Episode 135 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads. Challenging our resident quiz champions today

are The Winchester Club from Hampshire.

They met through the various social events held at the club,

and take part in the quiz on the third Wednesday of every month. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Beryl. I'm 65, and I'm a retired bank official.

Hi, I'm Brian, I'm 74, and I'm a retired civil servant.

Hi. I'm Linda, I'm 62, and I'm a retired local government officer.

Hi. My name's Don, I'm 66, and a retired rubber chemist.

Hello. I'm Tony, I'm 62, and I'm a retired company director.

-Beryl and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

-Good to see you.

-We haven't got Kevin today. It's your neighbourhood.

-We are disappointed he's not here.

-So tell us about The Winchester Club.

-It's a social club.

We have many activities. We all go there for the dancing, the quiz nights,

but we have bowls, darts, bridge.

-I wrote cribbage down here.

-Yes, I play cribbage.

-What is cribbage?

-You have a wooden board, and you have pegs,

and your cards add up to 15, or pairs,

one for his nob. It's just a card game.

-OK. Anyone play that over here? Daphne plays cribbage.

-Yes.

-I have done in the past.

-But not at The Winchester Club?

-No.

Good luck. It's obviously the hub of activity.

We hope it becomes the hub of a big win here for you this afternoon.

Every day there is £1,000 up for grabs for our Challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So I can tell you, the Eggheads are doing pretty well.

-They've won the last 14 games.

-Wow.

Which means £15,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

So you'll be buying the drinks at the club if you win. THEY LAUGH

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of sport.

-Is that good or bad?

-That's OK.

-That's OK.

-Who would like this?

-Right.

-It looks like me.

-Brian.

-OK.

Before you go, choose an Egghead. You can have any of them.

-Chris, please.

-Right. You sound very businesslike. I think they've got a plan.

So Brian from The Winchester Club vs Chris from the Eggheads on sport.

-Tricky for you, Chris, this one?

-I have been winning a few lately.

You have. Well reminded. To ensure there's no conferring,

take your positions in the question room.

-So, Brian, you were in the army for a time?

-I was, yes.

Then changed into the civil service.

Before that I was in the merchant navy.

-Retired from that, and again we can find you down at The Winchester Club, can we?

-You can indeed.

-It sounds like a great place.

-Oh, it is.

-Very civilised.

-Well,... sometimes.

THEY LAUGH Until the fighting starts.

-Exactly.

-OK, good luck in sport against Chris.

You will get three questions in turn. Whoever answers the most questions correctly

-goes through to the final. Brian, you can choose the first or second set.

-May I got first, please?

Here we go. In what sport would one be most likely to use a release aid?

A release aid. R-E-L-E-A-S-E.

I don't think it's cricket.

I've played a bit of that. I can't remember anything in Badminton,

so I'll go for archery, please.

Yeah, releasing the arrow. Archery's quite right. Well done.

Your question, Chris.

In golf, a double eagle is the equivalent of what score?

Er, double eagle. Um...

It's surely two under par, so it's an albatross.

-It's funny you say that. Anyone know at this side? Is he right?

-Yes.

-It's right, but it's three under par.

-Is it?

-Yeah, but albatross is the right answer.

-Mm-hm.

But three under par, double eagle, albatross, all the same thing.

OK. Brian,

in what position did the footballer Dave Beasant regularly play?

I don't think he was a striker.

Defender, no.

I'm pretty sure he was a goalkeeper.

You are absolutely right. Goalkeeper is the right answer.

Chris, your question. In 2012, who became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries?

Sachin Tendulkar holds some record or other,

but that's been around for a few years, I think.

I don't think it's Rahul Dravid and I don't think it's Kevin Pietersen.

I'll got with Sachin Tendulkar.

You are quite right. Sachin Tendulkar it is.

Cracking along and no-one's got a question wrong.

Brian, in 2010, Amy Williams became the first British female

to win an individual Winter Olympics gold medal

since which ice skater in 1952?

I'm not sure. I don't recognise any of them, unfortunately.

So I think it was Lydia Wideman.

