Our Professor Lupin

If you cast your memories back to September (or use the search option on the side of this page), you may recall my first meeting with my course director, Robin Skeates. (Insert flashback fade here.)

I got to chatting with the American guy who had watched our things. He was from Indiana and arrived on Wednesday. He was also in our college, but I had not seen him before today. The three of us sat talking until a blonde haired man with a goatee entered the room. He smiled kindly and looked at all of us. This was our course director, Robin Skeates. In that moment he reminded me rather of Professor Lupin, kind, soft spoken, but at the same time very sharp.

He spoke to us about the Museum and Artefacts program. He talked about our Easter break work placements, our research papers, and our timetables. Then one by one, we went up to meet with him and go over our course selections.

(Incidentally “the American guy” would turn out to be Alex, one of my closest friends here.)

Over the course of the last six months, Robin has managed to endear himself to everyone in the programme. My initial comparison to Professor Lupin was not only shared by everyone but had arisen independently of my observation. It didn’t help that on occasion (oddly timed with the full moon), Robin would miss meetings. It was when he came in with a gash on his nose however, that we all knew he had had a rough transformation the night before. This further spawned an entire Harry Potter alternate universe in which everyone involved in our programme had been assigned a character, professors and students alike. (Yours truly came out as Hermione Granger.) I think it has been Robin’s genuine desire to help us all succeed that has generated this affection in all of us. Whatever complaint, problem, or question one of us might have, he is willing to hear us out and come to some sort of solution. It may also have something to do with his absent-minded academic type persona. How can you not appreciate someone who, in the middle of a lecture, glances out the window and says “SQUIRREL” or someone who puts the strangest pictures on his lecture slides and then can’t recall why he did it?

It was about two weeks ago that we all came to the realisation that our last lecture with Robin was going to be on Wednesday 19 March. Instant depression set in on all of us. No more Robin. No more silly stories. No more odd comparisons. No more squirrels. I’m not entirely sure how the idea arose. I think a number of us came to it simultaneously. We decided to throw a farewell breakfast to celebrate making it through two terms, to give us a proper send off on our placements, but mostly to thank Robin.

Preparations began in earnest. Nearly everyone volunteered to bring something, food, drinks, balloons, cups, plates. There was even a suggestion that we all dress as our favourite museum, though the logistics of which proved more difficult. We were all so excited about how Robin would react. The night before I was busy concocting a French Toast Casserole. It required some creative jiggering as it was an American recipe and for some reason they do insist on using the metric system over here and maple syrup was scarce. I woke early the next morning to pop it in the oven and headed over to the classroom to help set up.

Gemma and Lauren were already there, blowing up balloons and moving tables. I set the casserole down and began to help. Alex came in next with some fruit selections and then came Kate with juice and tiffin. Every time we heard the door open we jumped, terrified that Robin would arrive early and ruin the surprise. One by one we all trickled in. Finally, once enough balloons were taped and the food was all laid out, we took out seats and waited.

We waited.

And waited.

Robin was usually there at half past eight. It was just going quarter to and he still hadn’t come. Then the suppositions began.

What if class was cancelled?

What if Ben (our other lecturer) got jealous and decided to tell Robin that we all hated him and weren’t coming today?

What if Robin got Ebola and is bleeding out of his eyes?

The door opened and in walked Robin.

The reaction was better than we had all hoped. He was truly surprised and touched. He just kept looking around at everything saying things like “wow” and “this is great.”

We had the first half of our lecture and then dove into the food. It was a brilliant end to term and a fantastic farewell to Robin. He wasn’t going anywhere just yet and we were sure to see him throughout the spring and summer, but it was the perfect way to say thank you. 

The Land of Cadbury

I recall a once legendary battle which took place over twenty years ago between myself and my brother Steven. It was a week or so after Easter and we had eaten our way through our candy and we now down to the last, coveted Cadbury Creme Egg. Both of us loved Cadbury Creme Eggs and we found ourselves smack dab in a shortage of resources situation. It’s an old, old story; one with which I am sure you are familiar. One person has what the other person wants. Today, the trauma of that engagement has dulled my memory. I recall a great deal of running and shouting. Finally, in a climactic show of frustration, my brother let loose the very object of our disagreement and it hit be square in the arm. I had a giant bruise for the next week but I had come out of the trenches the victory and I enjoyed every moment of eating my triumph.

