There was a break from league action last Thursday as a majority of teams assembled at a number of locations around the county to compete for the Dave Jordan Memorial Trophy.

This ‘Tabletop’ was named in honour of a great stalwart of Quizland who sadly passed away a few years ago.

The eclectic mix of questions accurately reflected Dave’s wide range of interests and hobbies covering, principally, science, music (rock and folk), travel and nature.

Fittingly, the side Dave played with, currently representing the Eight Bells, Long Crendon after a peripatetic voyage around many of the now regrettably boarded up hostelries of Haddenham, convincingly took the honours in the leg staged at the King’s Arms (Wheatley). Their total of 135 was nine in front of the Chandos Arms (Oakley) with the hosts trailing a further seven behind. This impressive score was, however, good enough for only fifth spot on the general classification.

In the north of the region, at the Blue Boar, Chipping Norton, the Sun (Hook Norton), belying their lowly divisional status, sprang perhaps the surprise of the evening by getting the better of their three opponents as they racked up 131 points, four ahead of the home outfit’s 127 with the Chequers (also ‘Chippy’) a close third and the Woodman a somewhat remote fourth.

Perhaps rather predictable, the gathering at the North Oxford Conservative Club, Summertown, provided the overall winners; in fact the first four home emerged from there. Pretty much from start to finish, those two Wolvercote housemates, the Plough and the Ploughman’s Bunch! dominated affairs. Entering the final round they were inseparable but a barnstorming finale from the Bunch! presented them with the silverware, posting a mightily impressive 149, with the Plough left licking their wounds on 142. The Green Road Club (Kidlington) performed creditably to snatch third just ahead of local rivals, the Royal Sun (Begbroke) with the home team taking fifth.

Possibly the most notable feature was that the Royal Blenheim ‘B’, aka ‘The Young ‘Un’s’, and minus ‘Doctor Tim’, did not finish bottom! Not only did they avoid such ignominy, they wound up in front of four other teams including their own distinguished, although severely under-manned, stablemate, the Blenheim ‘A’.

One of the hitherto unbeaten records in the league will perish this week as Premier Section top dogs, the Plough, entertains pacesetters in the North, the Blue Boar Bees. It will be a good opportunity for the Bees to pit their wits against a quality line up and provide a measure as to how far they themselves have progressed.

James Carr’s questions

Q. Which hit record includes the line ‘take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship’?
Q.  How is the chemical compound magnesium sulphate better known? 
Q. What is the unit of currency in Hungary?
Q. Name the carnivorous mammal of the genus Canis, which also includes the wolf, dog, and coyote. The three main species are the closely related black-backed, side-striped and the golden?

ANSWERS: A Mr Tamborine Man B. Epsom Salts C. Forint D. Jackal