No, it wasn't Lydia. It was Jeanette Altwegg in the middle.

Anyone know what Amy Williams did?

Yeah, the skeleton.

Right, OK, well, good for Amy.

Chris, your question to take the round.

The racing team HRT, which made its first Formula One appearance in 2010,

was founded by which former racing driver?

-Well, it's going to be a complete and utter guess. Marc Gene.

-No.

Anybody... Anyone know on this team? No?

Based in India, it's Adrian Campos.

Yeah, that's right. Adrian Campos is the correct answer.

OK, just as I say we're going great guns and getting every question right, we stumble.

-We go to sudden death, Brian. OK?

-Yep.

It gets harder. I don't give you alternatives.

Which of tennis's four Grand Slam singles' tournaments

did Andre Agassi win on the most occasions?

I don't think it was the French.

I don't think it was Australian.

Was it the American?

-No. Australian Open.

-Ahh.

Four times. He won the US Open twice,

and Wimbledon and the French Open once each.

Chris, if you get this right you will be in the final round.

In which sport did Adrian Lewis from Staffordshire become a world champion for the first time in 2011?

-Weightlifting?

-No. It's almost the opposite. Darts.

-That's a game, it's not a sport.

-THEY LAUGH

-His nickname is Jackpot.

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

Daphne knows. Daphne?

And he's called Jackpot because apparently we to Las Vegas one year

-and he won the jackpot, but because he wasn't 21 he wasn't allowed to have it.

-Oh, my goodness.

So we're equal. Brian, back to you.

Which Olympic gold medal-winning British athlete

did Sebastian Coe once describe as a Stalinist,

adding, "It is not enough for him to win."

"He has to mentally destroy his opponent."?

(Olympic?)

Let me see.

HE SIGHS

Oh, I can't think of his name. David...

No, it's gone, I'm afraid.

-Did you get halfway there or...?

-David.

-David?

-Yeah.

-No.

-Daley Thompson.

-Daley, that's it.

-I thought you might go for Steve Ovett, cos they had a big...

-That's what I thought.

-Tug of war.

-They did.

-Daley Thompson. Let's see if Chris can book his place in the final round.

Which Soviet gymnast was the first to be inducted

into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame?

-Oh, what was her name? Olga Korbut.

-Olga Korbut is the right answer.

Well done on sport. You're in the final. Brian, sorry.

You've failed to triumph over our Egghead. You've been knocked out. Both of you come back to your teams.

The Challengers have lost a brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost no brains. It's early days. You can turn it around.

-Do you believe that?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-A slight pause and then "yes."

The next subject is politics. Who would like this?

-That's the one we were dreading.

-I think I'm...

-I think I'm...

-Tony?

-Yeah.

-Tony.

Tony, OK. Which Egghead, Tony?

What do we all think? We don't know Dave, do we?

We don't know much about him yet, do we, Dave?

-We don't know about Dave.

-Um...

-Not Daphne or Barry.

-Pat?

-Pat.

-Pat.

-No, I don't think so.

-Who do you fancy?

-I think I'll try Dave.

-OK.

-He's the unknown quantity.

-Unknown.

Gradually becoming more and more known. Tremendous Knowledge Dave against Tony from Winchester Club.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

-So you're retired now, Tony?

-Yes, I am.

-What were you doing before that?

-I was a... Basically, I was a mechanical designer.

But I was managing director of a company, a small company, making tobacco processing machinery.

-Oh, OK. Here or abroad or what?

-No, I worked in the UK.

I ended up working for an Italian company

but I was the MD of the UK operation.

-Is it fun being retired? I bet you're busier than ever?

-Much busier than ever.

-It's not a problem to fill a day.

-Great. Good luck against Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

Now three questions. Politics. I know this isn't necessarily the subject your team wanted.

-Do you want the first or second set of questions?

-I think I'll go second.

Dave, here's your first question. In 2004, Sergei Lavrov became which country's foreign minister?

Lavrov. And that is L-A-VR-O-V?

It's say S-E-R-G-E-I and then L-A-V-R-O-V, yeah.

