The Editor was rather nervous about being the only player in the wall…

2005:2 1 The Mighty Jagrafess 1 Membership matters 2 Letters, news and views 5 Minutes of Annual General Meeting 2005 7 Mastermind Club Web Group 8 Photographic Memories 10 Master Quiz/Magnum 2005 Results 11 Master Quiz, 2005 Round 1 Answers 13 The House of St Barnabas in Soho 14 Mugnum 2005 Questions 16 Don’t Put Me On A Pedestal 18 Damn and Blast (A Carlisle Curse) 19 John Wyndham 21 Thompson 22 Brian Bovington: An Appreciation 23 Paul Overall 24 Crossword by Gadfan IBC Answers and Results of A–Z Statespersons Quiz BC Dutch People Quiz

Officers and Committee President Craig E. Scott

Hon. Vice-Presidents Dr. K Gerald Powell-MacKenzie

Tony Dart

Secretary Gavin Fuller Treasurer Paul F. Henderson

Membership Secretary Peter W. J. Chitty Editor of pass Ken Emond Committee Members Patricia Owen

Ann Kelly

Phillida Grantham

Alan D. Blackburn

Club Shopping

All prices include postage and packing. Send a cheque with your order, payable to the Mastermind Club, to:

Phillida Grantham

£ Ties Silver (single-logo) 6.00

Maroon (multi-logo) 7.00

Royal Blue (multi-logo) 7.00

T- Shirts White on dark navy (L, Xl, XXL) 6.00

Rugby shirts Burgundy (L, XL) 18.00

Kelly green (XL) 18.00

Sweatshirts Oatmeal (L) 15.00

Red (L, XL) 15.00

Jewellery Cufflinks 10.00

Key rings 5.00

Tie clips 7.00

Stick pins 6.00

Pens White with logo 6.00

pass and its contents are ©2005 by the Mastermind Club except where noted. Contributions are welcome but may be edited or held over owing to space limitations. Check with the Editor for advice on the format of contributions. All material is published at the sole discretion of the Editor and Committee. Copy deadlines are the last days of January (Issue 1), April (2), July (3), and October (4). Publication is normally 4–6 weeks later. Please notify the Secretary of any problems in receiving pass (allow an extra week or two for printing and postal delays).

The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe Ken E

o don’t worry, I am not getting an inflated sense of my own position, and am not likely to start expecting to be addressed as the Mighty Jagrafess (a.k.a. The Editor in Chief, from an episode of the recently revived Doctor Who). This has been a fascinating return to my childhood, as I got the same occasional thrill that I remember threatening to send me scurrying behind the sofa. But given the Editor’s fate in the programme, I think I will be keeping more of a

low profile. Another recent programme on television reviewed the history of the game show experience, allowing me to wallow in a bit more nostalgia. Not just the old familiar voice announcing “From Norwich, it’s the Quiz of the Week”, but another old favourite featured was Jeux Sans Frontieres. Modern health and safety rules would doubtless preclude that being revived, but many a childhood hour was spent enjoying the antics, the international rivalry and the infectious (or, to some, incessantly awful) laughter of Stuart Hall. You will readily guess from all of this that these programmes would not be among my candidates for Room 101, but in this issue Lance Haward gives us an insight into what he proposes to send there, while Terence Kane adds to the growing list of ‘un-favourite things’. It will, no doubt, open a fruitful line of future discussion, and I would welcome further contributions either on the lines of the joys of childhood memories revived or offerings for Room 101. Also in this issue are some memories of the Annual Reunion in Gateshead, Gill Woon’s interview of the reigning Mastermind Champion, Shaun Wallace, and an appreciation of Brian Bovington’s contribution to the Club. Very kindly stepping in to fill the back-page void with a quiz on Famous (and not-so-famous) Dutch people is Marga Scott. It would be good if other contributors willing to give us a bit of entertainment with their own brief quiz contributions would kindly step forward.

mond, Editor

N

Apologies are due to Timothy Robey for the misprints in the first and last lines of his poem, Brian, published in the last issue. As he rightly points out the scansion of the poem was affected and I should take this opportunity to point out that the fault was mine, and was inadvertent (not due to misplaced editing). The first line should have read: “Oh what rolling-deck adventures” and the final verse should have read:

Brian Boru, once King of Ireland, Daugherty and Appleyard, Aldiss, Statham, Close and Redhead — Finding more is far too hard. Note: Just to reiterate my standard refrain, I particularly welcome submission by e-mail (to kene@britac.ac.uk), but I am, of course, happy to hear from everyone in hard copy instead for those who don’t use e-mail.

Membership matters Peter Chitty, Membership Secretary

he Gateshead Weekend went very well and I enjoyed it very much. It was very nice to meet old friends and new, and even the weather behaved itself. Thanks, Gavin, for a well-organised weekend. I am already looking forward to Norwich.

T I have had no response so far from any of the contestants in the current series, to the new “flier” (leaflet) that replaced the more formal letter that we used in the past. I have a mystery subscription which appeared on the Club Bank statement for February, in the name of D. H. Carroll. We don’t have a member by this name. Can you help?

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Letters, news and views

From Lance Haward

A Quite Invaluable Edition! [2005:1] A. NOW THAT MICHAEL DAVISON has established the inalienable right of all us superannuées to parade our un-favourite things, here is my basic submission for Room 101 (in the debased B.B.C. 2 meaning of the term). 1. The utterly purposeless and compulsive mannerism of chewing gum — Alex Ferguson and the legion of chompers should be banned from all appearance in public, let alone the technical area, until they have curbed this unsavoury display. And provided they can be expunged from view without depositing their relics on or underneath some piece of public furniture.

2. Blister packs on any and every commodity, whether fragile or not, but especially those for protecting breakable contents such as light bulbs, where the force required to break into the package with an industrial tool necessarily shatters the contents. In all other cases, where the effect is simply to slice through the purchaser’s hand but miss the artery, the guilty retailer could no doubt be let off with a caution and a suspended sentence, on condition of not repeating the villainy. 3. Food or refuse bags that cannot be opened, their two sides being hermetically sealed such that only a bored check-out girl endowed with magical gifts can flip them apart by some means clearly supernatural. 4. Packaged breakfasts. Tea bags pretentiously served in tea pots rather than direct in the cup, their proper place. And tea bags served in the cup with no receptacle supplied for their decanting. Sugar and condiments in sachets, rather than in bowls provided with a spoon, or silver/crystal dispensers. 5. Till receipts printed in invisible ink. Also white text printed on black or coloured paper, such that the attempt to decipher precipitates a blinding headache. 6. Cardboard boxes of drink. The inventor of this imbecile device, scientifically designed to function as a super-efficient, high-pressure ejection pump the instant the shell is perforated, if still alive, definitely ought to be shot as a Public Enemy. Along with him, the distributors, who have included in the small print on the container the wondrously meaningless advice: “If seal is damaged or missing, do not use”, the seal referred to being concealed by a plastic cap. (Think about it.) 7. Artificial Christmas trees. 8. The film and television technique of a sequence of half-second flashes. This is a complete turn-off (in the literal sense!) in view of the impossibility of focussing on any of those subliminal images. It seems to rest on the ludicrous supposition that the viewer is not interested in receiving information, simply, like a puppy, in having his ears tweaked. It achieves its ultimate expression in credit titles that are whisked under one’s nose quicker than a double-glazing salesman’s contract, and while still visible have their residual purpose obliterated by inane continuity announcements. 9. Idiotic modish usages of speech: “Plus” employed as an adverbial conjunction equivalent to “Furthermore” or “Additionally” rather than as synonymous with “in addition to”; the totally superfluous “that’s” preceding every repetition of an address, ‘phone or reference number; the ignorant use of the comparative adverb in multiplication without the entity with which compared (“as…as”). Users of these solecisms should have their mouths washed out in a public ceremony at Speaker’s Corner (proximity to historic Tyburn not accidental) — with undiluted Dettol, Harpic or suitable equivalent.

