Two More Shove Ha'pennys

This Shove Ha'penny Board was purchased recently in Wisbech, and was in a fairly neglected state, though still perfectly playable. The surface of the board was thinly varnished, a finish I don't find lends itself to the smooth slide of a coin. A little time with a bottle of varnish stripper and a some fine sandpaper has got the surface back to the wood. It's now been waxed and polished, and though not the finest of boards, it now has a pretty smooth playing surface.

This image shows that the board has been constructed from plywood as opposed to solid timber. Unfortunately, there has been some water damage to a section of the leading edge, causing the ply to discolour and lift a little. Nothing a bit of wood glue and a g-clamp won't put right though.

Glevum Games were based in Gloucester from 1894 until their takeover and closure by Chad Valley in the late 1950's. The company were best known for their family and childrens games, but also made two sizes of Oak Shove Ha'penny, as well as this cheaper plywood board. This board is likely to be a post-war model.

This nice old board at the Bustard Inn, South Rauceby in Lincs, shows another way of making a Shove Ha'penny from cheaper cuts of timber. The body of the board has been made from a row of battens, with a laminate sheet for the playing surface. The Bustard has several old games which are available for play on Saturday afternoons, and I hope to feature a few of them on here at a later date.