again, the Scots side took a pair of bonuses. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but a set of bonuses on canals proved not to their liking, none taken.
The music round, on concept albums of this decade just finishing (weird to think that!), went to Courtauld, who took two bonuses, one of which provided this week's Only Connect crossover answer in 'Kate Tempest', which gave them a lead of 120-50. It increased when Mr Whitworth gave an answer he realised was wrong just as soon as he interrupted to say it; Mr Prance duly did the pick up, giving his side a bonus set on works in the Brera Gallery in Milan, of which they, again, took two. Mr McRobert brought Glasgow back into the match with 'bone marrow', but, again, his side got nothing from a bonus set on animals of the weasel family. Ms McAllister won the visible race to the buzzer when it became apparent 'needle' was the word being sought by the next starter; one bonus from the obligatory Shakespeare set followed. Back came Courtauld with Mr Prance again doing the honours; bonuses on meteor showers saw the Londoners employ the popular tactic of saying the same answer, in this case 'Perseids', three times and getting it right on the third go! Mr Whitworth quickly shot in on the next starter with 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' though, and two bonuses just about kept them within touching distance.
The second picture starter saw Mr Whitworth beat the art specialists to the buzzer to identify the work of Lucien Freud; the bonuses, on nude self portraits, gave the Scots side two correct bonuses, which took the scores to 155-110. Still just about closable if they could get a run together, but when Mr Prance took the next starter, the job became a lot harder; one bonus followed.
A slip-up from the Courtauld captain gave Glasgow a chance to break back in, but they had to let it pass. The next starter was dropped too, with suggestions that the Caribbean and the Red Sea are in the Pacific only resulting in laughter! A third starter in a row was dropped, but when Mr Haigh took the next, that was game over; one bonus on the life and work of VS Naipaul followed. Glasgow went out with a flourish, as Mr Whitcombe ensured all eight players had contributed a starter, and another pair of bonuses followed. Ms McAllister took the last of the game, and one of the two bonuses there was time for followed. At the gong, Courtauld won 180-145.
A good contest, the result of which I doubt many could have seen coming. Unlucky Glasgow, but a fair performance to go out on nonetheless, thanks for playing! Very well done Courtauld though, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Prance was the best buzzer of the night with seven starters, while Mr Whitworth was best for Glasgow with five. On the bonuses, Courtauld converted 17 out of 30, while Glasgow managed 12 out of 26, with both sides incurring one penalty each.
Next week's match: again, don't know, watch my Twitter feed, will retweet as soon as I see anything.
Only Connect began its qualifier matches tonight with the Lexplorers vs the Suits; after a very tough contest, with two especially hard walls, the Lexplorers came from behind in the Missing Vowels to win 13-9.
Monday, 25 November 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 2: Match 2: Southampton vs Durham
Evening all. On we head then to the second match of the most brutal round in the contest. And after what I said last week, I'm still trying to come up with a new format that ensures no-one leaves after a win and a single loss, is easy to understand and doesn't drag the contest out too much longer. If I come up with something, I will let it be known here. On with tonight's show...
Southampton started slowly in their first match against Goldsmiths of London, not scoring until after the first picture round, before recovering and ultimately winning comfortably 175-95. They were the same foursome as that time around:
Josh Holland, from Worcester, studying Theoretical Computer Science
Rory Fleminger, from Oxford, studying Civil Engineering
Captain: Steve Barnes, from Hyde in Hampshire, studying Chemical Education
James Carrigy, from Knaphill in Surrey, studying History
Durham lost their first match to Trinity of Cambridge, but survived to the play-offs, where they faced York, and ran out very comfortable winners by 240-145. They were also the same four as those prior occasions:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Barnes opened the scoring by knowing the colour linking, among others, the 1991 European Cup winners, to be red (as in Star Belgrade); one bonus on trees followed. Mr Tams set Durham off in quick pursuit, and they fared much better on bonuses on words that can follow 'Shut your' to give expressions meaning 'Be Quiet!', a full house there. Mr Cooper came in too soon and lost five on the next starter, allowing his opposite number to take his second starter of the match; one bonus on pairs of people with similar names followed. Mr Tams was back in for Durham to tie the scores again, and two bonuses followed. The first picture round, on the sites of Scottish battles, went to Durham, who took another two bonuses, taking their lead to 60-30.
Mr Holland came back in for Southampton on the next starter though, unlocking a set of physics bonuses that I'm not even going to pretend I understood; they had two of them correct though, taking the gap back to ten. Mr Raffle upped the lead again, knowing that 'priest' and 'Oliver Goldsmith' would probably mean it was 'The Vicar of Wakefield' we were talking about; this game them a set of bonuses on the FA Trophy, of which they took two bonuses (I had a full set). Mr Tams shot in quickly again for Durham, which gave them a bonus set on IT terms, of which they drew a rare blank. It didn't look like it would matter at this point though, as Mr Raffle took the next starter and two bonuses followed.
Neither side identified a bit of Vivaldi's Four Seasons for the music starter; the replacement starter asked for the year when, among others, the first Shrek film was released; I knew it to be 2001, having rented in on VHS back in the day (ah, the early noughties!). Mr Bland was two years out, and when the question later revealed another clue to be the inauguration of George W Bush, Mr Barnes had the answer. The music bonuses, on horse riding in classical music, gave Southampton no further bonuses, but did reduce their gap to 105-60. Mr Tams recouped Durham's lost points as he took the next starter, and a rather straight forward (and topical) bonus set on political parties in Northern Ireland was swiftly swept clean. Mr Bland took the next, and bonuses on that old quiz staple the Shipping Forecast gave them two correct, and they were unlucky to miss the other, offering 'South Iceland' instead of 'South East Iceland'. Five were then lost to a penalty though, and Mr Carrigy picked up for Southampton; a much needed full set of bonuses on the moons of planets followed. Mr Holland gave the Saints a second starter in a row, and one bonus was sufficient to put them into triple figures.
The second picture starter saw Mr Raffle use the old logic of 'if it's an engraving, Durer will always be a good shout'; the bonuses, on works involving momento moris, gave Durham another two correct bonuses, and a lead of 165-100. And when Mr Tams took the next starter, and another pair of bonuses followed, the Wearsiders were within sight of victory.
Southampton had to go for it now; a chance went begging as Mr Bland buzzed too early on the next starter with only half the required answer, then gave the rest after his side had already been penalised; Paxo rightly canned the starter there. The next was dropped, but when Mr Bland atoned by taking the next, that was game over; a full set of bonuses on penguins confirmed this. Mr Barnes did the right thing and took an early punt on the next starter, but only lost five; Mr Tams did the honours, and a second full set in a row went with it. Mr Holland was unfortunate on the final starter, offering 'Octavius' instead of 'Octavia'; Mr Raffle took the points, and Durham took the one of the two bonuses there was time to answer. At the gong, Durham won 245-95.
A good contest, one sided, but watchable throughout. Unlucky Southampton, a solid team who did not deserve to lose as heavily as that, but a respectable pair of performances, thanks for playing! Very well done Durham though, another great performance against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Tams was the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Mr Barnes was best for Southampton with three. On the bonuses, Southampton converted 8 out of 18 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 27 out of 38 (with four penalties).
Next week's match: don't know yet, but will keep an eye out.
Only Connect was another good match between the Journeymen and the Junipers, both unlucky to be in the elimination round. It went right to the wire, an 18-each tie, and the Junipers won on the resulting tie-breaker.
Southampton started slowly in their first match against Goldsmiths of London, not scoring until after the first picture round, before recovering and ultimately winning comfortably 175-95. They were the same foursome as that time around:
Josh Holland, from Worcester, studying Theoretical Computer Science
Rory Fleminger, from Oxford, studying Civil Engineering
Captain: Steve Barnes, from Hyde in Hampshire, studying Chemical Education
James Carrigy, from Knaphill in Surrey, studying History
Durham lost their first match to Trinity of Cambridge, but survived to the play-offs, where they faced York, and ran out very comfortable winners by 240-145. They were also the same four as those prior occasions:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Barnes opened the scoring by knowing the colour linking, among others, the 1991 European Cup winners, to be red (as in Star Belgrade); one bonus on trees followed. Mr Tams set Durham off in quick pursuit, and they fared much better on bonuses on words that can follow 'Shut your' to give expressions meaning 'Be Quiet!', a full house there. Mr Cooper came in too soon and lost five on the next starter, allowing his opposite number to take his second starter of the match; one bonus on pairs of people with similar names followed. Mr Tams was back in for Durham to tie the scores again, and two bonuses followed. The first picture round, on the sites of Scottish battles, went to Durham, who took another two bonuses, taking their lead to 60-30.
Mr Holland came back in for Southampton on the next starter though, unlocking a set of physics bonuses that I'm not even going to pretend I understood; they had two of them correct though, taking the gap back to ten. Mr Raffle upped the lead again, knowing that 'priest' and 'Oliver Goldsmith' would probably mean it was 'The Vicar of Wakefield' we were talking about; this game them a set of bonuses on the FA Trophy, of which they took two bonuses (I had a full set). Mr Tams shot in quickly again for Durham, which gave them a bonus set on IT terms, of which they drew a rare blank. It didn't look like it would matter at this point though, as Mr Raffle took the next starter and two bonuses followed.
Neither side identified a bit of Vivaldi's Four Seasons for the music starter; the replacement starter asked for the year when, among others, the first Shrek film was released; I knew it to be 2001, having rented in on VHS back in the day (ah, the early noughties!). Mr Bland was two years out, and when the question later revealed another clue to be the inauguration of George W Bush, Mr Barnes had the answer. The music bonuses, on horse riding in classical music, gave Southampton no further bonuses, but did reduce their gap to 105-60. Mr Tams recouped Durham's lost points as he took the next starter, and a rather straight forward (and topical) bonus set on political parties in Northern Ireland was swiftly swept clean. Mr Bland took the next, and bonuses on that old quiz staple the Shipping Forecast gave them two correct, and they were unlucky to miss the other, offering 'South Iceland' instead of 'South East Iceland'. Five were then lost to a penalty though, and Mr Carrigy picked up for Southampton; a much needed full set of bonuses on the moons of planets followed. Mr Holland gave the Saints a second starter in a row, and one bonus was sufficient to put them into triple figures.
The second picture starter saw Mr Raffle use the old logic of 'if it's an engraving, Durer will always be a good shout'; the bonuses, on works involving momento moris, gave Durham another two correct bonuses, and a lead of 165-100. And when Mr Tams took the next starter, and another pair of bonuses followed, the Wearsiders were within sight of victory.
Southampton had to go for it now; a chance went begging as Mr Bland buzzed too early on the next starter with only half the required answer, then gave the rest after his side had already been penalised; Paxo rightly canned the starter there. The next was dropped, but when Mr Bland atoned by taking the next, that was game over; a full set of bonuses on penguins confirmed this. Mr Barnes did the right thing and took an early punt on the next starter, but only lost five; Mr Tams did the honours, and a second full set in a row went with it. Mr Holland was unfortunate on the final starter, offering 'Octavius' instead of 'Octavia'; Mr Raffle took the points, and Durham took the one of the two bonuses there was time to answer. At the gong, Durham won 245-95.
A good contest, one sided, but watchable throughout. Unlucky Southampton, a solid team who did not deserve to lose as heavily as that, but a respectable pair of performances, thanks for playing! Very well done Durham though, another great performance against proven good opponents, and best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Tams was the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Mr Barnes was best for Southampton with three. On the bonuses, Southampton converted 8 out of 18 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 27 out of 38 (with four penalties).
Next week's match: don't know yet, but will keep an eye out.
Only Connect was another good match between the Journeymen and the Junipers, both unlucky to be in the elimination round. It went right to the wire, an 18-each tie, and the Junipers won on the resulting tie-breaker.
Monday, 18 November 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 2: Match 1: Birmingham vs Jesus
Evening all. So, we're into the second round, the round where defeat means you're instantly out and victory means you're guaranteed two more games at least; not perfect, but until something better comes along, it's the best option available (a bit like Scotland having to play Steven Naismith up front!). We had to wait until the continuity announcement into Only Connect to find out who was playing tonight, but, when we did, one could be forgiven for expecting a walkover match tonight...
Birmingham won a low scoring contest against Bristol first time around, edging a narrow contest 125-120, with the gong denying them a winning margin ten points bigger. They were the same team as before:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Jesus College Oxford came through the repechage, losing to Manchester first time around before winning a great play-off against Sheffield 170-165 two weeks ago. They too were the same team as those two other occasions:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and Ms Clarke, one of Jesus' MVPs last time around, started the match off with 'steel'; events of February 1919 gave the Oxonians just the one correct bonus to start with. Mr Sculfor opened Birmingham's scoring with 'bush ranger', and they fared a bit better with their first bonuses, taking two (and unluckily missing the other) and with them the lead. A penalty then increased that lead, and Mr Sculfor took the pickup, but none of the bonuses on the River Trent followed. Jesus then lost another five, but Birmingham failed to take advantage this time. Ms Bleything took the next starter though, and two bonuses added to their advantage. The first picture round, on scientific concepts known by a single Greek letter, went to Jesus; two bonuses meant they trailed 50-25.
The lead rose though when Mr Sculfor took the next starter; a bonus set on that old quiz staple national flags gave Birmingham just the one correct bonus. Ms Clarke came back in for Jesus on the next starter, giving her side a classic UC bonus set on words that came be made using the letters of the word 'POLYMATHS', of which they also took just the one. Birmingham then dropped five as Mr Milone mistakenly offered 'kidney stones' in lieu of 'gallstones'; Ms Clarke picked this up, and two correct bonuses put the sides on level pegging. Mr Cook then gave Jesus the lead, offering 'Davis' as soon as the words 'international tennis tournament' came out of Paxo's mouth; no bonuses followed though.
The music starter asked the teams for the artist behind the classic 'Golden Brown' (as famously covered by Alexander Armstrong); Mr Milone was first to buzz, but no answer came, allowing Mr Cashman to swoop in with 'The Stranglers'. The music bonuses, on pop songs using unusual meters, gave Jesus two correct bonuses, and a lead of 90-60. Fifteen of that lead vanished as Mr Cashman unfortunately slipped on the next starter and Mr Sculfor took the points; Birmingham closed the gap further with one bonus on Scottish golf courses. Mr Cook opened the lead up again as he took the next starter, but no bonuses came on a night when both sides seemed to be struggling with them. Ms Bleything pulled Birmingham into the match with 'eucalyptus', and one bonus was sufficient to narrow the gap to five points.
The second picture round, on world leaders who were known by titles to the equivalent of 'Father of the Nation', went to Jesus; no bonuses followed again, which left their lead at 105-90. Neither side buzzed on the next starter, and a second successive starter was dropped as neither side untangled a rather complicated piece of arithemtic. Mr Sculfor took the next starter though, and two bonuses on types of pasta gave Birmingham back the lead heading into the home straight.
