45 Pub sports
London, Devon, Dorset
Enjoyment - 95%
Success - 70%
Will try again - Yes
First timer’s recommendation – do a bit of research and find the pubs that still have the traditional games – Played in the Pub in the Played in Britain series of books is a good start.
I’ve spent a fair bit of time in pubs over the last month or so, so it was only fitting to include four of the best; darts, pool, bar billiards and skittles. The skittles alley was in an out building at the Giant Inn, Cerne Abbas in Dorset and was played by doing a leap forward, throwing the ball with two hands towards the nine pins. There are still a few pubs around the country which have skittles alleys, either in dedicated buildings such as at the Giant Inn, or in the main pub building, the problem being the area is often covered with chairs as the game takes up too much space and makes too much noise to be acceptable in most pubs. Games the take up less space and make money are generally favoured in pubs today, which is why snooker tables are very rarely seen.
Bar billiards is a brilliant addition to any pub, and has the advantage of being able to slot into a corner. The Glasshouse Stores in Soho has a table in the back room, and is a great place to go for a game as it is also a Sam Smith’s pub, so you duck in during a lunch hour and have a game whilst enjoying a stout. Darts and pool are the most ubiquitous of pubs sports, but needed to be included to bulk the challenge out, and I after miraculously getting both kids to sleep for an hour simultaneously, Kayleigh and I had a few games at the George and Dragon in Coombe Martin, North Devon. There are plenty more pub sports to enjoy, with variations across the country, and bar billiards is definitely one I would try again, if I had a spare £500 and a spare room, I’d have a table in the house tomorrow.
