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Post by jno on Nov 27, 2016 4:41:47 GMT
 Apologies in advance to our foreign friends for this death match as this is a very British affair. That said, many young Brits today probably have no idea what half of the above options are anyway (myself included).  There are plenty of traditional British Pub Games out there, many of which arguably died in the 1970s and 80s. You'll catch some on old TV shows from the period - "Indoor League" is top of that list. Nevertheless, some have continued and these days many are tucked away in regional parts of the country - e.g. The World Shove Ha’Penny Championships were held in Shepton Mallet in October 2015.  Anyway, which game/type of game did you/do you still enjoy playing the most down ye local drinking establishment? Pick THREE! |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 27, 2016 10:08:40 GMT
Full marks jno on a great death match this week!
This is a really difficult one for me, not because I'm part of some temperance movement, but because I like em all..
At an absolute push I'm going to say:
1. Pool.
2. Darts.
3. Quiz machines.
I have also had killer times playing cards, dominoes, chess, dice games and skittles.
Other games deserving of a mention because they're such brilliant fun are large group games like 'assassin', skill games like 'giant Jenga', team games like 'bar room assault courses' and last but not least (how could you forget?) drinking games (like 'fizz buzz', 'fuzzy duck' and 'Galileo's numbers')
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Post by flyingsquad on Nov 27, 2016 10:20:06 GMT
Apologies in advance to our foreign friends for this death match as this is a very British affair. That said, many young Brits today probably have no idea what half of the above options are anyway (myself included). There are plenty of traditional British Pub Games out there, many of which arguably died in the 1970s and 80s. You'll catch some on old TV shows from the period - "Indoor League" is top of that list. Nevertheless, some have continued and these days many are tucked away in regional parts of the country - e.g. The World Shove Ha’Penny Championships were held in Shepton Mallet in October 2015. Anyway, which game/type of game did you/do you still enjoy playing the most down ye local drinking establishment? Pick THREE!I had that book at one time. I also had various other books in that range like Darts, Snooker & Billiards, Card Games etc. I voted for cue games, darts and quiz machines but like them all. I did have a shove ha'penny board at one time. Some pubs still have a bar billiards table. |
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Post by jno on Nov 27, 2016 10:30:56 GMT
I must confess I love Shove Ha'penny, have a board and before my brother comes to visit I spend some time practising my shoves. I do like a game of Cribbage too as it happens. It is one card game that for me has the real pub vibe about it - I voted for Shove, Cue games and 80s/90s electronic stuff. As a student I spent some considerable time on the Only Fools & Horses machine and watched my mate play Payout Tetris. |
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Post by ace5150 on Nov 27, 2016 11:27:03 GMT
Loved pool in the 80s as I was pretty good at it, but not played in a long time. Still got lots of trophies up in the loft. Decent heavy ones, not the plastic cr*p you get these days.
Most pubs, as we knew them, are long gone now, serving food as opposed to an old fashioned boozer.
Never into fruit machines, but did like arm wrestling after a few pints.
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Post by jno on Nov 27, 2016 12:11:27 GMT
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 27, 2016 13:35:58 GMT
Loved pool in the 80s as I was pretty good at it, but not played in a long time. Yes I was okay at pool too, bit inconsistent sometimes, but generally pretty good. Don't get me wrong I've lost to some very average players, but I've also beaten some very good ones I was asked a few times to play for teams, I could never be bothered with league play though. So I never had any trophies. For a time I was a member of a Riley's and really got into 9-ball, I was playing about 3 evenings a week, for several hours at a time.. At first it seemed weird on the massive table, with the heavier balls but I got to really enjoy (and respect) that game. Better than traditional '8-ball/reds and yellows/spots vs stripes'. |
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Post by daz on Nov 27, 2016 14:12:52 GMT
Barring Snooker, Darts, Pool, Quiz or Fruit Machines, I don't think I have seen any other games on offer in bars north of the border, unless you include 'Avoid the Flying Bottle', 'Alternative Uses for a Pool Cue' or my all time favourite, 'Escape the Rammy in One Piece'. There was another one called 'Escape The Police' but not one I ever took part in.
