Books of the Year #2

The next in the series on the books I have enjoyed most, or found the most useful this year. Adam Kays "This is Going to Hurt" is a diary of his years spent as a junior doctor. Informative whilst at the same time very shocking, the book has plenty of useful terminology on the world of medicine, but quizzing facts aside....this is a superb read!

New Pub Quiz in Sunderland - Launches Tonight!

 

Quiz Night Launch in Sunderland - Tonight and every Thursday from 8.30pm!

 

 

My latest quiz venture kicks off tonight at the Pickle in Sunderland. Located right in the heart of the city centre, the quiz night each Thursday is set to be a fun packed evening with plenty of prizes! Hope to see you there one week!

Books of the Year 2018

Towards the end of the year on the blog, I tend to put together a list of the most useful books of the year, podcasts, apps etc and I have feedback in the past that its also served people as a good guide of what to buy for Christmas for their quizzing obsessed relatives. Today marks the first such post with a Book that has only just been released, but given its quality, is likely to make the list every year...



From the creators of the rather excellent podcast "No Such Thing as Fish" comes The Book of the Year 2018. This is a summary of the first 10 months of 2018 including a raft of major news stories, odd stories and fact and figures, all presented in a fun way. I first got the book in 2017 and it proved a goldmine for those typical "events of the year" rounds that litter quizzes this time of year. Hard to think of a new release book that has been as useful as this....

Quiz in the North - Wakefield

This Saturday, November 10th, the latest Quiz in the North is taking place in Wakefield. With a set devised by one of the finest setters in the country, a team quiz and more, this should be one of the highlights of the quizzing calendar.

It is open to all, and you can find more details on the links below.

More details HERE and HERE

Fifteen to One is back!

 

Series 9 on Fifteen to One returns to Channel 4 today! There are two series in the can, so hopefully they will air pretty much back to back. Look out in season 10 for a familiar face....

New Sunderland Quiz Night launches 8th November...

 

 

 

My next pub quiz venture in Sunderland is kicking off soon! The Pickle is a superb bar in the centre of Sunderland, and I will be starting to host a quiz there on Thursday 8th November. All my usual format with a wide range of prizes and plenty of rounds to test your brain. All starts at 7.30pm.

 

If you are looking for a pub quiz in Sunderland on Thursday Nights...give it a try. Be sure to say hi!

Mark Mason's latest book...

It is getting to that time of year again when I will soon be posting my annual countdown of the most useful and interesting books I have used for quizzing this year, but there was one book released this week that I must mention. Mark Mason has written several interesting books, and this one is no exception. Packed full of trivia, looking at the people who didn't quite manage to be the first person to achieve landmark achievements….

Finger on Buzzers

 

Fingers on Buzzers Podcast

 

 

As quite a fan of podcasts, I was very interested to hear of the launch of a new podcast all about quizzing at the back end of the summer called Fingers on Buzzers. The podcast is hosted by the comedian Lucy Porter, a keen pub quizzer and the Chase's own Jenny Ryan.

 

There have been about 8 episodes so far with a wide range of sections including guests from the world of quizzing, both contestants and producers, tips on quizzing, teasing questions on common quiz themes and general chit chat about quizzing itself.

 

Always worth a lesson and a fun 40-45 minutes each week. Available on all pod casting services (I happen to like Pod Bean!)….

Pub Quizzes in Sunderland...hosted by me!

As mentioned earlier in he year, I never really saw myself as a quiz host but having jumped at the chance to host a quiz night back in May I have never looked back. I am currently running two quiz nights with a further two set to come. Here are the details of the current nights. If you are in the Sunderland area looking for a quiz.....then I'd love to see you there!

The Albert, Sunderland

7.30pm

Sunday

 

Running since May, we have a good team of regulars now at the Albert with different winners most weeks. The quiz starts at 7.30pm with a picture round, leading into a News, Entertainment, Music, Connectons, Themed Rounds, Gamble questions, Top 5s and General Knowledge rounds! In addition we have a jackpot which is growing by the week and up to around £170 this week. At the end of the month we also do a Last Team Standing game which is another chance to win!

 

The Peacock

7.30pm

Tuesday

 

A slightly newer venture is the Peacock in the heart of Sunderland City Centre. A unique pub which is a superb setting for a quiz. Same format as above and growing every week!

