Discovered in the Christmas Tree - 17th December - A Christmas Quiz!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I woke up to frost this morning, and now there's rain streaming down my window, so what better thing to do on a wintery December day than wandering through some Pros Christmas stories? Surely its bound to warm you up a bit, searching for answers to...
The Pros Christmas Story Quiz
See how many you can get right - the stories have all been mentioned in one Pros Christmas list or another - and write your answers in the comments. I've screened all comments, and the answers will be revealed some time before midnight tonight at the end of the Christmas Calendar (7th January), because actually that'll give people more time to play... Maybe I'll even come up with a prize... *g*

Are you sitting comfortably? Mug in one hand, cosiness guaranteed? Then let's begin...*g*

In which Pros Christmas story...

1. ...is there a ceremonial passing of the CI5 hat, leaving our lads with an interesting task for the CI5 party?

2. ...does Bodie encounter Doyle's sister under the mistletoe?

3. ...do the lads spend most of Christmas Eve on stakeout and on their R/Ts?

4. ...do the lads go down to the Thames, where a mournful foghorn blew, long and sad?

5. ...does Bodie take Doyle for a mystery week away?

6. ...do the lads spend a Christmas in California?

7. ...do the lads have to work with Chalk and Cheese?

8. ...does Bodie really want Paxo?

9. ...are the lads also teddy bears? (*g*)

10. ...do the lads guard a Prince in an old manor hall on Christmas eve (and Anson and Murphy keep the tea rooms open *g*)?

11. ...do the lads build snow sculptures on another old estate?

12. ...is Doyle an elf?

13. ...is Doyle an elf again? *g*

14. ...does Bodie play the trumpet?

15. ...does Doyle wake Bodie with a snowball?

16. ...does Bodie want to make a 120-mile journey?

17. ...are the lads given a little Comfort and Joy?

18. ...is Bodie given a new pair of wellies, a bottle of Irish whiskey, and have his bookshop account paid off?

19. ...does Doyle wear an old windcheater, and Bodie a new beard?

20. ...do the lads spend New Year with Mrs Cowley (and Geordie)?

ETA - comments now unscreened, as the answers have gone up at a separate post, though you can still have a go at the quiz by simply not scrolling down to see what others have put... *g*

Comments

xmas quizz

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Well I won't win any prizes ... because I can't remember any titles! But I do know some of these. Hm, let's see ...

1. ...is there a ceremonial passing of the CI5 hat, leaving our lads with an interesting task for the CI5 party?
They have to get a tree in to HQ - they sneak it in through the garage and up the stairs and decorate it with photos of Cowley?

2. ...does Bodie encounter Doyle's sister under the mistletoe? Don't know this one.

3. ...do the lads spend most of Christmas Eve on stakeout and on their R/Ts?
This sounds like the one where they're in different rooms in some MPs house which has a low chance of being under threat (but the owner is a friend of Cowley's or something); one of them watches a cat come into the garden over the wall, Doyle paints a picture in words of winter in the country with a horse in a field, its breath condensing in the air, and they find themselves revealing their feelings for each other over the RT. Then HQ lets them know the stakeout is off (they caught the bad guys somewhere else) so they can go home together.

4. ...do the lads go down to the Thames, where a mournful foghorn blew, long and sad? Can't remember this one ...

5. ...does Bodie take Doyle for a mystery week away? Might be the Old Mill?

6. ...do the lads spend a Christmas in California? ... nope, gone, dammit.

7. ...do the lads have to work with Chalk and Cheese? Not my kind of story!

8. ...does Bodie really want Paxo? I think this might be an older lads/established relationship story ... or if not, it's all about Ray making stuffing (with fruit in it)

9. ...are the lads also teddy bears? (*g*) ... nope!

10. ...do the lads guard a Prince in an old manor hall on Christmas eve (and Anson and Murphy keep the tea rooms open *g*)? Is this by kiwisue? Well Hall?

11. ...do the lads build snow sculptures on another old estate? Can't remember the name, but the eccentric aristo owner has priapismic sculptures all over the place and there are wolfhounds and a house party and xmas games and the bad guy turns out to be not one of the oddball post-hippie types but the owner's right-wing pinstriped nephew. And the owner gives them some fancy tea as a thankyou.

12. ...is Doyle an elf? Nope.

13. ...is Doyle an elf again? *g* Also nope.

14. ...does Bodie play the trumpet? Older lads established relationship ... Bodie wipes it dry before putting it away (quite right too). (THE TRUMPET, I MEAN!!!!!!!!!!)

