MARY English, a kind and loving Irish lady, together with her husband, Pat, used to run the now defunct Grandpont Arms in Edith Road, South Oxford.

She was a staunch supporter of the Oxfordshire Quiz Leagues, sponsoring her own team.

Sadly, Mary died a few years ago and traditionally at this time of year, the Mary English Valentine’s Tabletop is held in her honour.

Last Thursday witnessed the latest renewal with sides gathered at venues in East Oxford, Kidlington and North Leigh.

Although not entered for the current league campaign, the Bicester Civil Service accepted an invitation to participate, quite fitting in a way, in that it was they who defeated the Grandpont Arms in a memorable Finals Night showdown shortly before Mary passed away.

On this occasion however, ultimate success was to elude our guests, but they did manage a very creditable third. The leg played at Kidlington Green Social Club provided the eventual winners, as stablemates the Plough and the Ploughman’s Bunch! traded blows all evening before the latter just shaded it at the end.

Mention should also be made of the Black Swan (East Oxford) and the Crown (Church Enstone) who won their respective heats but failed to score heavily enough to claim podium places.

This week, teams re-engage for round 11 out of 18 league fixtures.

In the Premiership, victories for the front-runners, the Plough, and for third and fourth placed Ploughman’s Bunch! and the Bell (Grove) are expected, but Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’ (Oxford City), currently occupying second, face a tricky tie at basement but dangerous side, the Hatchet (Childrey). Defeat for the visitors could jeopardise their hopes of retaining the title they secured last year.

The Blue Boar has a commanding lead atop the North Division. For their nearest challengers, the Crown, to have any chance of denting their championship aspirations, they will be praying for the ‘Chippy’ outfit to come unstuck at the Windrush Club (Witney), while the Crown seek to upset the King’s Arms (Wheatley) – no easy task.

The West Division is fast developing into a two- horse race between the Windrush and the White Hart (Eynsham).

Each would consolidate their position should they prevail against the Blue Boar and the Chequers (Chipping Norton), respectively. Pacesetters a few weeks ago, four successive defeats have seen the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon) tumble to third and almost out of the quest for honours. With confidence perhaps low, a visit to the Ploughman’s Bunch! is far from the perfect antidote.

One of the more intriguing match-ups looks to be the ‘Battle of the Greens’ – Green Road v Green Dragon (Haddenham), arguably, on their day, the best two teams outside the Premiership. Both protagonists could do with a win to bolster their hunt for silverware, more so the former, as they seek to repulse the challenges from the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown) and the Seacourt Bridge (Botley). Victory for the ‘Dragon’ and the East Division would look to be at their mercy.

Questions by James Carr