Come and take us on if you think you’re clever enough!

That’s the challenge from the all-conquering Star Scribes quiz team as we prepare to defend the trophy that we’ve been guarding for the last four years in next week’s Ipswich Mayor’s Quiz.

The Croydon Trophy was first awarded to the winners of the Mayor’s Quiz in the late 1990s – and it was a Star Scribes team that lifted it the first year.

After then other teams pounced and knocked us off our perch.

But after losing in 2006 the team re-grouped and became the Manchester United of the Mayor’s Quiz.

We’ve now won the trophy four years in a row – and although we did give some thought of retiring gracefully to let someone else admire the Croydon’s Trophy, ultimately we decided that the town’s other quiz teams will have to show they are worthy of taking it off us!

There is one change this time around – James Marston, who missed last year’s event because he was working in France, is back.

So we’ll be well covered with any questions about musical theatre and classical music – and his geography and history skills will be a great boost to the team.

Star columnist Lynne Mortimer will be bringing her encyclopedic knowledge of literature to the team while Jonathan Elsey will be bringing his knowledge of sport (especially motorsport) to the team.

Yours truly tries to help out with pieces of current affairs trivia, politics – and I really get steamed up if there are questions on railways!

We’ve always been run very close – there have always been good teams snapping at our heels over the last four years.

But we are now throwing down the gauntlet.

We know we’re the brainboxes, but we’d love to see a full house of opponents desperate to take the trophy off us next week.

The Mayor’s Quiz is at the Corn Exchange next Thursday, March 10, starting at 7.30pm sharp – doors open at 7pm to give you time to get a drink in at the bar first.

Teams of four pay �10 to enter the quiz. Money raised goes to the Mayor’s Charities: Families in Need (FIND), Ipswich Umbrella Trust, and East Suffolk MIND.

You can download an entry form by visiting the borough website and clicking on the events icon – and then clicking on March 10.

Alternatively you can ring the mayor’s office on 01473 432641. Teams have to be registered by next Tuesday, March 8, although many pay their fee to major’s secretary Christine Christensen on the night of the quiz.