Hound intrinsically adorable (9)

The blog title has nothing to do with last week's quiz, nor is it a statement of fact. Just a times crossword clue from earlier in the week. Answer at the foot of the post. Apologies for lateness of this blog, we have a man that does, doing at home. The conversion of study to bedroom has affected my onlineness for a few days.

Picture free this week, as I am posting from my iPad and it is a bit fiddly. Normal service will be resumed in due course.

Quick sweep-up re a couple of events. Full pack of Hounds descended on Hastings on Maundy Thursday, good time had by all. Siobhan's sloe gin was finished on the outward journey, palatable and very refreshing. Well done to her. Robson and myself took part in an inbetweener music Quiz with various anoraks, being placed a comfortable second. The impressive winnin team saw us off largely due to their knowledge of female X-Factor winners and the years in which they won. We were 1 year out for 5 of the 6. Nevertheless an enjoyable evening at St Raphael's hospice in Cheam.

Quiz proper started with easy picture round, furry animals. We may have confused our ferrets and weasels but otherwise a breeze. We missed two current affairs q's but my notes are too cryptic at this late stage to say what they were. Weetabix got a mention, as did George Osborne, Chris O'Donnell and Steve Jordan.

Food & drink mostly negotiated in round 3. Our bearnaise sauce knowledge not as good as it perhaps should be, and we were way out on what type of beer was being smuggled into Georgia in the film 'Smokey & the Bandit' (Coors apparently).

We frankly unravelled a bit in the connections round, only getting 6 of the 9 connected answers. Windsor was probably the only one that might have helped us to get knots as the connection, had we got it right. Other connectors include Celtic FC, Savoy hotel, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Albert Pierpoint, and I think Madeline Albright.

Got the ten pointers, Jimmy Purley a bit tricky for some other teams.

The chain letters round included the second mention of absinthe in this week's quiz. A fisherman uses a gaff to land fish that have been hooked, not a griff, otherwise fine.

Uninspired Jeopardy round where we left 4 out. Other, bigger, teams putting some distance between us and them. Nobody in the house knew or could remember the surname of John Lennon's first wife Cynthia, we also had an Archbishop Cantab/York dilemma (which is prelate of All England), no idea who played Vin in ' The Magnificent 7', and swerved a potential bovril/marmite bear trap.

Usual strong music round, especially good get of Alesha Dixon song by Robson. We were 3rd, 10 behind Anoraks who won. Consolation bag of minstrels for being first in with the Queen Mum's age at death.

Jeopardy answers were Powell, Cantab, Steve McQueen, bovril.

Crossword answer is 'persecute'.

G-Force