Shove it, Chuck it, Toss it...
Images of Traditional British Pub Games
Sunday 21 May 2023
White Hart, Bargate, Derbyshire
Sunday 31 July 2022
Arthur Taylor (dec. July 2022)
(Image c/o John Penny) |
Arthur was both the inspiration and primary knowledge source for this blog, particularly in the early days when my own enthusiasm for Pub Games was in no way matched by my knowledge or experience of the subject, one which Arthur had researched, written, and enthused about for decades.
My first 'almost' meeting with Arthur was back in 2010 as a hopelessly inexperienced player in a midweek 'B' team for the local game of Northamptonshire Table Skittles, playing at the (now closed) Red Lion pub in Middleton, Northants (left). For reasons I'll probably never know (1), Arthur had decided to visit the pub on a Friday night to observe a match in the Market Harborough League, a match that I regretfully failed to attend. This was toward the beginning of research for a proposed new book on Skittles, and the Red Lion was to represent a chapter on the venerable Northants game. At this time Arthur also wrote occasional pieces for The Telegraph's weekly Pub Guide feature, and rather thriftily he used the Red Lion as material for the July 23rd column (2).So I missed the man on this occasion, but as it happens his visit had coincided with the recent publication of his new book, 'Played At The Pub - The Pub Games of Britain', a copy of which he kindly donated to the then licensees Kevin & Fiona Barby. This would be quite literally a game-changer for me.
Up until this point I'd been dabbling with a short-lived blog journalling my experiences of playing Northants Skittles in the pubs and clubs of the area. Not one of my greatest work it's true, but I was already considering expanding it in an attempt to document all of the old Skittles Tables and their venues in the area. Arthurs book inspired me to go one step further and attempt to cover the much broader subject of traditional pub games in all their myriad forms, resulting in the near 10 year project documented on this blog.
Arthur would have first come to public prominence during his days as a lecturer in Manchester, taking occasional extra-curricular jobs as an Extra in Granada Television productions (3), one of which was a notable scene in Coronation Street, playing a diner in Wetherfield’s first Italian Restaurant in the early 60's. This connection would eventually lead to a lengthy career as producer and director for Granada, a career which took him all over the country, and indeed the globe, and offered ample opportunities to indulge his passion for Brass Bands, Pubs and of course Pub games.
His first book on the subject, 'Pub Games', was published way back in 1976, the much expanded and revised 'Guinness Book of Traditional Pub Games' arriving in 1992. Other than important early works by Timothy Finn, and numerous more general publications on sports and games, these books can be regarded as pioneering studies of a subject that's so deeply ingrained and taken for granted within pub culture as to be virtually invisible. Whilst writers continue to find value in mass participation sports such as Football and Cricket, pub games of all types have long been regarded as unworthy subjects for non-fiction.Notes
1. In point of fact Arthur may well have chosen the Red Lion simply because a photo of its antique skittles table is used to illustrate the Northants game on a traditional games website, titled (incorrectly) as being at the Red Lion, Corby: Table Skittles, Devil Amongst the Tailors - Online Guide (tradgames.org.uk)
2. Northamptonshire pub guide: The Red Lion, Middleton, Northamptonshire (telegraph.co.uk)
3. There's a very good interview with Arthur about his time at Granada here: Arthur Taylor – Granadaland
Friday 10 September 2021
The End
Thursday 22 July 2021
Bell Inn, St Johns, Worcester
So, what little remains of these historic gems is precious indeed, and well worth supporting with a visit and a pint or two. The beauty of Worcester is that all its rare pub survivors might conceivably be visited in a single day without too much trouble, and I'd have to say that they’re all well worth visiting. From Worcesters oldest pub, to a classic post-war estate boozer, all unique and attractive venues in their own very different ways. Having said that, it's perhaps worth mentioning that these are not mere tourist attractions, they are for the most part vibrant, sometimes busy locals pubs, in fact some might be regarded as being quite earthy in character, splendidly so in my view.
One such 'earthy' locals pub is the terrific Bell Inn over the river in the village suburb of St Johns (also home to the mothballed Bush Inn). The Bell has already featured on this blog, though every time I’ve been there previously it's been a little too busy to brandish a camera freely, making it quite a brief mention. My most recent visit was a quieter affair, the mid-afternoon lull before the storm of a Friday night session. A smattering of locals in the long bar, several more basking and baking in the garden to the rear of the pub on what was one of the hottest days of the year.A classic urban all-day opener (10am Mon-Sat!) on the main road through St Johns, the only nearby competition coming from the Parish Church opposite now that the Bull Baiters micropub seems to have closed. Indeed the pub was originally established to serve parishioners as a Church House, the origin of many village pubs it seems. As much a social centre as beerhouse, though the predominantly local beers on offer are certainly worth sampling. The chat and banter in the bar is constant, sometimes loud, often rude, occasionally lewd, it's that kind of pub. A telly at the front of the bar seems to be reserved exclusively for horseracing, and whilst other sports do feature when requested, I wouldn't say the Bell is a particularly 'sporty' bar. If it's on it's on, if it's not, nobody seems particularly bothered, there's a lot of chat to catch up on.
