CLINCHING a semi-final place in BBC TV quiz Mastermind has proved a real tonic for an Ainsworth GP.

And Dr Gary Grant hopes that his temperature won’t rise as he attempts to reach the grand final in this, his second appearance in the top-rated show.

The locum GP originally entered Mastermind four years ago and reached the semi-final. Now, this year he has done it again by achieving the same stage in the quiz. His specialist subject this time around was the Seven Wonders of the World.

Last year, the GP was crowned Bolton’s brainiest man. Brain of Bolton was the culmination of Bolton Premier Quiz League’s 22-week season when the highest scoring individuals were invited to enter Brain of Bolton.

He will be joined in the semi-final by a former Derby High pupil Tony Barton. The plumber tapped into a wealth of knowledge when he won his heat, screened last Friday The 63-year-old, who grew up in Bury, chose the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 as his special subject.

He put his success down to natural curiosity and a love of reading.

Mr Barton, who lives in Heaton, Bolton, admitted: “People in my line of work tend to think I am a little bit strange.

“When I used to work on site as a plumber, I used to listen to Radio Four and Classic FM when everyone else was listening to Radio One and Key103, and they used to say my radio was out of tune.”

Mr Barton, who is married with a step-daughter, does not go to pub quizzes and says Mastermind is the first quiz show that he has ever entered.