Hey, did you miss me? No, didn't think so.
Thank you to Andy and James for covering for me while I was away. Since my last recap four weeks ago, which saw Glen Webb score a massive 141, we've seen Giles Hutchings crowned as Series 68 champion and Glen become an octochamp in the new series. Who will be the next contestant to make a real impact?C1: Champion June Glasspell (1 win, 84 points.) A retired school admin from Southampton, she is being watched by her two sons and their wives, as well as a friend in the audience. She earned her place in the champion's chair yesterday with a surprisingly easy 84-38 victory against one-time champion Dan Skelton.
C2: Challenger Tom Stoddart. An 18-year-old apprentice from south Devon, in the air training business and could potentially learn to fly. His grandfather appeared on the show 14 years ago and lost but we don't get to hear his name. There's no one else on the wiki called Stoddart so we can only speculate.
DC: Susie Dent and Maureen Lipman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T M I O G P E R A
R02: T C E I S T Y E R
R03: 100, 9, 10, 5, 2, 9. Target: 697.
TTT: OLDHEADS - "A large amount of garden buildings, perhaps"
R04: N O A U S R D E I
R05: P N O A G S U F E
R06: 75, 6, 1, 8, 10, 7. Target: 869.
R07: D R A O B Z A N I
R08: P O I N R E O H S
R09: 75, 10, 5, 1, 3, 9. Target: 582.
TTT: HANGMISS - "Destroying things to smithereens, it's terrific"
R10: R D T U E A L W O
R11: N S E I K L E T U
R12: I D T S A E V C R
R13: J T E O G M A R I
R14: 100, 25, 8, 7, 10, 5. Target: 205.
R15: S I D S P O N G I (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T M I O G P E R A
C1: MIGRATE (7)
C2: TAPER (5)
DC: PORTAGE (7)
OT: EMPORIA (7) EPIGRAM (7) POTAGER (7) PRIMATE (7) RAGTIME (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
June demonstrates the importance of learning from your mistakes. Yesterday she missed MIGRATE but this time she makes no mistakes to take an early lead. Having said that, Tom would presumably have seen yesterday's game either from the audience or the green room so he may be kicking himself. It could be down to nerves.
Round 2: T C E I S T Y E R
C1: SITTER (6)
C2: ICIEST X
DC: CITES (5) RECITES (7)
OT: SYRETTE (7) TERCETS (7) TESTIER (7) TIERCES (7) TRISECT (7)
Score: 13–0 (max 14)
More possible nerves from Tom as he sees an extra I so June goes further in front. There were a few sevens though and DC get one of them.
Round 3: 100, 9, 10, 5, 2, 9. Target: 697.
C1: 699. (5 + 2) x 100 - (10 - 9) (7)
C2: 699 X (not written down)
RR: 697. (9 x 10 - 2) x 9 + 5 - 100 (10)
Score: 20–0 (max 24)
Ouch! Still no luck for Tom as he looks set to get on the board after declaring the same as June. Unfortunately, he has the same method not written down so Nick has to disqualify him from the round. Having a word or numbers solution disallowed for not writing it down is very rare. Only seven people have had a word disallowed for this reason according to Graeme while according to the wiki, this is only the second time it's happened on the numbers, although I think others have happened which haven't been stated on the wiki. I'm actually amazed that it doesn't happen more often. Rachel surprisingly needs the ad break to come up with the solution.
Teatime teaser: OLDHEADS -> SHEDLOAD
Round 4: N O A U S R D E I
C1: SANDIER (7)
C2: DRONES (6)
DC: DINOSAUR (8) DENARIUS (8) ANEROIDS (8)
OT: ANODISER (8)
Score: 27–0 (max 32)
A few eights but June still manages to extend her lead.
Round 5: P N O A G S U F E
C1: POUFES X
C2: SPONGE (6)
DC: PONGS (5) PANGS (5) FUNGOES (7)
Score: 27–6 (max 39)
June suspects she's misspelt her word and she's right; you need two F's for POUFFES. Tom gets off the mark with his SPONGE.
