Brain Of Britain - Round One - heat 4

Well, good people and fellow travellers through the magical world that is quizdom, there are no prizes for guessing whom I was supporting in today’s show. Step forward Derek Moody. Derek was runner-up in the Mastermind 2007 SOBM, and showed a magnanimosity and generosity of spirit in his kind words after the show , that I don’t think I could have matched in the same position. He was damn good company in the bar afterwards as well. Definitely one of the good guys

Still, Derek was drawn fourth tonight, and kicking us off was Anne Finch. She stumbled on the first question, and it was Michael McPartland who nipped in quickly knowing that loganberries are named after an American judge. Nobody knew eurythmics, which meant that Michael was so far the only scorer, as he faced his first question. He didn’t quite manage to get Koh-I-noor as Mountain of Light, but Derek did. So three contestants down,and the only points scored so far were bonuses. Derek got his first, but missed out on what Pooh day commemorates. Jamie Johnston knew it was A.A.Milne’s birthday. So my boy Derek led at this stage.

Anne did better in round two, taking the first question, but not knowing that the Long March rockets are Chinese. Jamie knew it. He got a bit of a bouncer on George Lansbury next, which nobody got. Michael took 2 in a row, but Derek was quick in on the buzzer to answer that the City College, demolished in 1902, was actually Newgate prison. However I think that nerves maybe got to him when he failed to get a dictionary definition of a swastika. Anne took that one. Only one point now separated all 4 contestants.

Anne failed her first , when Jamie took a bonus on Lammas Day. Jamie himself failed on the specific events described in Paradise Regained, as did the others. Michael didn’t know that the old green penguins were crime novels, but Jamie , who was picking up a nice little set of bonuses, nipped in again to help himself. Back to Derek again. Derek took his first, but didn’t know that Roderick Maclaine was only one of several people who tried to assassinate Queen Victoria ( Gawd Bless ‘Er ). Anne took that one. So although the positions changed slightly, still only the one point separated the four of them. Anyone’s game.

In the 4th round Anne took the bull by the horns with 4 correct answer, only missing the meaning of the word Mensa in the original latin. Shame on all 4 for not knowing its table ! ( Gratias tibi ago, Mr. Rose ! ) Good set, though. Jamie named one state with a silent S, but missed the other. Derek snapped that one up. He also knew who the father of Antigone was, which Michael didn’t. On his own set he put a nice little run together to take 4 himself, which gave him an outright lead, only missing out on hemlock, given by its latin name. D’oh – latin again !

The listener’s questions were Reginald Fitzurse etc. A little too easy for the contestants, that one, all being Becket’s murderers. Mind you the second was a snorter – at which castle were they thought to have hatched the plot ? Saltwood, apparently. No surprise they didn’t know it.

Back to the competition. Anne was very much in the hunt at the start, but failed on a set of terms for a forward slash punctuation mark. No points for anyone. Jamie Johnson took his first, but didn’t know the Rolls Royce Merlin. Derek did. Michael didn’t know what v/s on a piece of music meant – neither did I, or anyone else. It means turn the page quickly. Derek finished the round taking 1 point, but missing out on the reason why Lake Malawi is called Calendar Lake as well. Its 365 miles long, and 52 miles wide ! Great question. Still, even though the round was low scoring, it was more to Derek’s benefit, as he pushed a little further ahead, leading by 4 with 11.

Anne couldn’t answer what the M in Maser stands for, neither could anyone else. Microwave, apparently. Jamie took one, but didn’t know which Dickens book became a play called The Only Way. It’s a Tale of Two Cities. Michael didn’t know that Byron was Baron Byron of Rochdale. Anne guessed correctly for a bonus. Derek then was asked about the unusual fate of Alexander III of Scotland in 1286. Nobody knew. Except me . ( Honest. ) His horse stumbled over a cliff . Not a great round, and Anne was gaining slightly.

Anne took the sound question to start, and failed to recognise the radio broadcast describing the Hindenburg bursting into flame. Oh the humanity. Derek knew it. Gap restored. Jamie didn’t know that water was used as ballast on airships. Michael took his first, but couldn’t answer who invented the term Wars of the Roses. It was Walter Scott. Derek wasn’t allowed an answer, and Anne given a bonus.

Into the last round, and Derek held a useful 3 point lead. Anne needed to score well on her own set to give herself a chance. She took the first , but didn’t know that Ceratopsian dinosaurs had horns. Jamie knew it. This meant Anne needed to answer bonuses, and hope that Derek didn’t get any. Well, he did. Derek knew Jamie’s question about The Shadow. Michael didn’t know that Brahms wrote A German lullaby, but Jamie did. Derek didn’t know his first , while Anne did. Not quite enough, though. In the end Derek brightened my day by making it through, winning by 13 to Anne’s 11. Good on you , Derek !

The Details

Anne Finch - 11
Jamie Johnston – 9
Michael McPartland – 4
Derek Moody – 13