About Me

‘As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer’

Unfortunately, that’s not true – I always wanted to be an astronaut. But I couldn’t let the opportunity to parody one of the greatest opening lines to a film pass. I’d still love to go into space. But that’s by the by. Outside of wanting to escape the planet I was born on, my two big passions in life are quizzes and music. And for this, I blame my parents in equal measures. 

My passion for quizzing started with Fred Housego. I grew up in the 1970s in a working-class household in the West Midlands. And my Dad was (and still is) a big fan of Mastermind. So, between the power cuts, a Silver Jubilee, the drought, and the Winter of Discontent, I ended up watching the show as well – only three TV channels didn’t give you much of a choice back then. But people like us never did quite well enough to win that Caithness Glass trophy. That was until London cabby Fred Housego came along. And I was one of the 18 million people who sat there one Friday night in 1980 and saw him take on, and beat, the usual selection of university educated civil servants and teachers. And it made me realise that quizzing has no boundaries – if you know enough, you’re good enough. 

Fast forward a few years to when I was (just about) old enough to go to the pub, I discovered the joys of pub quizzing. And I was hooked. I soon realised out that winning the quiz meant an extra pint without the need to sacrifice your bus money back home. So, a no brainer really.

It took a few months for the team I was a member of to win our first quiz the first free beer drank. Tying in with my love of music, it was a quiz about UK No.1 hit wonders. It also remains, to this day, the only quiz I’ve ever studied for.

In 2001, I was invited to join another quiz team (The Royal Blokes – we were blokes who quizzed at The Royal Oak). I’d improved by this point and there was a £100+ prize pot each week. It was, as they said in Casablanca the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We’re still together as a team, still quizzing most weeks, and winning free beer in upwards of 75% of the quizzes we take part in.

I started taking quizzing more seriously in 2014, when the British Quizzing Grand Prix circuit hit Birmingham for the first time. Like every other half-decent pub quizzer, I walked into the first quiz feeling like Einstein. And walked out feeling like Homer Simpson. Being in a room full of Eggheads, Chasers, and Mastermind Champions, amongst others (unfortunately not Fred though) teaches you quickly how much you don’t know. 

It was because of this I started writing quizzes  - I found it was a great way to get better at quizzing. I never became World Quiz Champion, and I didn't win either Eggheads or Only Connect when I appeared in the shows. But I have ended up with thousands of questions I’ve written along the years. Some of which have now been published and are available for you to purchase.

While my Dad got me into quizzing, despite him going to school with a member of Judas Priest, music was never his thing. That was Mum. She was a big rock and roll fan in her youth, and remains to this day a lifelong fan of Cliff Richard. She introduced me to Cliff, Elvis, and The Beatles when I was young, and for quite a time I really only listened to songs that were 20+ years old - I had a theory (which I still think is valid) that, after 20 years, all the shit has been long forgotten, and what you're left with is actually worth listening to.

While writing quiz questions, I found the music history books published by Guinness to be extremely helpful. And I was more than disappointed when they stopped releasing them in the mid-2000s. Which is why, as well as writing quiz books, I've also started to write music history book. After all, someone has to keep the legacy alive.

While I still prefer to listen to older music, I do try and keep abreast of what's happening in the charts. And, unusually for someone in their 50s, I've only just made the switch from Radio 1 to Radio. Although the quizzer in me does occasionally listen to Pop Master on Greatest Hits Radio!

Over the years I've also become a big fan of live music, and regularly attend festivals. My tastes have become more eclectic as well. With the acts I've seen live in the last few years including Tom Jones, Primal Scream, All Saints, Supergrass, Duran Duran, Fat Boy Slim, Madness, Blondie, Whitesnake, Happy Mondays, Nile Rodgers, Mae Muller, Sam Fender, Clannad, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Depeche Mode, and Guns 'N Roses. 

Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the help and assistance provided by my partner, the artist Caroline Shotton (the UK's foremost painter of anthropomorphic cows for the last two decades). Sharing a space with another creative is a great help and inspiration. And she does my covers for me.

And I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Andrew Burford