15. ...does Doyle wake Bodie with a snowball? PFL - the one where Bodie thinks Doyle has gone, but then he sees the colour of the toothbrush and it's not his toothbrush and he realises it was just that Ray went to get it - I love this story. And no, I can't remember the name. Ray get's Bodie to come out and play in the snow and Bodie is afraid it's just a one-off.

16. ...does Bodie want to make a 120-mile journey? Home for xmas, Bodie finishes an op and all he wants is to get home to Ray in time for xmas even if it means a long drive, and Ray has just moved in. I'm thinking of londonronnie but suspect my mind may be playing tricks on me.

17. ...are the lads given a little Comfort and Joy? Is this the one where Ray gets a bottle of his Great-Aunt's magic wine (aka potion) that makes them realise what they feel, and all the while they're unwrapping a priapismic hatstand that's been delivered for Cowley and it has a secret compartment containing the location of an amazing whisky collection he'd inherited from an uncle but feared smashed by a temperance-loving aunt?

18. ...is Bodie given a new pair of wellies, a bottle of Irish whiskey, and have his bookshop account paid off? No idea. Total guess - Larton? (which I haven't read)

19. ...does Doyle wear an old windcheater, and Bodie a new beard? Is this your one, where they're holed up in a croft in Scotland?

20. ...do the lads spend New Year with Mrs Cowley (and Geordie)? Ah, I know this one - it's M Fae. Starts with them driving up to Glasgow, ends with them driving back down. They stay at Cowley's mum's place, and negotiate their feelings while bodyguarding him. His mum has everyone sorted out, of course.

So, practically no titles - but at least I did recognise a few!

quizz oops

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

... oh, and I forgot - I didn't read properly to see that this was supposed to be a search, so all that was (as is all too obvious) off the top of my head, and not actually searched for. Ooops. Sorry ...

Anyway, back to work! Thank you for something that was much more fun than work to do over a cup of maté *g*

Re: quizz oops

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you've done well... more later though!

I realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play... *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You scored 2 and lots and lots of halves for getting the stories right but not the titles! (That's usually how I do in quizzes too... *g*) Yeay for fun over a cup of maté! *g*

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

....Midnight in Pago Pago? I'd like to try, but I've got a house inspection, birthday lunch, and Xmas party today.

Oh heck, I'm not going to get 98% of these. But still. :D

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Actuall yI realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play... *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

God these are hard but it's all academic anyway because if taverymate is around then it's a done deal...but in the true spirit of Christmas I'll give it a go.....

Hope I'm answering this in the correct format:

1. ...is there a ceremonial passing of the CI5 hat, leaving our lads with an interesting task for the CI5 party?

No idea.

2. ...does Bodie encounter Doyle's sister under the mistletoe?

I know this one! Sebastian's The Homecoming (and I didn't even cheat) where, incidentally, Doyle's mother is also kissed by youknowwho.

3. ...do the lads spend most of Christmas Eve on stakeout and on their R/Ts?

The lovely Alexandra one......Not a very, silent, silent, night or is it the Amy Morgan story? No, I think I'll go with my first choice.

4. ...do the lads go down to the Thames, where a mournful foghorn blew, long and sad?

OH, Oh! er.....I don't think they actually go down the Thames in this one (I've got visions of Henry VIII here in a very long barge) but I think they visit a pub near to the Thames in Sebastian's jewel in the crown, Down to the Waterline. (or maybe there's a different story where they *do* go down the Thames?)

5. ...does Bodie take Doyle for a mystery week away?

Dunno.

6. ...do the lads spend a Christmas in California?

JM's In Hot Water, I hope.....

7. ...do the lads have to work with Chalk and Cheese?

Is this a boobytrap question? I challenge the very existence of this story.

8. ...does Bodie really want Paxo?

Nando's? Dunno. These are stupid 'cos I don't know the answers.....

9. ...are the lads also teddy bears? (*g*)

Oh, no! I hate fluffy animal Pros questions because I've never actually read any, at least not in my waking state, but I can be as much of a bigot as anyone else and dislike the idea of them. Is it a Fanny Adams story? Or Terence?

10. ...do the lads guard a Prince in an old manor hall on Christmas eve (and Anson and Murphy keep the tea rooms open *g*)?

Well Hall? She says weakly. By KWS?


11. ...do the lads build snow sculptures on another old estate?

A JoJo story?

12. ...is Doyle an elf?

Oh, no! I *hate* 'elf' thingies but there's always the Hunting Part 1 which is the exception to my rule.

13. ...is Doyle an elf again? *g*

This is too much. Hunting Part 2?

14. ...does Bodie play the trumpet?

In a night clubie story? A Courtney Gray or Dee's Fools in Paradise? Probably not either of them.

15. ...does Doyle wake Bodie with a snowball?

Pass.

