The last drop of adrenaline has drained and life is back to normal, or as normal as it gets. Memories of Friday night still live on, where about 180 people gathered to see who in Budapest would win the coveted Gabber title as finalists from the five seasons met on stage at New Orleans in the Gift of the Gab Final of the Finalists.

Matty Ryan, our sacrificial speaker, eased us in to the night as he explained  how the Irish have adapted the English language and made it more colourful, replacing the ever-so-awfully 'I'm an idiot' with 'I'm a right feckin' eejit'.

With judges Richard Holmes, Pat Kelly, Robin Gilpin, Donal O'Neill, and Gretchen Meddaugh primed to start, the competition got underway.

First up, Patrick McMenamin (winner of the 2012 GOTG), added a touch of style to the night by appearing in his kilt and taking us through his experience of the Hungarian Post Office. Yes, it's been done before, and memorably too, back in 2012, when Declan Hannigan did it justice. But Patrick brought his own twist to it, as he waxed nostalgically about brown knitted curtains. His road to the final saw him give two other prepared speeches, one on putting together an Ikea bed while under the influence and another on his manifesto were he to run for Mayor. 

Second up, American Hans Peterson, who won the 2013 competition with a speech about his mother's success with Internet dating and a second that wove religion, mid-life crises, and Facebook together, declared his candidacy for US President. By his reckoning, America needs a ginger (rhyme with ringer) in the White House. 

Next the 2014 winner, Hungarian Viktor Morandini, who got his place in the final on the back of two other prepared speeches - the perks of being dumped and the difficulties of putting on weight - shared my angst at not having an Irish competitor in the final and sought to reassure me that each of the five competitors had some Irish trait that would serve them well. And he had the phrase of the night - the best non-sport, non-naked time he'd spent - now if only I could remember what he was doing...

British/Hungarian Jennifer Walker talked about failure, even though as winner of the 2015 final, her road to Friday night was paved with successful speeches on expat drinking habits and travels in India. Her witty account of her attempt to complete a half-marathon and her realisation that she's a walker, not a runner resonated.

The man from England, Rupert Slade, came clean about his addiction to Facebook and how he detoxed on his honeymoon. In search of a cure, he asked us NOT to like his posts. This from the first ever finalist - Rupert won the opening round back in 2010 - whose two other prepared speeches included a dissection of How Are You in different languages and his classic opener - a speech made up entirely of song titles - which he sung!

The judges did their job and the title was there for the taking going into the impromptu round.

Hans picked two topics - Sharon Stone and the Significance of Insignificant Events. The audience voted and were treated to a reflective three minutes on the little things in life, those seemingly unimportant events and the impact they can have. His previous impromptus were travelling and getting used to new countries and doing the Harlem Shake with the latter clinching his place in the final of the finalists.

Jennifer also picked two - Noses and Cats. Yup - the audience certainly didn't lack imagination when it came to suggestions. The audience went for Noses - something a tad more difficult than Jennifer's previous experience with why I want to be a spider and the difference between push and pull and give and take. But back to noses - and what would Budapest be like if it didn't smell of eau d'piss in the summer...

Viktor, having previously imprompted (I know that's not a word) on teaching an onion how to talk and all good deeds have equal punishment, chose two topics as well. The audience went for the benefits of being drunk the whole time over thinking about gorillas in the zoo. And while we never did get to the benefits, we did get an introduction to beer orienteering :-)

Rupert was next and drew the short straw of the night. Faced with a choice of why carbonara is better than bolognese and Mary Murphy, the audience wanted him to dish out the dirt on me - but being the gentleman that he is, he found some restraint somewhere. Those who remember his winning first round impromptus - female menopause and why is bird shit black and white - perhaps wished he had gone for it and suffered the wrath. Me? I'm glad he didn't.

Last up, Patrick didn't go to the audience. He picked one topic and stuck with it - peas.  And back in 2009, in the very first heat of the very first series, Mark Griffith picked the same subject. Talk about closure! The Scotsman who had previously pontificated on why girls hate football, what women want, and spa vs wellness, showed a mental dexterity that had the audience in knots. Cursed with a condition called elbinism, Patrick can't pronounces the letter L - so please is pease, etc. It was hilarious. Watch it here...

When the scores were tallied it was no surprise that Patrick won the night. After 5 seasons, 31 events, more than a 100 speakers, the Final of the Finalists marked the end of the Gift of the Gab. It has run its course. And as Jerry Seinfeld once said - quit while you're on top.