Mr Sculfor took a second starter in a row, but a bonus set on Dickens' David Copperfield didn't add to their score (I got Mr Dick, as I went to watch a friend play him in a production of it once and I remembered him saying it!). Mr Cashman shot in for Jesus on the next starter, and one bonus put the sides on level pegging again. Ms Clarke took a crucial starter with 'saga' to put Jesus back in front, and a timely pair of bonuses put them within sight of victory. And when Ms Stevens took the final starter, that was game over. At the gong, Jesus won 150-120.
A low scoring but close and enjoyable contest, well done both teams. Unlucky Birmingham, but a fair and respectable performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Jesus though, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was the best buzzer of the night with six, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with five. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 9 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Jesus managed 11 out of 32 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: I would guess Durham will be playing, but I'll retweet anything I find.
Only Connect saw the return of the Eggchasers and the Outliers in the penultimate eliminator; the former won comfortably 26-16.
Birmingham won a low scoring contest against Bristol first time around, edging a narrow contest 125-120, with the gong denying them a winning margin ten points bigger. They were the same team as before:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Jesus College Oxford came through the repechage, losing to Manchester first time around before winning a great play-off against Sheffield 170-165 two weeks ago. They too were the same team as those two other occasions:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and Ms Clarke, one of Jesus' MVPs last time around, started the match off with 'steel'; events of February 1919 gave the Oxonians just the one correct bonus to start with. Mr Sculfor opened Birmingham's scoring with 'bush ranger', and they fared a bit better with their first bonuses, taking two (and unluckily missing the other) and with them the lead. A penalty then increased that lead, and Mr Sculfor took the pickup, but none of the bonuses on the River Trent followed. Jesus then lost another five, but Birmingham failed to take advantage this time. Ms Bleything took the next starter though, and two bonuses added to their advantage. The first picture round, on scientific concepts known by a single Greek letter, went to Jesus; two bonuses meant they trailed 50-25.
The lead rose though when Mr Sculfor took the next starter; a bonus set on that old quiz staple national flags gave Birmingham just the one correct bonus. Ms Clarke came back in for Jesus on the next starter, giving her side a classic UC bonus set on words that came be made using the letters of the word 'POLYMATHS', of which they also took just the one. Birmingham then dropped five as Mr Milone mistakenly offered 'kidney stones' in lieu of 'gallstones'; Ms Clarke picked this up, and two correct bonuses put the sides on level pegging. Mr Cook then gave Jesus the lead, offering 'Davis' as soon as the words 'international tennis tournament' came out of Paxo's mouth; no bonuses followed though.
The music starter asked the teams for the artist behind the classic 'Golden Brown' (as famously covered by Alexander Armstrong); Mr Milone was first to buzz, but no answer came, allowing Mr Cashman to swoop in with 'The Stranglers'. The music bonuses, on pop songs using unusual meters, gave Jesus two correct bonuses, and a lead of 90-60. Fifteen of that lead vanished as Mr Cashman unfortunately slipped on the next starter and Mr Sculfor took the points; Birmingham closed the gap further with one bonus on Scottish golf courses. Mr Cook opened the lead up again as he took the next starter, but no bonuses came on a night when both sides seemed to be struggling with them. Ms Bleything pulled Birmingham into the match with 'eucalyptus', and one bonus was sufficient to narrow the gap to five points.
The second picture round, on world leaders who were known by titles to the equivalent of 'Father of the Nation', went to Jesus; no bonuses followed again, which left their lead at 105-90. Neither side buzzed on the next starter, and a second successive starter was dropped as neither side untangled a rather complicated piece of arithemtic. Mr Sculfor took the next starter though, and two bonuses on types of pasta gave Birmingham back the lead heading into the home straight.
Mr Sculfor took a second starter in a row, but a bonus set on Dickens' David Copperfield didn't add to their score (I got Mr Dick, as I went to watch a friend play him in a production of it once and I remembered him saying it!). Mr Cashman shot in for Jesus on the next starter, and one bonus put the sides on level pegging again. Ms Clarke took a crucial starter with 'saga' to put Jesus back in front, and a timely pair of bonuses put them within sight of victory. And when Ms Stevens took the final starter, that was game over. At the gong, Jesus won 150-120.
A low scoring but close and enjoyable contest, well done both teams. Unlucky Birmingham, but a fair and respectable performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Jesus though, and very best of luck in the quarter-finals!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was the best buzzer of the night with six, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with five. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 9 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Jesus managed 11 out of 32 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: I would guess Durham will be playing, but I'll retweet anything I find.
Only Connect saw the return of the Eggchasers and the Outliers in the penultimate eliminator; the former won comfortably 26-16.
Monday, 11 November 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Repechage Play-Off 2: York vs Durham
Evening all. So, the second play-off, with the last place in a very competitive second round up for grabs, and, after last week's very close match, another looked a distinct possibility, with only five points separating these two teams' first round scores. Mind you, that was the case for the second play-off two series ago, and it ended up an absolute demolition job. That's why the play-offs and second round are such fun rounds: they are almost impossible to predict at times.
The University of York (not York University, that's in Toronto) were level pegging with Magdalen of Oxford pretty much all the way through their first match, and ultimately lost by a narrow margin of 170-150. They were the same foursome as before:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Durham University started strongly in their first match against Trinity of Cambridge, but their opponents ultimately overpowered them and won comfortably by 200-145. They too were unchanged from that match:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Raffle was first off the line as he identified 'private' as the common word in the titles of various listed works; Durham opened their night with two correct bonuses. Mr Cooper gave the Wearsiders a second starter, and a repeat performance on the bonuses followed, another two. Mr McEwan opened York's account with the next starter, and a classic UC bonus set on words differing by the addition of 'let' at the end gave them a full house. Back came Durham thanks to Mr Tams though, and they responded with a full bonus set of their own. The first picture round, on maps with countries highlighted depending on whether they recognise a state as an independent country or not, went to Durham; another full house there gave them a lead of 85-25.
It increased when Mr McEwan lost five on the next starter; Mr Bland swept in, thus, already, making sure all four Durhamites had contributed at least one starter. No bonuses followed though, and they then lost five of their own via a penalty, but York couldn't pickup. Mr McEwan identified the owl for the next starter though, the giveaway clue being that it was playing a guitar in a poem by Edward Lear; one bonus followed. A great starter asked for the childrens song the words in which are synonyms of 'cranium', 'scapula', 'patella' and 'phalange'; Mr Cooper was first in with 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'! (As someone on Twitter pointed out, if this was OC, Victoria would've been demanding a sing-along!) Durham pushed home their advantage with a full set of bonuses; Mr Raffle then took the next starter, with a further two bonuses pushing their lead to 100.
The music round, on classical pieces used for marches by the Armed Forces, went to Durham, who took a further two bonuses, taking their lead to 155-35. And they weren't stopping yet, as Mr Bland took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on extinct herbivores went with it. Mr Raffle was maybe a tad lucky to avoid a telling off for a slight pause after buzzing on the next starter, but he was right, and another full bonus set put Durham past 200 and pretty much home and dry already. Back came York at last, with Ms Williams identifying 'Trojan and Trajan'; two bonuses on slave rebellions followed. Mr Cooper was slightly unlucky to lose five on the next starter; Mr Eastham picked up the points, and York took another pair of correct bonuses.
The second picture round, on stills from films whose canine characters have won the Palm Dog award, went to York, who took a sole bonus, which took the scores to 200-90. They'd probably left it too late, but York were at least going down with a good fight; Mr Conn made sure all eight players had answered a starter correct, and a bonus set on the Wikipedia logo (also the subject of Alex Guttenplan's first correct starter ten series ago!) gave them one correct answer.
Ms Williams gave York a fifth starter in a row with 'Daniel Day-Lewis', and another sole bonus pretty much ended their hopes of an unlikely victory. Mr Cooper extinguished them for good as he reawoke Durham by taking the next starter; just one bonus followed, but it didn't really matter now. Karl Marx popped up for the second week in a row on the next starter; Mr McEwan identified him, and York went out in style with a full set of bonuses. Mr Bland was next in for Durham with a very prompt buzz, and bonuses on the works of JM Coetzee saw the Wearsiders employ the old tactic of saying the same thing to all three bonuses and getting it right at the third time of asking. Mr Raffle took the final starter, and there was time for one bonus before the gong; Durham won 240-145.
A top contest between two good teams, very well played by both. Unlucky York, whose impressive recovery came a bit too late, but a fine performance to go out on, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Durham though, a strong performance against good opponents, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Raffle was the best buzzer of the night with five starters, while Ms Williams and Mr McEwan were joint best for York with three each. On the bonuses, York converted 14 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 24 out of 37 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the first second round match; if I find any tweets saying who's playing, I'll retweet them.
Only Connect saw the Wickets play the Electrophiles in the second eliminator; both sides had some unfortunate near misses in a good contest, with the latter ultimately winning 24-18.
The University of York (not York University, that's in Toronto) were level pegging with Magdalen of Oxford pretty much all the way through their first match, and ultimately lost by a narrow margin of 170-150. They were the same foursome as before:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Durham University started strongly in their first match against Trinity of Cambridge, but their opponents ultimately overpowered them and won comfortably by 200-145. They too were unchanged from that match:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Off we set again then, and Mr Raffle was first off the line as he identified 'private' as the common word in the titles of various listed works; Durham opened their night with two correct bonuses. Mr Cooper gave the Wearsiders a second starter, and a repeat performance on the bonuses followed, another two. Mr McEwan opened York's account with the next starter, and a classic UC bonus set on words differing by the addition of 'let' at the end gave them a full house. Back came Durham thanks to Mr Tams though, and they responded with a full bonus set of their own. The first picture round, on maps with countries highlighted depending on whether they recognise a state as an independent country or not, went to Durham; another full house there gave them a lead of 85-25.
It increased when Mr McEwan lost five on the next starter; Mr Bland swept in, thus, already, making sure all four Durhamites had contributed at least one starter. No bonuses followed though, and they then lost five of their own via a penalty, but York couldn't pickup. Mr McEwan identified the owl for the next starter though, the giveaway clue being that it was playing a guitar in a poem by Edward Lear; one bonus followed. A great starter asked for the childrens song the words in which are synonyms of 'cranium', 'scapula', 'patella' and 'phalange'; Mr Cooper was first in with 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'! (As someone on Twitter pointed out, if this was OC, Victoria would've been demanding a sing-along!) Durham pushed home their advantage with a full set of bonuses; Mr Raffle then took the next starter, with a further two bonuses pushing their lead to 100.
The music round, on classical pieces used for marches by the Armed Forces, went to Durham, who took a further two bonuses, taking their lead to 155-35. And they weren't stopping yet, as Mr Bland took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses on extinct herbivores went with it. Mr Raffle was maybe a tad lucky to avoid a telling off for a slight pause after buzzing on the next starter, but he was right, and another full bonus set put Durham past 200 and pretty much home and dry already. Back came York at last, with Ms Williams identifying 'Trojan and Trajan'; two bonuses on slave rebellions followed. Mr Cooper was slightly unlucky to lose five on the next starter; Mr Eastham picked up the points, and York took another pair of correct bonuses.
The second picture round, on stills from films whose canine characters have won the Palm Dog award, went to York, who took a sole bonus, which took the scores to 200-90. They'd probably left it too late, but York were at least going down with a good fight; Mr Conn made sure all eight players had answered a starter correct, and a bonus set on the Wikipedia logo (also the subject of Alex Guttenplan's first correct starter ten series ago!) gave them one correct answer.
Ms Williams gave York a fifth starter in a row with 'Daniel Day-Lewis', and another sole bonus pretty much ended their hopes of an unlikely victory. Mr Cooper extinguished them for good as he reawoke Durham by taking the next starter; just one bonus followed, but it didn't really matter now. Karl Marx popped up for the second week in a row on the next starter; Mr McEwan identified him, and York went out in style with a full set of bonuses. Mr Bland was next in for Durham with a very prompt buzz, and bonuses on the works of JM Coetzee saw the Wearsiders employ the old tactic of saying the same thing to all three bonuses and getting it right at the third time of asking. Mr Raffle took the final starter, and there was time for one bonus before the gong; Durham won 240-145.
A top contest between two good teams, very well played by both. Unlucky York, whose impressive recovery came a bit too late, but a fine performance to go out on, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Durham though, a strong performance against good opponents, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Raffle was the best buzzer of the night with five starters, while Ms Williams and Mr McEwan were joint best for York with three each. On the bonuses, York converted 14 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Durham managed 24 out of 37 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the first second round match; if I find any tweets saying who's playing, I'll retweet them.
Only Connect saw the Wickets play the Electrophiles in the second eliminator; both sides had some unfortunate near misses in a good contest, with the latter ultimately winning 24-18.
Monday, 4 November 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Repechage Play-Off 1: Sheffield vs Jesus
Evening all. So last week we finished on a bit of a cliffhanger, Paxo telling us we'd have to wait and see which two of the three runners-up that ended on 145 would be going through. As UCStats predicted, it's Durham and Jesus. So now we can properly move on to the play-offs, and with just 25 points between the four teams, two good matches in prospect.
Sheffield played Wolfson of Oxford in their first match, and led for large parts, but ultimately the game ended 170-each, and it was their opponents that took the tie-breaker question. Back for another go tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Alistair Lyle, from Chiswick in London, studying Metalogy
Sam Kelly, from Seaford in East Sussex, studying English Literature
Captain: Jonathan Newhouse, from Skipton in Yorkshire, studying Cognitive Science
Daisy Fry, from Kent, studying Politics
Jesus College Oxford took on Manchester first time out, and, in contrast, started slowly, ultimately sneaking into the play-offs with a late rally. Also unchanged from before were:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and Mr Newhouse, imperious on the buzzer in Sheffield's first match, opened the scoring with 'Mars'; bonuses on 1960s Britain gave the Steelmen a full house to start with. Ms Clarke duly set Jesus off in pursuit with, what Weaver's Week used to call, a 'Hidden Transmission Indicator of the Week', identifying a list of events that usually occur in November. The Oxonians also took a full set of bonuses to start with. A second starter to Ms Clarke, and a second full set of bonuses, and we had a game on here already. Mr Cashman took a third in a row for Jesus, but the show's perfect start ended as the Oxonians only took one bonus from a classic UC set on pairs of countries where the last three letters of the first and the first three of the second are the same. The first picture round, on fonts, went to Sheffield, who took two bonuses, which cut their gap to 65-45.