I suppose it is fate that I have come to the land of Cadbury where my wildest dreams have in fact come true. I have seen with my own eyes, giant Cadbury chocolate eggs. It was too much to hope for that they would be filled with that most heavenly of tastes, the cream. I have also seen miniature Cadbury Creme Eggs which with one bite are devoured whole. This is no exaggeration, dear Reader. I have come to the Promised Land after a lifetime of crusading.

Now my current profession will not allow me to merely rely on these flowery reflections upon the gloriousness that is the Land of Cadbury. Rather, what follows is a preliminary report on my findings, a comparison really. I hope that you will find it useful should you ever be lucky enough to follow in my footsteps. 

Object Name                                                 Cadbury Creme Egg (Mini)

Accession Number                                        YUM.21.3.14.a

Culture                                                           United Kingdom

Date                                                               Best Before 31 July 2014

Material and Construction

Primary Materials                            Milk, sugar, cocoa butter, glucose syrup, invert sugar syrup, cocoa mass, humectant (glycerol), vegetable fats (pal, shea), emulsifier (E442), colours (E171, paprika extract)

            Completeness                                    Complete, for the present

Decoration                                                     Foil wrapper

Dimensions

            Height                                                35 mm

            Width                                                 24 mm

            Depth                                                 26 mm

            Weight                                               11.5 g

Acquisition

This object was acquired on 21 March 2014 via purchase from the Howlands Shop in Durham, County Durham, UK. It arrived packaged with seven similar objects. Total cost amounted to £1.

Object Description

Object arrived individually wrapped in colourful foil with the phrase “Cadbury Crème Egg” printed twice across it. The dominant colours in the design are red, yellow, purple, and white. The obverse of the decorative foil is plain silver.

Once unwrapped, it was clear the object had been decoratively moulded. Four oblong lines run along the length of the piece. Centrally, on both sides the moniker “Cadbury” is enscribed with two eight point stars.  

An obvious joint can be noted running along the length of the entire piece, suggesting it was manufactured in two pieces and later joined together.

The centre is filled with a white and yellow fondant that is quite delicious.

Object Name                                                 Cadbury Creme Egg

Accession Number                                        YUM.21.3.14.b

Culture                                                           United Kingdom

Date                                                               Best Before 31 July 2014

Material and Construction

Primary Materials                           Milk, sugar, cocoa butter, glucose syrup, invert sugar syrup, cocoa mass, humectant (glycerol), vegetable fats (pal, shea), emulsifier (E442), colours (E171, paprika extract)

            Completeness                                    Complete, for the present

Decoration                                                     Foil wrapper

Dimensions

            Height                                                53 mm

            Width                                                 38 mm (at widest)

            Depth                                                 39 mm

            Weight                                               36 g

Acquisition

This object was acquired from Boots Pharmacy in Market Square, Durham, County Durham, UK. It was purchased as part of a meal deal with a sandwich and smoothie. It was not packaged in any other way save for its decorative foil.

Object Description

Object is individually wrapped in a colourful foil. The primary colours used on the foil are yellow, red, purple, white, and black. The foil has several words written on it including “Cadbury Creme Egg” and product information such as ingredients and the sell by date. The obverse side is plain silver.

Once unwrapped, the moulded design of an eight pointed star and three ridges is clear. This design appears on both sides of the egg.

An obvious joint is seen running along the length of the egg. There is a gap in this joint toward the narrow end of the egg. This suggests that the joining process was not fully completed.

Inside the egg is delicious white and yellow fondant.

Object Name                                                 Cadbury Milk Chocolate Egg

Accession Number                                        YUM.21.3.14.c

Culture                                                           United Kingdom

Date                                                               Best Before 31 July 2014

Material and Construction

Primary Materials                   Milk, Sugar, Coca Butter, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable Fat,    Emulsifiers, Flavourings

            Completeness                                     Complete, for the present

Decoration                                                      Foil wrapper

Dimensions

            Height                                                 160 mm

            Width                                                  116 mm (at widest)

            Depth                                                  123 mm

            Weight                                                 277 g

Acquisition

This object was acquired at Tescos in Market Square, Durham, County Durham UK on 15 March 2014. It arrived in a box with five treat sized Cadbury bars. Total purchase price was £2.

