Ex-Otley mayor's team is top of the pop quizzes (From Wharfedale Observer)

Ex-Otley mayor's team is top of the pop quizzes

6:00pm Monday 22nd October 2007 in Local news By Newsdesk

A FORMER Otley mayor has once again proven his prowess at pop trivia by winning a major competition.

Jonathan Kirkland (above) was part of a four-strong team, the Northern Lights, which took part in the West Midlands Pop Quiz Championship in Staffordshire - and came out triumphant.

The quiz is regarded as one of the toughest in the country and the group was up against some formidable opposition in the form of music business insiders and critics.

Mr Kirkland, 45, said: "This is one of the top pop quizzes and the questions span from the 1950s to the present day and cover all the musical genres, so you've got to have a pretty encyclopaedic knowledge of pop music.

"You're up against quality opposition, the people on other teams were from inside the industry and had written books on pop music, so it is quite an honour to win it - we got a trophy and a cash prize.

"The questions started at lunchtime and ran through until last orders, so it was quite a challenge.

"I've been doing quizzes for the last 12 years and it's one of my big hobbies. But I do want to emphasise that we all do actually have lives - we don't just sit in swotting pop quiz questions all the time!"

The team has had its current line-up for four years, takes part in a monthly quiz in Wakefield and is currently joint top of its local pop quiz league.

They last won the competition in 2005 when they were called The Mayor and The Simpletons in honour of Mr Kirkland's year in office, from 2004 to 2005.

Mr Kirkland will be putting his pop quiz knowledge to good use again in a few weeks' time when he and a team from the civil service in Leeds - where he works - will be attempting to defend another championship.