Eggheads are again on the lookout for new teams! I did Eggheads at the start of 2013 and it was a really enjoyable experience. Well worth doing and although we didn't get the result we wanted it was a fun day and the team treat us very well indeed.
The application details for Eggheads are HERE
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Saturday, 24 January 2015
Book Suggestion
...and here I am yet again suggesting some useful reference works.
Norman Davies "Europe" is one of the finest books in my collection. I purchased it some time ago and coming in at over 1250 pages long it has taken me some time to work through. But it has certainly been worth it. I have tried several books on European History in the past ranging from short tomes, to thematic works up to the multi volume collections but nothing has captured me like this title. In terms of pure enjoyment of history, it is perfect...
....in terms of Quizzing usefulness it is even better. Every page is brimming with facts, information and knowledge to soak up and this book has certainly raised my knowledge in many areas as well as gave me a list two A4 Pages long of future texts to look into.
I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Norman Davies "Europe" is one of the finest books in my collection. I purchased it some time ago and coming in at over 1250 pages long it has taken me some time to work through. But it has certainly been worth it. I have tried several books on European History in the past ranging from short tomes, to thematic works up to the multi volume collections but nothing has captured me like this title. In terms of pure enjoyment of history, it is perfect...
....in terms of Quizzing usefulness it is even better. Every page is brimming with facts, information and knowledge to soak up and this book has certainly raised my knowledge in many areas as well as gave me a list two A4 Pages long of future texts to look into.
I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Friday, 23 January 2015
Newspaper Article
This is from a few weeks ago now but there was an article on quizzing in the Burton Mail recently which you can find HERE
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Sunderland Quiz League
For various reasons I have missed the Sunderland Quiz League so far this year but hope to get back on track soon.
The league is a third of the way through (with all teams playing each other 3 times a season now). Here are the current standings. If anyone is reading in the local area and has an interest in the League pop me an email to fully234@hotmail.com and I will put you in touch with the League Chairman,
The league is a third of the way through (with all teams playing each other 3 times a season now). Here are the current standings. If anyone is reading in the local area and has an interest in the League pop me an email to fully234@hotmail.com and I will put you in touch with the League Chairman,
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Who Dares Wins contestant call
I only mentioned this is a post a few days ago as the subject of a dismal Tiebreak round. Anyway, Who Dares Wins, the lottery "list" quiz show is looking for contestants. Always fancied this but not very hopeful of getting on. Click HERE to apply
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Possibly The Worst Tie Break.....
Since moving I have been trying out a whole range of new quizzes in the South Tyneside area. Some better than others. Living in Sunderland I got into something of a routine of attending the same quizzes week in week out (nice to have a good round of quizzes to attend...).
Last week I tried out a new quiz in South Shields. I will be mentioning the quiz itself as part of my Quiz Trek 2015, but suffice to say a quiz out of 100 points has 40 points available spread across two music rounds which cost us massively. We must have won the actual questions but the lead wasn't strong enough to beat the bigger teams, who clearly knew more about music than us and we ended up 3rd.
Anyway, the story here does not really concern my quizzing, but the fact that the Tie Break round was something original. A lot of you have been quizzing a lot longer than me but even in my years of quizzing it is rare nowadays I see something new. The Tiebreak round was announced as a "Who Dares Wins Round".....(based on the lottery "list" show).
Expect it wasn't,.....the whole idea of the Who Dares Wins show is that the rivals bid on how many they "think" they can get. This Tiebreaker involved a given subject and the contestants had to give an answer each until one couldn't get an answer......Sounds good?
Well it could have been but the host announced that a) Each contestant had 30 seconds to think of an answer each time and that b) the subject was Kings and Queens of England since 1066. Oh dear....
Cue two men rattling off the answers..."Henry I" "Henry II" "Henry III" etc etc. It seemed to last an age, the pub was emptying as the two winning team members kept on going. As it got past the obvious they began to use their 30 seconds.....what a boring end to the quiz.
