6th January - Away to the Nag's Head

 

The second half of the season starts after the Christmas break and the first game is against the Nag’s Head who gave us a very close game in the first leg.

It is a welcoming pub built for the market trade as it stands opposite the former cattle market and with its many rooms and three floors would have provided accommodation for herders and farmers that had brought their sheep and cows for sale. There is an excellent history of the pub in Paul Wreglesworth’s Volume 2 of The Pubs And Breweries of Macclesfield – Nick’s favourite is the crowds of unemployed silk workers who gathered outside to hear the fiery speeches of their leaders. Now owned by Robinsons’ brewery it is showing the improvements made by the new brewer, with two guest beers (admittedly brewed by Robbies) in addition to the normal Unicorn and the very reliable Dizzy Blonde. (Isn’t it odd that I can buy Robbies’ beer in London freehouses, but can only get Robbies in a Robbies pub).

 

The questions can be found here .

An embarrassing start to the quiz was Nick mishearing round 2 as Missing Bowels – an alarming image sprung to mind not helped by mishearing the explanation “Just Consonants” as Continents!!

The Specialist rounds saw the lead swing from one team to the next until the Lemmings scraped through with 65 points to 59. The General Knowledge questions were perhaps over-loaded with sport but unusually worked to the Lemmings’ advantage as they finished with 81 to the Nags’ 61, a final score of 146 to 120.

Individual scores were Bob 9/15, Wendy 12/18, Nick 3/6 and Tomo 21/12; conferred points were 10/20, pass-overs 10/10 whilst the home team collected 4/7 pass-overs.

The evening was rounded off with an excellent supper of chicken nuggets, chips and bread and butter – many thanks to the landlords, the home team and to Heather the question master who controlled the game with patience and a light touch