Ms Clarke bit back with already her third starter of the night, but, again, just the one bonus accompanied. A penalty then set the Oxford side back five, but Sheffield failed to capitalise; they did when Jesus unluckily lost a second five in a row, and also took a sole bonus. A second starter in a row to the Steelmen unlocked a set of bonuses on Scottish football; I got a full house, but Sheffield only knew Aberdeen to be the club Sir Alex Ferguson won the Cup Winner's Cup with. (A slight mistake on the question writers' part, St Mirren's stadium is South WEST of Glasgow Airport rather than South East, albeit only just)
The music starter was dropped; the Scottish football theme continued on the replacement starter which has the answer 'Falkirk'! (Though the question wasn't actually about that team!) Ms Clarke had that, and Jesus took one of the music bonuses, on classical pieces regularly played at the Nobel Prize ceremonies; they now led 85-75. Back came Sheffield thanks to Mr Lyle, and a full set of bonuses on the work of sculptor Hazel Reeves gave them a full house and the lead back. Ms Clarke duly pulled Jesus back, and they too took a full set and the lead back. A second starter in a row went to the Oxonians, and two bonuses on US dramas went with it. Mr Newhouse bought Sheffield back into the match, but they got nothing from a bonus set on mineralogy (my geologist Dad had a full house!).
The second picture round, on cityscapes, went to Jesus, who took another pair of bonuses, which meant they now led 150-110. A nice starter asked for the only SI unit in the NATO alphabet; Mr Kelly was first to realise it was Kilo, and a full set of bonuses on cuneiform meant they were still very much in the game heading into the home straight.
Mr Newhouse pulled them with five as he took the next starter; two or more bonuses would give them the lead back, but they only had the one they needed to level the scores again. Mr Lyle gave the Steelmen the lead, giving them a bonus set on Greek mythology; just the one bonus followed. Jesus were thus still in the game, and Mr Cashman made sure they were by taking the next starter, but they missed all the bonuses, meaning they were still five adrift. Next starter would win the game, and as soon as the words 'ode by John Keats' emerged, Mr Cashman shot in with 'Grecian urn'. And that was the gong! Jesus won 170-165!
A top match between two excellent teams, very well played by both, such a shame this is a sudden death match. Unlucky Sheffield, unlucky to lose both their matches, but two very respectable performances, thanks very much indeed for giving us them. Very well done Jesus though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Clarke and Mr Cashman were joint best for Jesus with five each, while Mr Newhouse was best for Sheffield again with four. On the bonuses, Sheffield converted 15 out of 27, while Jesus managed 16 out of 27 (with two penalties), so they really did win it on that last starter.
Next week's match: York vs Durham
Only Connect entered its elimination round tonight, with the Gladiators and the Darksiders returning; the latter led comfortably for the most part and ran away in Missing Vowels to win 25-10.
Sheffield played Wolfson of Oxford in their first match, and led for large parts, but ultimately the game ended 170-each, and it was their opponents that took the tie-breaker question. Back for another go tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Alistair Lyle, from Chiswick in London, studying Metalogy
Sam Kelly, from Seaford in East Sussex, studying English Literature
Captain: Jonathan Newhouse, from Skipton in Yorkshire, studying Cognitive Science
Daisy Fry, from Kent, studying Politics
Jesus College Oxford took on Manchester first time out, and, in contrast, started slowly, ultimately sneaking into the play-offs with a late rally. Also unchanged from before were:
Lucy Clarke, from Ottershaw in Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Off we set again then, and Mr Newhouse, imperious on the buzzer in Sheffield's first match, opened the scoring with 'Mars'; bonuses on 1960s Britain gave the Steelmen a full house to start with. Ms Clarke duly set Jesus off in pursuit with, what Weaver's Week used to call, a 'Hidden Transmission Indicator of the Week', identifying a list of events that usually occur in November. The Oxonians also took a full set of bonuses to start with. A second starter to Ms Clarke, and a second full set of bonuses, and we had a game on here already. Mr Cashman took a third in a row for Jesus, but the show's perfect start ended as the Oxonians only took one bonus from a classic UC set on pairs of countries where the last three letters of the first and the first three of the second are the same. The first picture round, on fonts, went to Sheffield, who took two bonuses, which cut their gap to 65-45.
Ms Clarke bit back with already her third starter of the night, but, again, just the one bonus accompanied. A penalty then set the Oxford side back five, but Sheffield failed to capitalise; they did when Jesus unluckily lost a second five in a row, and also took a sole bonus. A second starter in a row to the Steelmen unlocked a set of bonuses on Scottish football; I got a full house, but Sheffield only knew Aberdeen to be the club Sir Alex Ferguson won the Cup Winner's Cup with. (A slight mistake on the question writers' part, St Mirren's stadium is South WEST of Glasgow Airport rather than South East, albeit only just)
The music starter was dropped; the Scottish football theme continued on the replacement starter which has the answer 'Falkirk'! (Though the question wasn't actually about that team!) Ms Clarke had that, and Jesus took one of the music bonuses, on classical pieces regularly played at the Nobel Prize ceremonies; they now led 85-75. Back came Sheffield thanks to Mr Lyle, and a full set of bonuses on the work of sculptor Hazel Reeves gave them a full house and the lead back. Ms Clarke duly pulled Jesus back, and they too took a full set and the lead back. A second starter in a row went to the Oxonians, and two bonuses on US dramas went with it. Mr Newhouse bought Sheffield back into the match, but they got nothing from a bonus set on mineralogy (my geologist Dad had a full house!).
The second picture round, on cityscapes, went to Jesus, who took another pair of bonuses, which meant they now led 150-110. A nice starter asked for the only SI unit in the NATO alphabet; Mr Kelly was first to realise it was Kilo, and a full set of bonuses on cuneiform meant they were still very much in the game heading into the home straight.
Mr Newhouse pulled them with five as he took the next starter; two or more bonuses would give them the lead back, but they only had the one they needed to level the scores again. Mr Lyle gave the Steelmen the lead, giving them a bonus set on Greek mythology; just the one bonus followed. Jesus were thus still in the game, and Mr Cashman made sure they were by taking the next starter, but they missed all the bonuses, meaning they were still five adrift. Next starter would win the game, and as soon as the words 'ode by John Keats' emerged, Mr Cashman shot in with 'Grecian urn'. And that was the gong! Jesus won 170-165!
A top match between two excellent teams, very well played by both, such a shame this is a sudden death match. Unlucky Sheffield, unlucky to lose both their matches, but two very respectable performances, thanks very much indeed for giving us them. Very well done Jesus though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Clarke and Mr Cashman were joint best for Jesus with five each, while Mr Newhouse was best for Sheffield again with four. On the bonuses, Sheffield converted 15 out of 27, while Jesus managed 16 out of 27 (with two penalties), so they really did win it on that last starter.
Next week's match: York vs Durham
Only Connect entered its elimination round tonight, with the Gladiators and the Darksiders returning; the latter led comfortably for the most part and ran away in Missing Vowels to win 25-10.
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: First Round Review
OK, so, we've finally reached the end of the first round of this year's contest, and even though it's taken the exact same time to do so as last series, plus the two breaks, it feels longer. Maybe its because the two breaks came right in the middle of the round rather than right at the start and right at the end of it, like last year.
Anyway, we're here now, so, here are our fourteen first round winners, in order of qualification, and with their scores and margins of victory:
Well, it wasn't a terribly high scoring first round; only three scores past 200, and Glasgow's opening night score of 230 was the highest until Imperial stormed to 255 last week. Those two plus Trinity would probably start as favourites to progress, provided they stay away from each other, and provided they can match that level of performance against stronger, proven teams.
Them aside, the field is pretty tight, with seven teams within 45 points of each other who could realistically make it. And even then, I definitely wouldn't rule out any of the four low scoring teams out either, though, in practice, I strongly suspect they'd sturggle, especially against one of the afore mentioned three.
If I were to single any of that 150-195 bunch out, I'd probably single of Wolfson and Magdalen, both of whose opponents reached the play-offs, and Corpus Christi, whose just missed out. But, as I say, it's an open close field. And that's before we factor in the teams who could possibly come through the play-offs.
Our four play-off teams are:
I would say Durham would definitely be one of them, having reached their score via one fewer starter, seven compared to the eight Jesus and Downing needed. And as those two are on the same, and had, to all intents and purposes, the same bonus rate too, telling them apart becomes rather tricky.
I said on Monday I would guess Downing would go through having only heard one fewer bonus than Jesus did; UCStats, meanwhile, has calculated the exact number of questions both teams faced (both starters and bonuses) and has determined that Jesus heard fewer and would go through. It's a very tough call to make, but whichever teams gets the place will deserve it.
Based on the standard 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd play-off draw we've had for many years now, I'd guess Sheffield will play Jesus or Downing on Monday, then York will play Durham the week after. But, with just 25 points separating the five of them, whichever two matches we get would be way too close to call IMO; these are four good teams.
Whatever happens, all we can hope for, as we always do, is that the play-offs and second round continue to give us more of the same as, of better than, what we've had so far; best of luck to all the teams involved!
I'll talk a bit about Only Connect as well, given that it has finished its first round as well. It's been a good series so far, with some good close matches and some decent performances. Having seen the draw for the first two eliminator matches though, I do wish they would jiggle up the draw for the second phase matches rather than just pairing up the winners and losers of successive matches. I understand it's done for convenience purposes, two first round matches and their resultant eliminator and qualifier matches are filmed on the same day(?), but I'd rather have proper seedings for these matches. But at least all teams get at least two games, which I think everyone agrees is only a good thing.
That's it for now, back on Monday with my usual UC write-up; see you then, I guess.
Anyway, we're here now, so, here are our fourteen first round winners, in order of qualification, and with their scores and margins of victory:
- Glasgow (230, 135)
- Corpus Christi College Cambridge (195, 55)
- Magdalen College Oxford (170, 20)
- Birmingham (125, 5)
- St John's College Oxford (115, 75)
- Edinburgh (165, 75)
- Manchester (185, 40)
- Trinity College Cambridge (200, 55)
- Courtauld Institute of Art (145, 55)
- Southampton (175, 80)
- Huddersfield (145, 20)
- Wolfson College Oxford (170, won on tie-breaker)
- Imperial College London (255, 185)
- Lady Margaret Hall Oxford (150, 5)
Well, it wasn't a terribly high scoring first round; only three scores past 200, and Glasgow's opening night score of 230 was the highest until Imperial stormed to 255 last week. Those two plus Trinity would probably start as favourites to progress, provided they stay away from each other, and provided they can match that level of performance against stronger, proven teams.
Them aside, the field is pretty tight, with seven teams within 45 points of each other who could realistically make it. And even then, I definitely wouldn't rule out any of the four low scoring teams out either, though, in practice, I strongly suspect they'd sturggle, especially against one of the afore mentioned three.
If I were to single any of that 150-195 bunch out, I'd probably single of Wolfson and Magdalen, both of whose opponents reached the play-offs, and Corpus Christi, whose just missed out. But, as I say, it's an open close field. And that's before we factor in the teams who could possibly come through the play-offs.
Our four play-off teams are:
- Sheffield (170, lost on tie-breaker)
- York (170, 20)
- And two of the three teams on 145, Durham (55), Jesus College Oxford (40) and Downing College Cambridge (5)
I would say Durham would definitely be one of them, having reached their score via one fewer starter, seven compared to the eight Jesus and Downing needed. And as those two are on the same, and had, to all intents and purposes, the same bonus rate too, telling them apart becomes rather tricky.
I said on Monday I would guess Downing would go through having only heard one fewer bonus than Jesus did; UCStats, meanwhile, has calculated the exact number of questions both teams faced (both starters and bonuses) and has determined that Jesus heard fewer and would go through. It's a very tough call to make, but whichever teams gets the place will deserve it.
Based on the standard 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd play-off draw we've had for many years now, I'd guess Sheffield will play Jesus or Downing on Monday, then York will play Durham the week after. But, with just 25 points separating the five of them, whichever two matches we get would be way too close to call IMO; these are four good teams.
Whatever happens, all we can hope for, as we always do, is that the play-offs and second round continue to give us more of the same as, of better than, what we've had so far; best of luck to all the teams involved!
I'll talk a bit about Only Connect as well, given that it has finished its first round as well. It's been a good series so far, with some good close matches and some decent performances. Having seen the draw for the first two eliminator matches though, I do wish they would jiggle up the draw for the second phase matches rather than just pairing up the winners and losers of successive matches. I understand it's done for convenience purposes, two first round matches and their resultant eliminator and qualifier matches are filmed on the same day(?), but I'd rather have proper seedings for these matches. But at least all teams get at least two games, which I think everyone agrees is only a good thing.
That's it for now, back on Monday with my usual UC write-up; see you then, I guess.
Monday, 28 October 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 14: Lady Margaret Hall vs Downing
Evening all. So, here we are at the end of a first round that has been solid without hitting spectacular that often. The task for the two teams competing tonight: win, or, failing that, lose with 150 or more to definitely return in the play-offs, otherwise, Durham and Jesus of Oxford would both go through to join Sheffield and York.
Lady Margaret Hall Oxford was founded in 1878 and was formerly a women's only college, with males being allowed in in 1979; alumni include the late PM of Pakistan Benezir Bhutto, the comedian Josie Long, the foodie Nigella Lawson, the politicians Michael Gove and Dominic Raab and the legend that is Bobby Seagull. The college last sent a student team in the first series of the '80s; thus, the first Paxo era team were:
Matthew Le Croissette, from Reading, studying Medicine
Mary Lobo, from Woodcote near Reading, studying Law with German Law
Captain: Isaac Brown, from Sheffield, studying French and Linguistics
Rowan Janjuah, from London, studying Classics
Downing College Cambridge was founded in 1800 with the inheritance of the man who built the eponymous London street. Alumni include the humourists John Cleese and Andy Hamilton, the illustrator Quentin Blake, the insurance salesman Michael Winner and my grandfather. The college sent a team last year, who were unlucky to draw and lose to Jason Golfinos' Darwin in the second round. This year's team were:
Bovey Zheng, from Reading, studying Chemistry
Naivasha Pratt-Jarvis, studying Law
Captain: Robert Jackson, from Nottingham studying Modern Contemporary Literature
Prannoy Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone, from Ipswich, studying Neuroscience
Off we set again then, and Ms Pratt-Jarvis opened the scoring for the night with 'Beatrix Potter'; two bonuses on librarians got the Cambridge side off to a steady start. Mr Brown set his side off in quick pursuit, but the Oxonians could only manage one of their first bonus set. Mr Jackson recognised a (rather generous) description of Lady Macbeth for the next starter, and Downing duly took a full set of bonuses. The first picture round, on Spanish foodstuffs as defined in a Spanish dictionary, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who responded with a full set of their own, which took the scores to 45-40.
Mr Jackson duly increased Downing's lead again with 'Das Kapital'; ironically, in the ensuing bonuses, they missed a correct answer of 'Karl Marx'! They took one of the other two though. Mr Chuadhuri-Vayalambrone took a second starter in a row for the Cambridge side though, and 16th century rulers proved more to their liking, a full set. In came Mr Janjuah for Lady Margaret Hall though, and they took one bonus from the obligatory set on the work of Charles Dickens. Another starter went to Mr Janjuah, but nothing came from the bonuses this time.
