AFTER sitting in the shadows for half a decade, the last 12 months has delivered unprecedented success for the Bonny Cravat quiz team from Woodchurch, Kent.

The team were crowned champions at Kent's biggest charity quiz night, held at the Stour Centre, Ashford, on Friday, November 9. A record 84 teams took part setting a new Kent record for the largest charity quiz night ever held in the county.

Not only have the Bonny Cravat team won the 2007 Ashford event, they have also topped the poll at Canterbury back in March and are also the current holders of the county final. In the past the team were a regular fixture as runners-up to Big Quiz events staged in Canterbury always overshadowed by the Unicorn team from the city.

The victorious Bonny Cravat team scored 68 points out of a possible 80, pipping the Gypsy Tarts by one point.

The event was hailed a great success by event organiser Simon Dolby with £7,000 expected to be raised for charity. Of this the Shepherd Neame Spitfire charity bar raised £1,300, the raffle £1,177 and the heads or tails game £463.

Main event sponsors Hillread Homes, Threshers and Gallo Vineyard joined round sponsors Robert Watts Accountancy and Tax Services and Specsavers in backing the evening with donations.

Last year's south Kent Big Quiz attracted 50 teams and raised £4,000. The Kent record for the biggest ever quiz night had previously been held by Canterbury with 76 teams of eight.

Quiz-goers at Ashford also proved to be brighter than their Canterbury counterparts with all but six teams scoring 50 per cent or more on the night.

Event co-host Michael Claughton celebrated the success and was delighted Ashford had taken the record away from Canterbury.

Charities to benefit from the event are: Kent Walking Bus, Ashford League of Friends, Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent and the Mayor of Ashford's Charity Appeal.

Bonny Cravat will join Gypsy Tarts and the Workaholics at the county final due to be held at the Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham on Friday, December 7 when they will take on the top teams from the Canterbury, Maidstone and Medway KM Big Quiz events this year.

Full details of KM Big Quiz events are listed on the www.kentwalkingbus.org website.

Army of volunteer helpers praised

VOLUNTEERS from Rotary and the League of Friends at Ashford's William Harvey Hospital were among those praised by event organiser Simon Dolby on the night of the record breaking KE Big Quiz.

Mr Dolby said the partnership of organisations was key to the success of the night. Also thanked for their hard work and commitment were Shepherd Neame who ran the charity Spitfire bar, Berry Recruitment who provided waitresses, Ashford Sea Cadets, staff from the Stour Centre.

Businesses backing the night included Threshers of Hythe, Gallo Vineyard, Hillread Homes, Specsavers, Robert Watts and Co Accountancy and Tax Services.

Mr Dolby gave special praise to his co-host Michael Claughton who ran the annual Mayor of Ashford's Quiz which has merged with the KE Quiz to create a combined larger and more successful event in terms of the amount raised food good causes.

Score table

1 Bonny Cravat 68 points; 2 Gypsy Tarts 67; 3 Workaholics 63; 4 Romney Raiders 62; 5 Definitely Maybe, ISG Cathedral 60; 7 School of thought 58; 8 Captain Tight Pants and Friends 57; 9 Great Chart with Singleton parish council 56; 10 Hot Shots, Highly Strung, Find a Voice, Quizettes, Kentish Express, Wye Bother 55; 16 The Archers, Magnificent Eight, Best of Folkestone, Retained Knowledge, Finn-Kelcey and Chapman, Hospice Hotshots, Team Vodka 54; 23 Shepway Seashells, Here to have fun 53; 25 Axis of ignorance, SG2, And Disqualified for Cheating 52; 28 Aldington Primary School, Woodley, Kryptonites, Hospital Friends 51; 32 Final Answer, Mayor's Choice, Boughton Gardeners, Kieran's Kleverclogs 50; 36 Super Shooting Stars, Mighty Boosh, Andrade's Angels, Team with No Name 49; 40 Cinque Porters B, Greight Expectations, Wye Bother Again, Kaz's Crew 48; 44 Karl's Winning Ways, Barcadi No Brainers, Shop Soiled, Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun, EKPC Parents B Team 47; 49 We'll get it right next time, Glebees, Octagon, Quizlings, Cinque Porters A 46; 54 Perplexed, baffled and bewildered, The good, the bad and the ugly, EKPC Parents A Team 45; 57 New Inn, East Stour Community Forum 44; 59 Your Move, Magnificient 7, Cheese Munchers, NHS Nutters, Bootylicious Take 2, Office Angels, First and Last, Forlorn Hope 43; 67 Mersham Meerkats, Ask me another, Dexter's Dimwits, Desperate Housewives and a Hollyoaks fan, Swoops to Conquer 42; 72 Alcoholics Anonymous, Universally Challenged, Mixed Bunch, Great Pretenders, Jean's Genies 41; 77 Boots' Brainiacs, Chucklebunch 40; 79 New Perspective, Chat Lines 39; 81 Watts Wonders 37; 82 Boots Boffins, Baxter's Birdbrains 33; 84 Spandex Monkies 31.

Mini competition winners: Council: School of Thought; NHS: Magnificent Eight; KM: Definitely Maybe; Boots: Bootylicious; Eurostar: SG2; BHS: Dexter's Dimwits.