Cobley Wanderers came into October chasing a hat-trick. They had won in August, won again in September, and October has always been their month: they took the October title in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Friends of Maddie had other ideas.
When the scores were totted up, Maddie’s lot had the trophy and the Wanderers had to settle for second. It is Friends of Maddie’s tenth win and their second of 2026, after February. Coming a month after they won the Roger Round hamper, they are on something of a roll.
The great rivalry
These two teams have been the backbone of the quiz since it came back in March 2023. The Wanderers have more trophies, 17 to Maddie’s 10, but Friends of Maddie have finished runner-up 17 times, more than any other team. Add it all up and, after 44 quizzes, both teams have finished in the top two exactly 27 times. You could not split them with a crowbar.
When it is these two in first and second, it has usually gone the Wanderers’ way: 11 times to 6. Tuesday made it six, and broke the October spell into the bargain.
A flavour of the questions
Eight rounds as usual, from general knowledge to a palindromes wipeout to finish. A few favourites:
- General knowledgeName a country which, written in CAPITAL LETTERS, has no bits you could colour in.
Answer: Chile, Fiji, Liechtenstein, Seychelles or Yemen - General knowledgePatrick Clifton is better known as who?
Answer: Postman Pat - General knowledgeWhich Bond films are hiding in EMOTION TIDE and RAINY DEATH ODE?
Answer: No Time to Die and Die Another Day - Entertainment and mediaIn 1844, the first what said “What hath God wrought”?
Answer: Telegram - Planes, trains and automobilesWhich car maker takes its name from the Latin for “I roll”?
Answer: Volvo - Countries beginning with BHercule Poirot, Tintin and the Smurfs all come from which country?
Answer: Belgium - Advertising slogans“Accrington Stanley? Who are they?”
Answer: The Milk Marketing Board - TriviaHow many landlocked countries are there in the world?
Answer: 44
There was also a Pointless round (41 words to be found in a grid of letters), six Trivial Pursuit questions, one of each colour, and a wipeout round where every answer read the same backwards: KAYAK, RACECAR, DEIFIED and friends. The full question sheet is in the questions archive.
The music round: black or white?
October’s music round came in two colours. Each clip had a black or a white in the title: one point for the right colour, another for the artist. White won the night six to four.
- blackBlack DogLed Zeppelin
- whiteA Whiter Shade of PaleProcol Harum
- blackPaint It BlackThe Rolling Stones
- white(White Man) In Hammersmith PalaisThe Clash
- whiteWhite Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel
- blackBack to BlackAmy Winehouse
- whiteWhite FlagDido
- whiteWhite RabbitJefferson Airplane
- blackBlack NightDeep Purple
- whiteWhite WeddingBilly Idol
Next up
Can the Wanderers bounce back, or is this the start of a Maddie run? Find out on Tuesday 24 November, 7:30pm start. Book your table on 01647 231314. After that it’s the Christmas special on Tuesday 22 December.
See every winner on the monthly winners board, and the rest of the photos in the gallery.