Having competed in the programme as an undergraduate at Cambridge I was lucky enough to make the University Challenge team for the University of York while doing an MA in Mediaeval (Anglo-Saxon) Studies in 1984. We weren't quite as successful as the Girton team had been. We won our first match, against a team from the LSE, but went on to lose to Trinity College, Dublin. They went on to reach the final, I think, before losing to the Open University. I say I think, because my memory is not what it should be. I have to confess to not even remembering the names of two of my team-mates. Our Captain was Andrew Corbett-Nolan, who won us crucial points towards the end of a tight match against LSE by recognising the names of some breeds of strawberry, but I cannot remember the first names of Ms Glyn and Mr Nash.
8 comments:
Whaaat?! You were at York too? York Uni, know it well, mostly as an employee :-) What is it with you and University Challenge?
Commenting before I had even finished the post - that's enthusiasm...
I spent a happy year at York, where I met Mrs Wenlock, gained an MA, and played the part of Lechery in an adaptation of the Confessions of the Seven Deadly Sins from Piers Ploughman. Luckily I believe that no pictures survive.
Good luck.
It was Mary Glyn and Phil Nash. She was an MPs daughter and he turned up with a ridiculous bit of computer gear as a lucky gonk. I seem to remember getting off with the Captain of the Glasgow team who were also playing at the time. All harmless fun and thanks for remembering my coup with the strawberries. Hope you are well and prospering and very best wishes, Andrew Corbett-Nolan
I was going to remind you, but it seems Andrew has beaten me to it! I remember it well, still have the same photo as you and the videos. Our reserve, Andrew Warmington (?sp) turned up on "Mastermind" a few years ago. I remember your third appearance on UC, it must be some sort of record. I now edit Wikipedia alongside such luminaries as Bamber Gascoigne & Richard Dawkins, so I suppose I've kept up the academic side. Regards.
Phil Nash
Hi Stephen and indeed Phil and A C-N if you ever read this - I found all this via an egosurf. (Mary Glyn, incidentally, never sat the test to get on the team - she just asked nicely if she could be on it; yes, I am still bitter actually...). I have indeed been on Mastermind twice in now, in 2004 and again in October 2009, but the real lifelong dream was to do University Challenge; I twice put teams together for the Professionals but didn't get chosen. One day...! AW
Good to see you're still around, Andy, and I was prepared to drop ACN from the team on the second UC recording in your favour since he didn't travel with us and didn't tell us he was going to be late- didn't do a great deal for morale. However, well done on making it through to the next stage of Mastermind; I've thought often about doing it, but I know little bits about lots of stuff rather than a lot of stuff about any one topic. I support Fairport Convention might be a starter, since I've been re/writing most of their Wikipedia articles of late. Cheers! Phil
support -> suppose
Post a Comment