The music starter saw Paxo hit the ceiling when the teams misidentified the soundtrack of Carol Reed's The Third Man as being from The Godfather and Ratatouille! The music bonuses, on leitmotif in film soundtracks, eventually went to Lady Margaret Hall, and they took the one they needed to level the scores at 85-each. Two starters were then dropped before Mr Le Croisette made sure all four Oxonians had contributed a correct starter; two correct bonuses took them intro triple figures first. Mr Zheng then ensured all eight players had answered a starter rightly; just one bonus on magazine editor Tina Brown followed.
The second picture round, on details of birds in paintings, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who took two correct bonuses to take their lead to 125-100. It increased again when Downing lost five on the next starter, and Mr Brown took a second starter in a row; a full bonus set on the late Stephen Hawking gave them the 150 they needed to come back whatever, and put them within one starter of victory.
Back came Downing thanks to Mr Zheng though; bonuses on winners of the Copa Libertadores gave them one correct bonus as they knew Pele to have spent most of his career at Santos (where he did not, contrary to popular belief, help temporarily stop a civil war in Nigeria). Mr Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone then gave the Cambridge side a second starter in a row, and two bonuses meant they could still just about do it if they were quick. No-one buzzed on the next starter; we got some on the next, but neither were correct. Mr Jackson took the next though to pull within ten; they took the first bonus... and that was the gong! Lady Margaret Hall won 150-145.
A good match to end the first round. Well done Lady Margaret Hall and best of luck in the next round! Unlucky Downing, but a respectable performance, and you may yet return in the play-offs. Tied with Durham and Jesus, Paxo says the two who come back will be those who 'needed to hear the fewest questions'; in which case, I'd guess Durham, who needed one less starter, and Downing, whose last bonus set was incomplete, will be the two, but we'll see.
The stats: Mr Brown was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Mr Jackson was best for Downing with three. On the bonuses, Lady Margaret Hall converted 14 out of 24, while Downing also managed 14 out of 23, but with one penalty; that's how close it was.
Next week's match: the first play-off; I'd guess Sheffield will be one of the teams, we await to see who they play though.
Only Connect was also close tonight, ending its first match with the Orwellians and the Junipers, among whom were former UC winner Dorjana Sirola. The Orwellians won though, 23-20, but both teams did well and deserve to play again.
Lady Margaret Hall Oxford was founded in 1878 and was formerly a women's only college, with males being allowed in in 1979; alumni include the late PM of Pakistan Benezir Bhutto, the comedian Josie Long, the foodie Nigella Lawson, the politicians Michael Gove and Dominic Raab and the legend that is Bobby Seagull. The college last sent a student team in the first series of the '80s; thus, the first Paxo era team were:
Matthew Le Croissette, from Reading, studying Medicine
Mary Lobo, from Woodcote near Reading, studying Law with German Law
Captain: Isaac Brown, from Sheffield, studying French and Linguistics
Rowan Janjuah, from London, studying Classics
Downing College Cambridge was founded in 1800 with the inheritance of the man who built the eponymous London street. Alumni include the humourists John Cleese and Andy Hamilton, the illustrator Quentin Blake, the insurance salesman Michael Winner and my grandfather. The college sent a team last year, who were unlucky to draw and lose to Jason Golfinos' Darwin in the second round. This year's team were:
Bovey Zheng, from Reading, studying Chemistry
Naivasha Pratt-Jarvis, studying Law
Captain: Robert Jackson, from Nottingham studying Modern Contemporary Literature
Prannoy Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone, from Ipswich, studying Neuroscience
Off we set again then, and Ms Pratt-Jarvis opened the scoring for the night with 'Beatrix Potter'; two bonuses on librarians got the Cambridge side off to a steady start. Mr Brown set his side off in quick pursuit, but the Oxonians could only manage one of their first bonus set. Mr Jackson recognised a (rather generous) description of Lady Macbeth for the next starter, and Downing duly took a full set of bonuses. The first picture round, on Spanish foodstuffs as defined in a Spanish dictionary, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who responded with a full set of their own, which took the scores to 45-40.
Mr Jackson duly increased Downing's lead again with 'Das Kapital'; ironically, in the ensuing bonuses, they missed a correct answer of 'Karl Marx'! They took one of the other two though. Mr Chuadhuri-Vayalambrone took a second starter in a row for the Cambridge side though, and 16th century rulers proved more to their liking, a full set. In came Mr Janjuah for Lady Margaret Hall though, and they took one bonus from the obligatory set on the work of Charles Dickens. Another starter went to Mr Janjuah, but nothing came from the bonuses this time.
The music starter saw Paxo hit the ceiling when the teams misidentified the soundtrack of Carol Reed's The Third Man as being from The Godfather and Ratatouille! The music bonuses, on leitmotif in film soundtracks, eventually went to Lady Margaret Hall, and they took the one they needed to level the scores at 85-each. Two starters were then dropped before Mr Le Croisette made sure all four Oxonians had contributed a correct starter; two correct bonuses took them intro triple figures first. Mr Zheng then ensured all eight players had answered a starter rightly; just one bonus on magazine editor Tina Brown followed.
The second picture round, on details of birds in paintings, went to Lady Margaret Hall, who took two correct bonuses to take their lead to 125-100. It increased again when Downing lost five on the next starter, and Mr Brown took a second starter in a row; a full bonus set on the late Stephen Hawking gave them the 150 they needed to come back whatever, and put them within one starter of victory.
Back came Downing thanks to Mr Zheng though; bonuses on winners of the Copa Libertadores gave them one correct bonus as they knew Pele to have spent most of his career at Santos (where he did not, contrary to popular belief, help temporarily stop a civil war in Nigeria). Mr Chaudhuri-Vayalambrone then gave the Cambridge side a second starter in a row, and two bonuses meant they could still just about do it if they were quick. No-one buzzed on the next starter; we got some on the next, but neither were correct. Mr Jackson took the next though to pull within ten; they took the first bonus... and that was the gong! Lady Margaret Hall won 150-145.
A good match to end the first round. Well done Lady Margaret Hall and best of luck in the next round! Unlucky Downing, but a respectable performance, and you may yet return in the play-offs. Tied with Durham and Jesus, Paxo says the two who come back will be those who 'needed to hear the fewest questions'; in which case, I'd guess Durham, who needed one less starter, and Downing, whose last bonus set was incomplete, will be the two, but we'll see.
The stats: Mr Brown was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Mr Jackson was best for Downing with three. On the bonuses, Lady Margaret Hall converted 14 out of 24, while Downing also managed 14 out of 23, but with one penalty; that's how close it was.
Next week's match: the first play-off; I'd guess Sheffield will be one of the teams, we await to see who they play though.
Only Connect was also close tonight, ending its first match with the Orwellians and the Junipers, among whom were former UC winner Dorjana Sirola. The Orwellians won though, 23-20, but both teams did well and deserve to play again.
Monday, 21 October 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 13: Imperial vs Brasenose
Evening all. Here we are at the penultimate second round match, and Paxo's intro has spared me from recapping the play-off situation tonight! Suffice to say, I'm a bit hyper tonight after the incredible FA Cup draw this evening that saw non-league Chichester City getting a bye to the second round! And speaking of football, one Twitterer described tonight's UC as an old school match-up, the equivalent of Wanderers vs Royal Engineers! Let's do it then...
Imperial College was founded in 1907 and was part of the University of London until it declared independence 100 years later, and is solely devoted to the sciences; alumni include writer HG Wells, the re-rediscoverer of penicillin Sir Alexander Fleming and the four-minute mile runner Sir Roger Bannister. The college won UC in 1995-96 and 2000-01, but its last appearance was a first round exit two series ago; this year's foursome were:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
Brasenose College Oxford is somewhat older, founded in 1509; it's long list of alumni include the cricketer Sir Colin Cowdrey, the writer Sir John Mortimer, the actor Sir Michael Palin and the former PM Mr David Cameron. It's last UC visit was also a first round defeat, a heavy one, to Durham back in 2014-15; this year's quartet were:
Alan Haugh, from Farmington, Connecticut, studying PPE
Maude Mullan, from North London, studying Classics
Captain: Ollie Hanson, from Wolverhampton, studying Maths
Tucker Drew, from Detroit, studying Philosophy and Linguistics
Off we set again then, and a very quick buzz from Mr Haugh opened the scoring for the night, and the Oxford side took two bonuses on the Levant countries. A penalty then allowed Mr McMeel to open the scoring for Imperial, the giveaway clue being the country England beat in the second round of the World Cup last year. No bonuses went to the Londoners, but Mr Rich then gave them the lead with the next starter, and, in a reversal of fortune, a full set of bonuses, a classic UC set on words spelt the same but pronounced differently, followed. The first picture round, on major cities built on islands, went to Imperial, who took two bonuses, taking their lead to 55-15.
A penalty then knocked five off that lead, but all Brasenose could do in response was provoke a sneer from Paxo! The mononymous Brandon, a regular on quiz shows in America I gather, soon got Imperial going in the right direction again, and a pair of bonuses accompanied it. Mr Rich identified the economist Thomas Pikkety for the next starter, and a set of bonuses on Barbie dolls gave them a full set of bonuses, and, with it, a strong lead. Brandon then took Imperial into triple figures as he took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses meant they suddenly had a 100+ point lead, and things were looking ominous for Brasenose.
The music round, on pieces later adapted for the dancer Martha Graham, went to Imperial; one bonus meant they now led 135-15. A quick buzz from Ms Mullan reawoke Brasenose though, but the just the one bonus on physics followed. A second starter in a row then went to the Oxonians though, and two bonuses on cats in art ensured they wouldn't be joining the Sub-50 club. Brandon then put a stop to their recovery however as he took the next starter; one bonus followed, the same one I got.
The second picture round, on works in the Kelvingrove Gallery, went to Brasenose; two bonuses followed, which took the scores to 145-70. They'd have to go for it if they were to stand a chance, but Imperial's lead only went up again when Mr McMeel took the next starter; no bonuses followed however.
But when Brandon took the next starter very quickly, that was game over; a pair of bonuses on the work of Neil Gaiman confirmed this. And their lead and score were only getting bigger, as that man Brandon identified the Irtyh river for the next starter; bonuses on the Nordic games gave them a full house, taking them within sight of 200. Another starter took them over it; just one bonus followed, but by now, it was immaterial. Another starter went to Mr Rich, and another sole bonus; the next went to Brandon, and another single bonus gave them the largest score of the series thus far. There was time for one more starter and bonus, and that was the gong; Imperial won 255-70.
A very strong match indeed, even if a one-sided one. Unlucky Brasenose, a perfectly good team who'd certainly have beaten another team, but a good account of yourselves, thanks for playing. Very well done Imperial though, definitely a team to watch in the next round; very best of luck in it!
The stats: Brandon was the best buzzer of the night, with seven, while Ms Mullan was best for Brasenose with two. On the bonuses, Imperial converted 23 out of 43 (with two penalties), while Brasenose managed 7 out of 12 (with one penalty).
Next week's match: Lady Margaret Hall Oxford vs Downing College Cambridge
Only Connect was also high quality tonight, between the Journeymen, including UC alumni Chris Ducklin and Thomas Grinyer, and the Turophiles, captained by Fifteen-to-One finalist Jascha Elliott. The latter team won 27-24 after a close match, and both teams fully deserve a second match.
Imperial College was founded in 1907 and was part of the University of London until it declared independence 100 years later, and is solely devoted to the sciences; alumni include writer HG Wells, the re-rediscoverer of penicillin Sir Alexander Fleming and the four-minute mile runner Sir Roger Bannister. The college won UC in 1995-96 and 2000-01, but its last appearance was a first round exit two series ago; this year's foursome were:
Richard Brooks, from Stockton-on-Tees, studying Mechanical Engineering
Brandon, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, studying Computing
Captain: Caleb Rich, from Lewisham, studying Controlled Quantum Dynamics
Connor McMeel, from Dublin, studying Computer Science
Brasenose College Oxford is somewhat older, founded in 1509; it's long list of alumni include the cricketer Sir Colin Cowdrey, the writer Sir John Mortimer, the actor Sir Michael Palin and the former PM Mr David Cameron. It's last UC visit was also a first round defeat, a heavy one, to Durham back in 2014-15; this year's quartet were:
Alan Haugh, from Farmington, Connecticut, studying PPE
Maude Mullan, from North London, studying Classics
Captain: Ollie Hanson, from Wolverhampton, studying Maths
Tucker Drew, from Detroit, studying Philosophy and Linguistics
Off we set again then, and a very quick buzz from Mr Haugh opened the scoring for the night, and the Oxford side took two bonuses on the Levant countries. A penalty then allowed Mr McMeel to open the scoring for Imperial, the giveaway clue being the country England beat in the second round of the World Cup last year. No bonuses went to the Londoners, but Mr Rich then gave them the lead with the next starter, and, in a reversal of fortune, a full set of bonuses, a classic UC set on words spelt the same but pronounced differently, followed. The first picture round, on major cities built on islands, went to Imperial, who took two bonuses, taking their lead to 55-15.
A penalty then knocked five off that lead, but all Brasenose could do in response was provoke a sneer from Paxo! The mononymous Brandon, a regular on quiz shows in America I gather, soon got Imperial going in the right direction again, and a pair of bonuses accompanied it. Mr Rich identified the economist Thomas Pikkety for the next starter, and a set of bonuses on Barbie dolls gave them a full set of bonuses, and, with it, a strong lead. Brandon then took Imperial into triple figures as he took the next starter, and a full set of bonuses meant they suddenly had a 100+ point lead, and things were looking ominous for Brasenose.
The music round, on pieces later adapted for the dancer Martha Graham, went to Imperial; one bonus meant they now led 135-15. A quick buzz from Ms Mullan reawoke Brasenose though, but the just the one bonus on physics followed. A second starter in a row then went to the Oxonians though, and two bonuses on cats in art ensured they wouldn't be joining the Sub-50 club. Brandon then put a stop to their recovery however as he took the next starter; one bonus followed, the same one I got.
The second picture round, on works in the Kelvingrove Gallery, went to Brasenose; two bonuses followed, which took the scores to 145-70. They'd have to go for it if they were to stand a chance, but Imperial's lead only went up again when Mr McMeel took the next starter; no bonuses followed however.
But when Brandon took the next starter very quickly, that was game over; a pair of bonuses on the work of Neil Gaiman confirmed this. And their lead and score were only getting bigger, as that man Brandon identified the Irtyh river for the next starter; bonuses on the Nordic games gave them a full house, taking them within sight of 200. Another starter took them over it; just one bonus followed, but by now, it was immaterial. Another starter went to Mr Rich, and another sole bonus; the next went to Brandon, and another single bonus gave them the largest score of the series thus far. There was time for one more starter and bonus, and that was the gong; Imperial won 255-70.