Friday 9 July 2021
Princess Royal, Taunton, Somerset
Nevertheless, pubs and clubs continue to close, in some cases permanently, and clearly we're very far from out of the woods with this terrible pandemic just yet. After an initial rush back to the pub this Summer, trade does seem to have slowed somewhat, and it's now more difficult than ever to find a pub open at the less busy times of the week/day. So when we do find a pub maintaining the traditions of all-day opening, with a warm welcome and nice cool pint on a hot midweek afternoon, as I did in Taunton quite recently, it's certainly something worth shouting about I think.
Sunday 27 June 2021
Lethbridge Arms, Bishops Lydeard, Somerset
At the risk of employing a rather flimsy excuse as an introduction to this post, the game of Fives has been on my mind a little more than usual of late. My friend and fellow pub games enthusiast John Penny started it all off with a feature he wrote on the game earlier this year for Visitor Magazine. A much more in-depth and informative piece than I'll attempt here, and I urge you to follow the link and read it from page 20 for a better understanding of the game.
John is of course a Dorset man, as evidenced by his sometimes impenetrable Dorsetshire accent and a deep love of Dorset's national sport, Alley Skittles. John plies his skittling trade, with some success it must be said, at the famous Rose & Crown in Bradford Abbas, and more widely at away matches in Dorset and over the border in Somerset. So a rare pub gaming tradition almost unique to neighbouring Somerset was never going to escape Johns keen eye for long, even if it's now effectively an extinct tradition as far as the pub is concerned.
Fives as a competitive game dates back several centuries, and was widely played throughout the country and latterly exported to the then colonies. A form of Handball that requires nothing more complex to play than a solid wall, a ball with some measure of bounce, and tough or gloved hands. As far as Somerset is concerned, the game seems to have developed and become popular when played between the buttresses of a church tower (indeed surviving walls are still known as 'Towers'), which would probably have been the only suitable 'court' available to ordinary folk at the time. I don't know whether the example shown here on the north side of Carhampton Church is known to have been used for the game, but the basic form and a clearly delineated line a couple of feet up is typical, and would have certainly made it possible.The surviving Fives Towers in Somerset may no longer be in use, but they represent a great opportunity for tourists like myself to visit, often being handy for pubs and of course eminently 'collectable'. A cluster of surviving Towers near Yeovil would make for an easy tour, but I visited an outlier at the Lethbridge Arms in the village of Bishops Lydeard to the north of Taunton. Bishops Lydeard is perhaps more famous these days as the eastern terminus of the West Somerset Heritage Railway, making a visit to the Lethbridge even easier for tourists in the Minehead area.
The impressive Fives Tower at the Lethbridge Arms stands as a boundary between the pub car park and an adjacent cottage. Built of stone with a more 'even' red brick facing, the tall self-supported structure is strengthened by sturdy buttresses to the side (right) and rear (below). It's clear that the game would have been played and spectated from the rear of the pub itself. Albeit that it now abuts the pubs busy car park, the Fives Tower at the Lethbridge could quite easily be used for a game even now should anyone fancy a revival.
Saturday 19 June 2021
Kildare Lodge, Minehead, Somerset
North Somerset has long been a regular haunt of mine, and an occasional holiday spot since teenage years. The stretch of coastline around Minehead a particularly happy hunting ground for pubs, beer, and strong local cider. I usually take advantage of the West Somerset heritage rail line for trips to Dunster, Watchet, and of course a day of sun, sea, fish and chips in the attractive tourist trap of Minehead. There are some very fine pubs to be found in the area if you know where to look, one of which, the Kildare Lodge, has been on my to-do list for some time now, so I was delighted to finally pop in for a couple of pints this year.
I find most pubs are attractive in their own way, even the much derided post-war estate pubs can have a unique 'vintage' visual appeal that transcends their somewhat utilitarian origins. Few pubs are as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as the grade II* listed Kildare Lodge though. As you can see from these photos, Kildare Lodge is a truly stunning Arts and Crafts styled building, beautifully maintained for the benefit of locals and visitors who clearly appreciate the pubs unique architecture and ambiance, as well as the very good range of local ales on offer. Originally built as a residence and surgery for a local doctor, the building is now in the hands of Harvey & Sarah Pyle, sensitively altered and re-purposed for its current important role in the local community.
Somerset is, of course, at the very heart of a very well supported West Country Skittles tradition, indeed there are still a fair few alleys at pubs and clubs in the Minehead area for the game. Boules (also known as Petanque) is a relative newcomer, the local league having been established less than 20 years ago but now grown to three divisions. This probably makes Boule the more popular of the two games in this area, certainly during the warmer Summer months when Skittles leagues often contract due to other player commitments. Whatever the reality, it's easy to understand the appeal of Boule as a Summer game at Kildare Lodge.