Round 6: 75, 6, 1, 8, 10, 7. Target: 869.
C1: 870. (75 + 6 + 7 - 1) x 10 (7)
C2: 873.
RR: 870. (7)
OT: 869. (75 + 7) x 10 + 8 x 6 + 1 (10)
Score: 34–6 (max 49)
Another tricky numbers game appears and again Rachel is stumped. June gets to within one to register another seven points to assert her authority on this game.
Maureen talks about her recent experience on the Galapagos Islands.
Round 7: D R A O B Z A N I
C1: ABROAD (6)
C2: BROAD (5)
DC: AIRBAND (7)
OT: BANDORA (7) DAZIBAO (7) INBOARD (7)
Score: 40–6 (max 56)
Tom must be kicking himself for not putting the A on his BROAD.
Round 8: P O I N R E O H S
C1: PHONIER (7)
C2: HOOPERS (7)
DC: POISONER (8)
OT: SPOONIER (8)
Score: 47–13 (max 64)
Tom isn't sure of HOOPERS but it's fine. It has a range of meanings including a metal arch through which balls are hit in croquet. DC get one eight.
Round 9: 75, 10, 5, 1, 3, 9. Target: 582.
C1: 582. (9 - 1) x 75 - (10 + 5 + 3) (10)
C2: 582. (5 + 3) x 75 - (10 + 9 - 1) (10)
Score: 57–23 (max 74)
This numbers game's much simpler than the previous two so both players add ten points to their totals.
Teatime teaser: HANGMISS -> SMASHING
Round 10: R D T U E A L W O
C1: TROWEL (6)
C2: TRAWLED (7)
DC: OUTLAWED (8) LEOTARD (7)
OT: LEADWORT (8)
Score: 57–30 (max 82)
Tom gives himself just a faint glimmer of hope of a miraculous comeback. The old favourite LEOTARD comes up as well as a couple of eights.
A LEADWORT is an evergreen flowering shrub, widely distributed in warm regions and kept in greenhouses.
Round 11: N S E I K L E T U
C1: TINKLES (7)
C2: LISTEN (6)
DC: ISLET (5) UTENSIL (7)
OT: ELUENTS (7) LENITES (7) LENTISK (7) LISENTE (7) NETSUKE (7) SLEEKIT (7) SUNLIKE (7) TENSILE (7)
Score: 64–30 (max 89)
June restores the gap immediately with one of the many sevens available.
OoW: Susie explains the origins of the word "museum".
Round 12: I D T S A E V C R
C1: STARVED (7)
C2: STARVED (7)
DC: DIVERTS (7) ADVERTS (7) DIRECTS (7) CARDIES (7)
OT: VERDICTS (8)
Score: 71–37 (max 97)
Plenty of sevens but no one can spot the darrenic VERDICTS, the first DC beater of the day.
Round 13: J T E O G M A R I
C1: MIGRATE (7)
C2: GREAT (5)
DC: RAGTIME (7) MIRAGE (6) TOERAG (6)
Score: 78–37 (max 104)
Tom can't follow June's example by missing MIGRATE the first time and spotting it the next time, meaning it's game over for him.
Round 14: 100, 25, 8, 7, 10, 5. Target: 205.
C1: 205. 8 x 25 + 5 (10)
C2: 205. 8 x 25 + 5 (10)
Score: 88–47 (max 114)
Nice and easy, moving on.
Round 15: S I D S P O N G I
C2 buzzes on 4.75 seconds to say DISPOSING which is correct.
Final Score: 88–57 (max 124)
Tom has the final word by spotting the conundrum but it's too little too late for him. Like his grandfather with an unknown name, he leaves without a teapot. June has put in another solid performance and will continue her run tomorrow. Join James to see if she can get her hattrick of wins. I'll be back next week so until then, goodbye!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69