A massive thanks to the team who have made it all happen - Kath Griffiths, Ilona Miklos, Zsuzsanna Viszlay, Zsuzsa Bozo, Jeremy Wheeler, Steve Saracco, Stephen Collison, David Saddington and everyone else who has contributed to its success.

To the judges who have held up the green cards over the years and to the speakers who have put themselves on the line - a huge round of applause to you all.

And to the sponsors - those who gave to the raffle so that we could give, it wouldn't have been the same without out you:  Embassy of Ireland; IHBC; Jack Doyle's; Iguana; Toscana; Little Britain; Messers Delaney, McDermott and Keenan; XpatLoop; Janus Hotels; Guinness (Liquid Gold); New Orleans; Celanese; Ringlow; Caledonia. Thank you. 

We raised another 520 000 ft on the night - not bad going at all.

And remember, the next work trip to the orphanage is in October - check the IHBC website for details and keep an eye on the GOTG Facebook page.

Round I of the Gift of the Gab 2015 went off in style at the Cotton Club tonight. More than 100 people showed up to support the five speakers in their quest for a place in the March 2015 final.

First up, Markus Frakes, introduced gophers to Hungary in his clever account of life in small-town Colorado. Next, Steven Nelson (a recently naturalised Hungarian) displayed what the inimitable Jeremy Wheeler called 'culinary xenophobia' as he explained how his hatred of sour cream impacts his relationships. Harlan Cockburn gave a very insightful and thought-provoking speech on computers (one that made me wish I'd better primed the judges that the GOTG is NOT stand-up; it's entertainment). Gerard Lucey had the audience in knots as he came out of his closet and told us of Darko - the man of his dreams! You just had to be there:-) Jwana Stevenson was at her inspirational best and had the audience hugging themselves as she explored our attitude to our bodies.

The judges (Rupert, Rockstar Terry, Tunde, Jane, and the one and only Kiss Tamas) were on form - although at times I did wonder if we were all in the same room :-)

The second half - the impromptu round - saw Marcus asking the audience to choose between Dancing the Macarena vs doing the Hokey Cokey and the more esoteric Yes or No. We ended up line dancing in a bar in Colorado. (The glove was a lovely touch, Marcus!) Harlan stuck with his first pick - Dreams can come true - as he gave us all hope for tomorrow with his account of a retired RAF pilot who dreamt there was oil in the Bristol Channel. Steve went to the audience to decide between Something lucky that happened to me and Smelly feet. In an odorless account of the former, he told of how Prague's loss was Budapest's gain. Jwana, too, let the audience choose, this time between I often dream that I was a ham and Squid. Suffice to say that I will never eat a box of Cadbury's Milk Tray again...Squid it was. JFW had to go to the audience for clarification with Gerard's picks. Polyoxymethelene (WTFII?)  and American Pie. Invoking the powers of his Auntie Nora's apple pie, the man from Dublin now has the dubious distinction of being the second Irish man to make a  GOTG final. Yes, Gerard Lucey won the night and will face off against another four finallists next March.

A great night was had by all. Well, I had a blast. Despite the nerves. No one died. All survived. And we raise a whopping 105 000 huf for our orphanage. Thanks to Tim Child and Little Britain for sponsoring the bottle of Jameson. To the IHBC for the trophy. To the Cotton Club for the venue. To Steve Collison for taking the photos. To Kath for doing the door. And to Ilcsi and Zsuzsa for doing the mics. I would thank Jeremy for scorekeeping, but I'm still peeved at him for correcting my English. Bloody cheek. Darwin could have been a naturist naturalist!

To those of you who said you'd do it in October or November or January or February, send in those photos and bios ASAP.... I'm a woman of little patience.

Do you ever wonder how it might feel if your hands, your feet, or your brain did not function like everybody else’s? If you needed help even to roll over from one side to the other, and you could not eat, wash yourself, or go to the toilet alone? Most people are terrified of the thought that someday they might have to experience this extreme vulnerability; they are terrified of the possibility that they might have a child who will never be able to run into their arms, laughing – just like many of us are struck with fear when meeting a disabled person. Though struggling with most problems of the Hungarian disability care system, while nursing 220 children and adults with severe and multiple disabilities, the Topház in Göd is striving to show that even the lives of people with the most severe physical and mental disabilities can be liveable and meaningful, that the connection can be found even to the most autistic child, that the word ‘people’ does not only include smiling, tanned people with 32 teeth.

