Quiz One: The Arab Boy

Arab Boy: Upper Richmond Road - probably the oldest pub in Putney (although we think this is rather dubious).


We chose the Arab Boy to take of our proverbial pub quiz virginity. Entering the establishment, gaining a few glances from the local regulars (we may or may not have used a smoke machine), we easily found a table, although there were quite a few other participating teams.

The pub itself, having recently been refurbished, has the air of a trendy gastro pub, while retaining its traditional charm. At the bar, filled with many a punter, we were served, upon presentation of ID (as some of us look rather below our actual age, which shall not be revealed), easily and without any fuss. The prices were quite reasonable, half a pint of cider for £1.70 and a bottle of white wine for £12.95, leading to a score of 7 out of 10 for price.

Now, without further ado... on to the quiz.

The team, as a collective consciousness, found the quiz rather trying, the questions being suited to an older team than ours. The rounds were as follows; On This Day; Series, 20th Century Literature, Links and Anagrams. There was also a "Jackpot" round in which one could win a rolling jackpot for a perfect score.

We performed rather dismally in this quiz, playing our Joker on the nearly impossible literature round and accumulating a grand total of 27 out of a possible 60. Other teams did not find it as challenging as we did, although we did come 10th out of 13 teams.

Defeat at such an early stage left a bitter taste in our mouths, but this was alleviated somewhat by the triple cooked chips (£2.75) which we sampled, although we felt that the chips were slightly too large to be considered true chips; they resembled small potatoey bricks, though they did not taste of clay. So for the chips... 7 out of 10 on chippiness.

As for the quiz, despite the difficult, nigh impossible questions, it was not without its redeeming factors. The quizmaster was affable, helping us as we floundered intellectually and, when we did manage to glean an answer, we felt most gratified.

We awarded the quiz element 6 out of 10 as it was enjoyable, the atmosphere cosy, but far harder than we had anticipated. Our advice... be prepared, or just be old; the questions are really geared for those who have existed on this planet for more than 20 years.

Therefore, esteemed friends and followers of the blog, we award the Arab Boy a combined total of 20 out of 30 for the overall pub quiz experience.

We hope you will join us next week for our further forays into the dangerous territory of pub quizzes...



Love,

The ever loyal Putney Pub Quiz Club.