A very strong match indeed, even if a one-sided one. Unlucky Brasenose, a perfectly good team who'd certainly have beaten another team, but a good account of yourselves, thanks for playing. Very well done Imperial though, definitely a team to watch in the next round; very best of luck in it!
The stats: Brandon was the best buzzer of the night, with seven, while Ms Mullan was best for Brasenose with two. On the bonuses, Imperial converted 23 out of 43 (with two penalties), while Brasenose managed 7 out of 12 (with one penalty).
Next week's match: Lady Margaret Hall Oxford vs Downing College Cambridge
Only Connect was also high quality tonight, between the Journeymen, including UC alumni Chris Ducklin and Thomas Grinyer, and the Turophiles, captained by Fifteen-to-One finalist Jascha Elliott. The latter team won 27-24 after a close match, and both teams fully deserve a second match.
Monday, 14 October 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 12: Wolfson vs Sheffield
Evening all. Here we go again with the antepenultimate match of the first round, with both sides needing a score of 150 or more to come back win or lose. So far, York are safely through with 150. Another debutant team tonight, taking on an institution that has regularly sent teams over the years, including on the third ever Paxo contest, a bit of which I was watching just the other night!
Wolfson College Oxford is a postgraduate college founded 1965 by the same man who founded the Cambridge college of the same name. Like its namesake, its list of noted alumni is relatively short given its age; it includes thus far the genticist Dame Kay Davies and the founder of Linkedin Reid Hoffman. It's first ever UC team were:
Mike Perrin, from East Anglia (via Japan), studying Maritime Archaeology
Mary Caple, from Victoria, Canada, studying Art History
Captain: Claire Jones, from Houston, Texas, studying Global and Imperial History
Ryan Walker, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Clinical Medicine
Sheffield University is a bit older, founded in 1905 and one of the original redbricks. Its noted alumni list is a lot more plentiful, including the aviator Amy Johnson, the retired politician Lord David Blunkett, comedians Eddie Izzard and Tim Key, and my Uncle Tom! It's last UC appearance was a first round exit three series ago; this year's team were:
Alistair Lyle, from Chiswick in London, studying Metalogy
Sam Kelly, from Seaford in East Sussex, studying English Literature
Captain: Jonathan Newhouse, from Skipton in Yorkshire, studying Cognitive Science
Daisy Fry, from Kent, studying Politics
Off we set again then, and Mr Walker opened the night by spotting a list of things depicted on the back of collectable 50ps, something me and my colleagues at work express great interest in looking out for! British museums gave Wolfson one correct bonus to start with. Mr Newhouse opened his side's account with 'Van Gogh', and they did somewhat better, taking a full set of bonuses. Another starter to the Sheffield captain, and another full set of bonuses duly followed, a pretty solid statement of intent from the Steel City team. Mr Newhouse then made it a hat-trick of starters, and a bonus set on Asterix characters (pity my Mum wasn't watching, she'd have got all those!) gave them a third full house. The first picture round, on religious emblems, went to Wolfson, who took two bonuses this time, which cut their deficit to 75-35.
Sheffield duly increased it again though, as Mr Lyle correctly offered 'nurdle'; a good old school bonus set on words differing by a 'G' at the start, saw their impeccable bonus record end, with just two this time. Ms Jones reawoke the Oxford side by identifying the river Oder, and, again, two bonuses accompanied it. Ms Caple gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but a bonus set on the artist Dame Paula Rego didn't give them any further points.
Mr Perrin was first in to identify Mozart's Don Giovanni; the music bonuses, on list songs, gave Wolfson two correct answers, which put them just ten behind, 95-85. Ms Fry duly woke Sheffield up again though, but they took just one bonus on 16th/17th century quotations. Ms Jones came back in with what looked like an educated guess of 'plagiarism' for the next starter, and was right to do so; a full bonus set put the sides on level pegging. In swooped Mr Lyle to give Sheffield the lead again, and two bonuses re-established their advantage. A second starter in a row to Sheffield, and one bonus gave them the score they needed to return whatever; they took the other two bonuses too for good measure.
The second picture round, on regulars at New York's Cafe Society, went to Wolfson, who took two bonuses, taking the scores to 155-130, and setting up a tense finish. Mr Walker duly took the next starter, and one bonus gave them the score they needed to push Merton out of the repechage and ensure a return whatever.
Ms Jones then took the next starter to put them on level pegging, but they couldn't get the one bonus they needed to take the lead (I had two of them). A second starter in a row to the Wolfson captain did put them in front though, one bonus followed. Back came Sheffield thanks to Mr Lyle, one bonus was taken... and that was the gong! A 170-each tie!
So, standard tie procedure, first to answer correctly wins. Asked which of the wonders of the Ancient World was a representation of 'Helios', Mr Perrin buzzed in first with 'Rhodes', then, after a pause, clarified with 'The Colossus of Rhodes'; Paxo decided that was good enough, as both sides would be returning anyway. (Not sure I can agree with that, as they are going in different directions, but what's done is done). Anyway, Wolfson won the match.
A very good match indeed between two good teams, well done both. Unlucky Sheffield, but you're deservedly coming back in the play-offs, so best of luck there! Well done Wolfson though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Jones was the best buzzer of the night with six starters, while Mr Newhouse was best for Sheffield with four. On the bonuses, Wolfson converted 14 out of 30, while Sheffield managed a very good 18 out of 24.
Next week's match: Imperial College London vs Brasenose College Oxford
Only Connect saw the debuts of the Endeavours and the Outliers, all three of the latter having represented Warwick on UC in the past. It was their opponents who triumphed tonight though, 27-14.
Wolfson College Oxford is a postgraduate college founded 1965 by the same man who founded the Cambridge college of the same name. Like its namesake, its list of noted alumni is relatively short given its age; it includes thus far the genticist Dame Kay Davies and the founder of Linkedin Reid Hoffman. It's first ever UC team were:
Mike Perrin, from East Anglia (via Japan), studying Maritime Archaeology
Mary Caple, from Victoria, Canada, studying Art History
Captain: Claire Jones, from Houston, Texas, studying Global and Imperial History
Ryan Walker, from Stone in Staffordshire, studying Clinical Medicine
Sheffield University is a bit older, founded in 1905 and one of the original redbricks. Its noted alumni list is a lot more plentiful, including the aviator Amy Johnson, the retired politician Lord David Blunkett, comedians Eddie Izzard and Tim Key, and my Uncle Tom! It's last UC appearance was a first round exit three series ago; this year's team were:
Alistair Lyle, from Chiswick in London, studying Metalogy
Sam Kelly, from Seaford in East Sussex, studying English Literature
Captain: Jonathan Newhouse, from Skipton in Yorkshire, studying Cognitive Science
Daisy Fry, from Kent, studying Politics
Off we set again then, and Mr Walker opened the night by spotting a list of things depicted on the back of collectable 50ps, something me and my colleagues at work express great interest in looking out for! British museums gave Wolfson one correct bonus to start with. Mr Newhouse opened his side's account with 'Van Gogh', and they did somewhat better, taking a full set of bonuses. Another starter to the Sheffield captain, and another full set of bonuses duly followed, a pretty solid statement of intent from the Steel City team. Mr Newhouse then made it a hat-trick of starters, and a bonus set on Asterix characters (pity my Mum wasn't watching, she'd have got all those!) gave them a third full house. The first picture round, on religious emblems, went to Wolfson, who took two bonuses this time, which cut their deficit to 75-35.
Sheffield duly increased it again though, as Mr Lyle correctly offered 'nurdle'; a good old school bonus set on words differing by a 'G' at the start, saw their impeccable bonus record end, with just two this time. Ms Jones reawoke the Oxford side by identifying the river Oder, and, again, two bonuses accompanied it. Ms Caple gave the Oxonians a second starter in a row, but a bonus set on the artist Dame Paula Rego didn't give them any further points.
Mr Perrin was first in to identify Mozart's Don Giovanni; the music bonuses, on list songs, gave Wolfson two correct answers, which put them just ten behind, 95-85. Ms Fry duly woke Sheffield up again though, but they took just one bonus on 16th/17th century quotations. Ms Jones came back in with what looked like an educated guess of 'plagiarism' for the next starter, and was right to do so; a full bonus set put the sides on level pegging. In swooped Mr Lyle to give Sheffield the lead again, and two bonuses re-established their advantage. A second starter in a row to Sheffield, and one bonus gave them the score they needed to return whatever; they took the other two bonuses too for good measure.
The second picture round, on regulars at New York's Cafe Society, went to Wolfson, who took two bonuses, taking the scores to 155-130, and setting up a tense finish. Mr Walker duly took the next starter, and one bonus gave them the score they needed to push Merton out of the repechage and ensure a return whatever.
Ms Jones then took the next starter to put them on level pegging, but they couldn't get the one bonus they needed to take the lead (I had two of them). A second starter in a row to the Wolfson captain did put them in front though, one bonus followed. Back came Sheffield thanks to Mr Lyle, one bonus was taken... and that was the gong! A 170-each tie!
So, standard tie procedure, first to answer correctly wins. Asked which of the wonders of the Ancient World was a representation of 'Helios', Mr Perrin buzzed in first with 'Rhodes', then, after a pause, clarified with 'The Colossus of Rhodes'; Paxo decided that was good enough, as both sides would be returning anyway. (Not sure I can agree with that, as they are going in different directions, but what's done is done). Anyway, Wolfson won the match.
A very good match indeed between two good teams, well done both. Unlucky Sheffield, but you're deservedly coming back in the play-offs, so best of luck there! Well done Wolfson though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Jones was the best buzzer of the night with six starters, while Mr Newhouse was best for Sheffield with four. On the bonuses, Wolfson converted 14 out of 30, while Sheffield managed a very good 18 out of 24.
Next week's match: Imperial College London vs Brasenose College Oxford
Only Connect saw the debuts of the Endeavours and the Outliers, all three of the latter having represented Warwick on UC in the past. It was their opponents who triumphed tonight though, 27-14.
Monday, 7 October 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 11: Open vs Huddersfield
Evening all. We're back after another week off, but don't get too comfortable, as I have a feeling they'll be another sooner rather than later (Autumnwatch is likely not far off). For now, though, it's back to business as usual as far as Quizzy Mondays are concerned, and tonight we'd start learning the play-off teams for UC. For the two competing tonight, 155 or more would bring them back win or lose.
The Open University recently celebrated its 50th birthday, having been founded by the Wilson government in 1969; noted alumni include actresses Sheila Hancock and Julie Christie, comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry and the former Scotland boss Craig Brown, while former PM Gordon Brown has taught for it, as has an old friend of my parents. It has won UC twice, 1984 and 1998-99, though it has rarely appeared since the latter win, most recently in 2016-17. This year's foursome were:
David Holmes, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, studying PPE
Liz Haywood, from Lancing in West Sussex, studying English Literature and Language
Captain: Bill Woodbridge, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, studying Maths
Michela O'Brien, from Hampshire (originally Milan), studying Humanities with Art History and Classical Studies
Huddersfield University traces its origins to the Young Men's Mental Improvement Society of 1841; it eventually became a polytechnic, and then a university in 1992. Alumni include BBC presenter Sally Nugent, comedy performer Adil Ray and Tory peer Baroness Williams. Making its UC debut tonight, its first ever team were:
Sean Fisher, from Huddersfield, studying History
Rebecca Wilson, from Leeds, studying Chemistry
Captain: Andy Cook, from Walsall, studying History
Aaron Cahill, from Norwich, studying Drama
Off we set again then, and Mr Cook quickly provided Huddersfield's first ever UC correct answer with 'splice', and their first ever UC bonus set, on satire, provided them with two correct answers. Mr Woodbridge quickly took his side off in pursuit, identifying Attlee as the PM sought as soon as Paxo said the trigger words 'Churchill' and 'deputy'; Open fared a tad poorer with their first bonuses, just the one. Mr Cahill tripled his side's lead with 'Vancouver', but the side got nothing from the resulting bonuses. The first picture round, on carbon dioxide phase diagrams, went to Open, who took the one bonus they needed to level the scores, 30-each.
Mr Cook gave his side the lead back by identifying Donna Strickland as the first woman in 55 years to win the Nobel Prize for Physics; the Terriers duly took two bonus. Open then lost five on the next starter, allowing Mr Cook to pull his side even further ahead; again, a pair of bonuses followed. The bit firmly between his teeth, the Huddersfield captain took a third starter in a row with 'poetry'; just the one bonus, on nightingales, followed this time. Mr Woodbridge got his side going again, and bonuses on the deaths of saints gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on 1994 Britpop singles, went to Open, who took a full set and closed the gap to 85-70. It increased when Mr Woodbridge dropped five on the next five, and Mr Cook duly claimed the points; words made by adding to the names of a shipping forecast area was a classic UC bonus set, but Huddersfield got nothing from it. Mr Woodbridge took back the lost points by identifying a list of albums by Joni Mitchell; one bonus followed. A second starter in a row put Open within five, and one bonus on rivers with three letter names put the teams on level pegging.
The second picture round, on endangered animals preserved by DEFRA's biodiversity action plan, went to Huddersfield, who took one bonus via, what looked like, an educated guess, taking their lead to 110-95. Still either team's game, but Mr Cook kept the game in his side's hands by taking the next starter; one bonus followed.
Back came Open though thanks to Mr Holmes' answer of 'idiocracy'; bonuses on events that occurred the same years as Olympic games, with the host city required, gave them two bonuses and took them within five. Mr Woodbridge put his side on level pegging with 'bile', but the side couldn't manage the one bonus needed to give them the lead. Next starter might just win it, and Mr Cook swept in to give the Terriers back the lead; two bonuses followed, but one more starter would make it safe. The next starter was dropped though, and the one after, and the one after that was gonged out. Huddersfield won 145-125.
Another low scoring match, but a close and enjoyable one, thanks very much both teams. Unlucky Open, but a respectable performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Huddersfield though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Cook was comfortably the best buzzer of the night with eight starters, while Mr Woodbridge was best for Open with five. On the bonuses, Open converted 11 out of 24 (with two penalties), while Huddersfield managed 11 out of 27, so it was a game won on the buzzer in more ways than one.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Oxford vs Sheffield
Only Connect returned as well, as the Eggchasers played the 007s; a good, close, high scoring contest followed, with the latter winning 26-23, and both teams totally deserve a second match.
