This competition has now closed: see below for the answers and the winner.
To celebrate another Yuletide, Christmas, Solstice or what you will, and to help pass some of the time in the grey weeks that follow it, we’re delighted to bring you our annual Penny Post Festive Prize Quiz.
The Prize
Huge thanks to Ben Milroy of The Crown & Anchor in Ham for this generous prize:
A meal for two, a bottle of house wine, bed and breakfast at The Crown & Anchor in Ham.
The Quiz
You’ll find below 21 questions. All relate to events so far this year, the local area or to The Crown & Anchor (you may need to visit the pub’s website to answer these).
When you’ve answered the questions, take the first letter of each answer and re-arrange these to form a phrase which is relevant to the competition.
To give you a bit of help, all the answers starting with consonants are arranged together followed by all the ones starting with vowels, in both cases in alphabetical order. Seven of these initial letters, by the way, appear twice and one appears three times
The Questions
On your marks; get set; and off you go…
1. Which Van scored the winner at Wembley in February? Virgil Van Dijk scored the winner for Liverpool in the League Cup Final against Chelsea on 25 February 2024.
2. Which Phil may or not have been grateful to be dead in 2024? Phil Lesh, The Grateful Dead’s bassist, died on 25 October 2024.
3. Which comedic Bob died in July 2024? American comedian Bob Newhart died on 18 July 2024.
4. Which political Rob came second to Danny locally in July 2024? Labour’s Rob Newman finished behind the Conservative’s Danny Kruger in the East Wiltshire constituency in the 2024 general election.
5. We’re not on first-name terms with the man who got 87.8% on 17 March. Vladimir Putin won the election for Russian President, allegedly with this share of the vote.
6. What’s the name of the Crown & Anchor’s private dining room? The Partridge Room.
7. How often does Ham Parish Council generally hold its meetings: fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly? Quarterly.
8. Which village is about a mile west of Ham? Shalbourne.
9. Some of the buildings surrounding the Crown & Anchor date back to what historical period? Tudor (1485-1603).
10. Who swiftly became a billionaire in 2024? Taylor Swift.
11. The Speaker (re-confirmed as such in July 2024) has two Ls and two of what other letter in his name? The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsey Hoyle, has two Ls in his name and also two Ys.
12. Two counties won promotion from Division Two: Sussex and …? Yorkshire: both teams won promotion to the Cricket Country Championship Division One in 2024.
13. Which Jan was the male of the double winners in June? Jan Zieliński and Hsieh Su-wei won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title on 14 July 2024.
14. In which village is Penny Post based? East Garston.
15. What was local lad Will’s permanently colourful 2002 hit? Evergreen, released by locally-raised Will Young in 2002.
16. What was the last letter of Ham’s name when the village was recorded in the Domesday Book? E.
17. Go north east from the pub through a base colour: then to which place where a writing implement is available? Inkpen, which is reached from Ham via Lower Green.
18. What grouping of no particular colour won six in July 2024? Independents won six seats in the 2024 general election.
19. What kind of Rectory Loop can you easily walk from the Crown & Anchor? Old.
20. For which band was local rivers campaigner Feargal Sharkey the original singer? The Undertones.
21. Who was top of the table after Paris? USA topped the meal table after the 2024 Paris Olympics, with 126 (40 gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze).
How to enter
Please email the phrase (not the 21 individual answers) to competitions@pennypost.org.uk with the subject “PP Festive Crown & Anchor quiz” by midnight on Monday 20 January 2025. There are several answers to this, “spent pony idly queue zit” being one. However, as well as not meaning very much, this is also hardly “relevant to the competition” as specified above. “Penny Post yuletide quiz” does, however tick this box.
Congratulations to Christine from Bradfield Southend whose name was the first out the digital hat from among the correct entries.
Well done to all of you who entered and better luck next time. You will, however, soon be receiving details of a consolation prize, also generously donated by The Crown & Anchor in Ham.
Please be sure to add your name, where you live (the town or village name is fine) and your phone number (which we’ll only use if we need to contact you about this competition). Please also see the terms and conditions below.
Many thanks again to Ben Milroy of The Crown & Anchor in Ham for donating this wonderful prize.
Terms & conditions
• The winner will be selected at random from the correct or most correct entries received and notified by email within 48 hours of the closing date (see above). Acceptance must be confirmed by email within 48 hours of the notification or we will select another winner to whom this condition will also apply. The judge’s decision in all matters will be final.
• If you’re not already a subscriber to Penny Post, by entering this competition you’re agreeing to have your email address added to our newsletter circulation list. We do not pass on information to third parties and you can opt out at any time.
• Only one entry can be accepted from any one email address.
• The winner will be put in touch with The Crown & Anchor directly to make the arrangements for redeeming the prize. For this purpose it will be necessary to provide the Crown & Anchor with the winner’s email address.