Well, just from the name I will go Russia.

Russia is spot on, Dave. Well done.

Tony, who won the French presidential election in May 2012?

Well, the election run-off

was between Sarkozy and Francois Hollande,

and Francois Hollande got the vote.

You're quite right. He knocked Sarkozy off his perch. Well done.

OK, Tremendous Knowledge Dave, at the 1997 general election,

which party used the phrase "Britain deserves better" as its main slogan?

Well, the Conservatives were in power at that general election.

It sounds the kind of thing that Labour would've said,

in terms of looking forward. So my answer is Labour.

Labour is the right answer.

They had it on three battle buses.

-One said "Britain", one said, "Deserves", one said "Better".

-Right.

The only problem came when the back one got overtaken

by a van delivering sausages. It said "Britain deserves sausages."

Tony, the politician George Osborne was born in which year?

Well, from the look of him, um,

I would guess he's a similar sort of age to me,

so I'm going to go for 1961.

He's actually younger than that. He's '71. 1971 he was born.

So back to you, Dave. If you get this right you will take the round.

Who was the Labour MP for Knowsley North until 1986?

I think the word we use for all three of those Labour politicians is "colourful" characters.

George Galloway has a constituency in Glasgow.

I think he latterly got elected for Respect in both London and Bradford.

Dennis Skinner's the Beast of Bolsover.

But the person I'd associate with Knowsley North, because at the time

there was big divisions within the Labour Party.

That was part of the reason that he decided to stand down.

The person I'd associate is Robert Kilroy-Silk.

Robert Kilroy-Silk is absolutely right.

-He was kind of a right-winger and got into trouble with militant, didn't he?

-Yes.

At the time there was obviously a big struggle in Liverpool

with what was going on in terms of the national party as well.

He decided to go away, and then obviously went into a media career at the time.

You've got it right. Well done. Dave, you're in the final.

Sorry, Tony, no way back for you. Please rejoin your teams and we'll play on.

-Now, two brains gone, Beryl.

-Yes.

If you were playing cribbage, would you move the nobs around or what?

No. If we were playing cribbage we'd win.

THEY LAUGH

We're expert at crib.

In this game, do you change strategy? That's the key question.

-Not once you start.

-We haven't yet got the women on the battlefield.

-That could change everything.

-It could indeed.

-Absolutely.

So two challenges down. Eggheads still intact,

all the shells unbroken. The next subject is science.

-Is this good?

-It's got to be you.

-Don, you're a scientist, aren't you?

-Yeah, on the rubber side, anyway.

OK. Well, Don against which Egghead?

-Right.

-Barry, Pat or Daphne?

-I'd like to play against Daphne, actually.

-Yes, I think so.

-OK.

Can I have Daphne, please?

OK, so Don from The Winchester Club vs Daphne from the Eggheads,

who's proved to be very capable on science recently.

We've noticed that. Please, both of you, go to the question room now.

-Don, we've got you down as a scientist, have we?

-Yes, sort of, but only in a very narrow field

of polymers, really. Plastics and rubber.

-Polymers as they relate to racing cars?

-From a ceiling point of view, yeah.

We're into the, sort of, transmission seals,

gearboxes for, basically, the Formula One teams.

My last ten years was in that role.

So you were trying to work out what's light and doesn't catch fire?

We used to try and come up with the specs for them.

A lot of it was obviously strength,

titanium shells, all sorts of things like that.

Anything to get everything smaller, lighter,

to make the car quicker, really.

If we get a question on the kind of rubber that gearboxes are made out of in Formula One,

-you're likely to get that right.

-But they don't make a whole gearbox out of rubber.

THEY LAUGH

Daphne will probably get it right because she's brilliant at guessing.

-I'll ask each of you three questions. Choose the first or second set, Don.

-Um, I think I'll go second.

Daphne, your first question.

Which colour is most typical of the gemstone citrine?

Citrine is yellow.

Yellow is right.

Don, here's your question. Titanoboa, which lived 58 million years ago

and was approximately 50ft in length, was what type of creature?

