So much for 2023

It was the New Year quiz on Thursday evening, and I think it was a triumph. Mind you, I was question master, so I’m probably not the man to give you an objective opinion.

I found the compilation of the quiz a more difficult job than last year. In every year there are certain events which generate more questions than any other and in 2023 it was the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. I could have easily done a whole round of questions on this event but I didn’t feel that would be in anyone’s best interests. It’s a rather delicate balancing act, compiling the New Year quiz. On the one hand you want the teams to have a decent chance of getting a decent score on all of the rounds. On the other hand though you don’t want to ask all of the same questions that come up in all of the newspaper quizzes of the year. You want people to enjoy it, think – oh, I didn’t know that I knew that – and maybe hear a thing or two which they didn’t know but are interested to hear about.

Oh, yes. You want to use a little bit of filth as well.

You have to judge it right, just how explicitly filthy you want to be because it’s easy to overdo it and upset people. I found one question that really fit the bill though and the fact that it’s a question local to South Wales made it all the better. –

What did the Barnardo’s charity shop in Gorseinon make a public request for people to stop donating to the shop? Answer – sex toys.

Now, I’ll be honest, when I first saw the story back in October 2023 I immediately mentally earmarked it for the New Year quiz. It went down a treat too.