16. ...does Bodie want to make a 120-mile journey?

Pass.

17. ...are the lads given a little Comfort and Joy?

Could be lots of stories by The Hag, Meridian or PRZed, in short, I don't know this one either....

18. ...is Bodie given a new pair of wellies, a bottle of Irish whiskey, and have his bookshop account paid off?

Sounds suspiciously like the Larton Chronicles?

19. ...does Doyle wear an old windcheater, and Bodie a new beard?

Angelfish's Far Shore? Well it was worth a try....

20. ...do the lads spend New Year with Mrs Cowley (and Geordie)?

I *know* this one!!!!!! M Fae Glasgow's The High Road. Was Geordie her budgie?

I'll be big about this and say you can give my prize to charity.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - it's all about the spirit of Christmas (or at least the lads... *g*)

I also realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll come back and put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play... *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

7! You scored 7! *g*

4. ...do the lads go down to the Thames, where a mournful foghorn blew, long and sad?
OH, Oh! er.....I don't think they actually go down the Thames in this one (I've got visions of Henry VIII here in a very long barge) but I think they visit a pub near to the Thames in Sebastian's jewel in the crown, Down to the Waterline. (or maybe there's a different story where they *do* go down the Thames?)
Nope, that was the one! They're definitely close enough to the Thames that I counted it as down to the Thames. Plus it's kind of implied by the title... *g*

7. ...do the lads have to work with Chalk and Cheese?
Is this a boobytrap question? I challenge the very existence of this story.
Hee - talk to Ms Cassie Ingaben! *g*

8. ...does Bodie really want Paxo?
Nando's? Dunno. These are stupid 'cos I don't know the answers.....
Heeeee! But Bodie'd love Nandos, wouldn't he? *vbg*

9. ...are the lads also teddy bears? (*g*)
Oh, no! I hate fluffy animal Pros questions because I've never actually read any, at least not in my waking state, but I can be as much of a bigot as anyone else and dislike the idea of them. Is it a Fanny Adams story? Or Terence?
Not this time, 'twas James! And you know some of them aren't as bad as you're probably thinking, cos they're all tongue-in-cheek. Have you seen the one with the dustbuster...? *g*

12. ...is Doyle an elf?
Oh, no! I *hate* 'elf' thingies but there's always the Hunting Part 1 which is the exception to my rule.
13. ...is Doyle an elf again? *g*
This is too much. Hunting Part 2?
I never said he was a real elf... well, if elves were real. If the lads were. Oh, you know what I mean!

17. ...are the lads given a little Comfort and Joy?
Could be lots of stories by The Hag, Meridian or PRZed, in short, I don't know this one either....
You did, it was The Hag's story - the lads are given a bottle of Comfort and Joy by Doyle's aunt

20. ...do the lads spend New Year with Mrs Cowley (and Geordie)?
I *know* this one!!!!!! M Fae Glasgow's The High Road. Was Geordie her budgie?
Heee! Geordie was Mrs Cowley's pet-name for her son... *vbg*

Well done, and hope you had fun! (And yeah, TaVeryMate is clearly a true Pros fan - she sadly didn't take part this year though...)

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

what a lovely idea, thank you for composing this quiz.

In my woeful ignorance of Christmas fic I can just guess no. 18 is Larton, and oooh, miss!, I've read no. 20, it's by M. Fae Glasgow.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Glad that you like it - and hee for your woeful ignorance of Christmas fic, you non-Christmas-for-the-lads-er, you...! *g* But yeay for the two you have read!

I also realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play... *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes to both of those, but with only one title, that's a score of 1... *g* (And given your... - what's the opposite of a predeliction? - for Christmas fic, it's really understandable! *g*)

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Just so that everyone else knows they won't come last, here's my attempt. It's a very honest one, as you will see when you see the stream-of-consciousness that passes for attempting to persuade the quizmaster that I know the answer, please, honest, miss, I do.

(4) The mournful foghorn. Just spent half the day on a train with no room to read anything larger than a phone screen. Conveniently, a phone with internet and Aldiko (ebook reader) on which I downloaded all the stuff from Sebastian's website. So I am confident: Down by the waterside, by Sebastian.

(5) the mystery week away. I nearly reviewed this for the Reading Room when we were doing the lads on holiday. So I think: Aardvark, by O Yardley.

(6) a week in California. The only one I can think of is on the CD, and it's either called In Hot Water, or has Idyl (with one 'l') in the title.

(12) and (13) elves. Argh :) Then I remembered the one earlier in the advent calendar. The M Fae Glasgow crossover with Are You Being Served. Argh. Can't remember the name. Doyle Felt Up? Oh - David Copperfield, Dickens puns: Doyle, the Copper, Felt Up! Knowing you, byslantedlight I suspect there may be an Arduinna Finn elf story involved here, but I can't remember well enough.

