The curtain came down on the regular league campaign last Thursday leaving just two weeks of mass participation quizzing before a fortnight’s break and then the commencement of the Summer Leagues.

With the Premiership championship already in the bag, The Plough (Wolvercote) were perhaps a trifle complacent as they went down 79-71 to in the encounter with their stablemate and chief rival The Ploughman’s Bunch!

The latter, of course, would argue that having outscored their nemesis over the season, 1294-1256, they are the better side. Certainly, on this occasion, they were in the ascendancy, seeing off the champions-elect, 79-71. The Bunch! however, will have to bite their tongue come the Presentation Evening.

The Black Swan (East Oxford) are a very fine outfit. Well, at least they are every time they play my lot, The North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown). A convincing 77-67 victory over us was, sadly for them, not enough to clinch the title in the East (that honour going instead to their defeated opponents), a quest which somewhat fell apart when Cap’n Conway voyaged ‘Down Under’ earlier in the year.

The Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) wound up in the runners-up spot in this section courtesy of a 71-53 thrashing of The King’s Arms (Wheatley). They too had their chances to lift the silverware but when the heat was really on in the run-in, they lost three in a row and with that their hopes were scuppered.

Elsewhere, The Chandos Arms (Oakley) celebrated their first success over The Eight Bells (Long Crendon) in more years than General Mole cares to remember. His team’s 66-64 victory ‘creaming’ (his words!) was their career highlight!

In another pulsating contest, The White Hart (Eynsham) almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, surviving a great fightback by the Chequers (Chipping Norton) to prevail on the last question, 61-60.

North champs The Blue Boar Bees (also ‘Chippy’) finished off proceedings in fine style as they walloped nearish neighbours The Sun (Hook Norton) 67-65, whilst The Royal Sun (Begbroke) concluded their successful run to the laurels in the West with a comprehensive 75-58 dismantlement of another good outfit, The Windrush Club (Witney).

Premiership unit The Royal Blenheim A (Oxford City) got the better of a spirited Green Road Club (Kidlington), 77-65, but in their final game before disbandment (as the soon-to-be-graduated seek fame and fortune), The Royal Blenheim B (aka ‘The Young Un’s’), succumbed to that slightly more erudite crew from Botley, The Seacourt Bridge, 53-63.

In the one remaining match, The Black’s Head (Bletchingdon) chopped down The Woodman (North Leigh) 68-56.

A special mention finally to Nick and Chris of the Royal Blenheim A. Along with three other members of their bridge club, they crushed the Eggheads in a recent edition of this eponymous BBC2 quiz show, scooping the £11,000 jackpot in the process. Commendably, they were acknowledged by their vanquished foe as one of the best challengers ever to grace the programme. That white-haired scientist gentleman sat on the end was simply awesome!

Q. Kays of Scotland have been the exclusive manufacturer of which item of sporting equipment for the Olympic Games?

Q. Aloo Gobi is an Indian dish made with potatoes and which vegetable?

Q. Who, in 1985, was re-elected president of the ANC, returning to South Africa on 13th December 13, 1990 after more than over 30 years in exile?

Curling stones; cauliflower; Oliver Tambo