tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post4257800732153284298..comments2024-03-12T12:54:32.926-07:00Comments on Life After Mastermind: Mastermind Grand FinalLondiniushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871325359167581176noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-9087265035487655192012-05-14T03:33:37.176-07:002012-05-14T03:33:37.176-07:00Nick, you definitely ought to consider the Grand P...Nick, you definitely ought to consider the Grand Prix circuit as you would find some kindred spirits there I'm sure. I was interested by your Billy Bragg reason for doing the Diggers. I came close to picking them for exactly the same reason, and had them earmarked for a future tilt at the title. Alas, as in everything you pipped me to it ;)<br /><br />I've said my congrats to Gary elsewhere, but he really was a worthy winner. And I have no doubt that given a fair wind Andy will lift the title one day.<br /><br />Now back to reality...Gruffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248577840110150085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-66424295885965279292012-05-14T01:09:37.480-07:002012-05-14T01:09:37.480-07:00Hi Dave, Hi Gary
Firstly, enormous congratulation...Hi Dave, Hi Gary<br /><br />Firstly, enormous congratulations to Gary on achieving his long held aim. It wasn't just that he won, it was also the sheer *style* with which he won it - not many could have answered more quickly, that for sure. Absolutely superb, against some top opposition too.<br /><br />Hugh - *me* make it a hat-trick of Radio Addict champions? Not a hope in hell, because I'm just not good enough. And anyway, two previous attempts (where frankly, I exceeded my expectations both times) is enough for me. David and Gary are Premier League quizzers, and I'm only League Two at best.<br /><br />dxdtdemon - OC reunion? Yes please - I'd be there like a shot, if Dave and Gary would have me!<br /><br />Neiluntruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11266605029403876080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-74587676257591356562012-05-12T23:30:41.063-07:002012-05-12T23:30:41.063-07:00Hi Nick - you're very welcome. I'm glad th...Hi Nick - you're very welcome. I'm glad that you enjoyed the final - believe me, they don't come around that often, and you just have to enjoy them. Once again, very well done on a great series.<br /><br />Hi dxdtdemon<br />When we competed in OC Peter, the producer of that series, said it was something that they were thinking about further down the line. However I think that the logical conclusion of this line of thought was the successful wall nights which we saw a little while ago. <br /><br />Who knows what will happen in the future ? I'd never be averse to a reunion, but you'd have to ask Gary and Neil as well.Londiniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871325359167581176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-6659410107406901022012-05-12T12:36:16.263-07:002012-05-12T12:36:16.263-07:00I was hoping that Mark Wyatt's last answer wou...I was hoping that Mark Wyatt's last answer would be accepted so that no one finished last, since everyone played really well. The amount of poise that Gary Grant and Andy Tucker showed throughout the series was amazing, especially Gary's in the semifinal general knowledge round and Andy's in the final after what happened at the end of his SS round. Anyway, congratulations Gary, at least one honorary member of Clan Graham is proud of you.<br /><br />Also, there's a rumor online that non-champion teams on Only Connect will be allowed to compete in future seasons. Will there be a Radio Addicts reunion?dxdtdemonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17534247033439073645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-2153852078896501272012-05-12T11:39:30.818-07:002012-05-12T11:39:30.818-07:00Just a quick note to say thanks for all your gener...Just a quick note to say thanks for all your generous and understanding comments throughout the series.<br /><br />I had three very different and equally enjoyable experiences on the recording days, and was simply delighted to have reached the final, despite an underwhelming performance especially in GK. Gary's performance was awesome in the most literal sense, with Andy and David as very deserving podium-mates. And I got a tweet from Billy Bragg after doing The Diggers as my SS, which has pretty much made my life complete!<br /><br />It has been interesting in all three rounds to meet quiz-leaguers and quiz grand prix-ers. defintely something for me to ponder as I think about, ahem, Life After Mastermind.<br /><br />NickMashamLadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14820553691172007111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-41815430834556368192012-05-12T11:00:10.193-07:002012-05-12T11:00:10.193-07:00Well, if we're on about scottish connections -...Well, if we're on about scottish connections - my grandy Clark was from Dundee - he moved to London in the 30s during the great depression. One of the many great thing sabout my final being filmed in Glasgow was that I could invite my cousins from Gourock and Newport on Tay to the final. <br /><br />However I've already said before that since it was Wales that made me a quizzer, and I've lived in Wales for longer than I lived in England, if I was ever good enough to play internationally it would be for Wales.Londiniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871325359167581176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-8422462661525117172012-05-12T07:42:43.973-07:002012-05-12T07:42:43.973-07:00Apologies to Gary for a) misspelling his name and ...Apologies to Gary for a) misspelling his name and b) revealing Slapgate. Having once ended up with green hair for a week after an am-dram attempt to look younger, I have no shame!