(16) Argh, Bodie racing back from... Bristol? Liverpool? Birmingham? Bristol, I *think*, and it doesn't all go well? Dunno, but I have read it recently. Argh.

(17) Comfort and Joy: argh argh argh, just read this recently, too! This is Doyle's grandmother sending an unexpectedly different set of herbs for the homemade wine, and they see all manner of wacky things - oh, the hatstand is involved, and a temperance league, and letters, and, argh, a will and the secret to malt whisky cache locations... does this do enough for half a point? I bet this was on the advent calendar too!

(18) Bodie's Christmas present. Aww. Larton. Can't remember the name exactly, but definitely Larton Chronicles.

(19) old windcheater/new beard: just been re-reading lots by this author: Love in a Cold County, by Jojo

(20) New Year with Mrs Cowley: another M Fae Glasgow/Oblique one and I can't remmber the name. Argh! They go to church (chapel?) with Mrs Cowley and there's after-service gossip with different accents, and there might be a dance, and they are kipping down in the living room. That one!

Not doing too well in terms of points, but in terms of happy "oh, I like that one and it was fun", definitely feeling the winner!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well its all supposed to be about fun rather than winning really, so yeay!

Also, I realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play... *g*

[nypagan.livejournal.com]

Well, shoot! I can only remember nine of these right now. I should know more! I probably do, but can't remember the titles. In fact, I know I've read #1. Aarrgghhh. Good quiz!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I realised it was silly to put the answers up last night, so I'll put them up at the end of the Christmas Calendar instead, to give people more time to play - so if you've got more "right now" in which to play, then please do! *g* (And thank you!)

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Posted my guesses earlier, but I shall think again with extra time. I think I made guesses at ten of them, and a number are along the lines of 'oh, that one where they do this... and this... and this... and I have no idea what it is called nor who wrote it' :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You didn't come back and try again! But you did well to start with - a score of 5 and several halves from knowing the descriptions but not titles! *g*

(5) the mystery week away. I nearly reviewed this for the Reading Room when we were doing the lads on holiday. So I think: Aardvark, by O Yardley.
Oh, I almost gave you this as an alternative answer, but on re-reading it (the things I do for Pros!) they were only there for 3 nights over Christmas... *g*

Yeay for winning on terms of happy-making! *g*

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

So, um, three sevenths of a point? :)

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is ...tricky! They're nearly all very familiar but pinning down my memories is hard.
Anyway, here is my first attempt at some answers, hoping some more titles will come to me before the deadline. Eek!

1. Of trees and needles
2. (I know this one...)
3. Not a very silent silent night
4. Down to the waterline
5. There's an old mill
6. (I can retell you the story, if that counts!!)
7. (are the lads on a school picnic?)
8. The stuffing dreams are made of
9. (I can't say I've read any teddy bear stories)
10. Well Hall
11. (ah, that one's buried deep in my brain. Give me time)
12. Somewhere over the rainbow
13. (Don't read elf stories)
14. (ditto)
15. (Some research needed here)
16. Driving home for Christmas
17. Comfort and Joy??
18. The Larton Chronicles: In the deep midwinter
19. Love in a cold county
20. The High Road

12/20 possibles

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

Aha! I've remembered another...

2. Sebastian's The Homecoming

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think I've found another answer but he's not a real elf!

12. In the Grotto

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

Could no.7 be Red Christmas by Cassie Ingaben?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

And the runaway winner is... cornishcat! Yeay! *g* You've scored 13! *vbg*

7. (are the lads on a school picnic?)
Might I just ask - you what?!

9. (I can't say I've read any teddy bear stories)
You should, there are some gorgeously tongue-in-cheek ones that make me giggle! There's one with a Dustbuster... *g*

13. (Don't read elf stories)
14. (ditto)
Ah, you must let me attempt to convert you with Arduinna Finn's () and its sequel... Go on, it won't be what you're expecting... *g*

And well done, you! Your prize will be winging it's way across the land shortly... *g*

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

Wow!

I don't normally win anything but this quiz was great because it made me think hard, undertake some research and re-read potential answers. What could be more fun than day-dreaming about our lads?

I look forward to seeing all the correct answers then I might go and read some of your recommendations. Oh, my cryptic query to no 7 refers to the fact it involved school (chalk) and eating (cheese). Sad huh?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The answers are up in a new post, and do read the story recs! *g* Lighter Footed than a Fox and... erm... the other one, whose title never comes to me so quickly! By Arduinna Finn!

And heeee school picnic! (And just a slight *headdesk* too... *g*)