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10. Interviewers’ unwarranted assumptions as to what the interviewee was about to say had not the interviewer supplied it for him. And all presenters who cut short in mid-sentence interviewees imported at inordinate expense and difficulty, with the advice “I’m afraid I shall have to stop you there. That’s all we have time for.” — in order to make space for some utterly trivial announcement of a forthcoming series of no interest to anyone other than a divorced Cambodian nun on herbal tranquillisers. Any such presenter who has not the nous to disregard the programme-planners’ requirements entirely and continue with the uncompleted presentation is clearly not televisual material at all. 11. Now this one is really serious. Baseball caps — especially when worn souwester-style, that ultimate of absurdities. The wearing of these in public (other, reluctantly, than for baseball) justifies a lengthy term of imprisonment, but at the very least should be discouraged by ostracising legislation similar to that used to keep cigarette smoke out of communal areas; the souwester-stylists should be declared pariah and shot on sight. Like the French knights perched on their hill above Agincourt, “they do offend our sight”. When displayed on tennis court or running track, the wearer should be compelled, on pain of disqualification, to observe the rules of baseball while competing, in addition to those proper to the particular sport. 12. The phrase “Room 101”. It has been stripped of all its sinister proverbial force by being employed to designate a mere rubbish bin. This pathetic misuse should certainly be consigned to … a rubbish bin, and its perpetrators to something more sinister. B. Thanks to Constance Moore for her timely warning against the danger of tossing hammers more than three miles without yelling “Fore!”. We all do it, don’t we?

C. William Smith might have saved himself his fascinating day’s excursion to Brough by becoming a regular viewer of Adam Hart-Davis, who gave us the biography of George Cayley and John Appleby in one of his undiscovered-scientists series quite a while back. D. The photograph of an early Committee meeting caused me quite a nostalgic tickle, twenty years on. The exact date, for Tony’s archive purposes, was the 18th of June, 1983, and I still have the shirt (in the wardrobe though probably unworn since) if not all the hair.

From Terence Kane I ENJOYED MICHAEL DAVISON’S LETTER concerning his un-favourite things. I agree completely with his comments about The Times which I now take only on Saturday because of the two crosswords (not the Times 2). Pronunciation is one of my bugbears. When did director, directory etc. become die-rector etc. and research become ree-search (which to me means looking again)? And what happened to the ‘t’ in words like Bri’ain? Alternatively when did it become accentuated instead of a glottal stop? And since when have men become fertile — or had their fertility affected by mobile phones or some other sort of electronic transmission? As a man I pride myself in being virile and my late wife was the fertile one, proved by three children! The Times ignored my letters of protest at their misuse of the word and continued to misuse it. It is all part of a losing battle, I am afraid.

From Colin Kendell I suppose we might attribute Tony Blair’s apparent misstatements, as infiltrated in detail in the last Master Quiz, to faulty memory. “Sitting behind the goal at St James Park” when there were no seats, may not have been wrong because people, particularly children, often did sit on the terracing before a match. At some grounds children were allowed to sit down in front of the other spectators. The player he recalled waiting to see may have left the club when he was four, but when I see videos of my team, Spurs, playing in the 1980s, I can’t even remember some of the players being with the club. What, however, would we make of Mrs Thatcher’s remark to a journalist, just after she had patronised the 1978 Cup Final, that she had been particularly impressed by Trevor Whymark — who didn’t actually play?

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Somehow, I don’t think I’ve deprived the compiler of a question for a future quiz. After all, a few years ago we had, “Which of us will ever forget that Sunday afternoon in 1967 when Harold Wilson told us that, ‘the pound in your pocket has not been devalued’? By what percentage was it actually devalued?” That’s actually two questions, and I can answer the first by saying, “Very few of us. We won’t be allowed to”. I’ll give you another — what was the end of that statement, which is rarely, if ever, quoted? It was “but some prices are bound to rise”. The full sentence meant that the structure of the national currency had not altered — it was still 20 shillings in the pound — but the value of the pound on the exchanges and in international trade had decreased. Makes a difference, doesn’t it? I have ended my membership of the Mastermind Club. Mastermind has lost its aura and charisma, and in my opinion, that is to some extent due to what a contributor to pass has referred to as “Those embarrassing little interviews”. They rob the programme of the air of concentration — and the lack of irrelevance — that once made Mastermind such compelling and popular viewing. I know that when I was waiting for my general knowledge round, the last thing I’d have welcomed would have been a lot of chatty little questions about my specialist subject — no matter how famous as an interviewer the question master happened to be. It was taken to the limit during the Junior Mastermind last year, where it was particularly unnecessary. We’d already seen clips of the contestants talking about their specialist subject as they sat down to receive questions so why go through it all again? It was probably no coincidence that three of them fell down badly on their general knowledge. Some of the wrong answers suggested that the questions hadn’t registered properly because they’d become flustered. Quite a few of us have known that experience. Even that was not the only objection, however. “Was it true”, Mr Humphrys asked one contestant, “that you wrote to Tony Blair to ask him how important Maths (her pet subject) had been to him in his career?” Psychic flash or did he know that already? If it was the latter, why ask? “Have you received a reply?” was the follow-up, and “No” was the answer. We don’t know when she wrote and in that it must take MPs, and Ministers in particular, a long time to deal with the enormous amount of correspondence they receive, it might have been fairer to ask if she had received an answer yet. It might actually have been received between the programme being recorded and screened. Whether or not he was interested in fairness, however, Mr Humphrys had words of encouragement for the contestant. “You will now”, he confidently assured her. Such is the power of the intrepid television interrogator. Sorry, but intrepid television interrogators don’t impress me in the least. In the 1960s I spent five summers interviewing school leavers who were seeking jobs at my firm. I asked questions and let them answer in their own way. That helped me to form an opinion of what they were like, what they thought and what sort of employees they might be. Television interviews, as in John Freeman’s classic “Face to Face” series of that era, should serve a similar purpose by letting the interviewee reveal his thoughts and opinions to the audience. Unfortunately, today’s Grand Inquisitors don’t seem to see it like that. A favourite technique seems to be to put a question to the victim and offer him a choice between two short and simple answers, almost certainly in the knowledge that neither of them would fully reflect his thinking on the matter. If the victim should oblige by giving one of those answers, the Inquisitor no doubt has a come-back ready, but it rarely happens. Usually the victim has the temerity to attempt to answer in his own words, but they don’t often come across to the audience as lucidly as they should. That’s because the Inquisitor quickly reverts to Plan B — which is to sit looking like a sanctimonious sphinx as he interrupts the victim by murmuring phrases such as “You’re not going to tell me, then?” to infer that he’s being evasive. The noble, fearless quest for truth can therefore be no more than the “spin” that it purports to expose. “Spin” has always existed in politics and is a frequently used tactic of many journalists who, when it suits them, decry it, but it has no place in what was once a popular and highly respected quiz. I shall always be glad to have taken part in the original, but back in the days when pitch, phrasing, timing and control were still requisites in popular music, there was a song that included the line, “Why stop to cling to some fading thing that used to be?” Why indeed? PS Further to my previous letter, the quiz compiler may care to note that on 4 May 2005, The Independent carried a report that the original recording of the 1997 interview with Tony Blair had been found. This revealed that he had made no reference at all to “sitting” at St James’s Park. What he did say was that Jackie Milburn — the player in question — had left the club before he began to attend matches. Obviously such a slight error in quoting was unintentional.