<br /><br />My Grandma was from Wick and the Gunn cousins are still there, so I will be wearing Navy Blue at international events for the forseeable future, probably in the aspirational team.tuckerajhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787577490482640500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-90424283465425255262012-05-12T07:40:50.050-07:002012-05-12T07:40:50.050-07:00Just watched it on I-player. Congratulations to a...Just watched it on I-player. Congratulations to all the finalists.<br /><br />Gary - a very deserving and impressive win! <br /><br />Since you won specialist and general individually, there's no need to worry about fairness!<br /><br />My only complaint is if you answer the questions too fast it makes it hard to play along at home lol. A little slower next time would be great. :-)AaronWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10092351779984137119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-40016924900746243982012-05-12T05:23:22.715-07:002012-05-12T05:23:22.715-07:00Congratulations to all the finalists, especially G...Congratulations to all the finalists, especially Gary for a very impressive performance.<br /><br />Whatever one's views are on broad/narrow specialist subjects, there was certainly a wide range of them in the final (with chemistry, biology, art, entertainment and history all represented), which is clearly a good thing. What would happen if, by chance, all six finalists had chosen, say, a literature-related topic?Andrew B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12054400570279868608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-78824977110956925722012-05-12T05:10:13.866-07:002012-05-12T05:10:13.866-07:00Ha ha, thanks for that Andy :-P
Yes, I (in a mome...Ha ha, thanks for that Andy :-P<br /><br />Yes, I (in a moment of madness, and because I was wearing black) had decided to put on some fake tan in the morning of the final. Being a bloke, I did this - shall we say - a touch inexpertly and turned up looking like someone that had been pelted with tangerines by someone with a very bad aim.<br /><br />The make-up lady had to spend a good 20 minutes wiping it all off....<br /><br />I should also have commended Andy for his honesty re the pronounciation question. To do that in such an importnt quiz is a mark of the man - well, he is (according to the vagaries of international qualification in Quizzing) a fellow Scot, so you'd expect no less.....drgaryegranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660095695123216649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-67523344521074489152012-05-12T04:44:53.935-07:002012-05-12T04:44:53.935-07:00Hi Andy.
Commiserations - and yes, it would have b...Hi Andy.<br />Commiserations - and yes, it would have been nice if they hadn't edited that last question. It makes a lot more sense now that you've explained it. Well played, though - as I said an outstanding GK round. <br /><br />Hi Gary - once again many congratulations. We're all really proud of both your achievement, and the manner of your achievement.<br /><br />No, in all honesty I did NOT know the result. I was sure that you and Andy would be at the sharp end of the Final, but which way it was going to pan out I really didn't know. Many thanks for not giving any real clues that might have given the game away - while it's sometimes nice to have insider information I do much prefer to watch the shows as a fan.<br /><br />What next, then ? Brain of Britain, by any chance ? <br /><br />Oh, and one more question, if I may. Why were you looking so pale in the final ? ( see Andy's comment )Londiniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871325359167581176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-12863290379025247792012-05-12T04:10:56.476-07:002012-05-12T04:10:56.476-07:00Thanks Dave, and I hope I managed to keep the resu...Thanks Dave, and I hope I managed to keep the result secret from you - I was worried that you might see through my unusually high level of posting this year! The reason I have been critical at times is only because I care about the show too - winning really is the biggest achievement of my life - and I just wanted that win to be fair, and not spoiled by the show not being a level playing field.<br /><br />Massive commisserations to Andy. Recently we ended up as a 'pair' doing a quiz that Rob Hannah had set, and the fact that he got at least 75-80% of the answers (plus the fact that he usually beats me in the big national quizzes by some margin) just emphasized the point that he is a better quizzer, and that 9 times out of 10 he'd have beaten me. I make no bones about having been tactical all the way through - even the choices of specialist subjects were all chosen with trying to win in mind. I just wonder if all those Azeri names slowed John down a bit on Andy's SS? I wouldn't have scored 16 on his GK set either.