Object Description

The object is wrapped in a decorative purple foil with white letters which read “Cadbury” repeated in a pattern.

Unwrapped, the decoration of the egg is rather plain. The word “Cadbury” appears on both sides of the egg and indentations are seen near the joint where the edges of the moulds met.

The egg does not contain any fondant.

Comparison

All three objects were easily obtained in Durham, County Durham, UK. They are all egg shaped and wrapped in a colourful foil. All contain relatively the same ingredients though YUM.21.3.14.c does not contain fondant. Apart from the differences in size, YUM.21.2.14.a and YUM.21.2.14.b are virtually identical.

Conclusion

Cadbury Creme Eggs are delicious.

A Weekend Down South

Last Wednesday I hopped on a train headed for London. I had received an email from my supervisor at the V&A suggesting I come in for a chat before I began my placement. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get out of Durham for a long weekend and clear my mind.

The term was winding down but it had been one of the busiest most stressful times I have had. Apart from the normal work of graduate school, I had been rehearsing the choir every Monday evening, I was working at Palace Green Library with the exhibitions department every Friday, I was still trying to go to CrossFit twice a week, and somewhere in between all of that and lectures, essays, and lab time, I was trying to have a social life. I was living at an accelerated pace and had completely forgotten how to slow down. I didn’t relax anymore; I just collapsed at the end of every day. It’s understandable that I would reach my breaking point eventually. It was just ironic that it came in the form of a bad reaction to antianxiety medication I had been taking since December. After coming off of it, I began to slow down quite a bit, the work load didn’t lessen but I was able to stop on occasion and toss on an old episode of Jonathan Creek in order to unwind a bit. This weekend away couldn’t have come at a better time.

I managed to cram my small rolling suitcase with everything I needed. I got the 12:30 train from Durham and on the three hour journey to Kings Cross I took care of some admin work for the choir. Our concert was on the following Friday and I still needed to finish the programmes, ensure that the room would be available (I had booked it three months in advance but another event had been scheduled right before ours and the stress from this was mounting), I also needed to find some readers for two poems I had selected to break up the evening. Charlotte was coordinating with the Ustinov Intercultural Forum to have one of the poems translated into several languages but I still needed someone to read Whitman’s O Captain, My Captain. As I sped towards London, I realised I was hardly beginning my weekend away in any kind of relaxing way.

We got into Kings Cross on time, which is somewhat miraculous. I grabbed my suitcase and began the now familiar walk to the Hammersmith and City lines on the tube. I weaved in and out of the crowds and began to feel somewhat settled in my mind. Perhaps that’s why I loved the city so much; it travelled at my normal pace of life. In Durham where things are calmer, I tend to feel somewhat overblown, too quick, too much. In London, I was just normal.

I boarded the tube toward Paddington and fifteen minutes later I was climbing on a First Great Western train toward Maidenhead. I was so grateful that I would be staying with my friends for this weekend and over the course of my placement. You may remember I spent a few days with them before going home in December. I arrived at the station and there they were, waiting to pick me up.

I took a deep breath and I felt the stress begin to melt. That evening we all ate at the Belgian Arms in one of the neighbouring villages. Fish and chips with minted mushy peas was the order of the day and it felt so good to be in a family setting again.

Then next morning I woke early. I would be heading into London to meet with my supervisor at the V&A and it would be the first time I tried out the commute. For over an hour that morning, all of us went back and forth on the best way of getting to Kensington Olympia from Paddington. We finally settled on the District line to West Brompton and then up on the Overground. My meeting was at 1:30 so I gave myself an hour and a half to get there, get lost, and get found. An hour and ten minutes later I was standing at the gates to Blythe House, a slightly intimidating Victorian edifice. 

I had time to kill and I hadn’t eaten yet so I found a nearby convenience store and bought a sandwich, bag of crisps, and a bottle of water. I walked around the neighbourhood as I ate, trying to get an idea of my surroundings. There was a lot of work going on in the nearby houses. It looked like many were being refurbished, but in general it was a quiet sort of place, not too far from Holland Park.

