First 56 day Appearance on The Knowledge

First 56 day Appearance on The Knowledge

I had my first appearance last week at PCO Towers. I had spent the previous week with my COP doing around 3 hours a day of Point-to-Point and felt we really had come on a bundle doing the 56 day and some 28 day questions from the daily sheets. I also read my blue book runs and went and did a little drive around a few areas I wanted to freshen up on. I had quite a busy weekend with golf on Saturday, a christening on the south coast on Sunday and golf the morning before on the Bank Holiday Monday. The rest of the time was spent doing as much P2P and revising as I could.

As my appearance was in the afternoon, during the morning I tried not to do too much apart from stare at my laminated wall map. I wanted to keep my nerves under control and the advice seems to be to stop by seven the night before and give your brain a rest so I did that for the morning.

I had got to the Palestra Building about 45 minutes early for my afternoon appointment and had a wander about before going to reception. I was then told my appearance was 30 minutes later than on my appearance card. I had a hour to kill in reception so I just read a newspaper that was handy and did some deep breathing.

Once we were called upstairs we had to pay our £250 appearance fee. I was told they could not find my file and to go sit and wait in the waiting area! Once all the others had paid and then been called to their appearance I was finally called up to pay my fees and taken to the appearance room. I did not feel too nervous at this point and was just glad to get started to be honest.

My examiner was a real gentleman and explained everything about the process and really put me at ease. It helps if you understand the scoring system for appearances. I tried explaining it to my partner and she got wound up as she thought it was too complicated. We had a good chat about a few things including Knowledge Schools, how I was doing it, part-time or full-time, using a car, bike, push bike and walking some points. Then it was down to business.

First run Castle Climbing Centre, Green Lanes to Parliament Hill Lido, Gordon House Road. I over egged this by going to Dalmeny/Chalton and Brecknock when Holloway / Tufnell Park Road would of done. When I got my scoresheet at the end I scored 8 for this run.

My second run was the Tabard Theatre, Bath Road to Springfields Station, Augustus Road. I took it over Putney Bridge and he was looking for King St /Weltje Road and Hammersmith Bridge then Lower Richmond Road, Gwendolen/Chartfield/Lytton Grove. Scored 7.

The third run was Clapham Junction Station to Euston Station. I took this over Lambeth Bridge for some strange reason. He was looking for Battersea Bridge and through Sloane Square, Belgrave Square and Berkeley Square. Scored 6.

The fourth run was the Grosvenor House Hotel (I dropped Crockfords Casino & the Womens University Club) to Highgate Station. I ran this through Hanover Gate rather than York Gate. I really started hesitating and nervous as I went up Park Street, then Portman Street, Portman Square and then all I could remember was Gloucester. I could not recall that it was Gloucester Place! I knew it was not Gloucester Road, Street or Avenue but it took a bit of coaxing and then I got there eventually. I scored 5 points for that run for a total of 26 and a big fat C. I was well pleased with that.

I had a nice cup of coffee afterwards and then walked over to the city and did some of the Wizann Livery Ramble.

I had lots of good advice but I need to get my lines and calling better. I am up for my next appearance in 56 days. Now I really need get to much quicker at identifying my lines, calling a lot slicker and knowing a lot more points.

For any of you at the same stage as me, get a Call Over Partner and do as much point to point as you can. Go get all the points off the daily/weekly sheets you don’t know. Use the online forums for help and advice and keep your head down and crack on.

Thanks for all the comments and the clicks on the advertising! I’ll try and stick another quiz up soon.