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2005:2 5

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2005

MINUTES OF THE 27th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE MASTERMIND CLUB

Lambton Room, Swallow Hotel, Gateshead: 10.47 Sunday 3rd April 2005

Gavin Fuller, Secretary Apologies: John & Jean Burke, Michael Davison, Barrie Douce, Barbara-Anne Eddy, Paul Emerson, Christopher Gifford, Richard Green, Paul Henderson, Josephine Lawrey, Rache Leonard, Gerald MacKenzie, Christine Moorcroft, Elizabeth Shaw, Bill Smith, Leo Stevenson, R A Gordon Stuart, Kate Vernon-Parry, Felicity Widdowson. 2004 AGM Minutes: The minutes of the 26th AGM at Queen’s Hotel, Portsmouth, on 25th April 2004 were taken as read and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising. President’s Report: Craig Scott explained the background to the unfortunate interruption by Sheila Ramsden during dinner the night before. Sheila believed she had some kind of grievance against members of the Club arising originally from the circumstances that led to her discontinuing her editorship of PASS in the late 1980s, but which had grown increasingly virulent over the past two years. The Committee had tried to keep this problem from affecting the Club as a whole, but as the previous night had shown there was only so much they could do. They were sorry for any upset caused. Alan Blackburn praised Craig for his summary of the situation, one which Phillda Grantham, speaking for many, described as “tragic”, with a number of members remembering her previous generosity both to the Club and to individuals within it. Margery Elliott recalled that when she succeeded Sheila as editor of PASS she wrote to Sheila and got a reply that Sheila was happy that Margery was taking over the editorship, and was perplexed at the subsequent anger Sheila had directed to her over the issue. Isabelle Heward wondered whether that if Sheila carried on with her threatening and abusive mail to various members this should be passed on to professionals who might be able to do something for her. The Committee had been reluctant to do this as they felt it would further inflame the situation but it would be considered should the problem continue. Sheila had refused to pay her subscription for 2005 and thus was deemed to have resigned from the Club, and Alan proposed that, as the Club was a private body who could refuse membership to people, should Sheila wish to rejoin, in the light of her actions her application should be refused. This was seconded by Tony Dart and when put to a vote passed nem con. Craig finished his report by reflecting that all this had brought home to him what a magnificent bunch of people he had the honour to be President of. Treasurer’s Report: Paul Henderson was absent. In his absence the latest set of figures was read out, in which there was £2427.14 in the bank account and £5518.72 in a building society account, making a total of £7945.86. Margery raised the question of the subscription, and it was announced that this would continue at £7. Appointment of Auditor: No progress has been made over the previous year. Tony confirmed that the relatively modest size and state of the Club’s finances meant that there was no formal need for an auditor, a situation backed up from experience by Leslie Grout. Christopher Pelly inquired what the constitution of the Club said about the matter, which was that it did not state the requirement for an auditor. Thus it was felt that as long that the accounts were presented annually in PASS this would be sufficient, and that there would no longer be an auditor adopted. Peter Richardson, seconded by Alan, proposed that this should formally be adopted, a proposal passed nem con. There was some disquiet however in light of this that there was nothing formal to present in way of the accounts this year. PASS: Ken Emond reported that after a few initial problems he had eventually been able to get 4 issues out in the previous year. There had been problems with the current printers who had been taken over in 2004, but now the cost of printing PASS with them had become unsustainable and alternative printers were now being sought. It looked likely that the most cost-

effective way to issue PASS would be for the printers to merely print them and members of the Committee deal with distribution. All endeavours would be made to sustain quality and number of issues. Yvonne Weir asked whether in this day and age computers could be used to produce PASS in-house, and Craig and Ken pointed out that everything was done on computers save for the final printing, where it was necessary to go elsewhere. Ken expressed his gratitude to the many members who had sent him contributions over the past year, and looked forward to receiving more items. Alan proposed a vote of thanks to Ken for all his work, which was carried enthusiastically. Stuart Cross wished to express formally his regret about the sad passing of Brian Bovington, whose quizzes had so enlivened PASS over the years, and this sentiment found widespread acceptance in the hall. Craig announced that a Yahoo Group had been set up for those with email who could correspond, discuss and send files electronically to a single site, and that details would be issued in the next PASS for those wishing to join. Any interesting things that emerged via this group would be reprinted in PASS for those without access. Club Charity: Tony passed on Gerald’s note that Eurolief was now involved with providing care for the elderly in Romania using the Club’s contribution. He then expressed the personal opinion that people might wish to support something that affected people closer to home. Patricia Owen had such a project in mind, the House of St Barnabas in Soho, which looks after women who might otherwise be on the streets and gives them training so that they can get themselves gainful employment – this aim of training for self-improvement might seem like an appropriate cause for the Club. A vote was taken on whether to continue Eurolief or switch to the House of St Barnabas; with just one vote for Eurolief and most of the hall voting for St Barnabas the decision was clearly in support for the switch. £231 was raised in the hall, with £6 raised elsewhere for a total of £237. Margery announced that she was involved in a charitable project for Macmillan nurses in Birmingham which involved a mile-long knitting project, and if anyone wished to donate to her cause she would be most grateful. Membership Secretary’s Report: Peter Chitty reported that 2004-5 had seen a further fall in members by 19 after 29 the previous year. 3 had died, 4 had formally resigned and 12 failed to renew their subscription and were considered to have resigned. More happily 19 members had joined over the year and membership now stood at 412. He would issue an updated membership list to members later in 2005, where it would be stressed that due to the provisions of the Data Protection Act the list should be used for members to be able to contact each other and not for any purposes linked to third parties. Patricia Owen wondered how helpful the BBC were now to the Club – the answer was that they would send a letter to all contenders from Peter inviting them to join but had no interest in the Club or providing any further assistance. Roy Humphrey wondered whether the Junior Mastermind contenders were invited to join the Club, but the committee had felt that this was not practical and would create too many problems, so they had not been issued an invitation. Tony proposed thanks to Peter for his work, which was passed by acclamation. Insignia: Phillida Grantham thanked Patricia Owen for her work with insignia over the years. She informed members that stocks of sweatshirts were running low, there was a healthy supply of pens whilst cuff-links, stick pins and tie pins were fairly static. She was looking at possibly introducing new ranges of insignia, with the idea of Club socks seeming fairly viable. Ann Miller suggested mugs, although postage of these might prove an issue some felt, whilst other ideas included notelets, memo pads and diaries, although with the latter there was some doubts as to their viability given their ephemeral nature. It was felt that items that might wear out and need replacing might be more ideal to purchase. Phillida would explore the best options. Annual Functions 2005, 2006 and 2007: With some members finding that there had been a gap between sending a cheque for booking the meals at the AGM and them being cashed this had caused concern as to whether the cheque had been sent to Gavin and wondered whether a receipt could be issued. Gavin Fuller was prepared to do this and a box would be added to the form for 2006 with the provision to ask for a receipt. To save costs to the Club an SAE would be asked to be enclosed for those without e-mail, but if members had the latter then Gavin would issue a receipt as a matter of course. David Cowan wondered whether provision could be made for those with online banking to transfer their payment automatically to the Club, but Gavin for administrative reasons preferred to receive all monies first. A vote of thanks was given to the Swallow Hotel to the general standard and efficiency of their catering, which had helped things go fairly smoothly. Some members did have quibbles with their rooms at the hotel, although generally if there were problems the hotel was quick to rectify them. With regard to hotel bookings it was felt that it might be helpful to specify a smoking or non-smoking room. Overall though it was felt that the weekend had been an enjoyable occasion. As regards to 2006 Gavin announced that he had received one viable proposal for the “south” location for that year, namely Norwich, and invited Patricia Cowley, who had made the suggestion, to sell the city to the members, which she did. With general consent that this would be a good place to go to Norwich was formally adopted as the location for 2006, with Gavin working for the weekend of 7-9 April, that being the weekend before Easter, as the most favourable date. It was also suggested that early consideration be given from here on in to the function location two years hence as well as the next year’s. 2007 would be a “north” year, and some ideas were floated, with the most favourable response being to Stewart Cross’ suggestion of Liverpool.

