Quizmaster was a real gentleman
A LONG-STANDING member of the Bridgend Quiz League has passed away.
Much-loved league secretary Alan Rudge, pictured with his son Andy, has died at the age of 94, after almost five decades of unstinting service and commitment to the town’s quiz league.
Mr Rudge was part of the local quiz scene since the 1970s and played a part as player and league secretary.
In the 1980s he took the famous Mensa IQ test, with a result of 154 - the average score being 100.
Mr Rudge was born in London and served in the Middlesex Regiment (The Kingsmen) and in the Manchester Regiment in Malta and Palestine.
After the Second World War he had several jobs including groundsman at a sports club and married his wife Helen in 1955.
He also worked for the Royal Mint, firstly at Tower Hill, London, before relocating when it moved to Llantrisant in 1968. Mr Rudge was one of the many workers who uprooted to Wales with the shifting of the Royal Mint.
Work on decimalisation started in Bridgend trading estate, then moved to Llantrisant in late 1968. Mr and Mrs Rudge, along with their only son Andy, moved onto the then only half built Wildmill housing estate in Bridgend, which saw many ‘ Mint families’ living there.
Andy, paying tribute to his father and his broad knowledge and love of trivia, said: “It was obvious from a very early age that dad had an amazing memory.
“He knew every station on the London Underground and would tell you how to get from A to B and the best places to change trains.
“He loved football and followed many teams, notably Fulham, but would go to many games including Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. Again he knew all the teams’ stats and he could tell you every team that competed in the FA Cup, every member of those teams, what the final score was and who scored.
“He particularly enjoyed speedway and he would go to Wimbledon regularly to watch and would also travel to away meets.”
Mr Rudge joined the Bridgend Quiz league in its second season in 1974, playing for the King’s Head. He served on the committee for many years as secretary and results secretary. His passion for the league never ebbed and the only thing that stopped him playing in the end was the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Andy said: “His knowledge was vast and varied and the league became a passion for dad and many others.
“He took part in many quizzes on radio and TV, the last one being Tom O’Connor’s That’s News To Me.”
His wife passed away aged 54 in 1981 and Mr Rudge took early retirement from the Royal Mint in 1984, two years shy of his 60th birthday.
He then took a final job at the town’s Smith-Kendon sweet factory as a security guard until he finally retired.
Andy added: “In 1987 dad took a Mensa test for fun to see what his IQ was. He sent his results to Mensa, who wrote to him and suggested he take the official test which he did in Cardiff.
“His IQ was recorded at 154 and he remained a member of Mensa for over 30 years.”
Mr Rudge lived independently until he was 89, before going into Picton Court care near Porthcawl. Andy said: “Thankfully, in all the time he had Alzheimer’s his personality did not change, he had a delightful sense of humour which never left him.
“He died on October 19, peacefully in his sleep of complications as a result of Alzheimer’s. He was a decent, modest, kind man who was a gentleman in every sense of the word and I was proud to call him dad.”