Sunderland Echo Quiz League

The 2018-2019 season of the Sunderland Echo Quiz League gets underway next week. Ashbrooke claimed the title last season, and almost did the double, narrowly missing out to Penshaw in the cup final last week.

If you are in the local area and would like to take part in the league, please let me know and we can arrange for you to come down to one of the games and see how the league works,

The fixtures for the first rounds are below

Sunderland Echo Quiz League 2018-2019

 

Round 1 – 24^th October

Prior v Ashbrooke
Penshaw v Chaplins
Newbottle v Navy Club

Setters:  Ship Isis

 

Round 2 – 31^st October 2018

Ship Isis v Chaplins
Prior v Navy Club
Penshaw v Newbottle

Setters: Ashbrooke

 

Round 3 – 7^th November 2018

Newbottle v Prior
Navy Club v Ship Isis
Chaplins v Ashbrooke

Setters: Penshaw

 

Round 4 –14^th  November 2018

Navy Club v Penshaw
Chaplins v Prior
Ashbrooke v Ship Isis

Setters: Newbottle

 

 

 

Round 5 – 21^st November 2018

Ashbrooke v Navy Club
Ship Isis v Newbottle
Prior v Penshaw

Setters: Chaplins

 

Round 6  - 28th  November 2018

Chaplins v Newbottle
Ashbrooke v Penshaw
Ship Isis v Prior

Setters: Navy Club

 

Round 7 – 9^th January 2018

Penshaw v Ship Isis
Newbottle v Ashbrooke
Navy Club v Chaplins

Setters:  Prior

 

Only Connect Returns This Monday

 

 

 

 

Fans of Only Connect will be pleased to know that the series returns this Monday on BBC 2 for another mammoth series. 

Quiz Books of the Year #4

With only a few more to mention on the Quiz Books of the Year list we move onto the Cryptic Quiz Book which is a unique collection of questions. The title did put me off a little bit, but once I got stuck into the book I realised it was a well written, carefully researched title that is well worth a place on our book shelves and a perfect gift for quizzers at Christmas!

The Albert Quiz- This Sunday - Sunderland City Centre

20 weeks in and the Albert quiz remains strong with a great cohort of teams and different winners all the time! With rounds including pictures, news, connections, entertainment, music, alphabet rounds, Top 5's and General knowledge, in addition to our Jackpot which is now £140 ish, its a fun quiz night.

The Albert itself is a great bar in the heart of Sunderland City Centre on Fawcett Street. Ideal for transport links, great drinks and a friendly atmosphere...what more can you need?

The quiz kicks off at 7.30pm with the picture round and with a rolling jackpot, cash prizes and beer tokens to give away, you are in for a treat!

This Sunday is also the last of the month, meaning we do our special last team standing game to win a £20 beer token!

Hope to see you there one week....if you are looking for a Pub Quiz Sunderland, then The Albert is your best Sunday choice!

Pub Quiz in Sunderland

At the time of writing I am currently running 2 quiz nights in Sunderland City Centre with a 3rd to be added very soon. For anyone in the Sunderland area and keen on a pub quiz, here are the details...







Sunday Nights - 7.30pm - The Albert - Fawcett Street, Sunderland City Centre

If you are looking of a pub quiz on a Sunday night in Sunderland look no further than the Albert. Only opened in December 2017, The Albert is a fabulous new bar which is perfect for the quiz. A great group get in every week, good regular competition and most teams usually end up with a prize!



Tuesday Nights - 7.30pm - The Peacock, Sunderland City Centre

The Peacock Tuesday Night Quiz is currently in its third week and starting to build nicely. New teams every week, a nice range of prizes and a good set up in the pub itself giving us our own little area to quiz! If you are seeking a pub quiz in Sunderland on a Tuesday Night, look no further than The Peacock!



Coming Soon....

Monday Nights at Yates in Sunderland!

Updates

It has been about a month since I managed to post anything up on the blog, but with the Quiz League in full flow as well as my own new Quiz Night ventures launching across Sunderland, it has been a bit of a struggle to find the time. I do intend to post up some of the pub quizzes I have been producing on a weekly basis on the blog at some point....