The Open University recently celebrated its 50th birthday, having been founded by the Wilson government in 1969; noted alumni include actresses Sheila Hancock and Julie Christie, comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry and the former Scotland boss Craig Brown, while former PM Gordon Brown has taught for it, as has an old friend of my parents. It has won UC twice, 1984 and 1998-99, though it has rarely appeared since the latter win, most recently in 2016-17. This year's foursome were:
David Holmes, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, studying PPE
Liz Haywood, from Lancing in West Sussex, studying English Literature and Language
Captain: Bill Woodbridge, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, studying Maths
Michela O'Brien, from Hampshire (originally Milan), studying Humanities with Art History and Classical Studies
Huddersfield University traces its origins to the Young Men's Mental Improvement Society of 1841; it eventually became a polytechnic, and then a university in 1992. Alumni include BBC presenter Sally Nugent, comedy performer Adil Ray and Tory peer Baroness Williams. Making its UC debut tonight, its first ever team were:
Sean Fisher, from Huddersfield, studying History
Rebecca Wilson, from Leeds, studying Chemistry
Captain: Andy Cook, from Walsall, studying History
Aaron Cahill, from Norwich, studying Drama
Off we set again then, and Mr Cook quickly provided Huddersfield's first ever UC correct answer with 'splice', and their first ever UC bonus set, on satire, provided them with two correct answers. Mr Woodbridge quickly took his side off in pursuit, identifying Attlee as the PM sought as soon as Paxo said the trigger words 'Churchill' and 'deputy'; Open fared a tad poorer with their first bonuses, just the one. Mr Cahill tripled his side's lead with 'Vancouver', but the side got nothing from the resulting bonuses. The first picture round, on carbon dioxide phase diagrams, went to Open, who took the one bonus they needed to level the scores, 30-each.
Mr Cook gave his side the lead back by identifying Donna Strickland as the first woman in 55 years to win the Nobel Prize for Physics; the Terriers duly took two bonus. Open then lost five on the next starter, allowing Mr Cook to pull his side even further ahead; again, a pair of bonuses followed. The bit firmly between his teeth, the Huddersfield captain took a third starter in a row with 'poetry'; just the one bonus, on nightingales, followed this time. Mr Woodbridge got his side going again, and bonuses on the deaths of saints gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on 1994 Britpop singles, went to Open, who took a full set and closed the gap to 85-70. It increased when Mr Woodbridge dropped five on the next five, and Mr Cook duly claimed the points; words made by adding to the names of a shipping forecast area was a classic UC bonus set, but Huddersfield got nothing from it. Mr Woodbridge took back the lost points by identifying a list of albums by Joni Mitchell; one bonus followed. A second starter in a row put Open within five, and one bonus on rivers with three letter names put the teams on level pegging.
The second picture round, on endangered animals preserved by DEFRA's biodiversity action plan, went to Huddersfield, who took one bonus via, what looked like, an educated guess, taking their lead to 110-95. Still either team's game, but Mr Cook kept the game in his side's hands by taking the next starter; one bonus followed.
Back came Open though thanks to Mr Holmes' answer of 'idiocracy'; bonuses on events that occurred the same years as Olympic games, with the host city required, gave them two bonuses and took them within five. Mr Woodbridge put his side on level pegging with 'bile', but the side couldn't manage the one bonus needed to give them the lead. Next starter might just win it, and Mr Cook swept in to give the Terriers back the lead; two bonuses followed, but one more starter would make it safe. The next starter was dropped though, and the one after, and the one after that was gonged out. Huddersfield won 145-125.
Another low scoring match, but a close and enjoyable one, thanks very much both teams. Unlucky Open, but a respectable performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Huddersfield though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Cook was comfortably the best buzzer of the night with eight starters, while Mr Woodbridge was best for Open with five. On the bonuses, Open converted 11 out of 24 (with two penalties), while Huddersfield managed 11 out of 27, so it was a game won on the buzzer in more ways than one.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Oxford vs Sheffield
Only Connect returned as well, as the Eggchasers played the 007s; a good, close, high scoring contest followed, with the latter winning 26-23, and both teams totally deserve a second match.
Monday, 23 September 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 10: Goldsmiths vs Southampton
Evening all. Here we go again then, with two more teams vying for either a place in the second round, or, failing that, a place among the four highest scoring runners-up. Already we're into double figures for the series so, after the next show in a fortnight, we'll start knowing the line-up for those play-offs. On with tonight's show...
Goldsmiths is a constituent of the University of London, established 1904 and a full college since 1987. Alumni include artists Lucien Freud and Bridget Riley, Hairy Biker Dave Myers and former Mastermind champ and fellow blogger Dave Clark. Making its third appearance on the Paxo era tonight; its second, last series, saw them exit in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alex Wilkins, from Brighton, studying Digital Journalism
Catherine Coldstream, from North London, studying Creative Writing
Captain: Henry Coburn, from Cambridge, studying English
Greg Sibley, from Oakville, Ontario, studying Political Communications
Southampton University is a bit more recent, having received its charter in 1952. Its alumni include Father Brian Eno from the last episode of Father Ted, the news presenter Jon Sopel and the late great Jeremy Hardy. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, most notably reaching the QFs in 2013-14 with our old friend Richard 'CromartyIV' Evans; its last team, two series ago, also went out in the second round. This year's quartet were:
Josh Holland, from Worcester, studying Theoretical Computer Science
Rory Fleminger, from Oxford, studying Civil Engineering
Captain: Steve Barnes, from Hyde in Hampshire, studying Chemical Education
James Carrigy, from Knaphill in Surrey, studying History
Off we set again then, and Mr Sibley, who, as Paxo made sure to point out, hails from the same town as the great Eric Monkman, opened the scoring for the night; Goldsmiths set their marker down with a full set on the Black Sea. The Londoners' right winger took a second starter in a row, but, in a reversal of fortune, none of the resulting bonuses followed. Mr Wilkins gave Goldsmiths a third in a row, and fortune swung back the other way again, with a full set on 16th century art. The first picture round, on twinned towns and cities, went to Goldsmiths, who, in another twist of fate, failed to add to their score, including a confusion of Southampton with Portsmouth! They still led 70-0 though.
Yet another of those 'just an' interruptions knocked five off that lead, and Mr Barnes duly pounced to open Southampton's account; two bonuses on the Lake District followed. The Saints captain then took a second starter in a row, unlocking a bonus set on writers born 1946, in which both they and I managed just the one correct answer of Michael Rosen.
The music round, on 'I want' songs from musicals, went to Southampton, who took a pair of the bonuses, which reduced the gap to 65-55. Up it went again though, as Mr Sibley awoke his side from their slumbers with 'Rachel Carson'; bonuses on birds gave them just the one correct answer. Mr Coburn took a second in a row for the Londoners by knowing Tess of the d'Urbervilles to have been arrested at Stonehenge; two bonuses took them into triple figures. Came came Southampton thanks to Mr Barnes, and bonuses on playing cards brought them back into within one starter and full house.
The second picture round, on illustrations from the Newgate Calendar, went to Southampton, who took two bonuses to cut the gap to just 100-95. And when Mr Barnes worked out a nice cryptic starter next, they had the lead for the first time; bonuses on chemical elements in Haiku form (sounds like something out of Pointless) gave them two correct answers.
Still anyone's game heading into the final minutes; a penalty didn't help Goldsmiths' cause, but Southampton failed to capitalise. Mr Fleminger took the next starter though, and the side duly took a full set of bonuses, with Mr Carrigy realising in the nick of time that one of the answers related to where he studied! And when he himself correctly answered 'Nora' to the next starter, that was game over; two bonuses followed. There was time for Mr Holland to ensure all four Saints players had a starter to their names; the gong came just as they incorrectly answered the third bonus. Southampton won 175-95.
Another low scoring match, but one made watchable by two pleasant teams. Unlucky Goldsmiths, who started well by faded somewhat later on, but a respectable performance, thanks for playing. Well done Southampton though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Barnes was the best buzzer of the night with five starters, while Mr Sibley was best for Goldsmiths with three. On the bonuses, Goldsmiths converted 9 out of 18 (with two penalties), while Southampton managed 17 out of 27.
No match next week due to LIVE athletics; hopefully we're back in two weeks.
Only Connect is off next week too; tonight's match saw the Forrests return after withdrawing from last series, and mark their return by beating newcomers the Electrophiles 22-18.
Goldsmiths is a constituent of the University of London, established 1904 and a full college since 1987. Alumni include artists Lucien Freud and Bridget Riley, Hairy Biker Dave Myers and former Mastermind champ and fellow blogger Dave Clark. Making its third appearance on the Paxo era tonight; its second, last series, saw them exit in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alex Wilkins, from Brighton, studying Digital Journalism
Catherine Coldstream, from North London, studying Creative Writing
Captain: Henry Coburn, from Cambridge, studying English
Greg Sibley, from Oakville, Ontario, studying Political Communications
Southampton University is a bit more recent, having received its charter in 1952. Its alumni include Father Brian Eno from the last episode of Father Ted, the news presenter Jon Sopel and the late great Jeremy Hardy. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, most notably reaching the QFs in 2013-14 with our old friend Richard 'CromartyIV' Evans; its last team, two series ago, also went out in the second round. This year's quartet were:
Josh Holland, from Worcester, studying Theoretical Computer Science
Rory Fleminger, from Oxford, studying Civil Engineering
Captain: Steve Barnes, from Hyde in Hampshire, studying Chemical Education
James Carrigy, from Knaphill in Surrey, studying History
Off we set again then, and Mr Sibley, who, as Paxo made sure to point out, hails from the same town as the great Eric Monkman, opened the scoring for the night; Goldsmiths set their marker down with a full set on the Black Sea. The Londoners' right winger took a second starter in a row, but, in a reversal of fortune, none of the resulting bonuses followed. Mr Wilkins gave Goldsmiths a third in a row, and fortune swung back the other way again, with a full set on 16th century art. The first picture round, on twinned towns and cities, went to Goldsmiths, who, in another twist of fate, failed to add to their score, including a confusion of Southampton with Portsmouth! They still led 70-0 though.
Yet another of those 'just an' interruptions knocked five off that lead, and Mr Barnes duly pounced to open Southampton's account; two bonuses on the Lake District followed. The Saints captain then took a second starter in a row, unlocking a bonus set on writers born 1946, in which both they and I managed just the one correct answer of Michael Rosen.
The music round, on 'I want' songs from musicals, went to Southampton, who took a pair of the bonuses, which reduced the gap to 65-55. Up it went again though, as Mr Sibley awoke his side from their slumbers with 'Rachel Carson'; bonuses on birds gave them just the one correct answer. Mr Coburn took a second in a row for the Londoners by knowing Tess of the d'Urbervilles to have been arrested at Stonehenge; two bonuses took them into triple figures. Came came Southampton thanks to Mr Barnes, and bonuses on playing cards brought them back into within one starter and full house.
The second picture round, on illustrations from the Newgate Calendar, went to Southampton, who took two bonuses to cut the gap to just 100-95. And when Mr Barnes worked out a nice cryptic starter next, they had the lead for the first time; bonuses on chemical elements in Haiku form (sounds like something out of Pointless) gave them two correct answers.
Still anyone's game heading into the final minutes; a penalty didn't help Goldsmiths' cause, but Southampton failed to capitalise. Mr Fleminger took the next starter though, and the side duly took a full set of bonuses, with Mr Carrigy realising in the nick of time that one of the answers related to where he studied! And when he himself correctly answered 'Nora' to the next starter, that was game over; two bonuses followed. There was time for Mr Holland to ensure all four Saints players had a starter to their names; the gong came just as they incorrectly answered the third bonus. Southampton won 175-95.
Another low scoring match, but one made watchable by two pleasant teams. Unlucky Goldsmiths, who started well by faded somewhat later on, but a respectable performance, thanks for playing. Well done Southampton though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Barnes was the best buzzer of the night with five starters, while Mr Sibley was best for Goldsmiths with three. On the bonuses, Goldsmiths converted 9 out of 18 (with two penalties), while Southampton managed 17 out of 27.
No match next week due to LIVE athletics; hopefully we're back in two weeks.
Only Connect is off next week too; tonight's match saw the Forrests return after withdrawing from last series, and mark their return by beating newcomers the Electrophiles 22-18.
Monday, 16 September 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 9: L.S.E. vs Courtauld
Evening all. After a few fallow weeks, we appear to have hit a good run of form in the last couple of weeks, and suddenly the four teams currently on the play-off board are just ten points between them. Should it come down to a tie, I would imagine Durham will get the nod over Jesus, having acquired their score via fewer points. On to tonight's show, and a London derby...
The London School of Economics was founded in 1895, becoming part of the University of London five years later; alumni include former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, former Labour leader Ed Miliband, former game show host Robert Kilroy-Silk and former Premier League club chairman Tony Fernandes. It has sporadically sent teams over the 25 years of the BBC era, finishing runners-up in 1995-96; it's last appearance was in 2014-15. This year's foursome were:
Kevin Schilling, from Burien, Washington, studying International History
Finn Dignan, from Bristol, studying Economic History
Captain: Zora Elstein, from London, studying Economics
James Engels, from Holland, Michigan, studying International History
The Courtauld Institute of Art, founded 1932, is usually based in the gallery of the same name, but has temporarily relocated due to ongoing refurbishment; alumni include the critics Andrew Graham-Dixon and Brian Sewell and the actor Vincent Price. It has only sent two teams to UC thus far, both of whom went out in the first round. Hoping for better things were this year's quartet of:
Asher Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Off we set again then, and Mr Prance opened the scoring for the night by identifying the Nobel Peace Prize as having not been awarded 19 times due to a lack of deserving winners; bonuses on the Muses, as described by Stephen Fry, gave them one correct answer. Mr Schilling quickly set L.S.E. off the mark too, and they bettered that and took the lead with a full set of bonuses on turtles and tortoises in folklore. Five of those points were then lost to an interruption on a science starter, and Paxo was not at all surprised when Courtauld didn't even guess! They then lost five themselves though, and L.S.E. did pick up, and took a pair of bonuses on coal tar. The first picture round, on 'lost rhymes' in Shakespeare, went to Courtauld, who took just the one bonus again, cutting their deficit to 40-25.
It shrunk further when Mr Prance took the next starter; the resulting bonuses on paintings of the 1880s gave them, again, just one correct answer, and Paxo perhaps mocked them for doing so a bit too much! It did take them level, and Mr Haigh gave them the lead by identifying Augustus John; again, a sole bonus followed. Both teams then lost five points were then lost to two more of these annoying last second interruptions, but neither was picked up by the opposition. L.S.E. finally stopped the rot when Mr Dignan identified Thomas Carlyle, but they failed to add to their score on bonuses on directorial debuts.
The music starter saw Mr Haigh first in to identify Paganini; the bonuses, on variations on that piece, gave Courtauld, again, just the one bonus, nonetheless increasing their lead to 65-45. Yet another penalty knocked five off that lead, and L.S.E. duly collected the points, and two bonuses were sufficient to give them the lead. But a penalty of their own put the sides level again, and Courtauld took full advantage with a pick-up, and the bonuses finally fell for them, a full set on royal parks. L.S.E. struck back immediately, with Mr Dignan offering 'eagle', but they got nothing from the resulting bonuses. Paxo got a pair of scoffings in at both teams on the next starter, neither identifying WT McGonagall when he was the right answer this time! L.S.E. lost yet another five there. Courtauld took the next starter, and one bonus put them into triple figures.