Now this is not a terrible idea in premise but the host has to be clever enough to think of subjects where maybe there are only a dozen or so answers, and also get rid of the 30 second rule!
In saying that, his comments after the quiz should tell you all you need to know......He mentioned this was only the second time he had to use a tiebreaker. On the first occasion he used Countries of the World.....
Last week I tried out a new quiz in South Shields. I will be mentioning the quiz itself as part of my Quiz Trek 2015, but suffice to say a quiz out of 100 points has 40 points available spread across two music rounds which cost us massively. We must have won the actual questions but the lead wasn't strong enough to beat the bigger teams, who clearly knew more about music than us and we ended up 3rd.
Anyway, the story here does not really concern my quizzing, but the fact that the Tie Break round was something original. A lot of you have been quizzing a lot longer than me but even in my years of quizzing it is rare nowadays I see something new. The Tiebreak round was announced as a "Who Dares Wins Round".....(based on the lottery "list" show).
Expect it wasn't,.....the whole idea of the Who Dares Wins show is that the rivals bid on how many they "think" they can get. This Tiebreaker involved a given subject and the contestants had to give an answer each until one couldn't get an answer......Sounds good?
Well it could have been but the host announced that a) Each contestant had 30 seconds to think of an answer each time and that b) the subject was Kings and Queens of England since 1066. Oh dear....
Cue two men rattling off the answers..."Henry I" "Henry II" "Henry III" etc etc. It seemed to last an age, the pub was emptying as the two winning team members kept on going. As it got past the obvious they began to use their 30 seconds.....what a boring end to the quiz.
Now this is not a terrible idea in premise but the host has to be clever enough to think of subjects where maybe there are only a dozen or so answers, and also get rid of the 30 second rule!
In saying that, his comments after the quiz should tell you all you need to know......He mentioned this was only the second time he had to use a tiebreaker. On the first occasion he used Countries of the World.....
New Shoots Quizzers
Every year since I have began the the blog I have posted a little reminder about this gem of a documentary from a few years back....so lets not break tradition.
It focuses on the European Quizzing Championship and is a great look at the world of competitive quizzing featuring the likes of Eggheads CJ De Mooi and Kevin Ashman and Mark Labbett from the Chase.
Runs for about 25 minutes.
The Chase Ebook
The Chase Quiz Book was mentioned on an episode of the show before Xmas as "out now" but didn't seem to surface anywhere. With the rush of the festive season I did manage to buy it a few days before Xmas but have just managed to get around to having a good look through.
Essentially the book takes a selection of the questions used on the show in an ebook format. It is £2.99 on the Kindle store and contains a range of questions with some interesting sections such as "The Ones the Chasers Got Wrong"......You know exactly the sort of questions to expect if you have seen The Chase and hence if you enjoy the multiple choice questions on there, then give it a go.
I certainly have enjoyed it.
Essentially the book takes a selection of the questions used on the show in an ebook format. It is £2.99 on the Kindle store and contains a range of questions with some interesting sections such as "The Ones the Chasers Got Wrong"......You know exactly the sort of questions to expect if you have seen The Chase and hence if you enjoy the multiple choice questions on there, then give it a go.
I certainly have enjoyed it.
Friday, 16 January 2015
The Chase on Challenge
Although slightly disappointed that Challenge don't seem to be showing any more series' of the old Fifteen to One Shows, they continue to purchase old series of the Chase and have now moved it into the 10.10pm timeslot. Always worth catching up with :)
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Book Suggestion
Already barely 2 weeks into 2015 and my second book suggestion of the year.
Classic FM The Big Book of Classical Music
Regardless of your opinions on Classic FM, or indeed the daft title, this is a cracking reference book. Ideal for quiz revision, picking up tips, setting questions and getting suggestions on listening. The book is split into 366 pages (not a typo) and each day is packed with facts, information biographies and timelines of the history of classical music. The whole idea being "On this day...."......but it goes way further than that.
Its a great A4 size hardback tome that sits nicely alongside my other reference works and I am currently using it as intended, a page a day, and its reaping rewards already!
