Shortly before retiring to bed last Thursday evening, I ventured one last perusal of my ‘inbox’, and discovered a slightly downbeat email from Beth, captain of the Six Bells (Headington).

Although informing me that her side had just prevailed over the Royal Sun (Begbroke), she gloomily forecast that their winning score of 78 would be bettered by fellow Premier Section adversaries, the Chester Arms, thereby allowing the East Oxford outfit to secure the coveted title of 2011/12 Oxfordshire Quiz Champions.

Furthermore, she stated that her team, ‘….were off to slaughter any random caribou, wolverines and hares that we stumble on!’ The premise for engaging in this somewhat bizarre nocturnal activity was fuelled by revenge for a failure to muster more than a solitary point in that night’s Animal Kingdom round.

Well, load up your ‘Twelve Bores’ because the Chester posted a score of 85 in defeating the Bell (Grove) by 14 points and so edged out their gallant rivals to land the richly deserved spoils.

Many congratulations to both contenders for providing such a magnificent climax to the campaign, but in particular the Chester, who had led the division since the third week.

In addition, praise should be heaped on both teams for withstanding the powerful late surge provided by former champs, the Plough (Wolvercote), who ended their defence with an 82-68 dismantling of the Hatchet (Childrey). With the Rock of Gibraltar (Enslow Bridge) having been gifted two points following the late withdrawal by the Highwayman, the Blue Boar (Chipping Norton) had to overcome next door neighbours, the Chequers, to take the honours in the North Division. This they duly accomplished with a 66-51 success, but the ‘Rock’ should take heart from a spirited campaign after several years spent in the doldrums. Despite finishing bottom, the Sun Inn (Hook Norton) ended the season salvaging a modicum of pride following back-to-back wins, the latest a 54-50 triumph over the Woodman (North Leigh).

Entering the last round of fixtures, the odds were heavily stacked against the Windrush Club (Witney) bagging the West Division title. Needing to win at the Crown (Church Enstone), and rely on leaders, the White Hart (Eynsham), coming unstuck at the Gardener’s Arms (North Parade), they unfortunately fell at the first hurdle, suffering a 71-54 battering. The White Hart then confirmed their supremacy with a 69-48 victory, and in so doing retained their crown.

Having already gained the laurels in the East, the Green Dragon (Haddenham), further stamped their authority on the division, despatching basement side, the Gatehanger’s Inn (Ashendon), 72-42. Recovering from a faltering run-in which had seen their championship aspirations dashed, the King’s Arms (Wheatley) narrowly defeated the Eight Bells (Long Crendon), 67-58, confirming these two protagonists as second and third respectively.

Some time ago now, the Green Road Club (Kidlington) acquired the Oxford Division title, and last Thursday they grabbed their thirteenth win with a hard fought 70-66 defeat of the mercurial Seacourt Bridge (Botley). In the only positional change of the night, my lot’s (North Oxford Con Club) 71-47 hammering of the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon), accompanied by the Black Swan’s (Oxford) 49-62 capitulation to the ‘Oakley Army’ (Chandos Arms), meant we leapfrogged into the runners-up berth. Not for us though an exotic menu of Greylag and Teal, we’ll just have to settle for some good old-fashioned ‘roadkill’!

Questions supplied by James Carr