Saturday 30 November 2019

Christmas Gift Guide for Quizzers #4



Another book of quiz questions to suggest this time in the latest entry into the Christmas Gift Guide for quizzers. This is perhaps the finest quiz book on music I have had the pleasure to read, and its packed full of original and informative content. The book goes for quality rather than quantity and anyone with a keen interest in testing their music knowledge cannot fail to love this!

Podcast of the Year #2

Image result for trivial warfare
 
 

The excellent American produced podcast Trivial Warfare has featured on my end of year podcast lists for the last 3 years, and will do for the foreseeable future as long as the quality remains so high! Where many quiz podcasts start and fade away, the Trivial Warfare team continue to go from strength to strength with even the addition of some new features this year including a spin off show "Blitz".
 
Well worth hunting down!
 
p.s. I always use Castbox for my Podcast platform of choice and you'll find all the episodes on there!

Friday 29 November 2019

Christmas Gift Guide for Quizzers #3



Continuing on in the series, the next book I accidentally found online whilst searching for an up tod ate Atlas. This is part of what seems to be a new fad of Puzzle books on all sorts of themes that are being lined up for Christmas. (Another will be following)...although its perhaps 40% puzzle style and 60% quiz, it very addictive and you will soon find yourself getting lost in the 300 ish pages crammed with usual info!

Thursday 28 November 2019

Christmas Gift Guide for Quizzers #2



The second book in the series is one I have bought for myself, every year since I think it was first issued in 2017. It is from the team behind the excellent "No Such Thing As Fish" podcast (relating in some way to QI I believe) and takes a month by month look at the year gone by in  quirky yet humourous way. Easy to pore over, and the perfect present to remind people of the year gone by!

Wednesday 27 November 2019

Christmas Gift Guide for Quizzers #1

An annual feature on the blog around Christmas time, has been a look at some of the finest books of the year/items I have discovered this year that would make ideal gifts for any quizzing relatives you have (or indeed in my case many times....yourself!).

Over the next few weeks I will be posting up some useful links and ideas, mainly books......Let me know in the comments if there are any you would recommend....



One of the most treasured books in my collection is what I will begin with. A hardback, weighty and hefty tome looking at the classics of world literature from Penguin. Bright and plenty of fascinating book covers to look over, as well as being rammed with information on the books under discussion. A perfect gift to please a quizzer in your family!

Podcasts of the Year #1

Image result for finger son buzers
 
 
 
 
Another end of year tradition on the blog, involves looking at some of the podcasts that I have enjoyed this year and suggesting which ones may be worth your while. I have mentioned several times on the blog for both my quizzing and my quiz setting, podcasts play a huge role. The only downside is how many there are to wade through and for every podcast I have been hooked to after episode 1, there are many more that have simply been stopped after 10 minutes and never returned to.
 
Fingers on Buzzers is a good a place to start as any. The podcast from comedian Lucy Porter and Jenny Ryan from The Chase (who now thanks her incredible voice is more famous than when the podcast began) has been running for a couple of dozen episodes and looks at various quizzing issues including interviews with quizzers and writers, a history of quiz feature and indeed plenty of questions. Well worth a look!

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Penguin Quiz Book

I picked up the Penguin Quiz book from Amazon recently after seeing it in store, and having just worked my way through it, it has to be ranked as perhaps the best quiz book I have used all year. It is superbly researched and obviously written by someone who has an idea of what makes a good quiz question! Well worth looking into and of course an ideal Xmas present for any quizzy minded people you may be buying for!


New Chaser on the horizon?

Bradley Walsh has recently revealed that a brand new Chaser is joining the current team. The story in full is here. No real details are known yet about the new chaser although a few posts on facebook suggest it not someone from the quizzing circuit but instead is a former contestant who has been brought back after impressing on the show.

Bradley Walsh, The Chase

New European Quizzing Champion

Huge congratulations go out to Ian Bayley who was crowned the new European Quizzing Champion this week at the event in Sofia! You may have seen or heard Ian on one of his many TV and radio appearances!

Sunday 10 November 2019

The Albert Quiz Night - Sundays 7.30pm

See the source image
 
 
The weekly quiz night I run at the Albert continues every Sunday from 7.30pm. If you are in the Sunderland area, then head down for what I hope is a fun and interesting night, with a unique quiz format and always a close run contest. Prizes involve cash for the top 2 teams and plenty of beer tokens to be given away throughout the night. Next week (17th) also sees a 5-week jackpot rollover so plenty of opportunities to win!
 
Hope to see you there. (The Albert is on Fawcett Street in the heart of the city!)

Saturday 9 November 2019

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The Albert (Sunderland)
Tuesday 19th November
8.30pm
 
A little bit of Self Promotion here. My latest themed quiz night is not too far away. Following quiz nights on The Simpsons, Marvel and Harry Potter, the players voted for Disney this time around so I have a all singing, all dancing and hopefully fun Disney quiz in store for next Tuesday.
 
The Albert in Sunderland is the venue, easy to find as its located right on Fawcett street in the centre of the city!
 
Hope to see you there