At school, most break times were spent playing mass games of patball, which was basically hitting a tennis ball against a wall with your hand, where benches, bins and teachers would act as obstacles until the group of 30 was whittled down to a winner.
They played something similar at Eton, although a good hundred years earlier, against the back of a chapel wall, and the returning children of the Lubbock family, whose parents obviously had a few bob, rebuilt a replica of the court in the grounds of their manor house. It’s been standing since 1860, and bar a bit of ivy overhanging the top corner, it was still in pretty good condition. There are newly-built outdoor courts at The Westway in London, but the majority are indoors in grammar and public schools in the south.
Enjoyment - 85%
Success - 65%
Will try again - Yes
First timer's recommendation – Best played with four people, choose a dry day if playing outdoors, get some padded gloves and have a go.
The game is played in pairs, using a ball slightly bigger than a squash ball, but a lot harder. We were wearing gloves, but it soon became clear why the official padded gloves were recommended on the supplier website. It’s pretty straightforward to get the hang of, once you’ve worked out the rules for the serve - and the abutments and ledges, which were built to the same specifications of the chapel at Eton, meant the rallies were different every time. This was definitely the most enjoyable sport so far, bringing back memories of playing pelota in France on family summer holidays in the Basque region.