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Magnum Competition: The nature of the competition was discussed, with some members wondering whether aspects of it needed change. Some felt that the buzzer round distorted the final, with it proving so decisive on a number of occasions in recent years that the final round was academic, but others liked it, with Ray Ward voicing the opinion that it tested another aspect of quizzing. Some felt that it might be fairer if the running order was changed midway through the heats, as certain players’ presence meant that some people were less likely to get the chance of bonus points. Gavin welcomed this discussion, as he felt that with Magnus retiring as compère this year if any changes were to be made to the format then this would be the best time to do so with a new regime overseeing it in 2006. Philip Wharmby wondered whether the winner each year should set the questions the following year, which would give Gavin the chance to enter, but Gavin was quite happy to set the questions and not take part. Ken wondered whether given modern technology there could be scope for a multimedia quiz experience with picture and/or music rounds. There were some reservations in case the equipment failed to work on the night, but Gavin would be prepared to set reserve rounds to counter any such problems. A rehearsal for contenders to practise with the microphones was also suggested, as it was found they often forgot to use them which led to the harder of hearing having problems hearing the answers. The 2005 contenders were congratulated for taking part in the competition, as was Gavin for his work on the questions. Gavin informed the hall that a replacement trophy would be commissioned so that Kevin could have something to show for his victory this year, with Kevin seeming keen to receive something not too large in size! Mugnum Finals: Gavin Fuller reported that this year the Mugnum had again proved testing, but with 17 individual and 4 team entries there had been an increase in entries by one over last year. There were 49 questions this year, and he thought that it was telling that the scores ranged from 7.5 upwards, with only 3 entries getting over half marks from the 44 questions set. Bob Jones won the Individual prize with a score of 26.4, beating Kevin Ashman into second, with Sonia Anderson third. The Somesorts team of Ken Emond and Phillida Grantham depressingly won the team prize again, and Peter Richardson and Christopher Pelly jointly set the easiest question with 20 out of 21 entries getting theirs correct. Any other business: Marga Scott announced she would be arranging another theatre weekend in Newcastle in the Autumn. There being no further business, the President closed the meeting at 12.11.

Mastermind Club Web Group

From Gavin Fuller Earlier this year I set up an online group where members can post messages, files, maybe just chat and the like. Unfortunately since the AGM I haven’t had the opportunity to really maintain the site as I would like, due mainly to upheavals at work, but with these now over I’m going to try and get the site running properly for those of you who would like to take advantage of the facility. There are a dozen of us joined up so far, and the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned! If you would like to get involved, or simply find out more, e-mail me at gavin_fuller@hotmail.com and I’ll be delighted to furnish you with more information, and hopefully welcome you to the fold.

Photographic memories of the 2005 Annual Reunion in Gateshead

The Millennium Bridge

The Tyne Bridge and Sage Centre

Friday night dinner

Arfor and Geoff

The “Northern Mob”

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The Magnum contenders

Magnus with Indrani

Magnus, Kevin and Phil with prizes

Magnus was presented with the Magnum Trophy

On the train at Andrews House Station

Photography by Gavin Fuller, Patricia Cowley, Tony Dart and Ray Ward

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Master Quiz/ Magnum 2005 Results Gavin Fuller on this year’s competition. This year’s contest again saw a fall in entries for the Master Quiz, with only 27 answering Phillida’s Part 1 and just 24 of these going on to enter my Part 2. Thanks go to all those who entered and how about a few more of you trying – believe it or not it is meant to be a bit of fun! Apart from the very top of the table, scores were encouragingly up on last year, with last year’s Magnum champion Geoff Thomas clearly leading the way with a hugely impressive 798. The new Brain of Mensa, 1990 Mastermind David Edwards came in second, with 5-times Magnum winner Peter Richardson third. David also was co-winner of Phillida’s theme prize with Eleanor Macnair, and Kathryn Johnson won the in absentia prize for her storming performance on Part 1. Back to the qualifiers though, and dangerously lurking in the midfield was Kevin Ashman, whose achievements need no introduction, and with a number of familiar faces, and a new one in Paul Emerson from the 2003 series, the stage was set for an intriguing competition. This year’s competition was very much the end of an era, for Magnus had decided that this year would be the last that he would be questionmaster for the Magnum. As a result a number of the rounds were themed round Magnus’ areads of expertise, making life interesting for the lucky nine. For Round 1 they got questions on Iceland, Scottish History, Sport, Newcastle, North and Vikings, with Round 2 comprising Old Castles, Birds, Lindisfarne, Traditional Music, Archaeological Personalities and Lasts. Whilst it was perhaps no surprise that Kevin comfortably qualified through all this for the final, a new face emerged to face him in Philip Wharmby. However, Philip found Kevin far too hot to handle in the final, with the buzzer round again proving particularly decisive, and Kevin strolled away to take the title for the eighth time. With Magnus retiring as Magnum compère, the Magnum trophy itself was passed on to him by Kevin, it being felt the most suitable way of marking the occasion. As a tribute to the late Keith Scott, his widow Marga kindly donated a runner-up prize of a model golden retriever which she presented to Philip. Many thanks are due to Marga for this, and to the nine contenders for being such good sports and providing us with the evening’s entertainment, and to Christine Moorcroft for scoring, and of course to Magnus for having presided so wonderfully over the Magnum for many years. It has been an honour and privilege to set the Magnum questions for the last few years, and to work with Magnus in getting the Magnum together. The Magnum will continue nevertheless, but it was noticeable at the AGM the next day that there were ideas from a number of people on how the competition could be refined in future. As it obviously won’t quite be the same without Magnus, this admittedly chimed in with my gut feeling that it might be an idea to make the competition in some way different to mark this change, and I would welcome any thoughts from people as to what alterations they might like to see in the competition. Any bright ideas for a replacement trophy would be welcome as well! I look forward to hearing from you, and developing the New Magnum for 2006…

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Master Quiz 2005 Phillida Grantham provides the answers to Round 1 of this year’s Master Quiz. Here are the answers to Master Quiz 1, one of the most successful quizzes I have set regarding correct answers given by contestants. All questions were answered, something a quiz setter always hopes for — nothing is more depressing and disappointing than a lot of blanks! Congratulations to Geoff Thomas, the only person apparently familiar with a certain style of ladies knickers (see answer 90). The theme prize was shared by David Edwards and Eleanor Macnair with their impressive knowledge of the British Countryside and the in absentia prize was won by Kathryn Johnson whom we hope to see in person at next year’s reunion.

1. Kate Hoey 2. Ann Widdecombe 3. Edinburgh 4. Jose Mourinho 5. Mexico 6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin 7. Great Bustard 8. The naturalist Gilbert White 9. Mirror 10. Reading 11. Benjamin Franklin 12. The Scottish bluebell 13. Eldrick 14. 1934 15. By birds wiping the sticky berries off their

beaks onto trees 16. The coypu 17. Professor of Poetry at Oxford 18. A service ball to which the opponent is

unable to get a racket 19. Gwen 20. The Daleks 21. Medicines sold over the counter without

prescription 22. Tasseography 23. A clearing or meadow 24. A horsefly 25. Supporters of William of Orange who

emigrated to the Ozark Mountains 26. Mae West and Joe di Maggio 27. Henry VII’s 28. Sodium hydroxide 29. Gerald Scarfe 30. The sycamore is the only introduced tree

31. Michael Jackson, Thriller 32. Nostradamus 33. New Zealand and Canada 34. Shepherd Neame 35. Windmills 36. To keep them from cows who would

otherwise eat their poisoned berries 37. Ian Botham 38. Australia, closely followed by Hawaii 39. Swans 40. Torshavn 41. (ii) 300 42. A fortified tower in the Borders 43. The common lizard 44. Andy Hill, producer of the group Buck’s Fizz 45. Poker work, mainly on furniture 46. Grayson Perry, a potter 47. Northern Ireland 48. Hours of sunshine 49. M.A.S.H. 50. Hats 51. France 52. The Field 53. Lynn Truss 54. The hyphen 55. The Hydro Hotel, Harrogate 56. Synchronised diving 57. 21p 58. Embroidery is sewn onto a backing cloth

whereas tapestry is woven 59. Enclosing cattle 60. The wren 61. When the planet Venus passes directly

between the Earth and the Sun

2005:2 11

62. Midnight Cowboy 63. The Swiss army knife 64. Polo 65. Bats 66. The ladybird 67. In Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland 68. Someone who lets others download his music

collection from the Internet 69. Kilmuir, Isle of Skye 70. Generally accepted to be Preston, 1715 71. Peru 72. Faggots 73. The first oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania 74. Brownsea Island 75. NatWest 76. Hythe 77. Peter Duncan 78. Versace 79. A rotary lathe used in the manufacture of

plywood 80. Johnny Scott 81. Cairn 82. Eric Clapton 83. Austrian

84. Roman Emperors, from Augustus to Diocletian

85. The Bridgewater Canal 86. As a vegetable, in beer making and at one

time sheets and tablecloths were woven from its stalk fibres

87. Anthony Trollope 88. The Outer Hebrides 89. There are various theories, and I was lenient,

but the most widely accepted refers to the issue of Montague Burton clothing given on demob after WWII

