And the winners are … the animals

All the brain-box Mensa members in Banchory must have been washing their hair the other night.  In a ‘scraping the dog-bowl ‘exercise I was invited to make up a team at an SPCA quiz night.  A sucker for anything involving animals I accepted then immediately panicked.  How to shake up my ever-decreasing little grey cells?

Turns out I needn’t have worried as I was in a team of seasoned quiz-goers who knew the most obscure things.  We were well matched as my knowledge, such as it is, is pretty much confined to obscure things.

Hilary, my friend who put together the dream team of ‘The Baker and his Crumpets’ as we coined ourselves had also invited a couple called Tom and Penny Baker (hence the name) who were enormous fun.  Tom, in particular, was hugely irreverent and had me in stitches the entire evening with his little asides.  The pair of us were threatened with the naughty corner at several points.

In the medical round one of the questions was “What is the term for boring a hole in a person’s skull?”  Quick as a flash, Tom stage whispers “Talking!” The serious ambience evaporated and it took a while for composure to be regained.

‘The Baker and his Crumpets’ held 2nd place right up to the final round when the ‘Banchory Vets’ beat us into 3rd with their highly suspect knowledge of mushrooms.

It was a great night and superbly organised by SPCA supporters, compered with aplomb by  redoubtable dog trainer, Rosemary Pirie, and well attended by local worthies.  More importantly I believe we raised almost £400 for the new SPCA centre in Drumoak which makes the real winners the animals looking for loving homes.

By the way the answer is trepanning, the oldest surgery in the world used to treat anything from headaches, brain disorders, insanity and to let out evil spirits.  Bizarrely, doctors would keep a fragment of the skull as a lucky charm.

We need doctors like that like a hole in the head!