Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all.
Welcome back to another year and challenging Elm Tree quizzing.
Top turnout last night as we huddled together for warmth (assisted by canine companions) and enjoyed an excellent quiz from John, especially for fans of Spiritualized. We were provided with the below visual reminder of Jason Pierce’s medicated imagery. If you are not a fan of Spiritualized, shame on you.
Top score was 36, followed by 32.
All the best
Frank
Christmas quizzing
Christmas and New Year
There will be no quiz in the pub on 25th December (Christmas Day) or 1st January (New Years Day). But there will be quizzes posted on the website on those days to stave off withdrawal symptoms.
We start again in person in the New Year on Wednesday 8th January.
What happens next
Some housekeeping this week.
Christmas and New Year
Christmas is a-coming so next week (Wednesday 11th December) will be our Christmas quiz. We will finish the year with a “normal” quiz, if there is such a thing, on Wednesday 18th December.
There will be no quiz in the pub on 25th December (Christmas Day) or 1st January (New Years Day). But there will be quizzes posted on the website on those days to stave off withdrawal symptoms.
We start again in person in the New Year on Wednesday 8th January.
Books of the Moment for 2025
Thanks to Harry, Lucy, Xende, Phoebe, Jess, Alex, Moles, Toby, Jean, Robin, Max, Luke and everyone else for your Book of the Moment suggestions.
I have ruled out those we have done before: Hobbit, Hitchhiker’s Guide, Hungry Caterpillar (basically anything beginning with H) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
I have ruled out Mr Tickle (Thanks, Harry ). Notwithstanding it is a fine, Modernist text, it is possibly too short. I have also discounted That’s Not My Tractor (Thanks, Luke). I am simply not prepared to indulge in stereotyping the good folk of Norfolk. They can quite evidently do that for themselves.
Also ruled out are those I can’t face reading again: Atonement, Das Kapital, Lord of The Rings, Name Of The Rose, His Dark Materials, Little Women. And those I can’t face reading ever: Ten Years To Save The West.
Those that made my shortlist, and to which I have given serious consideration and re-read parts of, are: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan-Doyle, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty by James Thurber and Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen.
But for the heavier-ish text next year I have selected a book that garnered two independent suggestions and which I read many years ago and fancy reading again. So starting in January, our Book of the Moment will be A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.
Our lighter text was a close-run thing: I have umm-ed and ah-ed about Starter for Ten by David Nicholls and Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge. I have plumped for Fly By Night to avoid the meta complications of questions about a book about quizzes and romance but mainly because Fly By Night contains more interesting animals, and flying, at night. So Book of the Moment from some point in June or July will be Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge.
Quiz format – maxi version
As you know, the Elm Tree quiz features 40 questions in 6 themed rounds of 5 questions and one GK round of 10 questions. Plus the beer round. In the pub we start at 9pm and finish between 10:30pm and 10:45pm. It is however possible to cram in many more questions if you start earlier and give it full commitment.
On Monday this week, together with Caroline, John and Alex, plus David Faraci who sets the monthly quiz at the Station House, I attended the annual Bishop Auckland Town Quiz. A County Durham institution, it has been run for many years by the Bishop Auckland Civic Society. To say it is full-on is an understatement.
The evening comprised:
• 12 rounds of 10 questions
• 90+ pictures in 3 picture rounds
• 20 cryptic clues
• 20 pieces of music
• Pie and peas
All in 3 ¼ hours with a possible 270 points to be scored. No wonder they hold it no more than annually! So if you fancy a full quiz evening, next year look out for the Bishop Auckland Town Quiz in late November/early December with all monies going to a good cause. (But be very careful how you play your joker.)
We just about recovered in time for last night, where teams were on fine form. Tie break required for first place with two teams on 35, followed by 33, 31, 30.
See you next week for the Christmas quiz.
Cheers
Frank
Bonny Scotland
Many thanks to John Duffey for a top quiz last night. Another busy night with 16 teams.
Scores were tight at the top, with a winning 35 after a couple of barnstorming 9/10s on the general knowledge round. Full scores were 35, 34, 34, 33, 32, 31, 28, 26, 26, 25, 25, 24, 19, 16, 14 and one “retirement”.
Geographical reminder for teams from John: Scotland is part of the UK. I agree, having spent a lovely week in the Borders.
Cheers
Frank
Competition hots up
Busy and interesting evening in the pub last night. Close-run quiz with top scores of 32, 31, 30, 29, 29. And a celebrity quizzer putting in an appearance (think outsized mobile phones and men in squirrel costumes).
Cheers
Frank
Ye Old Elm Tree