90. Elasticated tops and bottoms (knickers) 91. The Union Jack only when flown from

jackstaffs on vessels, otherwise the Union Flag

92. Margaret Beckett 93. Garlic 94. Multi-role combat aircraft 95. Darwin 96. A claret jug 97. The Ashmolean, Oxford 98. A small ornamental figurine, generally of

porcelain 99. 206 100. Edna St Vincent Millay

12 pass

The Club Charity: The House of St Barnabas in Soho

Patricia Owen recommends the work of the House of St Barnabas

n the corner of Soho Square, at No. 1, Greek Street, stands the House of St Barnabas. This handsome Grade 1 listed Georgian house contains fine rooms and a hall and staircase with baroque plasterwork of 1754. The garden leads to the Victorian chapel, where the mosaics have recently been restored. The house is both the treasure and the problem of the

charity, which has been here since 1860. O In 1846, the House of Charity was founded to provide temporary accommodation in Manette Street, just around the corner, for the homeless. Unlike the Poor Law workhouses, the House aimed to keep families together and to offer them “the example of the discipline of a Christian family”. This is Victorian for enabling them to become independent, and that is what the House offers to the 39 homeless women who live there until they are offered homes of their own and have mastered the life skills that will make them well prepared for independent life. There is no time limit on their stay, the ratio of staff to residents is high and the small numbers make for a much more family-style life where the needs and skills of each resident are the paramount concern of the House. In supporting the House as the Club Charity for 2005, we are adding ourselves to some famous people: William Gladstone, Charles Kingsley and Frederick Denison Maurice have been among its supporters. Recent studies have identified this as the house where Dr Manette and his daughter Lucie, heroine of A Tale of Two Cities, sat of a summer evening under the plane tree still growing in the garden. The small scale of the charity means that the help we are able to give makes a real difference. The House faces a momentous decision in the near future: can the needed modernization of the residents’ rooms, the installation of a lift (the high ceilings of the eighteenth century rooms make for a considerable climb up the great staircase, quite impossible for the disabled) and of the wiring needed to develop the potential for the letting of the fine rooms for meetings and conferences be carried out while preserving the historic fabric? Would this be an unreasonable drain on the charity’s finances, cramping the work to which it is devoted? Should they sell this most valuable site and move to somewhere more “fit for purpose”? A report on the choices the House faces is now in preparation. In the meantime, the House is open to visitors, free, on certain days of each month. Ring 0207 434 1896 for times; you will be most welcome: just mention the Club. If you would like to help the House’s work with a personal gift, make the cheque out to The House of St Barnabas-in-Soho and send it to 1 Greek Street, Soho Square, London W1D 4NQ.

2005:2 13

14 pass

Mugnum 2005

These are the questions submitted for this year’s Mugnum competition, for those who were not present in Gateshead to try their hand at answering. The answers will be printed in the next edition. 13: (Margery Elliott) Cs are red, Fs are blue and the rest are white: what are, and where? 16: (Richard Dale) Which music, composed by Richard Strauss, was used in Kubrick’s film, 2001? 20 (Patricia Owen) What patronage is common to Scotland and Russia? 22: (Peter Richardson) Why, in 1939, was Hattie McDaniel unable to attend the World Premiere of the film for which she won the Oscar™ for Best Supporting Actress? 54 (Gerald MacKenzie) What is the name of the farm described as a B movie kingdom by Sally Magnusson, whence she and Magnus originated, on the banks of the River Laxa I Adaldal; it was visited by Sally and Magnus for family reasons and myself for piscatorial ones in July 2003, almost simultaneously, while dreaming of Iceland? 89: (Eleanor MacNair) Which British monarch was married in Oslo Cathedral? 145: (Ray Ward) How is the Fieseler Fi-103 aircraft better known to history? 253: (Christopher Pelly) Which showbiz personality, during World War II, on being informed that his name appeared on a Nazi death list, allegedly exclaimed to Gertrude Lawrence, “My dear, just think of the people one would be seen dead with!”? 275: (Tony Dart) Which major car manufacturer owes its current existence to Ivan Hirst, who died recently? 280: (Leslie Grout) Which children’s television programme was created by Serge Danot? 286: (Craig Scott) James Guthrie, E.A. Walton, Joseph Crawhall and John Lavery were leaders in which artistic group?

287: (Phillida Grantham) What is the more familiar name for ‘onychophagia’, a habit probably indulged in by many members of the Mastermind Club? 295: (Richard Green) What is the connection between Napoleon in Egypt, a South American cat and a fresh water dolphin? 307: (Christopher Hughes) The Holy City of the Sikh faith was, and is, Amritsar, but which city was the seat of Sikh temporal power, prior to the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849? 321: (Isabelle Heward) Which digital radio station features drama and comedies from the BBC archives? 337: (Rachel Leonard) Which letter of the alphabet is the difference between the Australian batsman who held the highest test score from October 2003 to April 2004 and the composer of the 1777 opera Il Mundo della Luna? 342: (Michael Davison) “Twittens” in Lewes, “closes” in Edinburgh, “ghauts” in Whitby, “ginnels” in Leeds; what are they called in Newcastle? 349: (Norman Izzett) Who built the first bridge (Pons Aelius) over the Tyne at the swing bridge site in Newcastle? 412: (Albert Bertin) What was the actual name given by the Germans to their 1918 long-range “Paris” gun? 434: (Yvonne Weir) What is the meaning of the name, Gateshead? 443: (Ann Kelly) The Third Round FA Challenge Cup tie played on 9 January 2005 was, in terms of divisions separating the teams, the biggest mismatch in the Cup’s history. Newcastle United are in the Premiership, but in what league are their opponents that day, Yeading FC? 455: (Kevin Ashman) In which field was the Frenchman Christophe Plantin, who worked in Antwerp, Leiden and Paris, a prominent name in the 16th century?

457: (Peter Chitty) What is the connection between Snow White and Alan Turing of Bletchley Park fame? 475: (Stewart Cross) In which Gallery would you find Gainsborough’s Blue Boy? 526: (Wendy Forrester) Who thought Tray, Blanch and Sweetheart were barking at him? 532 (Christine Moorcroft) In 1999 John Drewe was found guilty of conspiracy, including selling art forgeries. Who was the artist who painted them and was sentenced at the same trial? 549 (Philip Wharmby) Who infamously had a hit with Fog on the Tyne in 1990? 554: (Mary Gibson) By what English titles are Thomas Browne’s Hydriotaphia & Pseudodoxia Epidemica better known? 579: (Anne Miller) What does the Statue of Liberty hold in her right hand? 629 (David Edwards) The largest in Hungary exceeds the largest in Wales by 2240 pounds. What? 642: (Arfor Wyn Hughes) Cider With Rosie is the first, what is the third? 657: (Indrani Hettiaratchi) Which country had the world’s first female Prime Minister, and what is her connection to the Mastermind Club? 672: (Patricia Cowley) Who married Robert Barlow, William Cavendish, William St Loe and George Talbot? 692: (Peter Todd) Mary Joyce was the muse of which poet? 693 (Fred Dyson) What is a sesamoid bone? 696: (Ken Emond) Which royal was the President of the Institute of Advanced Motorists convicted just before Christmas 2004 for speeding?

