Wednesday 10 June 2009

What you will

Life has a way of springing little ironies upon your when you least expect it. Or to put it another way, now that I would actually like to perhaps go back to Newport on a Monday night and chance my arm, circumstances conspire against me to prevent me from doing so. for the last few weeks a combination of TV commitments ( watch this space ) , Bank Holidays and friends being indisposed has prevented me from doing so.

Thus the Sunday night quiz, and the fortnightly Tuesday night quiz have taken on additional importance. And lo - wonder of wonders, we actually got a win in the Pheasant on Sunday night. We conceded 12 points on the music round, but pulled back in a brilliant, if I do say it myself, round on identifying 20 classic novels by a brief synopsis. Alas , I failed to get a full house through my lack of acquaintance with Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White". 4 points behind going into the GK round, we actually won with about 4 points to spare. Well and good.

Then last night. The Duke of Wellington in Cowbridge, and a good quiz. We dropped 2 points all night, and I was fairly certain that this would give us victory. No chance. A team full of young men in their late teens and early 20s only dropped 1 point. Was it kosher ? Who knows ? I was nowhere near close enough to see if any of them were using their phones, so lets let that one pass, and ascribe it to a brilliant performance on the night. Well, it might have been. Stranger things must have happened.

However, whatever brought them the win in the quiz, whether it was natural brilliance or WAP technology, it didn't do them any good in the jackpot. Never mind, maybe they'll win that next week. Still, it won't be worth a huge amount, since we emptied the cashbox, with my remembring that the actress involved with David Mellor was called Antonia de Sancha , and not de SanchEZ, and John dredging up the name of Anders Limpar. Justice not only done, but seen to be done, I think.

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I had to leave school a little early today. Well, I didn't have to , but it was convenient and helpfl to do so. I was contacted by a radio programme maker a couple of days ago, who is compiling a programme on London Bridge for her radio station, and she thought it might make a nice angle to interview yours truly. So much so that she hopped on a train from Paddington , interviewed me for an hour or so, and then hopped straight back on the next train. A good 5 hours travelling all together, just for the sake of an interview.

What was interesting was that the more she asked about quizzing in general, and Mastermind in particular, the less and less the interview became about London Bridge, and the more and more about quizzing. She seemed rather surprised when I told her that people who enjoy quizzing come from all age groups, and all walks of life, and all areas of society. Apparently she was expecting it to comprise of almost exclusively rather sad, quiz obsessed middle class 40 something white boys. Now, as a fully paid up member of this particular group myself I did feel obliged to point out that we are very well represented within quizdom.

One other passing thought. She seemed rather surprised when I said that I didn't go to many quizzes now, only normally 3 quizzes a week. For some reason she seemed to think that this was rather a large amount. Can't think why.

Once I know the details of when and where the programme is going to be aired, I will let you know.

6 comments:

Alex Jeffers said...

I would like to enlighten any followers of this hypocritical blogger that the reason for Mastermind's triumph during the lastest Pheasant quiz, is not due to the fact that there was a 'Name That Tit' round, but indeed due to the fact that there was a 'Name That Novel' round. As I assume you know, our biased narrator of this event is infact an English teacher, giving him the advantage that other teams do not have. In relation to the previous slating of these quizzes in 'You Might Like This', he slams a 'Label the Bones' round because of a male nurse in a team, then revels in a 'Name That Novel' round and fails to disclose this information.

Londinius said...

Mr. Jeffers - I have read the highly abusive comments you have written about me on your own blog, in which I noticed that you even failed to spell my name correctly. Very mature. Still, leaving that aside for a moment : -

Yes, I suppose that I have been hoist a bit by my own petard .I might say that I posted the comment about the bones round BEFORE the quiz with the literature round. As you said, I think most people who have read the blog at all regularly know that I teach English ( the Literature aspect of it is only really in years 10 and 11 ) , and I supposed I was taking it for granted that people would recognise the ironical 'arrogance' implied. Obviously not. So I'll just have to take the consequences.However, going by what you have said about me on your own website I somehow feel that you will see smugness and arrogance in anything that I choose to write. That is up to you.

Feel free to leave your comments any time - I can take personal criticism. As you can see, I have left your comment here. You are entitled to your opinion, and this is a forum for you to post it. I am also entitled to mine, however much you dislike me, or the way that I express myself.

However I will remove personal abuse of the kind that you have written about me in your own blog if you write it here.

Anonymous said...

Gosh is your previous article about the pheasant quiz sour grapes or what! Most music quizzes you have to identify artist AND title so why accentuate this? You complain about the handouts because the team in the lead had a MALE NURSE in their team and it was on bones - well this MALE NURSE was a Psychiatric nurse not medical and the human skeletal system is a subject taught in most(all) schools and being a teacher you should have an 'unfair advantage' in this AND most areas. Your comment about the QM knowing about the Nurse in the team (on this occasion factually incorrect) and having a lead after the music round ( how would he have known this prior to the quiz?) The person you refer to, Steve Williams is rarely in the lead after the music round, on this occasion he was accompanied by someone with a vast knowledge of music - the QM whoever it is does not know who is going to turn up each week. The Pheasant quiz is run by the locals, FOR the locals who enjoy a bit of fun on Sunday evening and NOBODY takes it seriously (well almost nobody!!)
All you can do on your blog is repeatedly run down the quiz yet you persist in turning up! The preparation of the quiz takes a lot of time and effort from whoever presents it. The quiz has enjoyed something of a revival in recent times in attendance terms, thanks in no small part to the youngsters who have also recently produced and presented the quiz themselves and in doing so cater for the interests of ALL attendees. You have proved at the quiz with your repeated shouts of 'YES' every time you get a correct answer that you not only an ungracious winner but as clearly shows on your blog an even more ungracious loser.

*tanasha* said...

Bill, who are you? Please reveal your identity now! We are absolutely dying to know who you are :P

Londinius said...

Bill - I have posted my response to this comment after the Preview of the Mastermind Grand Final. I read this comment there first and posted my reply there. You can see my response there.

Londinius said...

Actually, to be on the safe side, I will re-post it here as well.

I have already posted my response to criticism about the article I wrote about the Pheasant quiz in response to comments of a similar nature . I don't really have a lot more to say on that particular issue than I have already said.

With response to the 'Yes!' thing, I noticed that Mr. Jeffers posted a complaint about the same thing in his personal attack on me posted in his own blog. If you click on his name it will take you to his own blog. I don't know whether you've seen it or not. I'm sure you'd be in agreement with a lot of the things he's said there.
I'll be honest, I don't really see why the 'yes' thing upsets people that much - now if I was doing a lap of honour running round the pub bare chested and screaming in people's faces, yes ( oops, sorry, I said it again ) that would be a different matter.

None of us are above criticism. I am entitled to my point of view. You are entitled to yours - hence you can post your comments here, and, so long as they are not abusive or obscene, they will not be edited or removed. Your post is here for everyone to read, and when people have read it they may very well agree with you, and your assessment of me. That is their prerogative.

Whether or not I attend a particular quiz is up to me, and of course the landlord of the pub in question. I don't have to explain why I attend a quiz to anyone else. If the Pheasant want to ban me from the quiz, then fair enough. I'll go quietly. Other than that, I will make up my mind whether I intend to come to a quiz there in future or not.

As I have said before, this is a public forum, and you are free to air your opinons.