Okay. I admit it. I’m a bit of a geek. I love quizzes. To me they offer the perfect opportunity to pretend you have knowledge while proving you don’t, and at the same time are a great way to meet a whole bunch of people in a relaxed, fun environment.
Which is kind of the reason I run speed dating events. So it made sense to re-introduce something we came up with a few years ago - Quiz dating. If nothing else it would show whether my love of factoid based flirtation was in fact a shared phenomenon or simply a self-indulgent whim.
And so it was I greeted a host of questioning folk last Wednesday at our regular haunt, Black & Blue in Central London's Fitzrovia.
After engaging with the bars ostentatious selection of beverages, our keen quizzers were divided into teams of 3 – 3 guys and 3 girls to each table. After each round of 5 questions, guy's teams were to then move on to the next table of girls. The girls team with the highest score are our winners and get to share their prize with whom they wish.
So did it work?
The answer would have to be a resounding yes. After the first round, there were competitive cries of ‘fix!’ and ‘cheat!’ in delightfully good jest and some gents seemed to be a little addled as they struggled with the concept of moving on. A sign of good company surely.
Two rounds in and the conversation could only be described as lively. Drink bets were being placed, attempts to bribe the quiz master were made and the atmosphere was one of serious non-seriousness. The questions ranged from the humorous to the mind numbing with the occasional potential genius emerging.
Half time came and it seemed there was a general reluctance to move away from conversations. More drinks were bought – noticeable by an increase in quantity and complexity, as if the greater the indulgence the quicker the mind - and we began our race to the finish.
It was a close call but at the end of four rounds we had a winner, suitably rewarded with a rather expensive chocolates which were inevitably ‘shared’ (read: pinched) among other quizzers.
Please sir. Can we have some more?
But this was false closure. There were cries for more and so it was I divided everyone into pairs for one last quick fire round and the reveal of an extra prize for the most ‘talented’ couple.
Unsurprisingly given the atmosphere, pretty much everyone paired up with a ‘date’ – someone they had met that night. I can only describe the ensuing 15 minutes as anarchic brilliance as newfound allies and flirtatious friends battled it out to be crowned Quiz Couple Champions. Considering each couple had only met that night, the camaraderie was something to behold.
And once the quiz was over? Everyone stayed for more drinks before ending up at a late night bar just around the corner.
Normal this wasn’t but in conclusion, quizzing and dating is the perfect combination for a relaxed and really fun way to meet new people. So much so that we’ll running one every month from now on.
A Final Question
So, a question for you. Can you afford to miss out? Come join us next time to find out.
More details on our Quizzes here.
WORDS BY JOHN DAVIS