697 (Roy Humphrey) What has the Northern Arthur to do with an Anglo Saxon palace with goats? 731: (Gavin Fuller) What begins with Richard Ithamar Aaron and ends with William Henry Nassau von Zuylestein? 766: (Geoff Thomas) What did Joseph Hobson Jagger do in 1875 that led to his being immortalised in a popular song? 769: (David Cowan) Of the current EU member states, what distinguishes the UK, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden from the other states? 779: (Mary Andrews) What was the route of the first electric main line railway in Britain (1904)? 824: (Sonia Anderson) What world record has been held for nearly forty years by a Fifer called Angus? 825: (Robert Jones) Who is supposed to have been the ‘very model of a modern Major-General’ in real life? 866: (Leo Stevenson) Who painted The Battle of San Romano, now in the National Gallery, London? 869: (Susan Leng) York City Football Club’s ground was called Bootham Crescent until recently. In acknowledgement of a massive sponsorship, to what has its name been changed? 899: (Marga Scott) Who is the current Secretary-General of NATO (correct spelling please)? 955 (Paul Emerson) Which town, England’s last possession in France, was forced to surrended in July 1563 after months of siege? 971: (Ann Leaney) What did Ogden Nash have to say about his difficulties with sauce bottles? 976: (Bill Smith) Which Englishman was born in Paradise?

2005:2 15

Don’t Put Me On A Pedestal — I’m very comfortable sitting on the floor!

Gill Woon interviews Shaun Wallace, Mastermind 2004

managed to catch up with Shaun Wallace, Mastermind 2004, in a rare spare moment in his busy routine. You'll remember that Shaun is a man of many parts. As well as taking part in quizzes (and winning them!) he lectures in Law and coaches a junior football side.

II was keen to interview Shaun not just because of his impressive performance — here are the details: first winner not to pass in either the Final or Semi-final in the history of the competition; 24 points and no Passes in the Final — but because of a pet project of mine — I am interviewing inspiring people from all walks of life, including Shaun, for a book 'Inspiration - a user's guide'. Anyone who wants to know more about this can contact me on gillian.gwoon@blueyonder.co.uk. On to the questions! Shaun, what inspired you to apply for MM? ‘I've always wanted to do it. I was disappointed when it stopped in 1997. In 2003 I saw Andy Page, whose specialist subject was golf, (and that made me think I could get on the programme with my sporty specialist subject).’ Did you watch it when Magnus was the questionmaster? ‘I've watched it ever since it started!’ Why did you choose the specialist subjects you chose? (These were: First round, European Cup Finals since 1970; Semi- final, The England Football team at the European Championships 1968-2003; Final, FA Cup Finals since 1970). ‘I'd originally suggested 'Kings and Queens of England since 1066' but was told that someone else had already chosen that. I knew I had to choose a subject that I knew inside out, knew in my sleep, (and as I coach a junior football team I was confident about this subject)’ How did you prepare? ‘I could remember all the detail of the matches anyway, but I focussed on 'odd' things, for example 'who passed to whom in year x's final'? Ten out of the twenty-five questions I'd predicted came up in my first round and that gave me confidence. Preparation pays off!’ Do you have any advice for others? ‘Don't Pass on anything!’

16 pass

2005:2 17

What's the secret of your success? ‘I believe you 'make your own luck'. I was confident I'd win, and very focussed. I have good, wide general knowledge anyway. I thought Brent Peeling was the most 'dangerous' fellow contender.’ Is your life changing as a result of your success? ‘I know it will change. I've already done lots of radio and TV. People are interested in me and the programme. But I won't change as a person. I believe there's a lot of unrecognised talent out there - I know this as I was a teacher and lecturer for 20 years. ’ Do you plan to take part in other quizzes or rest on your laurels? 'No. I've 'retired'. You can't do better than this! ' What do you think is special about MM? ‘It's intellectual - it's the pinnacle of intellectual quizzes. There's the pressure and the prestige. It's a cut above the rest. I did it for the honour.’ Thanks very much, Shaun. It's been a pleasure talking to you. Gill Woon (Doubleday, 1989).

Damn and Blast (A Carlisle Curse)

Stewart Cross on a revival from the sixteenth-century

limey! What’s all the fuss about? I mean all we want to do is form a circle at night, keep the dogs on watch and those murderous rabble from across the border at arms length. A perfectly reasonable little curse seems to have excited woolly-minded liberals (incomers, I’ll be bound) who think we should smash it to pieces. When would we find the time,

what with the witch burnings, throwing babies into the river to appease the spirits of the water and sacrificing fine beasts to prevent foot and mouth (well we did, didn’t we?). All our free time is spent trying to think of a suitable sacrifice to improve Carlisle United’s fortunes, but absolutely nothing seems likely to work.

B Of course we’re all keeping a close eye on Councillor Tootle, who, it is rumoured, is to be seen clad only in a loin cloth, a bone through his nose, rare bird feathers in his hair (osprey possibly — there are only a couple locally and they’re getting all the fish) and a gourd in hand, practising his ritual war dance prior to attacking the stone. But we’re prepared for him, rack and gibbet at the ready. Carlisle castle isn’t as obsolete as it looks! The Bishop (some upstart Proddie I believe) has apparently asked the catholic Archbishop of Glasgow to come and lift the curse. God bless his little cotton socks, he seems to be keeping a low profile. Quite right too. What can be said about namby-pamby attempts to reconcile us to a band of bloodthirsty brigands whose sole legacy to the English language is the words blackmail and bereaved. Excommunication is all they are afeared of. And anyway, the Bishop of Durham laid a similar curse on the South Tyneside reivers. Where’s all the fuss there? Just because our scheming Prime Minister, a representative of those parts and much beloved by the local peasantry, is pulling a few strings. We’re introducing tolls soon on the Cumberland Gap. It’s about time we kept the rabble under control (apologies to our esteemed editor who fled south to be educated and integrated — almost!) and stop these unpardonable haggis-hunting raids on our fells. They’ve been so successful it’s many a long year since one has been spotted. I’ve just finished sharpening my broadsword and strengthening the barricades, for things could get nasty. Not only from the wretched lawless lot from north of the border, but now all you soft southern nancies know about the stone, we’ll have to fight on both fronts to prevent unnecessary gawping. A plague on both your houses. We just want to be left in peace to sacrifice young virgins (hard to find, mind), hang, draw and quarter reivers and sit around our fires singing tunelessly “Bat Out of Hell”, while we eye up a pretty, if somewhat bashful, sheep. Anyway, it’s getting dark and the candle is spluttering, so I’ll snuff it out and take to my paliasse. Nighty-night and no bad dreams. [Not wanting to add too heavy a note, but Stewart is getting perilously close to giving me an opening to a lengthy exposition from my doctoral thesis! Believe it or not, the original of the Archbishop of Glasgow’s 1525 curse was one of the documents I found of great interest while researching the Minority of James V… Blood-curdling stuff it is too! And something seems to be working, as Carlisle United regained their place in the Football League this summer, after only one season in the Conference… Ed.]

18 pass

John Wyndham

Ray Ward extols the virtues of the writer of The Midwich Cuckoos

was interested to see Paul Slater on John Wyndham (2004:1). He is one of my favourites too, and had a considerable influence on my life. I saw the film Village of the Damned (1960), based on his The Midwich Cuckoos, read the book, then his others, other science fiction, and non-faction on spaceflight. Reading that book may have led to my main interest: I am

now a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and did Manned Space Flight on Mastermind (in 1978, when there had been a lot less of it!) Wyndham's full name was (deep breath) John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, and he wrote as John Beynon, John Beynon Harris etc. before settling on the form by which he is best known. The Outward Urge is credited to Wyndham and Lucas Parkes - an author collaborating with himself! He was, as Paul Slater says, born in 1903, and died in 1969. Wyndham's great skill was to take fundamentally simple ideas and examine the possibilities - as he said in the foreword to The Seeds of Time, "I wonder what might happen if...?" What if nearly everyone went blind and hostile vegetation roamed (The Day of the Triffids)? What if undersea beings began to attack humanity (The Kraken Wakes)? What would it be like after a nuclear war (The Chrysalids; this theme is now a science fiction cliché, but wasn’t in 1955 when the book was published, with the atomic age only ten years old)? What if all men died ("Consider Her Ways")? What would be the consequences of greatly increased human lifespan (Trouble with Lichen)? Web, not published until 1979, also has a simple theme. All spiders are venomous, but they are solitary and the amount carried by most species wouldn't seriously harm anyone, and in any case most rarely bite. But what if they banded together, became aggressive, and attacked larger creatures? Being bitten by a great many would be a different matter.... An almost forgotten Wyndham-inspired work is the film Children of the Damned (1963, with Ian Hendry and Alan Badel), not so much a sequel to Village of the Damned as a remake in an urban setting. There is also a remade Village of the Damned set in California (1995), not as good as the original (remakes almost never are) but quite chilling. It was the late Christopher Reeve's last film before his paralysing injury. The film Quest for Love (1971, with Tom Bell and Joan Collins) is based on his story "Random Quest", but not having seen it I cannot comment. There was also a BBC TV dramatisation of The Day of the Triffids (1981), far better than the film (1963), which departs too much from the book, and there have been many other television and radio versions of his works.

