A BRAINY bunch has triumphed over some of the leading quiz kings and queens from across the UK.

The Soroptimists from Ramsbottom only decided to take on BBC TV’s famed Eggheads to raise their profile in their home county.

But, after a nailbiting final round filmed at the BBC’s studios in Glasgow, the six-strong squad held its collective nerve to win by the narrowest of margins.

Soroptimists spokesman Susan Unsworth, a member of the winning team, said that her colleague Barbara Hallam, from Helmshore, was the first to come up with the idea. And, after winning over producers at a Manchester audition, the main team of five and a reserve travelled to Scotland for the broadcast last October.

Susan said: “They really looked after us, they put us up in a hotel and took us for a meal.

“It was a really pleasant experience.”

She was joined by Anne Cheetham, Edenfield County Coun and retired JP; retired librarian Barbara Hulmes from Stacksteads; former headteacher Ann Bennett and her daughter Sharon Hargreaves, from Greenmount; and Bolton soroptimist Margaret Baker in reserve.

In the final, Susan, from Whitefield and Sharon survived, eliminating the Eggheads Barry Simmons and Pat Gibson previously, and it was poised at two correct answers each.

The Soroptimists pairing identified Christian X as being King of Denmark during both World Wars, leaving the remaining Eggheads, C J e Mooi, Dave Rainford, Judith Keppel and Chris Hughes. But the quartet was stumped when asked to identify in which field Canadian Jessica Stam made her name, believing that the model excelled instead in cookery.

“It was quite terrifying and we were so surprised when we won, we couldn’t believe it,” added Susan.

Before the Soroptimists’ success, the Eggheads had eight straight victories under their belt, giving them a £9,000 winning pot – each member gave £500 to the organisations’ charities and had £1,000 for their own personal good causes.