By Bob Hughes
THERE WERE the Batters, The 4 S’s, Northern Lights, Tobbac-end, Limited Edition, Buxtonians, Red Dwarf, Bell Ringers, Cast Off’s and Wee Grey Cells, all battling it out to become the 2004 Royal British Club (RBC) quiz night champions – 10 teams of smarty pants trying to outwit each other to be recognised as the masterminds of Lisbon.
Glyn Lewis, Headmaster of the International Preparatory School in Carcavelos, and his wife Sarah stood in for Andy Bull as this year’s RBC Quizmaster. Glyn warned the contestants that he would be much tougher than Andy had been, which brought some sighs from the teams.
The competition began in earnest with the warm-up round of general knowledge, but even this first round brought some quizzical looks on the contestants’ faces. The following rounds featured questions on books, sport, countries, music, nostalgia, Portugal, West Africa, science and the 60s, 70s and 80s.
The first round saw the Bell Ringers, headed by none other than Father Michael Bullock, streak into a first round lead with seven-and-a-half points. At half-time everyone’s brains were given a break as the contestants and audience enjoyed an excellent meal supplied by the Hotel Baia staff, washed down with some good wine.
The final victors, with 71-and-a-half points were last year’s winners, Tobbac-end, Salim Patel, Barbara Patel, Desi Fletcher and Geoffrey Fletcher. Bell Ringers, Michael Bullock, Peter Hawkins, Hope and Chris Thurlby, came second and the Red Dwarf’s team, Lars Heger, Carolyn Heger, Mark Dawson and Mane Dawson, came third. There was a booby prize for the last team, but to spare their blushes I will not name them. Here are some of the questions that the teams faced:
1. Which sea does the River Volga flow into?
2. Which British sportsman flew into the 1988 winter Olympics?
3. Who composed Firebird?
4. Sir Clive Sinclair invented what form of transport?
5. In which year did Salazar become Prime Minister?
6. In which year did Portugal become a full member of the EU?
7. Give the surnames of the two discoverers of DNA?
8. Which one of the Bee Gees did Lulu marry in 1969?
9. Which British film won an Oscar in 1982 for best film?
10. In which year was the first ‘test tube baby’ born?
Answers:
1. Caspian.
2. Eddie the Eagle Edwards
3. Stravinsky
4. C5
5. 1932
6. 1986
7. Watson & Crick
8. Maurice Gibb
9. Chariots of Fire
10. 1978
