… the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
Yes, as Isaiah noted, the long wet summer has splashed to a chilly end yet once again The Weaver sprang to life as the town’s quizzers emerged from the darkness of Thornton Square to signal the new season of the Macclesfield Pub Quiz League.
The Phoenix at least were able to look back to one warm day in July when the clouds broke for the annual party and the sun shined on friends, some of them members of other teams.
The origins of this ritual feast go back to the year the Phoenix were promoted to the A League and a celebration was felt to be in order; the next year was to mark our return to the B League and subsequent years have marked yet another close run thing.
There was music with mandolin, squeezebox and several guitars (with Steve holding it all together). Bob gave a magnificent account of the ballad of Cowheel Lou,
a tribute to Mike Harding, and Nick had even managed to secure the services of an opera singer, a student at the Royal Northern College of Music whose voice rang clearly across the valley – a marvel!!
Nick had gathered some nibbles, Brian and Tracey from the Waters Green Tavern very generously donated a barrel of excellent ale and Nick’s sons provided another. Several guests brought cakes and sweets to round off the meal that were gratefully received. An excellent day.
But back to The Weaver on a chilly and wet evening for the League AGM and Plate Final. The AGM was as all such should be – over in five minutes - but then a problem arose. A team from the Park Tavern had elected to play only in the knock-out competition and had battled their way through to the Plate Final (winning one game with only two players!!) but sadly on the night (after various changes at the Park among other factors) were unable to get a team together and the Harrington Academicals took the Plate by default. There was then a fairly even split by those in attendance – either get together a scratch team to play the Academicals, or go into the next room to watch City play Real Madrid. In the end both happened and a very entertaining quiz game ably questioned by Bob ended in a win for the scratch team; not wishing to gloat but United’s former player Ronaldo scored for Madrid in the 90th minute to win the game 3-2.
We were fortunate to have a professional photographer in attendance in the person of Matt Eagles (he plays in the soon to be relocated Albion team) who has captured the spirit of the evening in a fine collection of photographs that can be seen here.
We all look forward to the start of the league in two weeks.
