Coming towards the end of the season now -- only two games left after this one -- and the nights are drawing out. Putting in an appearance tonight are the hardcore duo of Ed and Grenvyle, the team's Longest Serving Players. Two other players had to bow out when the game was shifted from Tuesday to Thursday. Remaining player continues to save the planet by taking a long haul flight to La-La-La-La-La-La-America.

Four months back, Rosary Green whooped us good & proper on a night when we were lucky to get nil. Hence hopes were not hugely high. And having already conceded three points, we then lost the opening three matches, Ed throwing away a big lead over Jason while Grenvyle got an end against Suzanne. Nonetheless, three played, 6-0 down.

Next up, me against Matthew, the better brother. I found myself 2-1 up needing one more game to win, and we went into a deuce. I had a matchpoint, lost it. He had several game points, lost them. I lost another. As did he. Finally I won 18-16 to gain an unlikely and unexpected win. Yay! Then followed it up with a straight games win over Suzanne. I am great. Officially. Shame about the doubles, but hey. Compared with our other games against this lot, we scored infinitely more points. Well, two. Also:

• current thinking is that it takes around nine months to get to Mars
• Apollo 11 had Michael Collins in the command module
• a total of 12 people have walked on the moon, two each from Apollo missions 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17
• nobody has walked on the moon since 1972
• in The Time Machine, he goes to AD 802,701
• above ground: Eloi; below ground: Morlocks

That'll answer some posers raised in the Black Tiles afterwards.