2017/2018 - the nominations


To kick off the season The Pack Horse Bowling Club included the following in an otherwise very good set of questions:

How did Ospreys and Wales rugby union player Scott Baldwin pick up an injury recently, prompting his coach to say it was one of the stupidest things he'd ever heard?

He was bitten on the hand by a lion whilst patting it on the head like an overgrown pussycat on a visit to a game reserve

Grays and Dita are well known manufacturers of what sporting equipment?

Hockey sticks

Two more nominations from round 2 of the cup:
Reba McEntire was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in which year. (Accept 2010–2012)
2011

Author Sarah Perry's second novel is, according to the Guardian Review, a gothic Victorian tale in which a village in SE England is "terrorised by a winged leviathan". What is the title of the novel? The Essex Serpent

The 2016/17 Season Nominations

By the half-way mark this season only one nomination has been received although the setter is rather indignant about this:

How many British Prime ministerships (ie Harold Wilson counts as 2) have there been according to www.gov.uk

set by the Harrington Academicals

The above sets a high standard but is perhaps trumped by the following from The Brewers:

1965 saw the last Christmas Day feature played in the English Football League, name either of the sides involved

BLACKPOOL, BLACKBURN ROVERS (Blackpool won 4-2) The second round of the season got off to a remarkable start with the following question set by the Cock-A-2: 1. What is the number of the OS Landranger 1:50,000 map which includes Macclesfield? 118 This was unanimously accepted as a nomination for the coveted armadillo trophy although the next question although the following question would also qualify had it not been answered by Mr Google Earth Tomo: To the nearest whole number, what is the latitude of Macclesfield? 53N: (53.2587N. Do not insist on the “N”!)

The 2015/16 Season–Nine Banded Armadillo Nominations

8th December – the Cock put in a gallant entry for the trophy with the following:
How many points is the letter Z worth in the Polish edition of Scrabble?
ONE
From the Plate final:
“What was the name of the Irish Setter which was poisoned after appearing at Crufts?
Jagger”
Either the Nags Head or the Cock-A-2 – who will own up?
My mistake see below - it was the Dolphin

From 10th November, set by the Waters Green Rams:
“The first question asked by Magnus Magnusson on Mastermind, in 1972, was virtually the same as the last question asked by him on his regular TV series in 1997. What was the subject of the question, also the basis of a question in tonight’s quiz?
PICASSO’s painting of GUERNICA”

Another Nomination!!

The questions for 13th January attracted the following nomination (Science Q3)

"In terms of diameter, how many times larger than the moon is the Sun?"

It will be a tricky decision at the end of the season!!

The 2014-15 Season–volume 1

 

The first three games of the season attracted the following nominations:

 

Cucumber Time is the dull season in which trade?

TAILORING

What type of creature is a Kalong?

BAT

In a September 2014 production of Shakespeare’s Richard The Third, animal welfare group PETA complained about the ill-treatment of, specifically, which animals?

A. GOLDFISH

In Coronation Street, what is the name of Ken & Deirdre Barlow’s dog?

A. ECCLES

Norman Brookes was the winner of the title (under its previous name) in 1911. A trophy named in his honour is now presented annually to the winner of which competition?

A. AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S SINGLES TENNIS TITLE (It was previously known as the Australasian Championship)

18th March–Away to the Knot Knowalls

 

And finally although there were no serious objections to the questions, there is another nomination for the nine-banded armadillo!! Yes, “What was Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s first son called?” (Q33 General Knowledge – one almost wonders if this was a deliberate entry to the armadillo challenge!!). No doubt everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting to hear the answer which apparently was Sonny.

Yes another buried knob of knowledge has been mined by the Prince of Wales to gain entry to this thrilling competition. Only two more weeks to go for entries!!!

OUR FIRST NOMINATION

On 29th November question 93 in the General Knowledge:

What is the fastest living thing in the world, a plant which releases its pollen at over half the speed of sound? Answer: WHITE MULBERRY TREE (accept Mulberry)
Amazed this was not picked up earlier – the additional comment was made “The generosity of accepting “Mulberry” alone is just as staggering as being expected to know the white mulberry”.

The following supporting comments were added:

So, 'twould seem that this question had some 'scientific' background to it .... (see below)  But, how were we as quizzers supposed to guess unless you actually had read 'Sexual Plant Reproduction' Volume 19, number 1 and then alighted on pages 19 to 24?  Sadly, I had let my subscription to this wonderful magazine lapse as part of the general belt-tightening exercises of 1992.
I think I'll stick to remembering Rolls-Royce part numbers from their 1932 catalogue!
Pat Jeater
The white mulberry is scientifically notable for the rapid plant movement involved in pollen release from its catkins. The stamens act as catapults, releasing stored elastic energy in just 25 µs. The resulting movement is approximately 350 miles per hour (560 km/h), over half the speed of sound, making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom.^[5]

Taylor, Philip; Gwyneth Card, James House, Michael Dickinson, Richard Flagan (2006-03-01). "High-speed pollen release in the white mulberry tree, Morus alba L". Sexual Plant Reproduction 19 (1): 19–24.

25th November "According to Andrew Marr what did Roy Jenkins replace with a fridge for his wine?A BOARD ON WHICH WERE WRITTEN THE NAMES OF ALL THOSE BRITISH PRISONERS COMING UP TO BE HANGED"