I finally returned to the iron gate and pressed the buzzer. Nervously, I gave my name and business. The voice on the other end told me to come in. I pushed the gate open and then began walking toward the inner court. As I entered the visitor waiting area, I saw large glass cases filled with pop culture memorabilia. Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars. I was in the right place. I was home. I signed in, got a wrist band and was met by a bubbly young woman. My supervisor, Ramona, was still at lunch but my guide took some time to give me a brief tour of the facilities. I saw the archives, the library, and the place where all of the costumes (over 2,000) were stored. It’s funny, but museum stores are so similar. For some reason I expected the V&A stores to be somewhat more special. Like, perhaps the boxes everything was kept in would be made of gold with magical laser force fields. They weren’t, by the way. Everyone I met reminded me of my days in performance and theatre. It felt really comfortable.

I had a brief meeting, somewhat like an informal interview with three of the people I would be working with, including Ramona. I had been terrified that maybe because it was the V&A that everyone would be posh and walk with their pinkies ever extended. I was so relieved when they were amazingly kind, open, and down to earth. I found out some of the details of my placement and was pleased that they were hoping to give me as broad a range of experience as possible. I left feeling more excited than ever to return in two weeks.

I got back on the overground and began my journey back to Maidenhead.

The next afternoon, I decided to test out the local CrossFit box. I had scoped them out online and I had decided to do a drop in class while I was visiting. I felt slightly nervous. I had always gone to CrossFit with someone else, either Sam or Claire. As I walked in, everything looked slightly familiar, but different at the same time. There were the boxes for box jumps, kettlebells, pull up bars, weights, and wall balls, but it was a much smaller box than the one in Durham. I was met by one of the coaches and he said to stick around for the noon session. After warm ups, I began to settle in. That’s one of the great things about CrossFit, once you know the moves and terminology, you can really go to any box in the world. The WOD that day was a good one, but exhausting. Two rounds of one minute on and thirty seconds off rotating between rowing, wall balls, diamond press-ups, toes to bar pull ups, sumo high pull kettlebell lifts, and 20” box jumps. Afterwards, I felt amazingly good. I needed more CrossFit in my life.

Afterwards, Camilla and I went into Windsor for brunch. I got a vegetarian full English breakfast (which I had been craving for a solid week). We walked around the shops before we went to pick the children up from school. The weather was incredible. I was sunny and in the high sixties. I was certainly still dressed for Durham weather which was currently peaking at around 58 or so. It was the perfect weather for someone who was feeling stressed and in need of a change.

On my final day down south, we went to Henley-on-Thames for dinner. I had never heard of Henley but it had gained fame for the royal regatta held there every July. It was hard to believe that the recent flooding had taken place. There were of course, still patches of water out in surrounding fields, but the town itself seemed unscathed. English towns are a funny thing. I think it is the mix of architecture and the very odd dichotomy of modern and ancient. We passed some cottages built in the sixteenth century and then less than a block away, shops like Accessorize housed in modern buildings. There were also nineteenth century buildings which had been converted into shops and restaurants. It’s unlike towns in America where the architecture often mimics these styles but is completely unauthentic. When you actually walk passed a row of sixteenth century buildings, you see the tiny doors, and the narrow stairs, it’s quite amazing. We just don’t have houses that old in the States and if we did, they certainly wouldn’t still be used as private dwellings.

The weekend had definitely helped me to de-stress. I felt more in control and less overwhelmed as I stepped on the train that would take me back up to Durham. Though the upcoming week was filled to the brim with all sorts of things, lectures, choir rehearsals, and the concert, I felt more mentally able to cope with it all in stride. As the scenery scrolled by my window, I took solace in the fact that in two weeks I would be returning and starting a new chapter of my adventure over here.  

Spring has Sprung

For about three weeks the air around Durham has had this vague hint of change. It’s that feeling that you begin to get when you know the worst of winter is behind you and the promise of summer is on the horizon. It’s that intangible but very present Spring Feeling. Back home I always knew when spring had come just based on this feeling alone. I would go to bed one night and it would be winter, but the next day the sun would be that much brighter, the grass that much greener, and the air that much more charged with promise. I used to call that day Spring Day and it rarely corresponded to the first day of spring according to the calendar. It was always one of my favourite days at home.

I find it a bit odd actually that when people ask me my favourite season I always say autumn. I do adore autumn, that crisp bite in the air, the colours, the apple cider and spiced cakes. I find myself though missing spring at home terribly, more so than autumn. They are odd things that I miss, too, like the sound of lawn mowers. Who misses the sound of lawn mowers?!  I miss going to Home Depot to potter around the garden section and choose flowers, herbs, and vegetable seeds for an epic garden plan I have in my head that never quite gets pulled off. Then I find myself thinking ahead to summer. I think the quintessential summer taste is water out of the garden hose, that slightly plastic, tubular taste. That, my friends, is childhood right there. It was inevitable that I would feel homesick at some point, it’s just surprising that spring would have triggered it so forcefully.