The second picture round, on pietas, went to Courtauld, who took a full house, increasing their lead to 125-65. And when Ms Collinge identified Geraint Thomas for the next starter, even though no bonuses followed, that was game over.
L.S.E. were going to give it a go though, Mr Dignan took the next starter and a full set of bonuses on newspaper titles were banged out pretty quickly. That was as far as they could get though, despite Mr Engels' attempts to hurry Paxo along when it became obvious no-one was going to buzz on the next starter! Mr Prance took the next, but the gong went before they could score again on the bonuses. Courtauld won 145-90.
A low scoring contest, but an enjoyable one between two pleasant teams. Unlucky L.S.E., but a respectable account of yourselves I'd say, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Courtauld though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Prance was the best buzzer of the night, with five correct, while Mr Dignan was best for L.S.E. with four. On the bonuses, L.S.E. converted 10 out of 18 (with a costly four penalties), while Courtauld managed 12 out of 28 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: Goldsmiths of London vs Southampton
Only Connect saw two UC alumni return, 14-15 champ Michael Taylor as captain of the Wickets, and Thomas Halliday of that series' U.C.L. team for the Choristers; the latter won 25-18.
The London School of Economics was founded in 1895, becoming part of the University of London five years later; alumni include former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, former Labour leader Ed Miliband, former game show host Robert Kilroy-Silk and former Premier League club chairman Tony Fernandes. It has sporadically sent teams over the 25 years of the BBC era, finishing runners-up in 1995-96; it's last appearance was in 2014-15. This year's foursome were:
Kevin Schilling, from Burien, Washington, studying International History
Finn Dignan, from Bristol, studying Economic History
Captain: Zora Elstein, from London, studying Economics
James Engels, from Holland, Michigan, studying International History
The Courtauld Institute of Art, founded 1932, is usually based in the gallery of the same name, but has temporarily relocated due to ongoing refurbishment; alumni include the critics Andrew Graham-Dixon and Brian Sewell and the actor Vincent Price. It has only sent two teams to UC thus far, both of whom went out in the first round. Hoping for better things were this year's quartet of:
Asher Silver, from North London, studying History of Art
Morgan Haigh, from Cardiff, studying History of Art
Captain: Harry Prance, from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, studying Middle Byzantine Eucharistic Objects
Nancy Collinge, from Blackpool, studying History of Art
Off we set again then, and Mr Prance opened the scoring for the night by identifying the Nobel Peace Prize as having not been awarded 19 times due to a lack of deserving winners; bonuses on the Muses, as described by Stephen Fry, gave them one correct answer. Mr Schilling quickly set L.S.E. off the mark too, and they bettered that and took the lead with a full set of bonuses on turtles and tortoises in folklore. Five of those points were then lost to an interruption on a science starter, and Paxo was not at all surprised when Courtauld didn't even guess! They then lost five themselves though, and L.S.E. did pick up, and took a pair of bonuses on coal tar. The first picture round, on 'lost rhymes' in Shakespeare, went to Courtauld, who took just the one bonus again, cutting their deficit to 40-25.
It shrunk further when Mr Prance took the next starter; the resulting bonuses on paintings of the 1880s gave them, again, just one correct answer, and Paxo perhaps mocked them for doing so a bit too much! It did take them level, and Mr Haigh gave them the lead by identifying Augustus John; again, a sole bonus followed. Both teams then lost five points were then lost to two more of these annoying last second interruptions, but neither was picked up by the opposition. L.S.E. finally stopped the rot when Mr Dignan identified Thomas Carlyle, but they failed to add to their score on bonuses on directorial debuts.
The music starter saw Mr Haigh first in to identify Paganini; the bonuses, on variations on that piece, gave Courtauld, again, just the one bonus, nonetheless increasing their lead to 65-45. Yet another penalty knocked five off that lead, and L.S.E. duly collected the points, and two bonuses were sufficient to give them the lead. But a penalty of their own put the sides level again, and Courtauld took full advantage with a pick-up, and the bonuses finally fell for them, a full set on royal parks. L.S.E. struck back immediately, with Mr Dignan offering 'eagle', but they got nothing from the resulting bonuses. Paxo got a pair of scoffings in at both teams on the next starter, neither identifying WT McGonagall when he was the right answer this time! L.S.E. lost yet another five there. Courtauld took the next starter, and one bonus put them into triple figures.
The second picture round, on pietas, went to Courtauld, who took a full house, increasing their lead to 125-65. And when Ms Collinge identified Geraint Thomas for the next starter, even though no bonuses followed, that was game over.
L.S.E. were going to give it a go though, Mr Dignan took the next starter and a full set of bonuses on newspaper titles were banged out pretty quickly. That was as far as they could get though, despite Mr Engels' attempts to hurry Paxo along when it became obvious no-one was going to buzz on the next starter! Mr Prance took the next, but the gong went before they could score again on the bonuses. Courtauld won 145-90.
A low scoring contest, but an enjoyable one between two pleasant teams. Unlucky L.S.E., but a respectable account of yourselves I'd say, thanks very much for playing. Very well done Courtauld though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Prance was the best buzzer of the night, with five correct, while Mr Dignan was best for L.S.E. with four. On the bonuses, L.S.E. converted 10 out of 18 (with a costly four penalties), while Courtauld managed 12 out of 28 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: Goldsmiths of London vs Southampton
Only Connect saw two UC alumni return, 14-15 champ Michael Taylor as captain of the Wickets, and Thomas Halliday of that series' U.C.L. team for the Choristers; the latter won 25-18.
Monday, 9 September 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 8: Durham vs Trinity
Evening all. My review will be a bit disjointed this evening as I'm getting text updates from my Dad on the massacre currently unfolding at Hampden (the SimpsonsSPFL Twitter thread makes all these results almost worth it!). Tonight's match pitted two teams who have won the show both during the original ITV series and the current BBC series. Same as usual, winners go straight through, runners-up, like Scotland, will be pinning their hopes on the play-offs.
Durham is the third oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge, founded 1832, and its alumni since have included the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Gabby Logan and the cricketers Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss. Last year's team made it all the way to the semis before losing to eventual winners Edinburgh. This year's foursome were:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Trinity College Cambridge was founded by Henry VIII in 1546 and is now the largest college in Cambridge; alumni include the poets Byron and Dryden, the PMs Balfour and Baldwin, and the Pointless hosts Armstrong and Osman. Its last appearance prior to tonight was a first round loss two series ago. This year's quartet were:
Nadia Hourihan, from Dublin, studying English
Lillian Crawford, from Kent, studying History
Captain: Joseph Webber, from Bury St Edmunds, studying Maths
Liam Hughes, from Cardiff, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Cooper started the scoring for the night with 'default', and the Wearsiders opened the night with a pair of bonuses. Mr Tams took the second starter, and they went one better, a full set on sporting positions. Mr Hughes broke Trinity off the mark, and they also took two of their first bonuses. Back came Durham with Mr Cooper again, and another full set of bonuses was duly swept up. The first picture round, on national flags to be identified by geographical locations on maps, went to Durham, who managed two bonuses again, taking their early lead to 90-10.
Mr Hughes duly pulled Trinity back into the game on the next starter, and the Cambridge side, again took a pair of the resulting bonuses. Mr Webber identified the composer Faure for the next starter, and a bonus set on that old quiz staple chemical elements gave them a full house, bringing them well back into the game. The Trinity captain unluckily dropped five on the next starter with a borderline interruption, but Durham couldn't capitalise. Ms Hourihan duly took the next starter, and two bonuses took Trinity within ten.
The music round saw Ms Crawford first on the buzzer to identify Ms K. Minogue; the bonuses, on pop songs written by the late Carol King, gave Trinity two correct answers and the lead, 100-90. Mr Tams decided that was enough of that, and duly took the next starter to put his side back level; two bonuses gave them the lead back. But Trinity now had the bit between their collective teeth, and Mr Webber duly put them level again; bonuses on the works of Mrs Gaskell put them back in front again. And Mr Hughes wasn't letting up, another starter, and bonuses on the town of Gainsborough providing them with one correct answer.
The second picture round, on artworks depicting mythological scenes in the background and everyday life in the foreground, went to Trinity; one bonus followed, taking their lead to 150-110. Still all to play for, and back came Durham, with Mr Raffle identifying the words of Robert Browning just a few seconds after I did; the side duly sped through their bonuses, answering the one they got right quickly and passing the other two only a bit slower.
But Mr Hughes duly quelled any fightback with a lightning fast buzz on the next starter; no bonuses followed, but when Ms Hourihan took the next and two bonuses followed, that was game over. Mr Cooper pulled one back for Durham, and two bonuses lifted them onto a score more likely to bring them back in the play-offs. That was as far as they got though, as Trinity took the two remaining starters, though none of the bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Trinity won 200-145.
Another good high quality match, well done both teams there. Unlucky Durham, but still a fine performance, and hopefully you'll be back in the play-offs, thanks for playing for now though. Well done Trinity though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Hughes was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Messrs Tams and Cooper were joint best for Durham with three each. On the bonuses, Durham converted 15 out of 21, while Trinity managed 17 out of 34 (with the night's one penalty).
Next week's match: the LSE vs the Courtauld Institute
Only Connect tonight pitted the Gladiators against the Lexplorers. The former were most unfortunate in the first two rounds, trailing 16-0 going into the Walls. They eventually recovered to a respectable 10, but their opponents ended on 36, and must surely be early favourites.
Durham is the third oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge, founded 1832, and its alumni since have included the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Gabby Logan and the cricketers Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss. Last year's team made it all the way to the semis before losing to eventual winners Edinburgh. This year's foursome were:
Charles Bland, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Philosophy
William Tams, from Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, studying Biosciences
Captain: Joe Cooper, from London, studying Chemistry
Arthur Raffle, from Manchester, studying French and German
Trinity College Cambridge was founded by Henry VIII in 1546 and is now the largest college in Cambridge; alumni include the poets Byron and Dryden, the PMs Balfour and Baldwin, and the Pointless hosts Armstrong and Osman. Its last appearance prior to tonight was a first round loss two series ago. This year's quartet were:
Nadia Hourihan, from Dublin, studying English
Lillian Crawford, from Kent, studying History
Captain: Joseph Webber, from Bury St Edmunds, studying Maths
Liam Hughes, from Cardiff, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Cooper started the scoring for the night with 'default', and the Wearsiders opened the night with a pair of bonuses. Mr Tams took the second starter, and they went one better, a full set on sporting positions. Mr Hughes broke Trinity off the mark, and they also took two of their first bonuses. Back came Durham with Mr Cooper again, and another full set of bonuses was duly swept up. The first picture round, on national flags to be identified by geographical locations on maps, went to Durham, who managed two bonuses again, taking their early lead to 90-10.
Mr Hughes duly pulled Trinity back into the game on the next starter, and the Cambridge side, again took a pair of the resulting bonuses. Mr Webber identified the composer Faure for the next starter, and a bonus set on that old quiz staple chemical elements gave them a full house, bringing them well back into the game. The Trinity captain unluckily dropped five on the next starter with a borderline interruption, but Durham couldn't capitalise. Ms Hourihan duly took the next starter, and two bonuses took Trinity within ten.
The music round saw Ms Crawford first on the buzzer to identify Ms K. Minogue; the bonuses, on pop songs written by the late Carol King, gave Trinity two correct answers and the lead, 100-90. Mr Tams decided that was enough of that, and duly took the next starter to put his side back level; two bonuses gave them the lead back. But Trinity now had the bit between their collective teeth, and Mr Webber duly put them level again; bonuses on the works of Mrs Gaskell put them back in front again. And Mr Hughes wasn't letting up, another starter, and bonuses on the town of Gainsborough providing them with one correct answer.
The second picture round, on artworks depicting mythological scenes in the background and everyday life in the foreground, went to Trinity; one bonus followed, taking their lead to 150-110. Still all to play for, and back came Durham, with Mr Raffle identifying the words of Robert Browning just a few seconds after I did; the side duly sped through their bonuses, answering the one they got right quickly and passing the other two only a bit slower.
But Mr Hughes duly quelled any fightback with a lightning fast buzz on the next starter; no bonuses followed, but when Ms Hourihan took the next and two bonuses followed, that was game over. Mr Cooper pulled one back for Durham, and two bonuses lifted them onto a score more likely to bring them back in the play-offs. That was as far as they got though, as Trinity took the two remaining starters, though none of the bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Trinity won 200-145.
Another good high quality match, well done both teams there. Unlucky Durham, but still a fine performance, and hopefully you'll be back in the play-offs, thanks for playing for now though. Well done Trinity though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Hughes was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Messrs Tams and Cooper were joint best for Durham with three each. On the bonuses, Durham converted 15 out of 21, while Trinity managed 17 out of 34 (with the night's one penalty).
Next week's match: the LSE vs the Courtauld Institute
Only Connect tonight pitted the Gladiators against the Lexplorers. The former were most unfortunate in the first two rounds, trailing 16-0 going into the Walls. They eventually recovered to a respectable 10, but their opponents ended on 36, and must surely be early favourites.
Monday, 2 September 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 7: Jesus vs Manchester
Evening all. So we're back after the week-off last week, and Only Connect is back as well! Finally, Monday nights make sense again. Whether or not I cover OC in full blogs this series I still haven't decided yet, but if I do review tonight's ep in full, it probably won't be this week. On with tonight's UC though first...
Jesus College Oxford is the only Oxford college founded during the reign of Elizabeth I, in 1571; alumni include former PM Harold Wilson, former Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson, and journalist Jim Waterson, who represented the college on the show back in the Alex Guttenplan series of 2009-10. It last sent a team to the show in 2014-15, who were narrowly beaten in the first round. This year's foursome were:
Lucy Clarke, from Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Manchester University, founded in its current form in 2004 having been around for over a hundred years in various forms beforehand, is best known on UC for a ten year run of dominance, where they won three times, with a fourth later retroactively awarded, were runners-up once and reached the semis every other series. That run has since ended, though last series, they managed a respectable run to the QFs. This year's quartet were:
Jack Rogers, from Cheshire, studying Maths
Melissa Johnson, from South Africa, studying Economics
Captain: James Green, from the Wirral, studying Modernist Literature
Adam Booth, from West London, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Cashman opened procedings with 'mandate'; bonuses on Alfred Hitchcock films provided the Oxonians with just the one bonus to start with. Mr Green opened Manchester's account with 'Russia', but they could also manage just one of their resulting bonuses. Mr Rogers, as I did, knew the letter 'W' to only appear in the name of one element but be the chemical symbol of another, and a classic UC bonus set on words differing by the addition of a J at the start proved more to their liking, a full set. The first picture round, on graphs showing the finishing place of teams in the Premier League, went to Manchester; just the one bonus followed again though, leaving their lead at 55-15.