Well worth a look.
Classic FM The Big Book of Classical Music
Regardless of your opinions on Classic FM, or indeed the daft title, this is a cracking reference book. Ideal for quiz revision, picking up tips, setting questions and getting suggestions on listening. The book is split into 366 pages (not a typo) and each day is packed with facts, information biographies and timelines of the history of classical music. The whole idea being "On this day...."......but it goes way further than that.
Its a great A4 size hardback tome that sits nicely alongside my other reference works and I am currently using it as intended, a page a day, and its reaping rewards already!
Well worth a look.
Monday, 12 January 2015
Fifteen To One - Series 3 - Applications Open
Copied and Pasted -
"Nearly a month after crowning their series two £40,000 grand champion, Fifteen To One has been renewed for a third series by Channel 4. Sandi Toksvig will return as the shows host and, once again, 40 episodes will be filmed for the upcoming series in Glasgow, Scotland beginning Spring 2015. The tough quiz show is currently searching for contestants to compete on the next series.
Email 15to1apps@remedyproductions.tv to receive an application form and go to Channel4.com for more details about the casting process and qualifications details. You must be a resident in the U.K. to apply."
"Nearly a month after crowning their series two £40,000 grand champion, Fifteen To One has been renewed for a third series by Channel 4. Sandi Toksvig will return as the shows host and, once again, 40 episodes will be filmed for the upcoming series in Glasgow, Scotland beginning Spring 2015. The tough quiz show is currently searching for contestants to compete on the next series.
Email 15to1apps@remedyproductions.tv to receive an application form and go to Channel4.com for more details about the casting process and qualifications details. You must be a resident in the U.K. to apply."
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Week in Quizzing
I hope 2015 has started well for you.....where does the time go!
I will start with the news you may have heard regarding the renewal of Fifteen to One for a third series since its return last year. Very goods news for viewers and potential contestants alike and I will post a full brief for Series 3 later in the week but simply all you need to do is email 15to1apps@remedyproductions.tv. I couldn't make the audition last year but hopefully will have better luck this time around.
I have been playing catch up with most of the main TV shows this week as things get back to normal after the Xmas break. I have managed to catch a few episode of Eggheads which threw up some very good contests with some great questions this week. I know some people are tired of the Eggheads formula and a lot of quizzers no longer give it the time of day, but since the return of CJ and addition of Lisa, Eggheads has certainly changed and in my view its a change for the better. I will do a post later in the week about the show but do you still watch Eggheads? What are your thoughts on the return of CJ and addition of Lisa?
Only Connect, University Challenge, Mastermind, Pointless, Brain of Britain, Eggheads and The Chase continue to run strong as 2015 begins so there is plenty to get wrapped up over the course of the next few weeks. It was good to read this weeks that in the weeks leading up to Xmas, when The Chase was the lead in show for The X Factor, that is was regularly out rating Dr Who. Not that I look into people's windows, but taking a 40 minute bus ride home every day all you can see glaring out on the TV screens is The Chase!
The setting continues to go well and I have various projects I am working on at the moment. I have been enjoying the Youtube quizzes and intend to make more so keep an eye out on the blog for that.
The Twitter also keeps on growing (@quizaddictblog) and I am finding it a very useful resources. I intend some day to put a big list up on the blog of useful twitter feeds as there are some great ones out there worth following that are tucked away.
Finally, my reading this week has been mixed and I want to recommend a book -
Atlantic - Simon Winchester
Picked this up from Amazon after stumbling across it whilst searching for Winchesters book on the Oxford English Dictionary. And I am so glad I added it to my basket! Winchester has put together a near 500 page tome that chronicles the Atlantic Ocean covering every aspect from explorers, discoveries, battles, islands, peoples and geographical features. In a nutshell.....essential quizzing knowledge. It reads superbly and covers all the bases quiz wise and more. Couldn't have started my yearly reading any better. HIGHLY recommended!
