Tag: Trivial Pursuit

Which Country Produces Rioja?

This morning Aaron continued decorating the stairs and landing. I made eight 10″ x 8″ prints for Frances and her friend, Maggie. As usual, I will not publish them because they are not my images.

This afternoon, Jackie drove Becky and me to Shelly and Ron’s home in Walkford, where, joined by Helen and Bill, we enjoyed an absolutely splendid roast dinner cooked by Shelly.

We began with a tangy watercress soup.

Ron, Helen, Becky, and JackieDerrick, Bill, Becky, Jackie and ShellyHelenRoast brisket dinner

The main course was brisket of beef served with Yorkshire pudding, crisp roast potatoes and parsnips, perfect broad beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and red cabbage flavoured with cloves. The gravy was richly tasty. Desserts, provided by Helen, included a marvellous, moist, tiramisu; lovely layered apple cake and custard; and strawberries and cream.

Ron was busy carving when I photographed the table. Helen was out of focus in the first picture, and missing from the second because she took it. It was only right that I should make one decent image of her. Shelly just managed to put in an appearance in the second photo.

The evening brought ‘silly games’, for which Ian joined us. The first was one where each participant had a name they didn’t know fixed to their forehead. Everyone else could see these. We each had to guess our identity by asking questions to which the answer could only be yes or no. I was the last to get mine. Well, I was the Dalai Lama.

We were also rash enough to embark upon Trivial Pursuit. This can take some time. The end comes when the team that has arrived at a successful answer in each of the six categories must land in the middle of the board and be given final question in a set determined by their collective opponents. By the time the partnership of Becky and Ian landed on centre position the rest of us chose Geography. This is because Ian is a Geography teacher and we thought we could give them a chance to end, as we were all ready for it. The question was one any of us could have answered. See the title above.

Then we went home.

A Timeless Test

Last night I finished reading the Folio Society collection of ‘The Best of the Raconteurs‘.
Grill leak 2Grill leakWe have under floor electric heaters in our living room.  During one of the heavy storms just before Christmas we noticed a pool of water under the grill.  I telephoned Penyards, the owner’s agent, leaving a message as it was after hours.  I received a phone call the next day advising me to take out the relevant fuse.  The heaters themselves were, of course, switched off.  This meant a climb to the top of the stepladders to investigate the ancient box.  There were two appropriately marked fuses.  I pulled them out and reported back.  It is understood that this falls within the holiday period, however we have heard nothing since.  Today, more rain in daylight enabled us to investigate the source of the water dripping down the elongated window, through the grill, and into the pit below.  Jackie rigged up a catchment system and I left a message on Penyards’ answerphone. Buckets It is, of course, another holiday.  Watch this space. In the meantime we will try not to drive ourselves insane listening to the drip drip drip that had previously been quietened by its slow slide down the window pane.  The initial plastic receptacle was, perforce, replaced by a more adequate bucket.  And another, for there is now more than one entry point for the rain, and the deluge continues to fall.  The dining table and chairs were evacuated to what we hope will stay dry land.
Knowing that we were likely to have to pay for our lunch by playing Trivial Pursuit, as we prepared for a trip to Shelly and Ron’s I reminisced over the six hour marathon Matthew and I played against New Zealand in the form of Tess, her brother Warwick, and his now wife Lou.  This took place on Boxing Day four or five years ago, and is never to be forgotten.  It was rather like a Timeless Test match.
Until the cricket match between England and South Africa at Durban in 1939 tests were played out to their conclusion with no time limit.  After nine days that game was abandoned as a draw, otherwise the England team would have missed the boat home.  It was the last of its kind, and the longest ever played.  In those more sedate times, cricket teams spent six weeks each way on a boat, and were not required to arrive jet-lagged and immediately pick up a bat.
I really don’t recollect the outcome of the said England v. New Zealand test.  Did we abandon it as a draw?  Did anyone win?  Who cares?  Mat and I struggled to contain ourselves and not give the game away, as, time and time again, Lou came up with the right answer, and Warwick, debating it to the death, talked her and Tess out of it.  There was no time limit on these extensive discussions.  I would imagine that when it came to the last, central, question of choice, Mat and I probably selected a category for our opponents that we knew Warwick would like, just to let them score the winning runs.  But, as I say, I can’t remember.  I was probably asleep by then.
As mentioned above we will be enjoying one of Shelly’s delicious meals followed by after-dinner games.  After this we will return Flo and Scooby to Emsworth, with, if there is time before Jacqueline returns to Boston in Lincolnshire, a diversion to Mum’s where she has spent the New Year.  It is likely to be too late, and I to be too sated, to write anything more tonight, so, with this early post, I wish all my readers a Happy New Year.