The Teams
Glasgow
Sam McDermott
Grace Sedgwick
Harry Braid (capt.)
Taylor Reece
Goldsmith’s, London
Mila Appleby
Frances Robinson
Jessica Peng (capt.)
Catalia Pliskova
Yes, it’s the reappearance of my old alma mater –
Goldsmith’s College (BA(Hons) English Literature 1983-6). Objectivity goes out
of the window, I’m afraid. Although I did worry for my team when I saw that
three of the team are studying Creative Writing. Nothing wrong with the subject
at all, but it meant that the side looked heavily unbalanced compared with
Glasgow’s. On with the show.
Initial omens were good for Goldies as Jessica Peng buzzed
very early to recognise works all linked by the word Scandal. Would A Scandal
in Bohemia have been one if we’d had the full question? Documentaries that
premiered at the Sundance Film Festival brought one bonus although the team did
talk themselves out of another. Irish born British artist working in the second
half of the 20th century was enough for Harry Braid to get Francis
Bacon for the next starter and Glasgow were off the launch pad. The Economic
Community of West African States, ECOWAS (a new one on me, I’m afraid) brought
Glasgow a well earned full house. Grace Sedgwick recognised various people
linked by the city of Alexandria for the next starter. Bicycle frames,
specifically the alloys used to make them, steadfastly refused to give them any
points. For the picture starter Grace Sedgwick took her double by recognising
the sporting location highlighted on a map of England as Silverstone. Other
venues for grand prix in the first season of the Formula 1 world championships
in 1950 gave me the rare experience of a full house on pictures. Glasgow took
two of them. Technical uses of the word flutter saw Sam McDermott take his
first starter and Goldsmiths lose 5 points. When Amol announced the subject for
the bonuses as being poems about intense nocturnal horse rides I immediately
said ‘Paul Revere’. That was actually the third. Glasgow had that, and also Tam
O’Shanter, but not Robert ‘Gravy’ Browning. So at the 10 minute mark Glasgow
led Goldies by 75 – 10.
If you hear the words Irish folk group and you answer The
Dubliners you’ll be right as often as you’ll be wrong, and Grace Sedgwick did
exactly this and took the next starter. Art movements and their countries of
origin brought two correct answers and put them just one answer away from
triple figures. A lovely old quiz chestnut about the two islands with three
legged symbols on their flags saw Frances Robinson gamble by buzzing early. She
answered the Isle of Man, but gave Corsica as the other and lost 5. Taylor
Reece gave the correct answer of the Isle of Man and Sicily and all members of
the Glasgow team had answered at least one answer correctly. Human biology
netted me a lap of honour around the sofa for knowing that the aqueous humour
is found in the eye. As for the bundle of His, well, I had that one asked me in
my Mastermind final. I was guessing then but still had it right. Glasgow took a
full house. Harry Braid knew that the geographical feature which comes after
the name Mariana has to be trench. Feminist thinker Carol Hanisch brought one
point and we heard Amol, on 13 minutes and 43 seconds issue the dreaded ’plenty
of time to get going” to Goldsmiths. In his first series this imprecation often
had a galvanising effect on teams but those days are, it seems, long gone. Both
teams sat on the buzzer while we heard the unmistakeable Aretha Franklin until
Amol ordered for someone to guess and Harry Braid gave the correct answer.
Other tracks also featuring session musician Tommy Cogbill brought just one
bonus. It was pleasing to see Frances Robinson again buzz early and supply the
surname Brick for the next starter. At least I think that was what she said
(naughty boy, I do apologise.) We both got just one music bonus on Bruce
Springsteen. Frances Robinson buzzed too early on the next starter allowing
Glasgow the full question, where the word ‘soup’ gave away that we were looking
for the word primordial – Taylor Reece tapped that one into the open goal.
Primordial Soup often featured on the school dinner menus when I was a lad, as
I recall. X Ray crystallography brought us both two correct answers. Still
Glasgow continued to pour on the agony for Goldies. Harry Braid supplied the
answer White Rose for the next starter. Single mothers in fiction brought a
single bonus. Which didn’t matter because with the score at 185 to 15 at 20
minutes, the match was over as a competition.
I shan’t lie to you. I was fearing at this point that my
beloved Goldies might be heading for a worst score ever. There didn’t seem to
be any hiatus in the onslaught from Glasgow as Hary Braid weighed in with the
latin word Amicus. Works of authority on the UK’s unwritten constitution
revealed ANOTHER of Amol’s heroes, Walter, ‘Carrier’ Bagehot and brought one
bonus. Nobody recognised a statue of George Frederic ‘Deadman’s’ Handel for the
second picture starter. Harry Braid knew about the opening scene of Chariots of
Fire and this earned the picture bonuses on statues and memorials to composers.
I bet they have the Sibelius monument in Helsinki – said I, having been there a
couple of weeks ago. They did. It was the only one that Glasgow managed. Sam
MDermott knew about the derivation of the word viper. Roman Jewish historian
Josephus brought two bonuses. Finally, at 24 minutes into the competition, with
only 15 points to their name, the shackles came off from the Goldies’ team’s
buzzing fingers. Mila Appleby identified Rastafarianism for the next starter.
With two bonuses they began to pull away from record low score territory.
Captain Jessica Peng buzzed early to identify Descartes maxim cogito ergo sum.
Brueghel’s Hunters in the Snow brought another two bonuses. Catalia Pliskova knew
about the architecture of the CPU and the Goldies’ score was looking more
healthy all the time. 2 bonuses on weaving patterns followed. Goldies were not
quite done, either. Jessica Peng buzzed in very early to identify Queen
Victoria (Gawd Bless ‘Er). A correct answer on UNESCO sites and mining took
them to 90. If they could take the next starter, then an unlikely looking
triple figure total beckoned. But the gong did not allow them this much I’m
afraid. The contest ended with Glasgow winning 235 – 90.
Glasgow delivered a BCR of 53.8% to Goldsmiths’ 50%. As so
often happens it was really the superior buzzing that won the day. Goldies just
didn’t sling enough buzzer until far too late, I’m afraid.
Amol Watch
We weren’t even halfway through when Amol started doing
what he tends to do when one team is getting battered, highlighting the fact
that the team were only just fractionally beaten to the buzzer. It almost acts like
an index – the earlier Amol starts doing this and the more he does it, the
worse you know that he thinks you’re doing.
Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of
The Week
The term viper refers to the fact that most of their young
are born live rather than from eggs hatched outside their bodies.
Baby Elephant Walk Moment
Father and son William and Lawrence Bragg were pioneers in
which specific scientific technology? They were known for encouraging women
into the discipline including Dorothy Hodgkin to elucidate the structure of
vitamin B12, penicillin and insulin? Just about creeps in this one, not the dum
de dum dumest at all.