Approximately 15,000‒18,000 people with severe and multiple disabilities live in Hungary, including 3000‒3500 minors. Disabled people in this category have at least two severe disabilities, so they need support and care all their life. Most of them have severe mobility impairment and cannot speak, and more than three-quarters of them have mental disabilities. They can be considered as one of the most disadvantaged groups even within the Hungarian disabled population.

People with severe and multiple disabilities are cast out by the system from virtually everywhere: they can hardly be admitted even to kindergarten, and they drop out of school very early – assuming they are admitted there in the first place. As adults, they can no longer access the services of day-time institutions and residential facilities, while supportive housing practically is practically non-existent in Hungary. Their subsistence as adults is almost completely unresolved as well. Thus, civil rights organizations say, the biggest problem facing this group is one of complete abandonment, for which the only solution the state has is to gather these completely vulnerable people into mass institutions.

‘I don’t intend to shock you but I know you will be shocked anyway. Many here are in a condition that some people could not even imagine,’ says the director of Topház in Göd, Tamás Formanek, as he opens the door for me to one of the wings of the institution nursing children and adults with severe and multiple disabilities. It is not an exaggeration. At first, the sight is indeed mostly frightening but after the first shock, when we get used to the fact that we see different kinds of bodies here than in everyday life, then we also realize how much the residents smile and with how much effort they try to show as much as possible of their own world. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

The Topház in Göd, operating in the former Schöffer Mansion, is an unconventional institution in many ways but its peculiarity derives exactly from the characteristics of the poorly organized system. Pursuant to the de-institutionalization strategy aimed at the termination of big residential facilities caring for disabled people, it could not be that big ‒ it has 220 residents, aged from 18 months to 50 years ‒ and due to recent reforms, officially no education may be organized in it either. So the employees of the institution do their best to create liveable lives for the residents at the intersection of problems affecting education and social care systems. ‘If we sat down to take into account all the problems regarding functioning, we would not even feel like living. So it cannot be dealt with that way; but it must be done, we have to go forward,’ the director said. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Many small children go to Göd directly from the hospital after their birth: their parents simply leave them there. At first, this may sound brutal and cruel but Formanek says we must not condemn these parents either. ‘Who would not be terrified if a small child could only be fed through a nose probe? Very few people think that they would have the ability for this level of nursing, and such severe cases that would ruin the whole family, both in financial and psychological terms, often arise,’ he said. The small children admitted to Göd can stay in the institution for the rest of their lives. They can also get involved as adults in different work: for instance they help in gardening, laundry services, and keeping the petting zoo clean and tidy. However, no external players participate in their social employment, so even those capable of work cannot be employed outside the walls of the institution. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

 ‘The attitude of the majority of people towards disability is like “OK, it is terrible that it exists” but as long as it does not happen to them, they are not really interested. But everyone can have an impaired child, or they themselves can become impaired in an accident so that they get into a condition similar to that of our residents. This is a quantifiable risk but as long as there is no trouble, nobody believes this risk to be real,’ said Formanek. ‘A woman can have the best physician, she can take the best pregnancy vitamins, she can eat the healthiest food ‒ there still remain cases that no geneticist can filter out, and no vitamin can change. The set of problems resulting from all this is what comes to us.’ (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Most residents spend all their lives in Topház; there are only very rare cases when someone is taken back by their families, adopted, or transferred to another social institution. Most residents of the institution are under state care but parents can admit their disabled child to Topház even without renouncing their right to guardianship. This can mean relief in cases where the parents cannot bear the physical and mental burden resulting from continuous nursing but they do not want to make their small child disappear, almost as if “it has not happened”. That’s why the residents can be visited anytime, or the children can even be taken home by their parents for the weekends and holidays. Since only a small number of the residents are visited regularly by their relatives, there are separate visiting rooms in the building, so that the ones to whom nobody ever comes will not be saddened.’ (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Pursuant to the Education Act of 1993, there is no child that cannot be educated, i.e., everybody is entitled to education. However, in the interpretation of the Hungarian education system, children with severe and multiple disabilities cannot be educated in school circumstances because their physical condition is too poor. This obviously depends on our concept of school: if school was not only a place where children have to sit at their desks taking notes but a place where everybody learns what they need for life, then it would not be so hard to imagine that disabled people could also attend schools. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

