Quizzing

It has been a busy month for me, hence the lack of posts for a variety of reasons, the best of which being I have passed by Driving Test at the 4th attempt. Since my move to South Shields I have had to tone down my quiz league particpation but getting mobile should help me get back into the league itself.


Did anyone catch The Quizeum on BBC 4 this week? Very dissapointing and not at all what I was expecting.

In case you have missed it the Mastermind Final is tonight and its too close to call based on previous heats. 8pm BBC 2.

I will be back posting next week so thanks for still reading after my month off blogging!

Music Quiz

NORTHERN POP QUIZZES PRESENTS

SPECIAL ALL DAY EVENT

ON SATURDAY MAY 23rd 2015

STARTING AT 1 PM

A DOUBLE HEADER

INCORPORATING: PAIRS TROPHY

& HISTORY OF POP MUSIC TEAM QUIZ

VENUE

ANGEL HOTEL

KING STREET

KNUTSFORD

QUIZ No 1 WILL BE A RANDOM FUN EVENT WITH PLAYERS DRAWN INTO PAIRS ON THE DAY START 1.15 PM PROMPT

QUIZ No 2 WILL FEATURE PLAYERS IN THEIR REGULAR TEAMS MAXIMUM 4 PLAYERS STARTING 7.30 PM

ENTRY FEE OF £7 EACH PLAYER GUARANTEES ENTRY TO BOTH QUIZZES.

CASH PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO ALL WINNERS

FOR FURTHER DETAILS & TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE RING STEVE ON 01924 849484  steve@natquiz.fsworld.co.uk

Contestant Call

The Hive (working title)

| BBC Four

Do you and your friends love brain-teasers, crossword puzzles and tough TV quizzes? Can you answer questions on Only Connect and University Challenge for fun?

Then this is the quiz for you.

We're searching for smart and interesting contestants for a brand new BBC Four quiz show that will test your general knowledge and mental agility skills to the limit.

We're looking for individual players, as well as teams of up to three players, who share a common passion, hobby or profession and who have what it takes to take on the fiendish puzzles in this challenging word game.

The Hive (working title) is produced for the BBC by Saltbeef TV.

To apply

Age limit: Applicants must be 18 years of age and over.

All applicants must be resident in the UK. Employees of Saltbeef TV, Green Inc, the BBC or close relations are ineligible to apply.

To request an application form please email or write to us and include a telephone number with your contact details.

Email: casting@saltbeeftv.com

Write:
The Hive (WT)
PO BOX 61351
London
N19 9BX

Closing date: 31 March 2015

Music Round Separation

In my quizzing I have a little dilemma in the sense that I really enjoy music rounds, but because a) I have a very narrow knowledge of certain eras and b) I usually quiz in small teams, they always end up costing us in the placings. It is a very difficult thing to improve upon and even though I have tried, and improved marginally, it is always going to be a weak area in any quiz I do.

But last week I found a quiz with a pretty perfect solution. Separate it!

At half time in the quiz I now aim to attend regularly on Thursdays, they play 15 tracks in which you have to name the artist and the winning team gets a bottle of wine. Ideal! Doesn't count for the normal quiz yet I can still play a music quiz which I enjoy.

And the evidence was greater than ever this week. Had the 15 point music round counted in the main quiz (out of 54)  lour placing would have fell dramatically.

A great idea! Gives every team a chance of winning something and keeps the main quiz as just that....a quiz!

Pub Quiz Review - Vigilant Inn South Shields

Vigilant Inn, South Shields - Thursday Nights

Finally.....

It has taken a while but after moving to South Shields I have eventually found a quiz that I can see myself attending on a weekly basis. It was just my happen chance that I phoned The Vigilant Inn (which if you are from the area is actually in Harton rather than South Shields) yesterday afternoon to make an enquiry about whether or not they ran a quiz night and low and behold there I was a few hours later.

I would go as bold as to say that this is perhaps one of the most enjoyable pub quizzes I have attended in the past few years. The quizmaster has the format down to a tee and its a nice venue, with a good cheat-free crowd and everything rattles along at a nice pace.

The quiz itself comprises of 40 General Knowledge Questions split into rounds of 5. After each round of 5 you hand in the sheet to prevent too much cheating and this get an ongoing idea of how well you are doing. A score update is read at half time. There is also a 10 point picture round which you get the entire first half to complete. Nice and simple. Throw into the mix two joker questions (you draw 2 numbers at random and those then become your jokers worth triple points) and you have a pretty entertaining night.

There is a half time music quiz with 15 songs and only the artist needed (separate from the quiz) with a bottle of wine up for grabs and then a nearest the pin jackpot at the end. Plenty to keep quizzers entertained.

Above all else the quality of the questions is well pitched and the way the sheets is handed in after every 5 questions keeps things flowing. When the quiz started the teams seemed to average an age of 70+ I was a little worried when the first question was about 1940s cinema, but the quiz was kept diverse and varied and overall very enjoyable.

In terms of pub quizzes in South Shields this is easily my favourite so far and in fact one of the most fun and enjoyable quiz night I have had in some time