And it increased when Mr Green added 'baited breath' for the next starter, but bonuses on cricket didn't add to it. Mr Booth took the next starter, but, again, nothing came from the bonuses. Ms Johnson then made sure all Manchester players had a correct starter to their name, and European history finally gave them some bonuses they knew, a full set taking them to triple figures. Ms Clarke finally awoke Jesus from their slumbers, but they took just the one bonus. At least they were scoring again now though, as Ms Stevens took a second in a row, and this time two bonuses were converted.
The music round, on pop music tracks that sample 'The Streets of Cairo', went to Jesus, who took another pair of bonuses, though one was a bit generous ('They Must Be Giants' was accepted for 'They Might Be Giants'). Jesus had now recovered to 100-70, but Manchester duly reawoke courtesy of Ms Johnson's answer of 'stegosaurus'; bonuses on the work of Robert Harris gave the Mancunians a full house. Five were then lost to a wrong interruption, but Jesus couldn't capitalise. Another starter was dropped, before Mr Cook (the K on whose nameplate I'm pretty sure was upside down!) ensured all eight players had contributed a correct starter to the match; one bonus was taken. Back came Mr Booth for Manchester, and two bonuses put them in command going into the closing straight.
The second picture round, on films whose plots transpose those of Shakespeare plays, went to Manchester, who took a full house, taking their lead to 165-85. And when Mr Green took the next starter, you suspected they might just now be out of reach, even though just the one bonus followed.
Or maybe not, as they then dropped five on the next starter; Ms Stevens picked up the points, and a full bonus set took them into triple figures and onto the play-offs board. Ms Clarke added another to the Oxonians' score, and another full bonus set meant they could still, just about, catch up yet. Neither side took the next starter though, Mr Cook took the next, but when they only took one bonus, that was game over. Just to confirm, Ms Clarke unluckily lost five on a borderline interruption on the final starter, and Manchester took the points. No time for the bonuses; at the gong, Manchester won 185-145.
A good match, well played by two solid teams, well done both teams. Unlucky Jesus, but a fine effort, and hopefully 145 will be enough for the play-offs, so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Manchester though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Green was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with three. On the bonuses, Jesus converted 14 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Manchester managed 17 out of 30 (with two penalties), and, as I said earlier, all eight players got at least one starter correct.
Next week's match: Durham vs Trinity College Cambridge
Only Connect's return saw the Darksiders play the Suits; the latter had a steady lead after the first round, and maintained it for the rest of the show, ultimately winning comfortably. (This will probably be how I cover OC here from now on, but we'll see)
Jesus College Oxford is the only Oxford college founded during the reign of Elizabeth I, in 1571; alumni include former PM Harold Wilson, former Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson, and journalist Jim Waterson, who represented the college on the show back in the Alex Guttenplan series of 2009-10. It last sent a team to the show in 2014-15, who were narrowly beaten in the first round. This year's foursome were:
Lucy Clarke, from Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Manchester University, founded in its current form in 2004 having been around for over a hundred years in various forms beforehand, is best known on UC for a ten year run of dominance, where they won three times, with a fourth later retroactively awarded, were runners-up once and reached the semis every other series. That run has since ended, though last series, they managed a respectable run to the QFs. This year's quartet were:
Jack Rogers, from Cheshire, studying Maths
Melissa Johnson, from South Africa, studying Economics
Captain: James Green, from the Wirral, studying Modernist Literature
Adam Booth, from West London, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Cashman opened procedings with 'mandate'; bonuses on Alfred Hitchcock films provided the Oxonians with just the one bonus to start with. Mr Green opened Manchester's account with 'Russia', but they could also manage just one of their resulting bonuses. Mr Rogers, as I did, knew the letter 'W' to only appear in the name of one element but be the chemical symbol of another, and a classic UC bonus set on words differing by the addition of a J at the start proved more to their liking, a full set. The first picture round, on graphs showing the finishing place of teams in the Premier League, went to Manchester; just the one bonus followed again though, leaving their lead at 55-15.
And it increased when Mr Green added 'baited breath' for the next starter, but bonuses on cricket didn't add to it. Mr Booth took the next starter, but, again, nothing came from the bonuses. Ms Johnson then made sure all Manchester players had a correct starter to their name, and European history finally gave them some bonuses they knew, a full set taking them to triple figures. Ms Clarke finally awoke Jesus from their slumbers, but they took just the one bonus. At least they were scoring again now though, as Ms Stevens took a second in a row, and this time two bonuses were converted.
The music round, on pop music tracks that sample 'The Streets of Cairo', went to Jesus, who took another pair of bonuses, though one was a bit generous ('They Must Be Giants' was accepted for 'They Might Be Giants'). Jesus had now recovered to 100-70, but Manchester duly reawoke courtesy of Ms Johnson's answer of 'stegosaurus'; bonuses on the work of Robert Harris gave the Mancunians a full house. Five were then lost to a wrong interruption, but Jesus couldn't capitalise. Another starter was dropped, before Mr Cook (the K on whose nameplate I'm pretty sure was upside down!) ensured all eight players had contributed a correct starter to the match; one bonus was taken. Back came Mr Booth for Manchester, and two bonuses put them in command going into the closing straight.
The second picture round, on films whose plots transpose those of Shakespeare plays, went to Manchester, who took a full house, taking their lead to 165-85. And when Mr Green took the next starter, you suspected they might just now be out of reach, even though just the one bonus followed.
Or maybe not, as they then dropped five on the next starter; Ms Stevens picked up the points, and a full bonus set took them into triple figures and onto the play-offs board. Ms Clarke added another to the Oxonians' score, and another full bonus set meant they could still, just about, catch up yet. Neither side took the next starter though, Mr Cook took the next, but when they only took one bonus, that was game over. Just to confirm, Ms Clarke unluckily lost five on a borderline interruption on the final starter, and Manchester took the points. No time for the bonuses; at the gong, Manchester won 185-145.
A good match, well played by two solid teams, well done both teams. Unlucky Jesus, but a fine effort, and hopefully 145 will be enough for the play-offs, so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Manchester though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Green was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with three. On the bonuses, Jesus converted 14 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Manchester managed 17 out of 30 (with two penalties), and, as I said earlier, all eight players got at least one starter correct.
Next week's match: Durham vs Trinity College Cambridge
Only Connect's return saw the Darksiders play the Suits; the latter had a steady lead after the first round, and maintained it for the rest of the show, ultimately winning comfortably. (This will probably be how I cover OC here from now on, but we'll see)
Monday, 19 August 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 6: Edinburgh vs Birkbeck
Evening all. An interesting match up tonight, between two institutions whose last appearance on the show saw them win the series; one was just last year however, the other was way back in the red set era! The winners would go through to the second round, while the runners-up would be aiming for 100 or more to get onto the play-off board.
Edinburgh University was founded in 1582, making it the fourth university in Scotland at a time when only Oxford and Cambridge existed down south. Alumni include quite a lot of writers, including AC Doyle, RL Stephenson and JM Barrie, quite a lot of politicians, including former PM Gordon Brown, my Dad and quite a lot of my friends. Last series, of course, they won the series, winning a good contest against St Edmund Hall. This year's foursome were:
Richard Moon, from North London, studying Classics
Adam McLauchlan, from Edinburgh, studying Chemistry
Captain: Emma Williams, from Brighton, studying Linguistics
Isaac Stevens, from Sutton Coldfield, studying German and History
Birkbeck is a college of the University of London specialising in higher education, mainly operating in the evening to allow for students to hold down jobs too. Alumni include the first Labour PM Ramsay McDonald, current Labour bigwig John McDonnell, TS Eliot and hotel stayer Bear Grylls. Having regularly appeared in the early days of the BBC era, tonight's team was its first since its series win in 2002-03; they were:
Rob Anderson, from Geneva, studying Cognition and Computation
Rosemary Barnett, from Buckinghamshire, studying Historical Research
Captain: Nooruddean Janmohamed, from London, studying Medieval History
Ian Kernohan, from County Antrim, studying History of Art and Architecture
Off we set again then, and Mr Moon was first in to start the game with 'The Leaning Tower of Pisa'; the reigning champs took two of their opening bonuses. Mr Anderson opened Birkbeck's account with 'Dip', and they matched Edinburgh's tally with two bonuses on US presidents. The Scots side duly retook the lead with Mr McLauchlan offering 'heartburn', and took just the one bonus on mnemonics (or 'pneumonics' as Paxo called them!). A repeat performance followed as Mr McLauchlan took another starter and another sole bonus followed. The first picture round, on musical notes, went to Edinburgh, who took a pair of bonuses, taking their lead to 70-20.
It increased as Mr Anderson lost five after making the understandable mistake of thinking Elvis Presley was born in Memphis; Edinburgh couldn't capitalise. Edinburgh returned the favour by dropping five on a last millisecond interruption, and Birkbeck did pick up the points this time; bonuses on elements discovered in Switzerland gave them one bonus. I guessed Solihull for the next starter asking after a borough between Birmingham and Coventry; Mr Stevens did so too, and we were both right. Edinburgh duly took a full bonus set on Anglo Saxon kingdoms. Mr Janmohamed kept his side in the game by taking the next starter; bonuses on Irish philosophers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on acts notably critiqued by music critic Ellen Willis, went to Edinburgh, who took one bonus, taking their lead to 105-50. Back came Birkbeck though, with Mr Janmohamed offering 'curlew', and a full set of bonuses on gardening took them right back into procedings. Mr Moon duly increased Edinburgh's lead though with 'willow', but a bonus set on the 1956 Olympics didn't give the Scots side any further points. Poetry about railways proved more to their liking on their next set, just the one bonus, and another saw them mistake their alumnus RL Stephenson for WT McGonagall, something Paxo suggested the former's aficionados might not find very funny!
The second picture starter, on allegorical paintings depicting the three stages of life, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, which took their lead to 150-75. Birkbeck would need to run the show from now on to stand a chance of catching up; Mr Kernohan duly came in with 'Simon Sebag Montefiore', and two bonuses just about kept them in the game.
But when Mr Kernohan duly got beaten by a swerve on the next question and lost five, that was game over; Edinburgh didn't know the French Horn to be the instrument lampooned by Flanders and Swann in their classic 'Ill Wind'. Not that it mattered, as Mr Moon took the last starter of the game, and the side took one of the two bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Edinburgh won 165-90.
A good enough match I thought, even if a bit low scoring and slow in places. Unlucky Birkbeck, but a fair enough effort, thanks very much for playing. Well done Edinburgh though, and best of luck in the second round.
The stats: Mr McLauchlan was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Moon's four, while Mr Janmohamed was best for Birkbeck with three. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 14 out of 29 (with one penalty), while Birkbeck managed 10 out of 15 (with two penalties).
No show next week, so we're back, I'd guess, on September the 2nd, and an anonymous source tells me Only Connect may be back with it! Still haven't totally decided if I'm going to do full blogs on that this series, I'll keep you posted.
Edinburgh University was founded in 1582, making it the fourth university in Scotland at a time when only Oxford and Cambridge existed down south. Alumni include quite a lot of writers, including AC Doyle, RL Stephenson and JM Barrie, quite a lot of politicians, including former PM Gordon Brown, my Dad and quite a lot of my friends. Last series, of course, they won the series, winning a good contest against St Edmund Hall. This year's foursome were:
Richard Moon, from North London, studying Classics
Adam McLauchlan, from Edinburgh, studying Chemistry
Captain: Emma Williams, from Brighton, studying Linguistics
Isaac Stevens, from Sutton Coldfield, studying German and History
Birkbeck is a college of the University of London specialising in higher education, mainly operating in the evening to allow for students to hold down jobs too. Alumni include the first Labour PM Ramsay McDonald, current Labour bigwig John McDonnell, TS Eliot and hotel stayer Bear Grylls. Having regularly appeared in the early days of the BBC era, tonight's team was its first since its series win in 2002-03; they were:
Rob Anderson, from Geneva, studying Cognition and Computation
Rosemary Barnett, from Buckinghamshire, studying Historical Research
Captain: Nooruddean Janmohamed, from London, studying Medieval History
Ian Kernohan, from County Antrim, studying History of Art and Architecture
Off we set again then, and Mr Moon was first in to start the game with 'The Leaning Tower of Pisa'; the reigning champs took two of their opening bonuses. Mr Anderson opened Birkbeck's account with 'Dip', and they matched Edinburgh's tally with two bonuses on US presidents. The Scots side duly retook the lead with Mr McLauchlan offering 'heartburn', and took just the one bonus on mnemonics (or 'pneumonics' as Paxo called them!). A repeat performance followed as Mr McLauchlan took another starter and another sole bonus followed. The first picture round, on musical notes, went to Edinburgh, who took a pair of bonuses, taking their lead to 70-20.
It increased as Mr Anderson lost five after making the understandable mistake of thinking Elvis Presley was born in Memphis; Edinburgh couldn't capitalise. Edinburgh returned the favour by dropping five on a last millisecond interruption, and Birkbeck did pick up the points this time; bonuses on elements discovered in Switzerland gave them one bonus. I guessed Solihull for the next starter asking after a borough between Birmingham and Coventry; Mr Stevens did so too, and we were both right. Edinburgh duly took a full bonus set on Anglo Saxon kingdoms. Mr Janmohamed kept his side in the game by taking the next starter; bonuses on Irish philosophers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on acts notably critiqued by music critic Ellen Willis, went to Edinburgh, who took one bonus, taking their lead to 105-50. Back came Birkbeck though, with Mr Janmohamed offering 'curlew', and a full set of bonuses on gardening took them right back into procedings. Mr Moon duly increased Edinburgh's lead though with 'willow', but a bonus set on the 1956 Olympics didn't give the Scots side any further points. Poetry about railways proved more to their liking on their next set, just the one bonus, and another saw them mistake their alumnus RL Stephenson for WT McGonagall, something Paxo suggested the former's aficionados might not find very funny!
The second picture starter, on allegorical paintings depicting the three stages of life, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, which took their lead to 150-75. Birkbeck would need to run the show from now on to stand a chance of catching up; Mr Kernohan duly came in with 'Simon Sebag Montefiore', and two bonuses just about kept them in the game.
But when Mr Kernohan duly got beaten by a swerve on the next question and lost five, that was game over; Edinburgh didn't know the French Horn to be the instrument lampooned by Flanders and Swann in their classic 'Ill Wind'. Not that it mattered, as Mr Moon took the last starter of the game, and the side took one of the two bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Edinburgh won 165-90.
A good enough match I thought, even if a bit low scoring and slow in places. Unlucky Birkbeck, but a fair enough effort, thanks very much for playing. Well done Edinburgh though, and best of luck in the second round.
The stats: Mr McLauchlan was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Moon's four, while Mr Janmohamed was best for Birkbeck with three. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 14 out of 29 (with one penalty), while Birkbeck managed 10 out of 15 (with two penalties).
No show next week, so we're back, I'd guess, on September the 2nd, and an anonymous source tells me Only Connect may be back with it! Still haven't totally decided if I'm going to do full blogs on that this series, I'll keep you posted.
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