<br /><br />Nick too, was unwell, but I only found that after the show from his wife - to his immense credit, he didn't moan about this once, although if you look closely it definitely affected his performance. <br /><br />Speaking of looking closely, anyone who taped it is invited to watch the audience to the right as I walk to the chair for GK. My dad starts clapping (the sound was later edited out) at which point he gets clobbered by my mum - hilarious.<br /><br /><br />Still, I'm delighted to have won, and I remain amazed that my name comes after Jesse Honey and Ian Bayley in the list of winners. Even now it hasn't sunk in. I've always had a competitive streak so I was in 'quiz' solely to try win Mastermind. The plan was always, that if I achieved it I'd retire from quizzing and move on, but I've met so many fabulous people through quizzing - and I miss them. So, I will be at the World Quiz Championships in June. As many have told me, once a quizzer, always a quizzer.....<br /><br />Thanks to everybody again for your kind words, and I'm proud to have won for both Scotland and the Radio Addicts! Shame I slept in for my interview on BBC Breakfast this morning.....drgaryegranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660095695123216649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-88823035801348325662012-05-12T02:08:28.505-07:002012-05-12T02:08:28.505-07:00oh, and thanks to David Love for picking such a fa...oh, and thanks to David Love for picking such a fantastic specialist subject. I still have my dad's old Tom Lehrer albums, much prized possesssions I can assure you!Ewan Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15634824712637908230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-63707012091468829462012-05-12T01:59:30.386-07:002012-05-12T01:59:30.386-07:00Great to see a Scottish winner, fantastic performa...Great to see a Scottish winner, fantastic performance from Gary, a deserved winner. His speed of recall, as well as the depth and extent of his knowledge, was formidable. Hard luck to Andy Tucker, I have a feeling he could go one better next time, if he decides to give it another go. I've heard a rumour that Andy has Scottish blood too and has been the subject of a transfer bid by the Scottish national quiz team? A top quality signing if true!Ewan Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15634824712637908230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-77343216738755628432012-05-11T15:34:58.639-07:002012-05-11T15:34:58.639-07:00Thank you David
a fascinating outside analysis on...Thank you David<br /><br />a fascinating outside analysis once again.<br /><br />First of all, I have no doubt that Garry is the worthy champion. His focus and drive were admirable, and the speed of his answers earned him the crown.<br /><br />He also coped with the delay of forty-five minutes for a lighting change far better than the rest of us.<br /><br />Hugh's comments are kind too.<br /><br />You may have noticed a very rough edit at the end of my first round.<br />JH continued "...or did I pronounce it wrongly?" To which the only honest answer was "No, I got the wrong one." Shame they cut it.<br /><br />Next time you see Garry, ask him why he looked so pale.<br /><br />Andytuckerajhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787577490482640500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-41447946337135762062012-05-11T15:21:09.837-07:002012-05-11T15:21:09.837-07:00Hi Hugh - Hi Jack
Well, Hugh, that's all down...Hi Hugh - Hi Jack<br /><br />Well, Hugh, that's all down to the Legend, whether he feels like having another go. It would be quite something, though.<br /><br />Yes, it did occur to me that Andy suffered from overly long questions. Out of all of tonight's subjects I would have gone first and foremost for Gary's. I'm not an expert on whales at all, but I still managed 10 of them.<br /><br />It IS fun Jack, in a sado masochistic kind of way. As long as you actually enjoy the discipline of learning a new subject. It's certainly quite a talking point when you've been on the show.Londiniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871325359167581176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-11489591360590172402012-05-11T14:43:49.642-07:002012-05-11T14:43:49.642-07:00Yes, very well done to Gary Grant; a well earned w...Yes, very well done to Gary Grant; a well earned win. I was routing for him throughout.<br /><br />As I've said over on Online Writings, I may consider applying for the next series of Mastermind, seeing as I'm old enough now. It sounds like fun.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06254840979557920582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401280171563686515.post-69185505836545703812012-05-11T14:36:28.963-07:002012-05-11T14:36:28.963-07:00Well done to Dr Grant!
I didn't see the first...Well done to Dr Grant!<br /><br />I didn't see the first few specialist subject rounds (I'll have to watch it because I love Tom Lehrer) but I felt Andy Tucker's questions were very long indeed, which made it a shame that he couldn't get into the game. I don't mean at all to detract from Gary Grant's performance, which was obviously excellent and deserving of the win. <br /><br />One of the many reasons I could not win this show is that I would be compelled to correct John Humphrys' pronunciation of Bryde's Whale.<br /><br />Anyway, well done once again to the winner. Are we going to get a full set of Radio Addict Mastermind Champions?HughTubehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02159363601030942474noreply@blogger.com