Having played at the Chester Arms for the past few years, the Oxfordshire Winter Quiz League champions have been forced to move home following the closure of that East Oxford pub.

Henceforth, the team will represent the Far From the Madding Crowd, and their and our gratitude goes to the landlord and landlady.

The Far From the Madding Crowd entertained the Black’s Head in the inaugural fixture at their new surroundings, and summarily dismissed a plucky Bletchingdon outfit, 72-55.

This success enabled the victors to maintain their advantage at the top of the Premier Section table although they have played a game more than fellow contenders, the Plough and the Ploughman’s Bunch.

With the latter having a bye, the Plough (Wolvercote) had an opportunity to close the gap on their rivals having sat out hostilities the previous week.

This they duly accepted, racking up an impressive 83 points in despatching the Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) who were far from disgraced however, in amassing 65 in response.

Whenever I comment on a particular side’s resurgence or a decent run of form, it is almost guaranteed that they will suffer a setback in their next outing, so my apologies to the Royal Sun (Begbroke), because after lavishing praise on them in last week’s column, their unbeaten start to the campaign came to a shuddering halt at the Black Swan (East Oxford).

The Section One pace-setters went down 57-73. Taking over the front running duties are the Green Road Club. The Kidlington side routed a surprisingly below-par White Hart (Eynsham), 78-44.

Completing the round-up of results, the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown), having finally secured the services of the peripatetic Coles, beat Seacourt Bridge (Botley), 78-54.

They now have the sole remaining 100 per cent record in Section One.

This Thursday, there is a break from the league format, as all teams go head-to-head in the latest instalment in the series of ‘Tabletop’ themed quizzes. The subject this week is football.

Questions supplied by James Carr