Inter-House Quiz - October 2009

Date: Thursday 15 October 2009

For nearly 30 years the Inter-House Quiz has introduced a very different element, and some very different personnel, into inter-House rivalry. Over the years, the allegedly 'sporting' houses like Baker have rarely shone in this competition - only one win in three decades! - and the seasons have been dominated by Warneford and Wagner. This year Warneford drew level with Wagner with twelve wins each, as John Bungay's team won two very narrow victories to retain the trophy.

We welcomed back the doyen of the St Edmund's quiz world, Mr Ian Thompson to help with running the afternoon, and he kept the score in three ties, each of which went to the last round of questions in the allotted 30 minutes. In the first semi-final Baker beat Watson by 400 points to 350, with Tom Vafidis being marginally faster than Freddy White on the buzzer. Ben Pape's considerable range of knowledge helped Baker to build on those starters.

The second match was even closer, with Warneford edging out Wagner by just 20 points, 330 - 310. Had Wagner managed a bonus on their last starter, they would have gone through. Ben Clark had a 'purple patch' midway through the contest to give Warneford just enough of a margin to win.

The final, played in front of a depleted audience of four, was a third nailbiter, with the Bungay, Scott Deuchar, Clark and Hitchcock quadrumvirate claiming the spoils, by 490 - 440, after some maximums, thanks again to Ben Clark, who grew in confidence as the session progressed. Vafidis, Pape, Goodmaker, and Lawrence fought all the way - it was 'nip and tuck' with the lead changing hands consistently, until time ran out with Warneford 50 points to the good.

Good fun all round, with not too much Paxman-like vituperation on the part of questionmaster David Knight - I hope! With a squad selected from these 'men of memory', we could do well in the Schools' Challenge season in the second half of term. Incidentally, where were the girls? Not one appeared among the sixteen quizzers on display.