After being closed for a good long while, Harvesters is open once again, and it’s set to return to its former glory.

We headed down the spiral staircase for the Tuesday night quiz. Running a bit late, we were glad to hear the thumping music indicating that the main event hadn’t started yet. Just when we thought we were going to bust wide open the secret that this British style watering hole is open again, we found nearly every seat full, the pool tables and dart boards doing brisk trade.

Scoring the last empty table – right next to one of the main speakers – we had a hard time making small talk over the music, but we figured the tunes would go off once the quiz started.

And we were right. After a minor technical glitch, our quizmaster got the ball rolling just after 8pm. The initial General Knowledge round gave us a false sense of security, especially when we won a round of drinks.

Between rounds, we ordered some mighty comforting grub – a hearty portion of fish and chips and a big fat cheeseburger – and ate to our hearts’ content. We had to overlook the smokers, though. While the low ceilings in Harvesters contribute to the traditional British atmosphere, they don’t provide much ventilation.

Just when we thought we were more than a match for our quizmaster, it all went pear-shaped. The Water and Shipping round (inexplicably chosen by the lowest scoring team of the previous round) was a disaster and we were thoroughly humbled to score only three points out of a possible 30 in the Music round.

Even so, there were some great prizes up for grabs including golf lessons and dinner vouchers. In the end, finishing in third place for the night, we walked away with a free night’s stay in Al Ain and a tiny speck of pride. Not as much as the winners, though, who got to leave without paying their bill – talk about incentive! To find out more about Harvesters, call the Sands Hotel at 02 615 6666.

Laura Fulton