Quiz Go

Wednesdays host the pub’s infamous Quiz Go evening. On completion of the recent overhaul, people are eager to return to the pub, and to Quiz Go. True to form, the rain pummels down outside, delivering the classic heavy April showers. Clinging to the optimism of an anticipated taste of summer weather, the coat is left in denial of the dreary evening’s weather.

Through the door, the familiar greeting of comforting warmth is a welcome relief from the rain. The clocks have sprung forward into British summer time, the nights are gradually getting lighter, and the sun will soon be higher for warmer, longer evenings. But right now it’s quiz time: a weekly battle where the success rate matches the odds of winning the lottery jackpot. Maybe tonight Lady Luck will come calling, or by some miracle the questions will be kind.

Hayden and Chloe are in this evening, they’re a popular couple and experienced Quiz Go players. Tonight could be a long tough event if the questions are up to the usual standard. Katy is her usual happy self, eager to catch up on the latest news, while Luke seems under the weather. The pub is buzzing; a promising start for Ryan and Verdant team — but it’s a surprise to see the food board wiped clean. Customers have voiced opinions about the new food, and the new management are listening to their feedback. After all, they are the lifeline that keeps the pub bustling and alive.

Now, the quiz is about to start and everyone returns to their tables. Take a deep breath; it’s time to tackle the quiz.

Alan, quizmaster extraordinaire, strolls around collecting everyone’s £1 entry fee. Coins clank into the tankard he holds out, each player nervously taking a handful of quiz sheets. There is a torrent of banter and teasing about the inevitable landslide losses. But as long as there’s a pint in hand, you can’t go wrong. It’s the taking part that counts, right?

“Welcome to Quiz Go!” Alan’s booming voice rings out, kicking off the evening. He quickly gives a rundown of the rules for any newcomers or teams from ‘up country’ (the term Cornish folk use for anyone that doesn’t live in Cornwall). True to tradition, Alan reaches into his trusty bag of balls and the pub falls silent, eagerly awaiting the first number to be pulled out and start proceedings. ‘Quiz Go’ is not a standard pub quiz. It’s a unique blend of bingo and brainpower, with an added element of chance. It’s this elusive luck factor that keeps the odds higher. Maybe (just maybe) winning might be achievable. One day.

Is tonight the night? Maybe, but luck can soon fall away when it comes to the bingo element. Hayden suggests a game of pool to pass the time until round three, an attractive offer given the possibility of maybe actually winning something this evening.

Generously he buys another round to extend the evening and since the first had gone down so smoothly it was a welcome offer. Matt opts to get the table Walkers prawn cocktail and salt and vinegar crisps to provide additional brain power for the team for rounds three and four.

The pub buzzes with chatter as customers exchange thoughts on their answers from previous rounds. Alan’s voice cuts through the noise, signalling the start of round three and bringing a quiet to the proceedings. Hayden and Chloe are both sporting mischievous grins as if they were in on an inside joke about some inevitable quiz downfall. It turns out, the quiz sheets had not been separated and a ghostly image of the previous answers were visible beneath. Hayden and Chloe collapse into laughter.

Round three whizzes by in a blur, quickly bringing on the final round. The rounds progress and the difficulty of the questions significantly increases. The collective brainpower of the team results in a full line from one end of the quiz paper to the other, a first in the team’s Quiz Go history! For a split moment there is a dream of victory, but reality soon takes over when they remember that the number of guesses significantly outnumbers the certainties. Gingerly approaching the front for the first time this year, the prized quiz paper is passed to Alan. Waiting for the checks to be undertaken on the answers, it feels as if the whole pub is watching and waiting for the inevitable. And with a chuckle and a disappointing shake of the head the results are presented. Yet again, multiple wrong answers. Time for the team to retreat to the corner table and enjoy the remainder of the evening.

The night is drawing to a close, and with one last act of childish rebellion on the part of the punters, paper aeroplanes are constructed from the losing quiz sheets and launched into the air. Katy, playing the role of the stern but affectionate barkeep, gives the room a playful scolding, treating the assembled losers like wayward children, but all in good fun.