I will start with the news you may have heard regarding the renewal of Fifteen to One for a third series since its return last year. Very goods news for viewers and potential contestants alike and I will post a full brief for Series 3 later in the week but simply all you need to do is email 15to1apps@remedyproductions.tv. I couldn't make the audition last year but hopefully will have better luck this time around.
I have been playing catch up with most of the main TV shows this week as things get back to normal after the Xmas break. I have managed to catch a few episode of Eggheads which threw up some very good contests with some great questions this week. I know some people are tired of the Eggheads formula and a lot of quizzers no longer give it the time of day, but since the return of CJ and addition of Lisa, Eggheads has certainly changed and in my view its a change for the better. I will do a post later in the week about the show but do you still watch Eggheads? What are your thoughts on the return of CJ and addition of Lisa?
Only Connect, University Challenge, Mastermind, Pointless, Brain of Britain, Eggheads and The Chase continue to run strong as 2015 begins so there is plenty to get wrapped up over the course of the next few weeks. It was good to read this weeks that in the weeks leading up to Xmas, when The Chase was the lead in show for The X Factor, that is was regularly out rating Dr Who. Not that I look into people's windows, but taking a 40 minute bus ride home every day all you can see glaring out on the TV screens is The Chase!
The setting continues to go well and I have various projects I am working on at the moment. I have been enjoying the Youtube quizzes and intend to make more so keep an eye out on the blog for that.
The Twitter also keeps on growing (@quizaddictblog) and I am finding it a very useful resources. I intend some day to put a big list up on the blog of useful twitter feeds as there are some great ones out there worth following that are tucked away.
Finally, my reading this week has been mixed and I want to recommend a book -
Atlantic - Simon Winchester
Picked this up from Amazon after stumbling across it whilst searching for Winchesters book on the Oxford English Dictionary. And I am so glad I added it to my basket! Winchester has put together a near 500 page tome that chronicles the Atlantic Ocean covering every aspect from explorers, discoveries, battles, islands, peoples and geographical features. In a nutshell.....essential quizzing knowledge. It reads superbly and covers all the bases quiz wise and more. Couldn't have started my yearly reading any better. HIGHLY recommended!
Music Quiz
Ten quiz questions on Music for you to tackle. Let me know how many you scored! Answers in the comment box!
1.
Famous for writing ‘Without You’, later a hit
for Mariah Carey, and having a hit with the Paul McCartney penned ‘Come and Get
it’, Pete Ham and Tom Evans were the founders of which band?
2.
What was the only UK number 1 for A-ha?
3.
After being the lead singer of Free, he helped
to form Bad Company. Following this he provided lead vocals for Queen. Who am I
talking about?
4.
Which single did Wham release just 10 days
before announcing their separation?
5.
Complete the title of the Stevie Wonder album
that was his most successful album in the UK – ‘Hotter than.....”?
6.
Which song, later sampled by Destiny’s Child on
the track ‘Bootylicious’, featured on Stevie Nicks debut solo album ‘Bella
Donna’?
7.
One Hit Wonders: Who reached the UK top 5 in
1984 with the track “Break my stride”?
8.
She was the lead singer of Stone the Crow but
perhaps is better known as singer of ‘No Mean City’, the theme tune to Taggart.
What is her name?
9.
Which singer and former member of Soft Machine
left the suicide note “You can’t shine if you don’t burn”?
10.
Which band topped the BBC’s Sound of 2015 poll?
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Interview - Kudos Pub Quizzes
Might make some interesting for any budding writers out there or for those seeking to have a little more information on how a pub quiz setting company operates.
This is a quick interview with Kudos Pub Quizzes who provided us with a great guest quiz last week. Just a quick reminder you can find their site HERE
Tell us a little bit about Kudos Pub Quizzes.
We are a one-stop supplier of pub quizzes for use by any establishment that presents regular or occasional pub quizzes. In addition to quiz questions we provide duplicate answer sheets, promotional posters, an electronic team scoresheet and other resources that help to make a great quiz night.
