Gill James reports on a legendary Quiz Night at the Cricket Club
Our Quiz Nights at the Cricket Club have become a popular Autumn institution, often booked by the same people year after year. We do not let our public down: even during lockdown 2021 we followed the rules and kept all the windows open for the quiz on a cool November night.
The Cricket Club in Overton Drive is a great local venue, not only with one of the prettiest views across the cricket pitch to the trees of Wanstead Park, but also having just the right sized room for a quiz: not too big and not too small, but just right, as Goldilocks would have said. It has a lovely welcoming staff and also a bar which does help make a quiz go with a swing. After a couple of rounds of drinks and questions the noise levels do rise, which leads to repeated calls such as ‘Can you repeat question number 5, please?’

Our quiz question rounds are devised by local naturalist Tricia Moxey. Tricia takes care to compose the quiz shortly beforehand to keep it topical. Hence Round Number One of the 2022 Quiz was entitled “It happened in November” so we were all trying to remember just when was Black Friday this year; and the last round was entitled “In the News”, with a telling question about the Epping Forest float in the Lord Mayor’s Show. The interval Picture Round was chosen by local historian Richard Arnopp and this time he chose Leaf ID, which was filled in within minutes by local nature-lovers but had quite a few others baffled. Fancy not knowing the difference between a Sweet and a Horse Chestnut, really… The overall winning team was led by Roy Childs and they carried off the usual bottles of very nice plonk.
Our quizzes also have an additional activity for those who like messing about with paper, scissors and cellotape. Each table is given a pile of scrap paper and a few other recyclable bits such as raffia and egg boxes and they are told to create – what? Last year it was a Christmas hat.This year it was a boat. The variety, difference and ingenuity of the productions always amazes. The three winning creations which all received a tin of sweeties were: The Titanic, The Good Ship Lollipop and the spectacular winning boat was a Paddle Steamer, created by Toby Atkinson sitting on Clavering Road Table Three.
The Quiz raised over £700 for the Friends of Wanstead Parklands, who will put the money to good use. Many thanks to all who enjoyed a lovely friendly evening on a cold night not far from home.