Violets on the Science Site

Spring in Durham is similar to home. There is still that charged feeling of promise, the grass is greener, the sun brighter, and the violets and daffodils have begun to pop up all over. I even got to hear a lawn mower while I was down in London last weekend for orientation at the V&A. It’s perhaps the similarities more than anything else that make me miss home. When the sun, grass, and air all feel like home, it seems impossible in my mind that there is an ocean between. Perhaps if life here was completely different I wouldn’t feel those pangs so keenly. As for now, when I begin to feel homesick, I close my eyes and imagine spring at home. Sitting on the porch, listening to the birds, watching the squirrels, planting flowers, making homemade pickles, riding my bike in the park, taking the ferrets outside to explore the wonders of the backyard, spring cleaning, more daylight, having the windows open and smelling the fresh air as it meanders through the house. When I close my eyes and think about these things, that ocean doesn’t seem so big after all. 

Cathedral Sleepout

Previously on an American in Durham: I ran into some very friendly people on the Science Site who had a massive inflatable duck. After naming said duck Caesar, I was told about an amazing event for charity called the Cathedral Sleepout. All I had to do was raise £30 and I would be able to spend the night in Durham Cathedral. We re-join our heroine after she has raised the necessary funds (thanks to those who donated) and is preparing for her evening in an iconic English landmark building.

I had no idea what to pack. I’ve been camping before and as you all know I’ve packed for stays in London hotels and I’ve even packed for a year abroad. Nothing in my packing history had yet prepared me for spending the night in a 1000 year old cathedral. This was certainly a case where I had to leave both the gun and the cannoli since food was not allowed inside the cathedral. I also had the unique problem of not having a sleeping bag. Now, as I’ve said, I’ve been camping before and I’ve slept on all manner of ground, so I was well aware that the stone floor would likely be flat, cold, and unyielding. Not totally dissimilar to the mattress provided in college but still it would be a good bet that this would be a slightly uncomfortable evening. Eventually I rolled up my duvet and jammed it into my small rolling suitcase. I was able to fit a pillow, pyjamas, and my reindeer slippers before the bag refused to take on anything else. I slipped my glasses and toothbrush in a side pocket and called it a job well done.

I was grateful that I wasn’t the only one in my circle of friends going to the event. I had received a Facebook message from Jess a few weeks before asking if anyone else was thinking about going. While sleeping in a 1000 year old cathedral is pretty amazing, I could imagine that it would be a long night if I were on my own. I met Jess outside of Fisher and we began our walk to the Bailey.

“So this will either be really amazing or it will be really….” I trailed off and let my worried expression finish my statement for me.

“Exactly,” replied Jess.

We spent the walk down wondering exactly what the evening would entail. The details had been rather vague and so neither of us had any idea what to expect. We arrived at the Cathedral doors at 8:00 and went in.

Our campus cards were collected, bags were checked and then it was time to stake out our claim. We headed down the nave and turned into the transept.

“How about under one of the columns?” Jess suggested. I thought it a perfect idea. When else would we have the opportunity to sleep under one of those massive, columns ever again?

We unpacked and made up our “beds” for the evening. As we tried them out we both realised it would be a long night and one that wouldn’t be the most comfortable on record. The stone floor was harder than I thought it would be and my flimsy duvet was no match against it. We both laughed at the knowledge we would be sore the next morning.

Luxurious accomodations

After changing into our pyjamas, we began to people watch. All manner of onesie was present that night. From giraffes, to bears, to cats, to Sully from Monsters, Inc. and Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. Finally the evening began with a speech from one of the organisers of Moving On, one of the charities that was benefiting from fundraising. She spoke of the problem of youth homelessness and showed a brief video about their organisation. Two programme users spoke and told their stories of being out on the streets and then finding help through Moving On. Afterwards a drum choir performed a few numbers. They were quite good and I enjoyed hearing some African pieces for a change especially in that space. Their last number echoed through the stone cavern and then died out into applause.

