Monday 14th October 2013
Tonight (Monday 14th October 2013)
on University Challenge on BBC2 was
a contestant who introduced himself as
“I’m Simon Thomas, from Warminster, Wiltshire,
working towards a Masters in Strategic Studies.”
Simon, seen here far left, was a member of the team
from The University Of Aberystwyth
which has 15,000 students in total.
The average age of the Aberystwyth
team was 30.
Aberystwyth were competing against
Bangor University in the last
of the first round matches.
As can be seen from the scores above,
Bangor got off to an early start by quickly
answering a string of questions correctly.
Bangor were a younger team
with an average age of 23.
To his credit, Simon was able to successfully
answer two starter (10 point)
questions during the tough quiz.
As just over 17 minutes into the quiz had passed,
Quizmaster Jeremy Paxman
asked the starter question:
“Rising in defence of the Glorious Revolution
which English philosopher outlined his political
theory by attacking the notion of the Divine
Right of Kings . . . ” but Paxman was interrupted
when Jones from the Bangor team buzzed in
and incorrectly answered “Hobbs.”
Jeremy Paxman was then able to complete the starter
question for the benefit of Aberystwyth:
“. . . in the 1690 work Two Treatise On Government?”
Simon then correctly answered the question
“John Locke” which gave his team
three questions for five points each,
the answers to which were words that
could be made out of any of the eight letters
in the word ‘marzipan’.
The quiz continued but Bangor maintained
a substantial lead, thanks mostly to
the knowledge of their captain Christina Coutts.
Coincidentally, the Bangor team also had
a contestant from Wiltshire, Anna Johnson,
seen here lower right, who said she was
from Chippenham.
At just over 22 minutes into the half hour
programe, with the score at
Aberystwyth 100, Bangor 155,
Jeremy Paxman asked the starter question:
“Formerly used to produce acetylene
in lamps, which solid grey compound . . . “
at which point he was interrupted by the
buzzing in of Simon.
Simon correctly interrupted with the
answer “Calcium Carbide”
which then gave Aberystwyth the advantage
with three 5-point questions on Henry VIII.
Simon (left) conferring with his team mates.
Simon’s hands gripped together during the quiz.
Simon Thomas.
Unfortunately, no amount of conferring
or getting starter questions correct
by Aberystwyth
could make for playing catch-up with
Bangor who continued to forge brilliantly ahead.
Jeremy Paxman announces the final score:
Aberystwyth 110, Bangor 230.
Hard luck to the losing team.
You were good but your contenders
were twice as good on the night.
Jeremy Paxman offers his commiserations
to Aberystwyth.
Jeremy offers his congratulations
to the winners of this battle
Bangor University, who now go forward
to compete in the next round of the quiz.