It’s a crowded market, what makes Kudos Pub Quizzes different to the other companies out there?
As regular quiz players ourselves, we have the passion, knowledge and experience required to provide a great pub quiz service. Our questions are interesting, up-to-date and well researched. We believe that our quality and price combination is the best available.
How has the pub quiz market changed in recent years?
Like most pub games, their appeal tends to be their traditional style of game-play. We don’t see new electronic question and answer technology taking over from old-fashioned pen and paper pub quizzes any time soon.
That said, with the advent of new technology pubs now face the challenge of making their quiz questions hard to look-up with a smartphone. We aim to make our quizzes as Googleproof as possible, find out how to do this here: www.kudos-pub-quizzes.co.uk/google-proof-pub-quizzes/
What are your favourite questions you have ever written?
We like to occasionally use questions with surprising answers to keep people on their toes, here’s a couple of examples:
Q: What is the name of Tarzan's monkey companion that appears in seven of the novels? A: Nkima (not Cheeta, who is an ape)
Q: What are the only two primates that live in the wild in Europe? A: Barbary macaque (on Gibralta) and humans (widespread).
If you were on Mastermind what would your specialist subject?
Hard to say as we cover a full range of questions and have all round quiz knowledge. In the first round I’d go for The Who and in the second round, geography of the British Isles.
What are Kudos' plans for the future?
Mainly just to carry on doing the same as we are doing now but to do it even better. We value customer feedback very highly, so customers will get the service that best suits their needs in the future.
This is a quick interview with Kudos Pub Quizzes who provided us with a great guest quiz last week. Just a quick reminder you can find their site HERE
Tell us a little bit about Kudos Pub Quizzes.
We are a one-stop supplier of pub quizzes for use by any establishment that presents regular or occasional pub quizzes. In addition to quiz questions we provide duplicate answer sheets, promotional posters, an electronic team scoresheet and other resources that help to make a great quiz night.
It’s a crowded market, what makes Kudos Pub Quizzes different to the other companies out there?
As regular quiz players ourselves, we have the passion, knowledge and experience required to provide a great pub quiz service. Our questions are interesting, up-to-date and well researched. We believe that our quality and price combination is the best available.
How has the pub quiz market changed in recent years?
Like most pub games, their appeal tends to be their traditional style of game-play. We don’t see new electronic question and answer technology taking over from old-fashioned pen and paper pub quizzes any time soon.
That said, with the advent of new technology pubs now face the challenge of making their quiz questions hard to look-up with a smartphone. We aim to make our quizzes as Googleproof as possible, find out how to do this here: www.kudos-pub-quizzes.co.uk/google-proof-pub-quizzes/
What are your favourite questions you have ever written?
We like to occasionally use questions with surprising answers to keep people on their toes, here’s a couple of examples:
Q: What is the name of Tarzan's monkey companion that appears in seven of the novels? A: Nkima (not Cheeta, who is an ape)
Q: What are the only two primates that live in the wild in Europe? A: Barbary macaque (on Gibralta) and humans (widespread).
If you were on Mastermind what would your specialist subject?
Hard to say as we cover a full range of questions and have all round quiz knowledge. In the first round I’d go for The Who and in the second round, geography of the British Isles.
What are Kudos' plans for the future?
Mainly just to carry on doing the same as we are doing now but to do it even better. We value customer feedback very highly, so customers will get the service that best suits their needs in the future.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Useful Websites
Just a very quick update today. With a few sites I have been enjoying -
Pub Quizzes - A good site with blog posts, opinions and various information on the world of quizzing including some writing on the subject from yours truly.
Champions League Quiz - This is one of many quizzes put together by the team at footiequiz who has a massive array of quizzes with leaderboards and regular updates. Well worth a look :)
Pub Quizzes - A good site with blog posts, opinions and various information on the world of quizzing including some writing on the subject from yours truly.
Champions League Quiz - This is one of many quizzes put together by the team at footiequiz who has a massive array of quizzes with leaderboards and regular updates. Well worth a look :)
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