When I was younger, so much younger than today, about the only things worth watching on a Sunday lunchtime were Thunderbirds and/or University Challenge, the former boasting wooden acting but cool explosions while the latter gave us an outlet for all of those facts we'd gleaned from reading pile after pile of books.
Being busy with something else last Monday night I only caught the last fifteen minutes of University Challenge where the much-celebrated team of Corpus Christi College Oxford overcame a first half deficit to pull level with Manchester in the second half and then comprehensively bury them 275 to 190 in the last five minutes with a finish that had the normally composed and proper announcer almost screaming into his tightly-clenched microphone. It was an excellent piece of TV, watched by 5.3 million viewers, and is well-worth watching on iPlayer if for no better reason than to understand the Gail Trimble phenomenon, who is the highest points scorer in University Challenge history and accounted for two-thirds of her team's 1200 points from the series.
But all is not well. It turns out that one of the Corpus Christi team had finished college and for the last few rounds was employed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and wasn't a student at all!?!? Some are crying "foul", others suggest that it didn't make any material difference because of Gail Trimble's performance and the third camp couldn't care less either way.... it's a TV programme... get over it.
By now you may be wondering what on earth this has to do with Worcester Park so I'll refer you to the blog of St Johns, Worcester Park, where vicar Kevin Scott recollects that he prepared Gail Trimble for her confirmation some thirteen years ago. If you want to read that, and see a picture of a former Blue Peter presenter, then head over to St John's church blog.
Ermmm... anybody spot the Beatles lyric?
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