Thank you BBC - you took your flipping time !

At long last the BBC has updated their Mastermind website. This week, in the second half of 2008, they have finally got around to crediting me as the 2007 champion. I will admit to sending them 4 emails in the last three weeks complaining about the website, although I'm not saying that this is the reason why they have at last got round to changing it. My three predecessors, Geoff Thomas 2006, Patrick Gibson 2005, and Shaun Wallace 2004 all get pages to themselves. Not me. I don't know what I've done to upset the BBC. Perhaps its because I couldn't go and present the prizes in the final this year.

Despite being back at school its been a busy quiz week.Last Sunday John and I admitted defeat, and returned to the Pheasant. The Sunday before we had visited the Pant Mawr Inn near Rhwbina. The question master announced the final positions thus,
"Now, in second place, we have ( can't remember the name of the team) You've got a choice, boys. Do you want a bottle of red wine, or a bottle of white ? Red ? Ok. Now, your winners, with 43 points, are the Boyks. You two have got a choice. Do you want to take the £15 or put it in the charity box ?"

30 pairs of eyes bored into my back. I admit it, I was a coward. the money went in the charity box, and we slunk away with our tails beneath our legs. At least the 2nd place team had a bottle of wine to go away with. We got nothing.

The previous 2 quizzes we'd been to in the Pheasant in August had been awful, but it was a good quiz last Sunday. We won the three general knowledge rounds, all of which were varied and interesting.

Then Monday, and a big money quiz at the Pill Harriers Rugby Club in Newport. All of the best quizzers in South Wales were there, and CJ de Mooi from Eggheads. We drew with his team to share the first and second prizes between us. We had 5 members on our team, and they had 9. You do the maths. Of course there were no handicaps. You wait until tomorrow night.

Wednesday Night saw me put in a 'personal appearence'. John, my best quiz friend, puts on a quiz in the Caswell Clinic in the Glanrhyd Hospital in Bridgend for the Friends of Glanrhyd Hospital and patients. He asked if I'd come along as a 'celebrity' guest, along with former Wales Rugby Union and Rugby League international player John Devereaux. I tell you what - some of those old dears on the other teams don't half take their quiz seriously ! They were a little put out that we won the cup at our first attempt. Not that it makes a lot of difference. the cup will stay in the clinic anyway, and be awarded again to the next winners in a couple of months' time

Finally, it was my turn to be question master on Thursday night in Aberavon Rugby Club. The four best quizzers, not including myself, who normally take part in the quiz were all absent, so a close, and fairly low scoring quiz followed. The quiz was a mixture of good oldies from the TV Top of the Form books, and newer stuff from a variety of sources. Joy of joys, a team who have won about five times in the last ten years won ! As long as it happens when I'm asking the questions, and not when I'm playing in the quiz, then I love it when that happens.