It’s Tuesday, so it’s quiz night at the Dolphin. Things might not be 100% back to normal, but service has been resumed in Uphill. Gathered in the best pub in the village, best pub in the town and surrounding area, and even to the farthest corners of the known universe, was Team Ice-Cream (i.e. us) Tim’s team, the Am-Drams, Chris and friends, J.C & Co, and the much feared and much respected Team Nigel.
There was the usual arrivals, first drinks, catching up on news and gossip, and then landlord Mark called us to order and started round 1. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a bingo quiz; the answer sheet is a 5×5 grid and as the questions are read out in order, the squares in which to write them are randomly distributed. Questions are similarly random, current events, sport, literature, anagrams, geography, history – just about every subject you might think of. Answers are written and when complete, the answer sheet is separated from a carbon copy beneath which is handed in so there can be no cheating… as if we would! After a moment’s pause to replenish our glasses, the answers are read out in random order. No answer sheet is the same so when the sheet is being filled in, the idea is to try and get a line of correct answers – across, down, diagonal, or four corners, and the first person to complete a line shouts ‘Dolphin!!’ – which I did tonight! Another team also had a Dolphin, and unfortunately, in the tie-break I lost. Never mind! The rest of the answers were read out, and the team with the most – sadly not us, won a financial prize. After a break there was round two, and we were unsuccessful in claiming Dolphin for a line, or gaining most correct answers. Last of all there’s the beer round – a totally random question, tonight it was ‘When was Alexandre Dumas born? Our answer 1765, correct answer 1802.
We won nothing, but we had a heck of a good time! Catching up on our news and gossip, bantering with the other teams, comical remarks shouted out as the quiz proceeded, Otter beer – or anything else you might fancy to drink – yes, we had a good time and look forward to next week!
Lois Elsden 