Well, I recently saw a programme on the biggest snake,

and as the word "boa" is at the end I think I'll go for snake, Jeremy.

Good answer, good logic. Snake it is.

You wouldn't like to meet that one, Daphne, in your nightdress.

The Turing Award is given annually

to those considered outstanding in which field?

Mm. That is computer science.

Named after?

Alan Turing.

Who cracked the...?

Enigma code.

Very good. Computer science is right. Well done.

She's ahead of you, Don, but you can catch up now.

Where in the human body

are the anterior cervical lymph nodes located?

Right, er...

We know they're under the armpits. There's some in the neck.

Because of cervical and the area, I'm going to go for thighs, Jeremy.

-I understand your logic there, but it's neck actually.

-Oh, was it?

Help us out, this word cervical.

The cervical vertebrae are part of the spine that are in the neck.

What does... So if it's got the word cervix or cervical in it,

-what does that mean it is?

-It means neck.

-Neck?

-In Latin.

-Anything cervical is neck-based, Don.

-Oh.

Daphne, greylag is a species of which bird?

Sorry. It's a goose.

Why are you saying sorry?

Because I know it's a goose.

It is a goose, and you're very polite, Egghead, today.

Thank you for apologising to the other contestant.

You've three in a row. Sorry, Dom.

That means you've been knocked out. Daphne has taken the round.

She does tend to do that, even on science.

The rubber thing didn't come up, did it? That's the trouble.

Please, both of you, come back here and rejoin your teammates.

We're all interested in The Winchester Club.

-Could we join it or would we have to live in Winchester?

-Anyone can join.

-So from all round the world?

-Yes.

-It's not political, just social?

-It's not political at all.

We do food as well, which is excellent.

-You have a nice premises?

-Very nice.

-A bar and restaurant?

-We have two bars, and a lounge which we use as a restaurant.

We have a big room called the Churchill Room, which is for functions. We do weddings, parties.

That can hold up to 160 people.

-Is Kevin a member, do you know?

-He's not.

-He's not.

-We've got to work on that one.

-We need to work on it.

-We can encourage him to join the team.

-Join your quiz team, exactly.

He'd get all the questions right.

As it stands, the Challengers have lost three brains,

the Eggheads no brains. We did have a big win the other day. They were reduced to one.

So don't worry, it's not over.

The last subject before the final is music.

-Who will this be? Linda or Beryl?

-That's Lin.

-Lin?

-It's got to be me.

OK, Linda, against which Egghead?

Um... I think... I think I'll take Barry, please.

OK, Linda from The Winchester Club against Barry from the Eggheads.

-Are you feeling musical, Barry, today?

-I'm always feeling musical. I sing in the bath.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

-So, Linda, you're married to Don.

-I am, yes.

-I know you go to the club for some dancing occasionally.

-Yes, we enjoy the dancing.

-Any particular styles?

-Well, we mainly jive. Rock and roll.

But we're actually having ballroom lessons at the moment.

-There we are, same as you.

-Absolutely. It's a wonderful thing to do.

-What are you finding?

We were discussing last time whether you were doing the pogo in your lessons. You said no.

-What are you specialising in?

-Everything, but I particularly like cha-cha.

-We do as well.

-I love the Latin dances.

-OK, if it's a draw after this round, you've got to cha-cha together.

-I look forward to that.

-THEY LAUGH

Each of you will get questions on music in turn. Linda, choose the first or second set.

I think I'd like to go second, please.

Barry, your question. The bugle belongs to which group of instruments?

As a bugle is yellow and made out of brass,

I think it must belong to the brass.

Brass is bang on. OK, Linda,

in which decade was Kate Bush's debut album

The Kick Inside first released?

Um...

I don't think it's '60s.

I think it's probably '70s. I'll go for '70s.

Very good. 1970s is right.

Is it Wuthering Heights and all that?

Good old Kate Bush.

Barry, which model co-wrote several songs on the 2007 Babyshambles album

Shotter's Nation?

Oh, goodness me.

Hmm. Babyshambles.

I'm really not at all sure on this one.

I don't think it was Lily Cole, but I could be wrong.

