FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about The History and Collecting of Beermats
Quiz about The History and Collecting of Beermats

The History and Collecting of Beermats Quiz


It's all there in the title - which was a Player Challenge by Polaris101. I hope you learn as much playing this quiz as I did in researching it.

A multiple-choice quiz by stedman. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Hobbies Trivia
  6. »
  7. Collectibles

Author
stedman
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
316,882
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
1276
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: skatersarehott (8/15), Guest 203 (6/15), chang50 (9/15).
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. What name is given to the collecting of beermats? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. In what year, also noted for the death of US poet Walt Whitman and the birth of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, were the first woodpulp beermats produced? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. In the 1920s, which London-based brewery (later to become notorious for its Red Barrel keg bitter) produced the first beermats to be seen in Britain? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. What year, the beginning of a "swinging" decade, marked the foundation of the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Which UK city, better known for the bombing of its cathedral in the Second World War, and for the origin of the Lady Godiva legend, played host to the first National Meeting of the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Which British comedy double-act, well known for their UK TV Christmas shows, were the first Presidents of the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Which of the following methods of storing beermats is NOT recommended by the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. How, according to the British Beermat Collectors Society, should one clean slightly stained woodpulp beermats? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. For what condition does the British Beermat Collectors Society recommend that collectors check their beermats every six months or so? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Beermats can safely be protected from permanent damage by lacquering them. True or false?


Question 11 of 15
11. Approximately how many UK beermats (both current and historic) are listed in the 2009 edition of the UK Brewery Catalogue of the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Most beermats are either square or round in shape. But the Bass Charrington Brewery has issued beermats in which shape, also that of the historic Bass trademark? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. What object of interest to beermat collectors was commissioned by brewing company Holt, Plant and Deakin Ltd to celebrate the 25th Anniversary National Meeting of the British Beermat Collectors Society? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. What event in April 2009 had beermat collectors across the world weeping into their beer? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. For what beermat-related activity is Leo Pisker listed in the "Guinness Book of Records"? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 24 2024 : skatersarehott: 8/15
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 203: 6/15
Mar 05 2024 : chang50: 9/15
Feb 19 2024 : TurkishLizzy: 12/15
Feb 11 2024 : Upstart3: 12/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What name is given to the collecting of beermats?

Answer: Tegestology

The name is derived, by some slightly contrived etymology, from the Latin word "teg", meaning a small rug or mat. Beermat collectors are thus known as "tegestologists".
2. In what year, also noted for the death of US poet Walt Whitman and the birth of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, were the first woodpulp beermats produced?

Answer: 1892

The first woodpulp beermats were produced in Germany by Robert Sputh of Dresden, although cardboard mats had been manufactured in the 1880s by another German company, Friedrich Horn. In Germany, the collecting of beermats is a popular hobby, where they are known as bierdeckel.
3. In the 1920s, which London-based brewery (later to become notorious for its Red Barrel keg bitter) produced the first beermats to be seen in Britain?

Answer: Watneys

The first two Watneys mats advertised its Pale Ale and Reids Stout. Other important early UK producers of beermats included the breweries Tennants, Michells & Butlers, and Worthington.
4. What year, the beginning of a "swinging" decade, marked the foundation of the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: 1960

The British Beermat Collectors Society (or BBCS) was the brainchild of an English collector named Charles Walsh, who in 1960 advertised in the magazine "Exchange and Mart" for other people who shared his interest. Although his initial intent was simply to find other collectors with whom to swap items, his initiative led to the founding of the Society.
5. Which UK city, better known for the bombing of its cathedral in the Second World War, and for the origin of the Lady Godiva legend, played host to the first National Meeting of the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: Coventry

The first National meeting of the BBCS took place in 1963. Subsequent events have been held on an annual basis across the country, in such varied locations as Walsall, Wolverhampton, London, Skegness and Burton-on-Trent. Regular local meetings on a smaller scale take place in pubs and clubs all round the country.
6. Which British comedy double-act, well known for their UK TV Christmas shows, were the first Presidents of the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: Morecambe and Wise

