Out of the blue, I was asked to write a report of this year’s Pang Valley Ramblers’ ‘Fishy Quiz’, which surprised me as I am more of a ‘numbers’ man than a writer. The adjacent team might disagree with that statement & I apologise for the error marking their score. Anyway, onto the report.
Pang Valley Ramblers’ annual ‘Fishy Quiz’ event took place on 3rd November 2023 in Pangbourne Village Hall. The event was extremely well organised. On arrival, the participants were greeted by a list of teams (8) and the corresponding table letters. The quizmaster Chris B and his very capable assistant Sarah were situated at the top table and the team tables appeared to be carefully spread out. Thank you to those who arrived early to set out & clean the tables and set up the tea station.
As participants found their tables and got to know their teammates, pleasant conversation flowed between interesting people; on this occasion from a seated position rather than while strolling through our beautiful local countryside.
This year’s picture round, ongoing throughout the evening, was based on TV and radio programmes. At least one team was very pleased it was not a repeat of last year’s picture round, which was based on flags. A round based on TV programmes meant it was difficult to resist the temptation to impersonate our favourite catchphrases without giving away answers to nearby teams. Catchphrases such as: ‘I don’t believe it!’, ‘beautiful plumage’, ‘suits you sir!’ and ‘four candles’ (or should that be ‘fork ‘andles’?).
After the early rounds it became clear that there was to be a closely fought battle between two or three teams. Unfortunately, our team was not to be one of them!
During the interval, hot fish and chip meals were efficiently delivered. A big thank you to Pete and Steve who did the fish and chip run. Eat your heart out Deliveroo! Also, during the interval there was a raffle draw, again carried out very smoothly.
At the end of the quiz very few points separated the winning teams. Chris B the quizmaster stated that this was a sign of a well-judged quiz. I would agree with that sentiment. Congratulations to “No More Flags” the winning team. Also, congratulations to “Same Again”, and “The Kites” and “Shamrockers” who came second and joint third respectively. My only suggestion would be to adjust the scores of the picture round so that it carries the same weight as the other rounds (just don’t ask me to do that without a spreadsheet!)
Thanks to Diana and Sarah for organising the quiz, Chris B the quizmaster for providing the quiz, Sarah for collating the scores, Sarah and Chris C for running the raffle, and everyone else involved who made it a very enjoyable evening. I would just like to end on a controversial note: Can we have the flags back next year?
Chris P