The 22nd Mastermind final comes from Coventry Cathedral, where civil servant John Wilson, George Davidson, a senior lecturer in chemistry, librarian Graham Roe, and English tutor Stephen Wood do battle for the 1994 title - and the coveted Caithness Glass trophy, to be presented by Bamber Gascoigne.

Their specialist subjects are: beers and breweries in Britain; the life and works of John Dalton; American classical music 1910-70, and the Irish rebellion.

Former winners have ranged from a retired ambassador to a train driver, and, most famously, the taxi drivers' champion Fred Housego.

"It attracts a really wide range of interests and professions, says producer Penelope Cowell Doe, who has worked on the series for five years. "Don't think having a formal education is at all important. Often those with the widest general knowledge are self-taught."