In Topház, the 44 minors are educated individually because the majority are confined to bed. Although within the current system, the education of these children seems basically unsolvable, this method is against the rules within the current framework: since 2011,educational activities can only be performed in a public education institution. However, an institution caring for severely disabled people does not belong to this category but to that of social institutions. The special education teachers working there are not treated by the system as normal teachers either, which is also manifested in the fact that they were not involved in the pay rise of last year. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Education in Topház is obviously totally different than in an average school. On the one hand, children here are not taught how to read and write but to eat, keep clean, brush their teeth, and other essential things. On the other hand, education is much more personal than it is when a teacher stands by their desk and tries to transfer knowledge, without knowing if they managed to get through to their audience. With disabled children, teachers try to communicate through all their senses, even through smell, light, and touch but the least with words. It is immediately visible on the student if certain information has got through. Children often need to be directed to the right movement with guidance and touch; that’s why there is a much more direct relationship between teacher and student. Furthermore, every development plan is designed in an individualized manner, adjusted to the given child’s abilities. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

The basic idea of special education is that everyone should be given the chance to develop, and the key for development should be found even in the case of disabled children with the most severe conditions. ‘The brain is an amazing invention of nature, since if a proportion of its cells die, the rest is able to take over their functions, provided they are taught how to do so,’ the director explained. Therefore, special education does not set levels or milestones to achieve, and instead of concentrating on what the child is not capable of, it focuses on the things the child may be able to do and then builds on their skills. There are no set milestones or levels to achieve, but it is always a great experience of success if the child can manage to solve a task. Beyond developmental activities, the residents, children, and adults alike, take trips and go to the theatre on a regular basis. Some of them also go cycling. From many aspects, even taking a trip means exceeding some boundaries, as outsiders start wondering why disabled people do things like that. ‘Why on earth should not we take trips?’ Formanek wonders. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Development and education in isolated institutions has its drawbacks as well, even though it does not seem possible for many children at first to get regular development elsewhere. According to civil rights organizations such as TASZ (the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union), the biggest problem is caused by the fact that in most cases, parents of children with severe and multiple disabilities have to choose between providing an education to their child or raising them at home, as development is not possible at the nearby schools, and there are only a few special institutions in the country. The splitting up of the family traumatizes the children, while the parents often battle with remorse for putting their child into an institution for life. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

The atmosphere in Topház reflects neither the underlying bureaucratic fight, nor the fact that proportionally there are fewer caregivers in the institution, due to statutory regulation, than would be necessary compared to the severity of the condition of the great number of residents. Despite all this, Topház aims to function as a big family. Thus, the rooms are not separated according to age; another advantage of which is that the older ones can provide help for the young ones and the more able ones for the less able ones. In principle, some of the activities take place separately, but why should an adult not listen to the tale read for the smaller ones? (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Currently, in compliance with EU trends, a de-institutionalization strategy is in effect in Hungary lasting until 2041, i.e., disabled and psychiatric patients should be placed in small residential homes or integrated into society in some other way by this date. The most common objection against these huge institutions is that such a large number of people simply cannot feel comfortable together, Formanek explained. However, according to the employees of Topház, the closeness of the others is not bothersome for the residents; moreover, since most of them have great difficulty with communicating with the outside world, the relationships within the institution gain more importance for them. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Besides the mansion building, a residential home also functions in Topház, where those people who are able to cope with their condition and accomplish their own needs to some extent are placed. However, such a residential home is not a possibility for many of the people with severe and multiple disabilities because of their inability to care for themselves. In their case, the aim is the development of caregiving close to their home; in other words that their parents be provided with special help regarding nursing and childcare in their own homes on a regular basis. Under current Hungarian circumstances, this seems to be a distant utopian goal. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

The integration of people with severe mental disabilities is also difficult because of the lack of a uniform symbol which could indicate the nature of their condition; for example, a wheelchair in connection with the physically disabled or a white stick in the case of the blind. Whilst many people don’t like using a white stick or a wheelchair precisely because of their stigmatizing effect, according to Formanek, these tools help the majority to assess how they may and should treat a wheelchair user or a blind person. There is no such clue in the case of mentally disabled people; many do not even know what this condition really means, and thus they are unable to cope with the situation. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Nonetheless, integration is of utmost importance also for the residents of great institutions living completely isolated from the rest of society. ‘Integration depends not only on the receiving society but also on what we do to achieve it,’ the director said. Therefore, the caregivers try to escort the residents of Topház shopping as often as possible, and they attend events held in Göd and the vicinity as well. For example, they had a great success last summer at the Dunakeszi Festival with their dance performance. By the way, Topház enjoys good relations with the locals, many of whom provide help to the house with voluntary work, and the local papers also regularly publish articles on the institution, which is also of great help with regard to integration and acceptance of the residents. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