As Paul Slater says, Wyndham's best work was produced rather late. There can be few writers whose career broke so decisively at World War 2, during which he published only two short stories. His early writings attracted comparatively little attention, and it was only when he became really well known with The Day of the Triffids and later works that interest in the earlier stories revived and they were reprinted. Biographical information is sparse. I understand at least two would-be biographers have given up: he did little of interest but write. He made a late, childless marriage. There is, however, an account by fellow science fiction writer Brian Aldiss in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004), a revision of Aldiss’s entry for the original DNB but alas containing a glaring blunder - it says Web is about giant spiders, when the really chilling thing about it is that the spiders are normal size. (That old horror film favourite, giant insects, spiders, etc., is impossible because they lack a vascular system. Large creatures - like us - need a complicated mechanism to get oxygen to all parts of the body; only small ones which obtain oxygen directly from the atmosphere can do without such a system, but it means they can never be over a certain size.) There is also a very comprehensive bibliography, John Wyndham: Creator of the Cosy Catastrophe by Phil Stephensen-Payne. (In "cosy catastrophes" unremarkable people are caught up in vast tragedies, like some of Wyndham's novels and John Christopher's The Death of Grass. The idea goes back, of course, to H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.) Wyndham was obviously fascinated by the idea of time travel and parallel time streams: many stories feature baffled people encountering their older, younger, or different selves in a way reminiscent of some of Robert Heinlein's stories. The main character of "Random Quest" finds himself in a different time stream in which he is a successful novelist, reads his own books - and doesn't like them very much!

I

2005:2 19

Wyndham could be very funny, as in "Pawley's Peepholes", "A Long Spoon" and "Una" (also called "The Perfect Creature" and "Female of the Species"), but "Revenge by Proxy" is a terrifying story - and also based on a simple idea: what if personalities could be transferred from body to body? (also a theme of "Consider Her Ways" and "Pillar to Post", both neatly combining the transferred-personalities and time-travel themes). He could also be very moving, as in "Wild Flower", "Compassion Circuit" and "Dumb Martian" (dramatised in 1962 in the series Out of This World, still I think the best try British television ever made at science fiction, because it faithfully used existing stories like Asimov's "Poor Little Robot", Rog Phillips's "The Yellow Pill" and Tom Godwin's deeply moving "The Cold Equations"). Wyndham scored some remarkable hits, like someone tossing a coin bearing the head of Queen Elizabeth II in The Secret People (1935), having the narrator of The Kraken Wakes (1953) work for a commercial broadcasting organisation before commercial television came to Britain in reality in 1955, and placing the first space station in 1995 in The Outward Urge (1959), a collection of stories about the spacefaring Troons. Even more remarkably, one Troon emigrates to Brazil, changes his name to Trunho, and becomes involved in a Brazilian space programme. Nigel Calder once said (long ago, but well after the Troon stories were first published) that he expected 21st century space stations to speak, not English or Russian, but

Portuguese, because he thought the Northern Hemisphere countries would zap each other in a nuclear war but the Southern Hemisphere would be comparatively unscathed, and the only (mostly) Southern Hemisphere country with a significant aerospace industry was Brazil. Maybe he had read Wyndham! One of Wyndham's last stories, "Oh, Where, Now, is Peggy MacRafferty?", concerns a quiz. The title character, a young Irishwoman, doesn't realise a letter addressed to Margaret MacRafferty is for her until reminded that Margaret is the polite form of Peggy, and when advised to brush up her Yeats thinks she is being told to get her hair done. But she gets onto a quiz, does implausibly well (asked to name five English university cities she does even better than expected because she thought Oxford-and-Cambridge was one place, and she persuades them that the USA has only 48 states because she says two are commonwealths!), and sets off on a show business career. It reminded me of some of Ray Bradbury's stories in that, although it has no science fiction or fantasy element whatever, it somehow seems to be taking place in a different universe. My thanks to Paul Slater for bringing back happy memories and encouraging me to think again about a writer I enjoy so much! May I inspire others to try him!

20 pass

Thompson Timothy Robey Long before they split the atom, In pre-isotopic days, J.J. Thomson found electrons Were the stuff of cathode rays.

In the white-horse Yorkshire village, In his own half-timbered house, Thompson’s craftsmanship is living, Decorated with a mouse.

Septimus and Pansy Potter, Aggie’s pies (sans B.S.E.), Snooty, Korky, Dennis, Freddy c/o Thomsons, at Dundee.

Apple trees in Larkrise gardens, Where the pig is fattened up — Candleford has taken Flora For its post office cum shop.

Celsius brought some improvement; William Thomson followed suit When he gave the world the Kelvin, Temperature that’s absolute.

Daley leapt and sprang and sprinted, Colonel John invented guns, And in Black-Chair isolation Chantal’s flow of knowledge runs.

2005:2 21

Brian Bovington: An Appreciation Ken Emond

I first met Brian Bovington when we were recording Mastermind at the Conference Auditorium Centre in the University of Leeds in November 1991, for broadcast in the 1992 series of the programme. It was quite a good night for the Club as it turned out, as several people who took part in the two recordings that night have become staunch supporters, including Fred Dyson and Peter Todd. Brian had chosen The Life and Works of Handel as his specialist subject, and with 14 points on this, and 11 on his general knowledge he made a very good showing losing out only narrowly to Liz Atkinson.

Brian joined the Club almost immediately, submitting a letter for publication in pass in March 1992 within a few weeks of his appearance being broadcast: “equipped with multi-logo tie and lapel pin”, he felt he had truly arrived. It was to be some time, however, before he started submitting quizzes for publication in pass, but eventually they were to become almost a permanent fixture on the back page of the magazine. Starting with his first love (as witnessed by his choice of specialist subject), he set a “fiendish” music quiz in 1997, subsequently covering subjects as varied as scientists, artists, sportspersons and famous people. At their peak, he was receiving about 15–20 entries per quiz, and it was always his great regret that more people did not go in for them. As I have been made very much aware since his untimely death earlier this year, however, many more people used to appreciate his efforts and look forward to challenging themselves against his ingenuity than ever sent in formally completed answers.

Many members have expressed their appreciation for his contributions to the Club. Terry McDonald, for example, wrote: “I never met Brian but corresponded by email and post with him for some time. I always enjoyed his quizzes but never managed to solve one completely; I would have had a nearly complete one once, if only I had been able to read my own scribbles before typing them!

I shall miss his slant on things, as I always looked to the back page first on receiving my copy of pass. Does this say something about me? I prefer to think that the challenge of solving his fiendish clues was irresistible… goodbye Brian, I shall miss you.”

