QuizList

The season of inexplicable results at Christmas quizzes has begun.  There is a PhD thesis lurking on what pubs expect from a Christmas quiz, as expectations seem to veer between rewarding the regulars or staging a one-off benefit for the QM’s mates.

Next on the horizon is ‘review of 2009′ quizzes, and I’ll look for some good links for you (or mail me if you know of any) as a summary of the events and winners of the year in question.

New quiz notified as follows:
The Alexandra, 133 East Barnet Road, EN4 8RF, 020 8449 0134.  This is at 8 for 8.30 on Sundays, with six rounds of ten questions plus a picture round.  Free entry, £25 bar tab for winners, plus rollover jackpot question.  Can’t be bad!

I have a Christmas card with signatures and little messages from European heads of state on it, including a message from Irish PM Brian Cowan (aka ‘Biffo’) thanking me for my work helping the Irish in London with their drinking problems.  It is a joke, obviously, being the work of a creative QLL luminary who is (presumably) making a dig at two prominent second-generation-Irish quizzers of my acquaintance…  don’t racial stereotypes die hard?  Anyway, the same person has no internet access but on hearing my questions about the mystery place, was able to guess it.  Now have a try…

1.  It has at least 15 namesakes in the USA.

2. Contains a prison.

3.  Nineteenth century literary connection.

4.  Think of a metal roster, then turn it round.

5.  Has a cathedral.

6.  Walk up a prominent street there, and you might find yourself in Pennsylvania.

7.  Has a castle.

8.  A defensive afterthought nearby has given us a word which entered the English language.

9.  Famous near-carthorse.

10.  Sometimes grouped with other neighbouring places around a geographical feature.

11. An old Roman Road runs through it.

12. Nearby football team has blue as a prominent colour.

13.  In 1998, something happened this place which makes it (to my knowledge) unique among English places for what it hasn’t rather than for what it has.

Get guessing!  I’ll rustle up a prize! Drinkable even, if I can get it to you…

And Happy Christmas!