As people with severe and multiple disabilities are forced to express themselves from a very early age without every-day communication tools ‒ many of them cannot even cry as babies to express their needs ‒ they usually try to bridge the gap between their need to connect and their ability to communicate in a way which is incomprehensible to their environment, and which may seem unintelligible or even repellent at first. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Many of the people who have visited Topház ask why these people live at all and what the point is in such a life. ‘I think no one should ever ask such questions about the life of another person. How can you decide whose life is more valuable? On what grounds can anyone state that the life of a man sitting all day long in the pub spending his life in alcoholic delusion is more valuable than that of any of our residents? However, while I do not condemn my alcoholic fellowmen, many people question the point of existence of the severely disabled,’ the director explained. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

 ‘In my opinion, the greatest value of institutions like Topház is that those visiting such places cannot help re-evaluating and reconsidering the notion they have formed about people. One has to realize that there are not only smiling, blonde, tanned people with 32 teeth in the world,’ Formanek said. (Photo: János Bődey / Index)

Originally published in Hungarian in May 2014 on Index.hu
Text by Anna Csonka
Photos by János Bődey
Translated by TRM

Last night saw about 170 people come out to support the five 2014 Gift of the Gab finalists. New Orleans was swinging. Joe Murphy graciously agreed to give our judges some practice, delivering a sacrificial prepared speech which opened by him thanking this beard for sticking by him. Joe's never short of content and had he been competing, he'd have been in the running. Our judges - Kevin, Gerard, Viki, Attila, and Hans - had a tough job ahead of them.

First out of the draw was Gretchen Meddaugh who gave what I think was one of the best prepared speeches this season. Linking Kevin Bacon, Frigyes, and Erdös to movies, math papers, and Hungary was just about as clever as it gets. Next Virginia Proud justified the time she spends in front of a television and the important, if not vital, role it plays in social bonding. Addicts: you are absolved. Tasleem Lalji got everyone's attention with her account of taking her kids on a plane and gave some of us pause for thought. I'd like to think that I won't hope the next kid-accompanied parent I see on a flight doesn't sit near me. With the three ladies setting a strong pace, our first gentleman on stage last night was Viktor Morandini who regaled us with the perks of being dumped. And finally, Matt Tricks taught us all we needed to know, including the calls and hand signals, to work on a trading floor in an investment bank. Who'd have thought it, eh?

With not much between them and everything to play for, the competitors headed into the impromptu round. First up, Matt gave the audience a choice: stalking or fingers. Some were a little worried that we might revisit the perianal glands of last month when the audience went for fingers - but instead we got what one judge described as a great step forward for Anglo-Irish relations - British chocolate fingers being dipped in Barry's Irish tea. Next up, Virginia let the audience pick between obsession and getting adjusted to new underwear. Honestly, the mind boggles. No prizes for guessing which one Virginia was landed with. Having recently stocked up on the unmentionables in London, though, she was up for the challenge. Gretchen also went to the audience with a sexy time in Minsk and hair loss. ('Cmon people - can't we do better than this for topics?) It says something about her mental dexterity when she can make shaving your legs sound like a viable option for a weekend in the capital of Europe's last dictatorship. Tasleem had to pick between how much can a kaola bear (yes, it's a pun) and ladies tights.  Given the koala, she went to the top of a tree and became a mama bear, causing one judge to forsake their life-long love of pandas and make the switch.   Finally the audience picked all good deeds have an equal punishment rather than bed bugs for Viktor, who again, held our attention with accounts trading up after being traded in.

Stellar performances - great talent - a new standard set. Congratulations to you all. But there was only one trophy, one title. And this year it went to Viktor Morandini. Well done, you. Viktor took home a tropy sponsored by the IHBC and a 12-year-old bottle of Jameson, a book on Irish whiskey, and some Butlers Irish chocolates given by the Embassy of Ireland [don't forget to like their new Facebook page, Viktor - I've even added the link to make it easy for you!]

