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By Jill Geary, News Associates, Manchester
'Bustling' Beth Allcock has won the prestigious Paul Thompson Shield in the Shorthand World Cup, held at News Associates, Manchester.
Beth, also nick-named “Bruiser” - because of her battle-hardened determination to knock-out all competition in her bid for Journalism glory - beat 24 competitors in a pen-biting 70-word-a-minute final.
Favourite Mike “Kenny” Dalglish was trounced while Tom “Housewives’ Favourite” Byrne had the bookies worried before losing narrowly to Jill “The Truth” Geary, in the quarter-finals.
Tensions mounted when finalists, Beth, 21, and “Lisa” AKA Lee Stansfield, 26, both successfully completed transcriptions at the 50 and 60-words a minute mark. With 100 percent accuracy, an adrenaline-fuelled tie-break ensued.
A 70-word-a-minute battle commenced with Beth just scooping the prize after making two errors, to Lee’s three. She was presented with New Zealand Lindower Bubbly by shorthand legend himself, Paul Thompson.
A “Sound of the Music” style search began when Beth fled after her shock performance, and missed her encore after popping to the loo to recover.
She finally accepted her prize with cheers from her vanquished classmates. Beth said: “I was so surprised to win.
My odds were 2-1 but I never thought I’d make the final! I’d only practised 50-words-a-minute. I love Teeline now and I can’t wait to practice with a nice glass of bubbly!”