University Challenge 2025 - Round 1 - Oriel, Oxford v. Durham

The Teams

Oriel, Oxford

Samin Taseen

Theo Sharkey

Danaan Kilburn (Capt.)

Tom Armstrong

Durham University

Joe Ancell

Amelia Brookfield-Pertusini

Jake Roberts (Capt.)

Luke Nash

Well, it’s been a week or two since we saw a runner up team score enough to have realistic hopes of a repechage slot. Maybe tonight would be different.

Luke Nash came in too early for the first starter about a city on the Tagus and missed the key information that it was home to El Greco for some years. This allowed Samin Taseen in with Toledo to earn bonuses on works on colour. They took two, but should have had a full house, a salutary lesson on the value of nominating the person who gave the answer to say the answer. Amelia Brookfield-Pertusini knew that Annie Ernaux won the 2022 Nobel Prize for Literature. Drinking establishments in the works of Charles Dickens were all gettable, but Durham only got the one. A good early buzz from Joe Ancell identified the chess term pin. Handel gave us both a full house. For the picture starter Luke Nash identified the old county flag of Middlesex. I was born in what was then Middlesex but became Greater London when I was 1. Which is probably why I always say I’m from London while my parents, born in virtually the same place, said they came from Middlesex. Anyway, more old county flags brought two correct answers for Durham on what I thought was by no means an easy set. Nobody knew biotin for the ridiculously long starter that followed. A very early buzz from Theo Sharkey identified people linked by the surname Cavendish. I didn’t understand any of the cell biology questions that followed but Oriel took a full house. So on ten minutes Durham had a tiny lead of fifty to forty five.

Both Tom Armstrong and I knew the film director Spike Lee (not personally ) for the next starter. The Chagos Archipelago – which was not the name of a 70s prog rock band surprisingly – brought a full house to Oriel. Jake Roberts knew that you find Harris lines on bones. So named after Dave Harris, a milkman I worked with as a kid who was a notorious teller of tall tales. All the time I knew him he swore blind that he drove the first underground train into Heathrow. But I digress. Headingley brought 2 bonuses. If you’re asked for a classical epic, buzz and mentally flip a coin between the Iliad and the Odyssey. Amelia Brookfield-Pertusini zagged correctly with the Iliad. Saints’ days brought another two bonuses, and Durham were unlucky to just miss out on St. Brice’s Day. So to the music starter. Joe Ancell knowns his Brahms from his Liszt, correctly identifying the latter. Other works which the composers dedicated to their teachers who were also composers brought, well, yes, two bonuses.The world’s oldest continuously inhabited is Damascus. It’s an old stager and Jake Roberts won the buzzer race. Agricultural innovaters brought (say it quietly) two bonuses. It was at this stage that Amol unleashed full strength encouragement upon Oriel, some sixty odd points in arrears at this point. It seemed to work too as Tom Armstrong came up with the correct answer of Justice to the next question on philosophy. Renaissance cartoons brought two much needed correct answers. Tom Armstrong took his double with refractive index for the next starter. Fallen idols brought a full house, and those two or three minutes’ good work ensured that the gap had shrunk. By the 20 minute mark Durham led, but only by 130 – 115.

The second picture round starter showed us a photo of Frank Capra. Nobody recognized him. The next starter showed Amol being generous when Theo Sharkey decided to join in with Tom Armstrong when answering the question. Both knew that if it’s a literary question about an early president you’ll be right more often than you’re wrong with Jefferson. Stills from great Frank Capra films brought nowt. Again, Amol correctly disallowed A Wonderful Life for It’s A Wonderful Life. Samin Taseen knew that the last dynasty to rule the Byzantine Empire was the Palaeologi – gesundheit. That brought Oriel the lead and two bouses on extraterrestrial features increased it. Joe Ancell decreased it by recognising a reference to Hokusai. A full house on Bennington College gave Durham back the lead. A lead which was wiped out by Tom Armstrong as he gave the mathematical term roulette. A full house on English cheeses was taken in short order, and Oriel were back ahead. Jake Roberts played a captain’s innings to buzz early with the term concentration. Tattooing only provided one bonus and the scores were now tied. I’ll be honest, I shouted Norwich as soon as Amol mentioned Julian and Revelations of Divine Love. And winning the buzzer race for this most crucial of starters was Theo Sharkey. Pigments used by L.S. Lowry brought two bonuses. Durham could do it, but they needed a full house. Was there enough time left? Jake Roberts again took a flier on the next starter. It was the right thing to do, even though it didn’t come off this time. This allowed Tom Armstrong to seal the deal by identifying the Tenor clef. Insect anatomy did not do much damage before the gong ended proceedings. Oriel won a superb match by 200 – 165.

Surely Durham will be back with that score. Both teams had a BCR of 67. It could have gone either way, but it’s Oriel who deservedly go straight through.

Amol Watch

I agree with Amol that the Wittgenstein answer just wasn’t quite close enough. It’s still a novelty when Amol calls the team members by their first names, as he did here.

Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week

The name for the traditional tattooing practised by Maori people is Ta Moko.

Baby Elephant Walk Moment

In cell biology a variant of what molecule is used to label proteins in a technique know as apex proximity labelling? Proteins labelled with this molecule are purified by binding them to avidin or streptavidin. A deficiency of this molecule, also known as vitamin B7 can cause hair thinning, brittle fingernails and skin rashes . . . The question wasn’t even finished yet as Joe Ancell was penalised for buzzing in now. For heaven’s sake – the programme is only half a hour long as it is! Dum de dumdum dum dum dum dum dumdum.