I don't know. I'm going to plump for Kate Moss,

but it's an out and out guess.

-Kate Moss is quite right.

-Ooh.

OK, Linda, your question. The Sky Is Too High, released in 1998,

was the first solo album by which member of the band Blur?

Oh, I'm not really sure of this. I was never really into Blur.

Um...

I think...

I think I will have to... As Damon Albarn is the only one I recognise

I'm going to have to go for him. Damon Albarn.

Damon Albarn has been very busy and he is the lead singer.

-It's not him, though. It's Graham Coxon actually.

-Right.

OK, Barry, your question. If you get this right you've taken the round.

Oh, are we in trouble, then? Hang on a minute.

We're down to one. Uh-oh.

-Barry...

-There's that little word "if", though.

Which composer was granted an annual allowance of £200 by Queen Anne,

after he composed Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate

to celebrate the Peace of Utrecht?

Well, it wouldn't have been Brahms because he wasn't born then.

I'm trying to think, the Peace of Utrecht, when that was.

That would have been about 1713 or 1714.

Oh, 1713 I think the Peace of Utrecht,

which makes it a little late for Bach.

So think my answer must be George Frideric Handel.

-Do you think he's right, Linda?

-I expect he is.

I'm afraid he is. Handel is right. Well done.

You've taken the music round, a strong subject for you. Sorry, Linda.

You've been knocked out as well.

We'll see what happens to your team in the final if you come back to us.

This is what we have been playing towards. It is time for the final round, general knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed to take part.

So Brian, Linda, Don and Tony from The Winchester Club,

would you please now leave the studio.

-I know this wasn't meant to happen, Beryl.

-It certainly wasn't.

Your brilliant Winchester Club are all now backstage

-and it's all down to you.

-Thank you. No pressure then.

-No pressure.

Good jackpot for you to win. £15,000.

The Eggheads, Pat, Barry, Chris, Daphne and Dave,

you're playing for something money can't buy, which is your reputation.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn.

The questions are general knowledge. You are allowed to confer.

Beryl, the question is, can you, with your one brain,

destroy this team of five? And believe me, it's been done.

Don't say no. It's been done.

-We wish you well. Do you want to go first or second?

-First, please.

A jurist is someone who is expert in what area?

Spelt J-U-R-I-S-T.

I'm not really sure about this at all.

I don't think it's literature.

I think I'm just going to say law.

Law is the right answer. Well done. Very good.

Eggheads, what name was given to the English government from 1653 to 1659?

-Protectorate.

-Protectorate.

That's the Protectorate. Cromwell's period of rule.

The Protectorate is quite right.

Beryl, the type of graphical mark the solidus

is more commonly known by what name?

The solidus is spelt S-O-L-I-D-U-S, as you'd expect.

I haven't got a clue, to be honest with you. Um... Solidus?

They're all looking at me. They know the answer.

Um... I think I'm going to have to guess and say...

..bracket.

-Let's see if they know.

-Slash.

-Slash.

-Slash is the answer.

-Thank you.

-Let's hope you don't fall behind now.

Eggheads, a toponym is a name derived from what?

-Place.

-Place.

-Place.

-Yes, definitely.

That's a place.

Place is the right answer. Well done.

OK, you need to get this one right, Beryl, or else they will have won.

The Chagres River flows through which Central American country?

C-H-A-G-R-E-S. The Chagres River.

These questions are certainly not my subject.

I will... I'm just going to go down the middle and say Costa Rica.

The answer is Panama.

-Sorry, team.

-No apologies are needed, I promise,

but we do say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

-It does get a bit lonely there.

-It's very lonely - and frightening.

-It may not make them easier to have another person, but you can bounce off each other.

-Yes.

I feel like I want to help and I'm not allowed to, so...

-Beryl, well done.

-Thank you.

-Doughty performance, and it's nice to see the team and get to know the club.

-Thanks.

Commiserations. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them, and their winning streak continues.

It does mean The Winchester Club won't be going back with the £15,000.

The money now rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you? You're playing really well.

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers

have the brains to defeat this lot.

£16,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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