CIU Quiz Regional Heat

This year marks only the second time I have entered the National CIU Quiz but already it has became one of the quizzing highlights of the year. It was off to the Lemmington Social Club in Newcastle again for this years Regional Heat. The Sunderland Echo Quiz League often organises a few teams to compete in the event and due to the fact that we came third last year, it was decided that the team would remain in tact.

The quiz itself is great fun with a nice range of questions, pitched well and enjoyable. Sport and Tv/Film play a big part but there are also rounds on Connections, a List Round (this time it was listing the 10 players with over 500 Premier League Appearances) and a picture round that is more than just "Name this Celebrity". A written round of 10 questions comes towards the end just before a Who Am I? round in which a number of clues are read about a particular person...the sooner you answer the more points on offer. Ongoing scores are given so you know exactly how you are faring and there are plenty of prizes to be won not just for the winners, but "nearest the pin" bonus roads, booby prizes for the team who are second last and prizes for TV/Film and Sport rounds.

This year was always going to be tough. Gosforth Empire have won the national final in previous years, and although we beat them at last years final, they hammered us in the heat and did so again this year.

In fact from early on the quiz was between 4 teams with only 3 places up for grabs in the final. At the half way stage it became apparent that we were in a scrap for third. A team involving Mastermind finalist Michael McPartland and  players from the Sunderland League were scrapping it out at the top with Gosforth Empire whilst ourselves, and a Middlesbrough based team headed by Mastermind Champion Clive Dunning were neck and neck with a team including myself, Brain of Britain Semi Finalist 2014 Dave Taylor and local quiz league players.

Going into the written round there was half a point in it. We felt we maybe had 9 or 10 on the written round which would have given us a shout going into the final round. Within seconds of the first clue starting in the final round Dave went in for 5 points recognising it was Sandi Toksvig from some obscure clue. I think in fact Dave was the only person in the room to get it from the first clue so we could only watch and wait. The team from Middlesborough seemed to submit there answer for 3 points which meant it was going to be tight.

In the end it was the written round that cost us with neither of the team knowing the country in which John Peel died (I had a hunch for Greece...Dave did say South America and it turned out to be Peru) and also not recognising the postcode for Buckingham Palace. With the Middlesbrough team scoring a full house it meant even with the success in the last round we missed out by a mere point. Winning the Sport Round (£40 prize) was a mere consolation.

It will be a shame not to compete in this years CIU Final as it is indeed one of the quizzing highlights of the year for me, but congratulations to the three teams who made it and I hope one of you takes the title in Septembers Final.

Roll on next year