Quizmaster Paul Chapman would like a word with you…

The short version of this post is that there will be a pub quiz, held at The Royal Oak (at the bottom of Charlton Lane if you’ve never been) on Saturday 19th January. No more than 4 people per team and the cost is £2 per person. Money raised will go to a local charity. You are advised to get there by 8pm for an 8.30ish start (as space is limited).

The longer version is that the pub quiz originally started out as me wanting to put on an indie music night somewhere in Charlton. Despite many drinks in the pub with co-conspirators we were unable to will a viable SE7 venue into being so the idea mutated into a pub quiz, which relies far less on a dance floor.

Once the indie night was a pub quiz then I immediately wanted to host it at The Royal Oak. People connected to the Oak may disagree but, as a regular, I felt the Oak had been going downhill for several years, mainly since a botched expansion several years ago.

But recently – under the steady hand of new landlady June – the pub has been redecorated (or rather, has finally had the decorations started about five years ago finished) and the place is starting to feel more like its old self.

So the pub quiz is a chance to hopefully welcome some old – and new – customers who may understandably have been giving it a miss. And raise some money for charity of course (will announce who on the night as I haven’t decided yet).

Currently the 19th is a one-off event so prizes are non-existent (although June is kindly giving away some drinks prizes). However, if the night goes well and there is interest in a more regular event then it’s possible the quiz could continue, perhaps once every other month, and maybe the prizes could be improved.

But it’s really about trying to do something fun in the local community, not about flash prizes. So often Charlton can feel like somewhere people live and they go to have fun elsewhere; the pub quiz is my attempt at putting on a night where people do something fun locally.

As I mentioned above, space is limited so if you want to reserve a table for your team (4 max) then get in touch with me, either by email (paul@redhotbelgian.com) or on Twitter via @charltonpubquiz. The Twitter account will also have more details as the date draws nearer.

So that’s it really. I really hope people can get along and support the night. And if you don’t like pub quizzes you can always just come along for a drink and laugh at a man helplessly out of his depth…

Thanks for reading,

Paul, your nervous quiz master.

PS. One more thing, in a final attempt to cling to the indie night idea there will be no jukebox on the night but rather indie music before, after and during the quiz, as selected by moi (although if the tech is up to it we may be able to take requests afterwards).