Refreshments were available in the form of tea and biscuits. I had hoped for a sandwich but made due. Jess and I decided to wander through the cloisters and take some photographs. I had yet to get a really good shot of the cloisters and it is one of the most familiar settings in Durham. Portions of the Harry Potter movies were filmed there. We ran into one of the campus police officers and had a rather nice conversation. Turns out he had been doing security while Chamber of Secrets  had been filmed and he spoke of seeing Maggie Smith and talking to Daniel Radcliffe. I was ever so grateful that when I mentioned being from New Jersey he didn’t immediately say Jersey Shore but instead said, “Oh Bon Jovi!”

They are building a Lego replica of the Cathedral in the Cathedral!
I'm pretty sure this qualifies as early trans-dimensional engineering.

When we got back to our spot under the column I began to settle in. It was almost 11:00 pm and exhaustion was beginning to set in. Jess and I both decided to try to get some shut eye. Unfortunately we hadn’t accounted for there being an open mic night as part of the “entertainment.” Terribly flat singing reverberated around the room as though the walls themselves were trying to reject the sounds that were bombarding them. I pulled my blanket over my head and tried to go to my happy place. Eventually though, the singing stopped and the lights went out.

The cathedral in the dark is a truly wondrous thing. The only light was that that filtered through the round arched windows. It was possible to just make out the outlines of the columns and pews, but all else was shadow and darkness. This was the best part of the evening. The noises began to die down and the Cathedral was dark and silent. I finally drifted off to sleep.

I’m not sure whether it was the environment or exhaustion but I had a strange dream that night. I was wondering through the cathedral and cloisters looking for one of my ferrets that had died years ago. I was shouting his name frantically. “Abbott, Abbott!” worried I would never find him. Then I spotted his skinny, white silhouette under some ironwork against the wall. I picked him up and hugged him, not wanted to ever put him down again. Then I realised he wasn’t alone. I saw Ziva and Toby, two more of my ferrets who had passed away both unexpectedly. I picked them all up and was carrying them around the Cathedral totally unaware of how strange it was that they should all be alive again.

“Can I have your attention please,” a deep, male voice with a thick Northern accent woke me from my dream. “It is now 6:30 in the morning.”

The lights came on and slowly everyone began to wake. Event organisers came around and made sure any stragglers were well and truly awake. Jess and I looked at each other.

“How did you sleep?” I asked.

She gave me a look, “I woke up almost every hour.” I smiled sympathetically. Though it hadn’t been the most restful sleep, I had managed to sleep through the night.

We packed up our things, collected our campus cards, and started the long, cold walk back up to Howlands. It had been an odd evening, but one I would not soon forget. I had never even considered putting sleeping in a 1000 year old cathedral on my bucket list. But like many of my to do lists, I was happy to add it on right before I checked it off. 

An Adventure in Time and Quizzing

I had never participated in a pub quiz before coming to Durham. They were the sort of thing relegated to shows on BBC America, a cultural phenomenon of the British. Of course we have pub quizzes in the States, but it isn’t quite the same thing. There is something uniquely British in gathering a few friends (or at least teammates) together to share a pint and waffle on about general knowledge, historic battles, and romantic novels. So when I attended my first pub quiz last term it was a bit of a novelty. One of those things that you do as an international student to absorb another culture. I didn’t realise quite what I was getting into. Pub quizzes are addictive things, especially when you win.

Now I hadn’t had a lot of opportunity to attend regularly. Graduate school has a way of ensuring total and complete exhaustion at around 7:30 pm every night. When I found myself not yet asleep at 9:00 pm on a Thursday evening I would wander over to Fisher, grab a Rekorderlig, and meet up with some friends to form a team. You’ve all naturally read about our most recent victory earlier in February and I can tell you that you get a bit of a pub quiz high off a winning. It’s not quite the same sort of high off of gambling but it’s pretty damn close. It was after one such victory that I happened to start talking to Jesper. He is the one in charge of running the quiz and he casually mentioned the possibility of writing a quiz.

Writing a quiz? I thought, I don’t know the first thing about writing a quiz.

But as with all good ideas, it sat at the back of my mind and began to gnaw at me. Eventually I couldn’t ignore it any longer and so I enlisted the aid of an experienced quiz attendee, Jeremy, and we set to work trying to confound any would be quizzers who dared to come to Fisher Bar that Thursday evening.

