This year’s annual commemoration of the anniversary of Larkin’s death was a little different. After last year’s multi-centred ceremonial occasion which featured the unveiling of a Larkin bench in Spring Bank Cemetery in Hull, a blue plaque at Larkin’s birthplace in Coventry and an event in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, we decided to take a more informal route by holding a pub quiz at the Howarth in Hull, a favourite haunt of Larkin himself. Despite his infamous dislike of Christmas, we think he might have enjoyed some of it at least, and most definitely ended up on the winning team!

PLS Chair, Professor Graham Chesters, welcomes the participants.

PLS Honorary Vice President, the Right Honourable Alan Johnson, was a superb quiz master and we were very pleased to welcome our President, Rosie Millard, who travelled up from London for the day. All in all, it proved to be a highly enjoyable afternoon spent in convivial company.

Our esteemed Quizmaster, complete with Christmas jumper.

Ready to start.

The winners.

If you’d like to listen to the whole quiz and play along check out the latest ‘Tiny In All That Air’ podcast.

Here are the questions,

And the answers.

With special thanks to The Haworth, 449 Beverley Road, Hull, HU6 7LD for being such excellent hosts.