The Golden Hinde pub quiz has invited Londoners to test their knowledge on a sixteenth century ship, finally giving people a legitimate reason to answer “Spain” while clutching a pint below deck.
The historic galleon will host questions, drinks and the kind of staircase that makes every correct answer feel like a personal achievement. Teams may bring brains, but not phones. The ship has enough problems without somebody asking it to connect to WiFi.
A question of survival
The first round covers maritime history. Anyone who calls the Golden Hinde a boat will be corrected with the calm patience normally reserved for people who call a violin a small guitar.
Quizmaster Mavis “No Clues” Ballast said entrants should rely on their own knowledge. “Outside assistance is forbidden,” she said. “If you need help, send a flag signal and prepare to be disappointed by the Admiralty.”
The picture round will feature famous captains. One team has already trained by watching Captain Birdseye advertisements until its understanding of naval logistics became profoundly fish based.
The Golden Hinde pub quiz also offers beer, wine and soft drinks. This means the geography round is expected to begin in Europe and end with Plymouth claiming diplomatic immunity from Belgium.
A tie breaker will ask teams to estimate the ship’s age. Anyone who knows the present year may be asked to explain how they came by that unusually precise information.
There is no prize for historical accuracy, although staff are testing that. Anyone mentioning Drake, circumnavigation or the Spanish Armada may get a clipboard and be asked to run the next event, which is how history gets you.
Winners receive gig tickets and drinks. Everyone else gets the authentic Tudor experience of leaving a wooden ship late at night and discovering that London Bridge station does not accept a flag signal.