Writing a quiz a very different kind of thing to anything I had ever done. Of course I had been required to write tests and the like when I was teaching, but pub quizzes require a variety of specialist subject areas. The first step is picking a theme. This was actually the easiest part of the process. Seeing as both Jeremy and I are massive fans of Doctor Who it seemed only natural to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of our favourite show by dedicating a pub quiz to it. With that in mind, all that we had to do was come up with questions that weren’t too challenging but challenging enough, that were fun and interesting, and that were accurate. Easy as pi.

A Ustinov Pub Quiz is comprised of eight rounds of eight questions plus a beer round. The evening begins with the picture round. Each team is provided with eight pictures of people, places, or things and must write down who or what they are. As we were writing a Doctor Who quiz, this round wasn’t too difficult. Hey, rather than me tell you about the quiz, why don’t you try your hand at it?

1) Who is this?

2) Name this actor.

 

3) What species is this character?

4) Who is this person?

5) Who is this actress?

6) Who is this character?

7) Who is this character?

8) Who is this actor?

The News Round is next and is comprised of questions from that week’s news cycle.

1. Which beloved actor and screenwriter whose credits include Animal House, As Good As It Gets, and Caddyshack passed away on the 24 February? 
2. On the 23 February, scientists confirmed that the age of the Earth’s crust was between 4.368 and 4.380 billion years old by passing lead isotopes through our planet’s oldest mineral. Which mineral did researchers use?
3. This week in whose back garden was a replica galleon found floating on an artificial waterway?
4. A cyclist was sent on an adventure this week by his Sat Nav. Where did it take him?
5. The Arizona state legislature recently passed a wide sweeping Jim Crow-like bill allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBT customers based on their religious views. This bill was then vetoed by the governor. Which state legislature rejected a similar bill two weeks ago?
6. The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates recently issued a fatwa prohibiting Muslims from taking a one way trip to which exotic destination?
7. Which apocalyptic event was supposed to take place on Saturday 22 February?
8. One of the most valuable Twitter usernames was stolen and returned this week. What is the username?

Then comes the Sport Round. Jeremy was responsible for most of these as my specialties lie elsewhere.

1. At this year’s Winter Olympics, Great Britain won four medals. What is the record number of medals GB has won at the Winter Games?
2. Which US State hosted the 2014 Super Bowl?
3. Jamaica returned to the Winter Olympics at Sochi this year. They first participated in the winter games in 1988. In which city were these games held?
4. On which player did Manchester United spend £37,000,000 during the January transfer window?
5. New rules for the 2014 F1 season has led to some strange car designs.  Which animal have the long-nosed cars been nicknamed after?
6. Which cricketer was told this month that his international career with England is over?
7. In tennis, Great Britain recently defeated the United States in the Davis Cup.  Which nation will they face in the quarter finals?
8. What two disciplines does the biathlon include in the winter Olympics?

Next is the Music Round. Snippets of songs are played and the teams have to guess the title and artist. Seeing as there is no way for me to put these songs up without also giving away the answers, you may want to try this round out on someone else.

Well you’ve made it halfway through the quiz! Congratulations! What comes next is the Beer Round. This is usually a fun task that teams complete while the first half of the quiz is marked. The winner of the Beer Round can claim £16 worth of drinks from the bar. Here was our Beer Round task:

The Doctor has faced many monsters over his long life span. Some have been scary, some have been funny, and some have been downright cheesy. For the beer round, your team must design a new Doctor Who monster and describe its evil plans for universal domination. The team with the most original, creative design will be the winners.

Onto the second half! The next round is all about Science and Geography.

1. What alloy is made of gold and silver?
2. In general relativity, what name is given to the boundary in spacetime beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer?
3. Name the three bones in the inner ear.
4. Which ancient Greek mathematician, astronomer and geographer was the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth?
5. According to the concept of a 'city proper', what is the most populous city in Asia?
6. Name either of the two countries that supposedly contain a source of the Nile.
7. What is the name of the tallest mountain on Mars?
8. When Krakatoa erupted in 1883, what was the farthest distance at which it was heard? (Give yourself 500 miles leeway each way.)

Next comes History and Literature.

