Following a three-week break after the conclusion of the Oxfordshire Winter Quiz campaign, a reduced field began the Summer equivalent last Thursday night.

The opening fixture was a travel-themed ‘Tabletop’ held at the Green Road Club, Kidlington, to which all 12 participants attended. It may have been a fresh beginning; however, it was far from providing a change in outcome. Having scooped two gongs in similarly formatted quizzes over the winter to add to the Premiership crown they also secured, the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) totally dominated proceedings.

Nudging into the lead as early as round two, they built on this steadily throughout the evening before putting in a storming last round to win the contest with 147, a convincing 10 points ahead of their nearest challenger and stablemate, the Plough. The hosts put in a spirited effort to take third spot just ahead of the Seacourt Bridge (Botley) with the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown) in fifth.

Performance of the night though surely belongs to the ‘B’ team from Far From The Madding Crowd (Oxford City). They are a young crowd which not all of the questions would suit and over the last couple of seasons they have usually been tailed off in these mass participation contests. So, winding up seventh here was a very creditable result especially as they were five points and three places ahead of their housemate and Premier Section outfit, FFTMC ‘A’!

This week sees the opening round of league matches, the most intriguing of which must be the clash of the titans as the Bunch! and the Plough go head to head. The Black Swan (East Oxford), replete with their own coterie of youngsters, entertains FFTMC ‘A’ whilst FFTMC ‘B’ will look to push on from their inspired heroics seven days earlier as they take on the Con Club.

Favourites in Section One, the Green Road Club, travel to Botley to face their old rivals, the Seacourt Bridge, while the rejuvenated Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) tackle the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon). In the one other tie of the night, the Royal Sun (Begbroke) welcomes the White Hart (Eynsham).

Summer League line-ups: Premier Section: Plough, Ploughman’s Bunch!, Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’ Section One: Gardener’s Arms, Seacourt Bridge, Black Swan, Royal Sun, Green Road Club, Far From The Madding Crowd ‘B’, White Hart, Con Club, Black’s Head

James Carr’s questions

Q. Which country has the International Car Registration, RL?
Q. Who, since 2010, has presented the BBC travelogue documentary series, Great British Railway Journeys?
Q. What is the most famous tourist attraction in Lake Havasu, Arizona?
Q. Who is the chief executive of Irish airline Ryanair?

Answers

Lebanon, Michael Portillo, London Bridge, Michael O’Leary

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