Morecambe and Wise were succeeded as President of the BBCS by Alton Douglas, the rather less famous actor and comedian, also author of more than 50 historic and nostalgic books about his home town of Birmingham.
7. Which of the following methods of storing beermats is NOT recommended by the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: Hanging them from the ceiling

The BBCS notes that some tegestologists have been known to display their treasured collections by suspending them from the ceiling by string or cotton thread. However, the Society does not recommend this method, as the mats tend to become faded in natural daylight. A specially partitioned chest of drawers is the BBCS preferred storage solution.
8. How, according to the British Beermat Collectors Society, should one clean slightly stained woodpulp beermats?

Answer: Rub affected areas with moist bread

Rubbing them with moist bread, advises the BBCS, seems to draw the stains out. Warm soapy water can be used to clean rubberised felt mats, while "rubber mats can be lightly scrubbed".
9. For what condition does the British Beermat Collectors Society recommend that collectors check their beermats every six months or so?

Answer: Woodworm

Woodworm apparently are rather partial to beermats, which being usually made of woodpulp are softer and easier to eat than unprocessed wood.
10. Beermats can safely be protected from permanent damage by lacquering them. True or false?

Answer: False

Coating ones beermats in lacquer may seem to be a useful precaution against damp and other age-related depredations. But collectors who have tried this method have found to their dismay that their precious collectables have quite soon become faded and lost their colour.
11. Approximately how many UK beermats (both current and historic) are listed in the 2009 edition of the UK Brewery Catalogue of the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: 28,000

During the late 1970s, with the takeover and closure of many of the UK's independent breweries, the golden age of beermat production and collecting appeared to be over. But the "real ale" revival of the 1980s and 90s, and the even more recent explosion in the number of small microbreweries in the UK, means that the number and variety of mats available is greater than it has ever been.
12. Most beermats are either square or round in shape. But the Bass Charrington Brewery has issued beermats in which shape, also that of the historic Bass trademark?

Answer: Triangle

The Bass Red Triangle in 1876 became Britain's (and hence the world's) first official Registered Trademark. In Edouard Manet's famous 1882 painting "Bar at the Folies Bergere", bottles of Bass with the red triangle trademark can be seen on the bar, next to more typically French champagne.
13. What object of interest to beermat collectors was commissioned by brewing company Holt, Plant and Deakin Ltd to celebrate the 25th Anniversary National Meeting of the British Beermat Collectors Society?

Answer: The world's smallest beermat

The 25th Anniversary meeting of the BBCS was held at Dudley Town Hall on the 23rd and 24th of August 1985. The beermat measured about 2.5 cm square, and advertised the company's own beer. Some even smaller mats have been produced as part of furniture for dolls' houses, but most collectors don't officially include these in their collections.
14. What event in April 2009 had beermat collectors across the world weeping into their beer?

Answer: World's largest beermat maker became bankrupt

The Katz Group of Germany declared itself bankrupt in April 2009, despite its Weisenbach factory making 75% of the world's beermats - more than 12 million per day. It had been manufacturing beermats since 1903.
15. For what beermat-related activity is Leo Pisker listed in the "Guinness Book of Records"?

Answer: Having the world's largest beermat collection

Leo Pisker of Langenzersdorf in Austria amassed a collection of over 150,000 different beermats from across the world, including examples from over 160 countries. For the record, as at 2009 the highest beermat tower measured 9.70 metres; the furthest throw was 125.5 feet (38.26 metres); and most mats "flipped" is 1000 in 45 seconds (in 25 piles of 40) by Dean Gould of Felixstowe in 1993.
Source: Author stedman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Stedman's Hobbies Quizzes:

I've written five Hobbies quizzes, on some pretty quirky subjects. That's just enough for a Quiz List, right?

  1. The Offal Truth Average
  2. The History and Collecting of Beermats Average
  3. The Full English Breakfast Easier
  4. This Quiz is Barely Legal! Tough
  5. The Joy of Chocolate Average

Also part of quiz list
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us