Rachel Leonard echoed these sentiments: “I was very shocked to learn of Brian's death from the insert into pass. I am not aware of ever having met him but I had corresponded regularly with him by email. It all started when I was doing one of his quizzes and I suspected there was an error which was in fact the case. After that I often emailed him to tell him how I was getting on with one of his quizzes or to assure him that I had given it a go and enjoyed it even if pressure of work or the inability to get many answers prevented me from sending in an entry. He always replied promptly and gave me the impression that he loved getting feedback, especially from someone as baffled as I was. He clearly had an immense range of knowledge. To my mind there are two sorts of quizzes: the ones where you are put on the spot to answer from your memory as best you can (and we all know about that) and the sort where you have to dig around for obscure bits of information. Both are very enjoyable. To my mind Brian always got the balance exactly right. A first read through always gave you enough answers to encourage you to go on; a little simple research would usually provide a few more; and then finally you would be left with the last two or three which could take an infuriatingly long time to find. However I always felt at the end of the process that I knew more than I had when I started and for a Masterminder that is the purpose of any quiz. I had hoped that I would meet him eventually at the AGM and this obviously will not happen now. I would just like to put on record as I did a few years ago at the AGM that his contributions to pass were very highly valued and very enjoyable and I shall miss struggling with them immensely.”

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2005:2 23

I would also like to say how much I valued Brian’s friendship. After my appointment as editor of pass last year, he became one of my most regular correspondents: always friendly, and always unfailingly courteous. Sadly, our last exchange, within days of his death, was on the subject of my participation in his quizzes. He had always been in the habit of sending the quizzes without the answers, in the hope that the Editor of the day would be inspired to take part as well. In this hope he had always been frustrated, and I had just agreed with him that Statespersons being more my kind of thing than opera characters, I would give his latest effort a go. But it wasn’t to be.

Brian had been planning to ‘retire’ from setting quizzes for pass anyway at the end of this calendar year, but his more sudden removal from the back page is a sad and untimely loss. We will, indeed, all miss him very much.

Paul Overall

Further sad news has reached the Editor just in time for this edition of pass from Ray Ward, who writes:

“I hear of a sad loss to the world of quizzing. Paul Overall, of Majors Green, West Midlands, whom I think many members will have known, died of a heart attack on 11 June, at the far too soon age of 53. Paul was Secretary of the Mensa Quiz SIG (Special Interest Group), edited its lively newsletter, Interrobang!, and set regular quizzes for it. As well as Mastermind, he took part in many Mensa and other quizzes. Sad to think we will never again see his witty comments on quiz matters, challenging quizzes, cheery face and shock of red hair.” Apparently Paul was involved in a sponsored cycle ride along the South Downs Way, raising funds (ironically) for the British Heart Foundation at the time.

Crossword (2005:2) by Gadfan

ACROSS 1 Brief high-pitched noise sets brother on edge (4) 3 China tableware, broken in half, immediately bonds (10) 9 Seven points put down to support veto (9) 11 Put out old flame at back of chapel (5) 12 Where outrageous lies about UN occupation of city occur, unfortunately (8,7) 13 Dusty material immobilises motor? Quite the opposite, so they say (5) 15 Tabloid’s money used to expose the darker imperfection of a star (7) 17 Does offensive article by American make one’s jaw drop? On the contrary (7) 20 Point this way, towards the body (5) 22 007 can find, on the other side of Edgware, no good dwelling place to await duties (6,9) 24 Sending by hovercraft? (2,3) 25 Under excessive stress on account of injury (9) 26 Justifying that, after university in Boston, one has no right to take part in “gridiron” (10) 27 Sick point to bring before The Bench (4)

DOWN 1 From the start, bastard given an alias to protect the President’s granny (8) 2 Book of Isaiah’s abbreviated account of patriarch (5) 4 More than one home from hospital in a suit (7) 5 Fly fishing specialist’s place in organisation (7) 6 Programme of animated activities to keep those people informed on question of cats and dogs (3,6,4) 7 Bill and I held by arresting officer, one that takes charge (9) 8 Just and shrewd containment of Spain’s display of triumph (6) 10 Get kit from her sack in front of 6 (6,3,4) 14 Waiting for the French waiter (9) 16 Boffin from 6 is a befuddled lemon! (8) 18 Beast from the water almost overruns gate to city (7) 19 Egg supplier to the rich pours out tea for the doctor (7) 21 In the morning look into freshness problem in flower (6) 23 Take-up outside not quite certain (5)

2004 David Edwards (Gadfan)

24 pass

A–Z Statespersons Quiz Solution and Result Initial Letters A Adenauer B Bandaranaike C Chamberlain D Drees E Evatt F Fitzgerald G Glenn H Howard I Inonu J Jackson K Kissinger L Lyttelton M Meir N Nkomo O Otis P Profumo Q Questiaux R Reagan S Sukarno T Trudeau U Ulbricht V Vane W Whitelocke X Ximenes Y Yeltsin Z Zadok

Last Letters a MandelA b RobB c PaniC d HowarD e WalpolE f MintofF g KinG h KoH (or GoH) i MussolinI j PramoJ k ClarK l KohL m BroughaM n LincolN o BhuttO p von RibbentroP q de ClercQ r HitleR s ThierS t BildT u ClemenceaU v RyzhkoV w von BuloW x MaX y HaugheY z LopeZ

Result: Rod Lipscombe 51 (WINNER) Gery Bramall 51 Paul Emerson 51 Anne Hegerty 50 Ann Leaney 50 Terry McDonald 48 Timothy Robey 48 A very close-run thing with no-one actually managing to get all of the answers correct. Congratulations to Rod Lipscombe, however, as his was the first most correct entry to be opened, and he wins the £10 book token.

Marga Scott sets a test on famous (and not so famous) Dutch people As a tribute to Brian Bovington, Marga has put together an A-Z quiz of Dutch people with some claim to international fame. As in Brian’s quizzes, the letter of the question is the first letter of the person’s surname, except for Q and X, where the letter refers to either the person’s first name or their title. A £10 book token will go to the person with the highest score or, if two or more entries tie for first place, to the first entry checked after the closing date, 31 July 2005. Please send your entries to Marga Scott at River Bend, Hillside West, Rothbury, Morpeth NE65 7YN, or margascott@dutch-granny.fsnet.co.uk. A. Composer (1939); his work includes Writing to Vermeer, an opera in six scenes written in

collaboration with Peter Greenaway B. Author of children’s books (1927), creator of Miffy the Bunny C. Scientist (1933), joint winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1995 for his work in

atmospheric chemistry D. Banker and politician (1935), the first president of the European Central Bank E. Humanist and theologian (1466-1536), best known for his work The Praise of Folly F. Painter (1622-1654); he met his death when he was caught in the explosion of the Delft

gunpowder magazine G. Film director (1948); her film Antonia’s Line won the Academy Award for best foreign picture

in 1995 H. Conductor (1929), principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1961 to 1988,

music director at Glyndebourne from 1978 to 1988 and at the Royal Opera House from 1987 to 1998

I. Documentary film maker (1898-1989); his work includes Rain, Misère au Borinage and The Spanish Earth, the latter narrated by Ernest Hemingway

J. Actress (1965), best known for her role as Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye K. Tennis player (1971), winner of the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1996 L. Politician (1911-2002), Secretary-General of NATO from 1971 to 1984 M. Cartographer (1512-1594) who gave his name to a particular type of map projection N. Footballer (1976) who has been playing for Manchester United since 2001 O. Physicist and astronaut (1946); in 1985, he was the first Dutchman in space P. Aviator (1889-1953), founder of KLM Airways Q. The current monarch of the Netherlands (1938) R. Admiral (1607-1676) who defeated the English several times during the Anglo-Dutch wars,

most notably on the Medway in 1667 S. Colonial director (c. 1611-1672), last governor of New Amsterdam before it was handed over to

the English T. Explorer (1603-1657) who had an Australian state named after him U. Painter’s model (1612-1642); her husband Rembrandt painted her as Flora, among other things V. Poet and playwright (1587-1679) who had a park in Amsterdam named after him; his works

include Gysbrecht van Aemstil, Lucifer and Adam in Exile, which may have inspired Milton’s Paradise Lost

W. Crime fiction writer (1931), author of the ‘Amsterdam Cops’ series featuring detectives Grijpstra and De Gier

X. Singer (1950); in 1979, she represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘Colorado’

Y. Speed skater (1963); in 1988, he won the silver on the 500 metres at the Calgary Winter Olympics

Z. Exotic dancer and spy (1876-1917), better known under her stage name of Mata Hari