The night itself wouldn't have been possible without the negotiating powers of Zsuzsa Bozo. Thanks  to Steve Collison for taking photos (again), Ilona Miklos for collecting the topics (as always), Bea Bincze and Csilla Réka Wheeler for taking care of the roving mics. To Patrick McMenamin, Beth Spilsjack and Monica Heneghan for selling raffle tickets and to Jeremy, our scorekeeper, for doing his usual job with great aplomb. Thanks, too, to the judges - Kevin, Gerard, Viki, Attila, and Hans - who were in great form and did a stellar job. To the Jookers for the music and to the staff at New Orleans for providing the venue.

Prizes for the tombolo came from the IHBC, Indigo Indian Restaurant, Jack Doyle's Irish Pub and Restaurant, Jameson, Liquid Gold (Guinness), Little Britain Language School, and Milestone Management and Forwarding Ltd. Thanks to you all for your generosity.

The night raised a whopping 503 000 huf. Not bad for a Wednesday night in Budapest. Go raibh mile maith agaibh go léir. And if you're thinking about competing in the 2015 season, you have a few months to get that bio ready.

After four seasons of the Gift of the Gab  - that's 100 speakers giving more than 200 speeches, I thought I'd heard just about everything that could have been said - on stage - within the set parameters of no cursing, no sex, no religion, and no politics. Well, I was wrong.

First up tonight, Tim Child  took us through a visit to Hungary in the 1990s that ended up being the party of a lifetime with two strangers, a river, and a bottle of palinka. Attila Szabó introduced us to Vladimir - the Russian father of the bride who wanted toasts, toasts and more toasts at his daughter's wedding. Attila Szigeti shared the pain of his struggles to get fit and no, I will never look at kettledrums again, nor will I ever hear the term 'big balls' without thinking of Mr Szigeti. Matt Tricks shared some intimate veterinary tales involving tweezers, puss, canine anuses, fake vaginas and rubber gloves. I'm going to pitch his take on artificial insemination to the Discovery Channel so you might get another chance to see it. Franc Anderson introduced us to the most lucid of beings - the one who even in times of fury and angst can manage to speak clearly and rationally - the Irish mother.

Going into the second half - the impromptu round - Franc stuck with his first topic, Truly Madly Deeply and took us with him to the mountains where we met two old ladies, a dog, a fallen climber and a pants full of s*&^. I challenge you to put all that together and make story - he did. It worked. Tim went to the audience with this two picks - rain stopped play and the revenge of the white cat. They wanted to hear about the white cat and, surprisingly from a man who confesses to be allergic to the feline species, he managed to put his feelings aside and deliver. Attila Szigeti was next up and he, too, asked the audience to choose. This time between how my shampoo changed my life and is 80s 70s and 60s music better than what we have now, and why? The audience went for shampoo and Attila started out by telling us about a trip to Nice - and how he'd forgotten to pack his shampoo. Unfortunately he then forgot to mention shampoo again and while images of a great white Scottish whale washing up on the beach in France were compelling, the judges wanted shampoo.  For Matt, the audience chose to find out more about what he'd do if he were Mayor of Budapest for a day rather than learn about his worst cooking experience. If you're out walking and see castles of dog poop with little Hungarian flags sticking out of them... blame Matt. Last up, Attila Szabo picked not knowing when to stop and caterpillars. And the audience asked to see if he knew when to stop... he did. Mission accomplished.

The judges - Claudia, Maurice, Keith, Sam, and Patrick - did a stellar job and after working his magic, scorekeeper Jeremy Wheeler pronounced Matt Tricks  as the final finalist for the 2014 GOTG. And it was a close call.

Matt went home with a trophy sponsored by the IHBC and a fabulously expensive bottle of Irish single malt, courtesy of Granthill Telecom Solutions (aka Young Malcolm). He has three weeks to prepare for the final on March 12.

A massive thank you to all who participated. To Steve for taking photos, Kath for doing the door, Ilona for taking the topics, the Cotton Club for giving us the venue, Hans and Julia for their roving mics, Jeremy for scoring, the judges for judging, the speakers for speaking, and the audience for showing up and adding another  95000 huf to the fund.

Details of the final and tickets and all that will follow next week. Just mark your diaries. If you're in Budapest on the 12th you won't want to be anywhere but the New Orleans!