1. In which century was work begun on the construction of the original Elvet Bridge?
2. Which US President had the shortest term in office?
3. Who was the only female Emperor in the 4,000 year history of dynastic China?
4. What name is more commonly given to the Third Battle of Ypres?
5. On which famous transport route does Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot solve a baffling mystery?
6. In which classical epic would you find the characters Turnus, Ascanius and Dido?
7. Everyone knows who Sauron is, but what is the name of the god who he serves in Tolkien’s Silmarillion?
8. What criteria does a novel have to meet to have a chance of winning the Bailey's Prize, formerly known as the Orange Prize?

Finally we get to the theme round! Here it is friends An Adventure in Time and Space:

1. Who was named as the successor to Matt Smith?
2. The Doctor comes from Gallifrey but in which constellation is Gallifrey found?
3. In which classic story were the Daleks first introduced?
4. What happens to a weeping angel when you look at them?
5. What is the name of the Time Lady who travels with the fourth doctor? (Extra point for full name)
6. In what year did Matt Smith first appear as the Doctor?
7. Which English monarch did the tenth Doctor wed in the 50^th Anniversary special?
8. What powers the TARDIS?

And finally the General Knowledge Round.

1. What are the main ingredients of a screwdriver cocktail?
2. In which museum would you find the Mona Lisa?
3. In what year did the Graduate Society officially become Ustinov College?
4. Mustela putorius furo is the Latin name for this popular pet.
5. In their first two days on sale in the UK, how many Xbox Ones and PS4s were sold?  (Give yourself 50k leeway on either side.)
6. Twelve Years a Slave recently won the Best Film BAFTA award.  Who directed it?
7. The disruption of which atmospheric phenomenon has been blamed for the very cold start to the year in the US?
8. In what month will the Scottish Independence Referendum take place?

I’ll be honest, dear Reader, hosting the Ustinov Pub Quiz was one of the highlights of this term. For weeks before hand I watched episodes of QI to learn quiz mastery from the inimitable Stephen Fry. I refrained from starting the night with a whole host of “good evenings” but I definitely tried to keep my energy up (and I even had some good comebacks to a few good natured hecklers). I think wearing my Tom Baker scarf and having my trusty co-writer, Jeremy by my side to help with marking and keep me company helped.

Too soon the evening was over and victory was claimed. All I can say is I am eagerly looking forward to the next pub quiz and writing one more for next term.

Okay, let’s see how well you fared. Here are the answers to the quiz:

Picture Round

1)      H.G. Wells

2)      Tom Baker

3)      Sontaran

4)      Verity Lambert

5)      Elisabeth Sladen

6)      Doctor Emmett Brown/Christopher Lloyd

7)      Davros

8)      David Tennant

News Round

1)      Harold Ramis

2)      Zircon

3)      President Viktor Yanukovych

4)      M25

5)      Kansas

6)      Mars

7)      Ragnarok

8)      @N

Sport Round

1)      4 medals at Sochi 2014 and Chamonix in 1924

2)      New Jersey

3)      Calgary

4)      Juan Mata

5)      Anteater

6)      Kevin Pietersen

7)      Italy

8)      Shooting and skiing

Music Round (see above YouTube links)

Science and Geography Round

1)      Electrum

2)      Event horizon

3)      Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup

4)      Eratosthenes

5)      Shanghai

6)      Burundi or Rwanda

7)      Olympus Mons

8)      3000m – the island of Rodrigues, near Mauritius

History and Literature Round

1)      12^th century

2)      William Henry Harrison (32 days)

3)      Wu Zetian also known as Wu Zhao (Wu Chao), Wu Hou, Tian Hou, Empress Consort Wu, Empress Wu

4)      The Battle of Passchendaele

5)      Orient Express

6)      Virgil’s Aeneid

7)      Morgoth/Melkor

8)      The author must be a woman

Theme Round

1)      Peter Capaldi

2)      Kasterborous

3)      The Daleks (or The Mutants/The Dead Planet – alternate names)

4)      Turn to stone or become quantum locked

5)      Romana (Romanadvoratrelundar)

6)      2010

7)      Queen Elizabeth I

8)      Black hole/super nova/the Eye of Harmony

General Knowledge Round

1)      Orange juice and vodka

2)      Louvre in Paris

3)      2003

4)      Ferret

5)      400,000

6)      Steve McQueen

7)      Polar Vortex

8)      September

Congratulations Quizlets, you have successfully completed your first Ustinov Pub Quiz. Tally up your points and drink a victory pint!