Return of the Hound

It had been a long time. Halfway around the world and back to face again the ultimate challenge. The Hound strode into the arena like gladiators, triumphant from their latest conquests. We could feel the hot, burning sun on our backs as we drank in the roar of our adoring public. The arena was dry and dusty and as we surveyed the scene; familiar opponents lay in wait, The Busters, LATT, and the Anoraks.

So we got a drink and sat down ready for the quiz. Just Graham and myself this week and first up we were confronted by 10 Patricks, appropriate enough for the time of year.

Number eight was the one that vexed us, some politician?

Current affairs and we made a fair stab at this, though it was China not Russia who have scrapped the 2 presidential terms rule and it was Jake Quickenden and not "some random z-lister" who won Dancing On Ice. Though hang on?

True or false followed and again a reasonable show with less random questions than we used to get back in those days of the Jolly Farmers (shudder). Elvis was apparently a karate black belt and the African rhino does have two horns. We did know that rats can go a long time without water and that Donald Duck's middle name was Fauntleroy. Though that confuses me, as "Duck" is his species does that make my middle name Holmes? Did Donald maybe have a conventional surname, Smith or something? Maybe it was actually "Duck". Would have got confused if he'd ever been to Nottinghamshire though.

Too many questions. Connections played out ok, with answers including Bin, Bat, Super, Elephant leading us to the conclusion that "Man" was somehow the connection.

Ten pointers, now it got tough. Anyone know her?

Ten times world darts champion, Trina Gulliver apparently. Just to make things worse we didn't know that St Nicholas was patron saint of chidren as well as sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers and students. Busy lad. Oh and Johnny Depp's first firm role was on one of the Nightmare On Elm Street films.

So fair to say we were up against it after all that. The chain letters worked fine, bit of backsolving when there were multiple options but that's all part of it. So the jeopardy, it had to be all in, bet the farm etc. And so we did, with disregard about whether it was right or not until this fellow came along.

An architect by the name of Sir Giles Gilbert-Scott. Among his works, and there are a lot, he designed the British red telephone box. Who knew?

Well we had others wrong and it was strangely lacklustre in the music as well. So we almost had a chance of coming last but at least no if-onlys today. Excuses, saving ourselves for Cheltenham today.

Oh and if anyone out there thinks wheelchair curling is going to catch on as a spectator sport? No.