Three weeks ago we were fortunate enough to enjoy the undoubted highlight of the NAO social calendar, the annual Summer Pop Quiz. With months of quiz question preparation; endless hours invested in fancy dress costume design and production; and staggering lengths of sticky tape to hold it all together – it all culminated in a night of great music, competitiveness and merriment.
The theme of the pop music based quiz this year was TV programmes and over 40 teams of six participated. The quiz allows the office to fully display its creative flair and with sterling efforts ranging from Wacky Races to Wimbledon there was much to be amused about. I was part of the team dressed as the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and after a thorough covering of green face/body paint, several lunchtimes spent cutting and sticking a multitude of garments together, we pulled off something vaguely resembling the television heroes with me personally representing Donatello (aptly the “scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius” as Wikipedia points out!). With a prize for the best dressed team, some efforts were breathtaking. We achieved a top eight position from the 40-plus teams but the Doctor Who team deservedly took first prize with costumes including a homemade light-up Tardis!
Unfortunately our efforts at winning the quiz were not fruitful (coming 31st) however the overall winners included several of my HMRC audit team colleagues.
Whilst the Pop Quiz is undoubtedly the highlight of the social calendar, it is one example of the excellent social spirit which staff can benefit from at the NAO. With a wide array of sports teams to join, seminar groups to get involved in plus much more, there is something that will take everyone’s fancy. Events such as this create a real buzz around the office for many weeks in advance. To leave work at 5 and then only an hour later bump into your audit lead dressed as John McEnroe in full tennis gear and iconic hairstyle is something which provides real humour and pulls the office together.