After a brief respite following the cessation of hostilities which was the Oxfordshire Summer Quiz Leagues, the cudgels were taken up once more last Thursday with the opening of the winter equivalent.

This first week witnessed the staging of the annual ‘Round Britain’ Tabletop, which had been won so conclusively twelve months earlier by those evidently well travelled folks from the Bell (Grove). Sadly, they were unable to defend their trophy and, furthermore, will be absent for the entire campaign due to problems of ill health. They are hoping to renew acquaintances in 2014.

Endeavouring to carry over the domination they so enjoyed in the summer season, in which they lifted the Premier Section crown as well as four other Tabletops, the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) were looking to take advantage of the Bell’s absence to extend their prolific run. There are twice as many teams entered in the winter, and 19 of them took on the Bunch! at four different venues around the county. The Black’s Head (Bletchingdon), the Blue Boar ’A’ (Chipping Norton), and the Green Dragon (Haddenham) all performed admirably on the night to land the spoils in their respective legs, but overall victory was secured at the Green Road Club (Kidlington) where, you guessed it, the Ploughman’s Bunch! powered home to prevail by six points (163-157) from the Windrush Club (Witney) and the Seacourt Bridge (Botley), who ended up in a tie for second. This location actually provided the first five home, with the hosts finishing a creditable fourth on 152 and the White Hart (Eynsham) just behind them on 148.

The sickness afflicting members of the Bell appears to be catching and has unfortunately laid low our question setter. We wish him a swift recovery. The consequence is that there will now be a short interlude of one week in the fixture calendar with the league programme resuming on October 31. A review of the competing teams for 2013/14 alongside my predictions of the likely section winners will now feature in next week’s column.

2013/14 Divisional Line-ups:

Premiership – Plough, Ploughman’s Bunch! (both Wolvercote), Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’ (Oxford City).

Oxford – Green Road Club (Kidlington), Hatchet (Childrey), North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown), Gardeners Arms (North Parade), Black Swan (East Oxford), Far From The Madding Crowd ‘B’.

East – Green Dragon (Haddenham), Eight Bells (Long Crendon), Chandos Arms (Oakley), King’s Arms (Wheatley).

West – Seacourt Bridge (Botley), Royal Sun (Begbroke), White Hart (Eynsham), Windrush Club (Witney), Black’s Head (Bletchingdon), Woodman (North Leigh).

North – Sun Inn (Hook Norton), Chequers, Blue Boar ‘A’, Blue Boar Bees (all Chipping Norton), Bell (Lower Heyford).