It is our sad duty to report that MQL stalwart Peter Richardson passed away aged 83 in March 2012. He is pictured above speaking in May 2009 at MQL's 50th Anniversary Presentation Evening.
A memorial service was held at Peter's local church St Mary's in Knowsley on Maundy Thursday. There was a good attendance from Ormskirk teams and MQL. Jim Maloney gave a very moving tribute on behalf of the league. A buffet was held in the church hall, where a photo montage of Peter's life and quiz career was on show together with his Krypton Factor Trophy.
For details of Peter's quiz career see below:
Peter was there at the start of the Ormskirk Quiz League in 1970. His team the Golden Lion in Rainford had previously played in the Southport League.
They are the most successful team in the history of the League. They were runner up in the first season and then won the next nine. In 1980 they changed name and venue to become Rex Lions and over the next twenty years they won a further nine titles and were runner up on seven other occasions. They also won the Handicap Knockout six times.
When they left the League in 2002 Peter joined the Ropers Arms and was still playing this season by which time they were the Greyhound.
In Merseyside competitions they won the Challenge Cup three times as Golden Lion and once as Rex Lions. They won the Feeny Cup twice. As an individual Peter won the MIMIR Trophy in 1980 and played for the Ormskirk team that won the Presidents' Trophy in 1989.
As an administrator he gave his time to the Ormskirk League as a committee member and then as Chairman from 1982 to 2002. For many years he coordinated the production of the Ormskirk sets of questions which were used in the other leagues.
He was President of the Merseyside Quiz Leagues from 1999 to 2002 and Assistant General Secretary from 1987 to 1997. In this latter role he produced very detailed analyses of all question sets played throughout the area. In 2002 Peter became a Vice President of the MQL. He was an auditor from 1995.
Peter appeared on many TV and radio quiz programmes including 'Mastermind', 'Brain of Britain', Sale of the Century' and 'Winner Takes All'. He won 'The Krypton Factor' in 1979 at almost 50 years of age, famously walking the Assault Course as he was confident that he could score enough points on the General Knowledge.
There are some fine tributes to Peter in pass, the magazine of the Mastermind Club.