I was quite a decent pool player, but preffered to play at a pool/snooker hall than down at the pub as they were usually quite troublesome places to be in.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 27, 2016 14:35:16 GMT
Barring Snooker, Darts, Pool, Quiz or Fruit Machines, I don't think I have seen any other games on offer in bars north of the border, unless you include 'Avoid the Flying Bottle', 'Alternative Uses for a Pool Cue' or my all time favourite, 'Escape the Rammy in One Piece'. There was another one called 'Escape The Police' but not one I ever took part in. I was quite a decent pool player, but preffered to play at a pool/snooker hall than down at the pub as they were usually quite troublesome places to be in. There was only ever pockets of trouble in the pubs I went in. Certainly not as bad as the ones you're describing. Though I preferred the pool halls and quiet pubs so I could focus on what I was doin if I was there to play a few games. |
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Post by jno on Nov 27, 2016 14:38:37 GMT
All this talk of Shove Ha'penny made me dig my board out. I bought it about 15 years ago in John Lewis Christmas Sale for a fiver but with no coins, no instructions. After that, my dad went to Abergavenny Market and had a shufti for the ha'pennies and I was in business.  So I haven't played for 18 months or so and had forgotten how hard this was. Needless to say my little 'un (who has never played before and totally loved it) was just as good or bad as I was and beat me... Fair play, a great bit of fun to pass an hour or two is shove. I love this pic on the Shove Ha'penny instructions page from 'Inn Games' - a rare shot of a certain forum member in his youth on the left with his Jack Lord shades on...  |
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Post by daz on Nov 27, 2016 14:56:30 GMT
Barring Snooker, Darts, Pool, Quiz or Fruit Machines, I don't think I have seen any other games on offer in bars north of the border, unless you include 'Avoid the Flying Bottle', 'Alternative Uses for a Pool Cue' or my all time favourite, 'Escape the Rammy in One Piece'. There was another one called 'Escape The Police' but not one I ever took part in. I was quite a decent pool player, but preffered to play at a pool/snooker hall than down at the pub as they were usually quite troublesome places to be in. There was only ever pockets of trouble in the pubs I went in. Certainly not as bad as the ones you're describing. Though I preferred the pool halls and quiet pubs so I could focus on what I was doin if I was there to play a few games. The pubs where I lived were rough and you had to be very carful who you made eye contact with, one look to the wrong person would easily get you beaten up. I came from a "known" family, but still had issues due to the fact I am naturally shy and quiet and not like my brothers and sisters in anyway. A pal of mine went to the toilet in a pub one night, he was dressed very smartly wearing an expensive jumper and after a while he didn't come back and we went searching for him. He had got beaten up and had his clothes taken from him! In a more "upmarket" place in the centre of Aberdeen, I was having a number 2 one Saturday evening after the football when the door to the cubicle got kicked in and this beast of a bloke lifted me from the pot and planted me on the floor outside so him and some others could do drugs on the toilet seat. I kid you not, this was during Happy Hour. Things have changed over the years and most of the bad pubs have shut and can assure you if you came to Aberdeen and went into the first pub you came across you would wonder what I was on about, but you still wouldn't get a game of dominoes. Sorry to deviate from the thread, us jocks just have a different interpretation of fun! |
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Post by ace5150 on Nov 27, 2016 19:13:58 GMT
Loved pool in the 80s as I was pretty good at it, but not played in a long time. Yes I was okay at pool too, bit inconsistent sometimes, but generally pretty good. Don't get me wrong I've lost to some very average players, but I've also beaten some very good ones I was asked a few times to play for teams, I could never be bothered with league play though. So I never had any trophies. For a time I was a member of a Riley's and really got into 9-ball, I was playing about 3 evenings a week, for several hours at a time.. At first it seemed weird on the massive table, with the heavier balls but I got to really enjoy (and respect) that game. Better than traditional '8-ball/reds and yellows/spots vs stripes'. Rileys! I was also a member, cheap beer and a great afternoon shooting 8-ball. They even had an L Shaped table to hone your skills on. I played in a league in the late 80s, my cue was like glass it was THAT smooth. Long gone now I'm afraid. I visited a rough pub in 1990, and the usual dossers insisted on 'winner stays on'. I explained I only wanted a game and a pint with my brother, but he and his rough mates were insistant that their boy stayed on as he was the previous games winner. I six balled him in less than 3 minutes. My brother is quite tasty and it looked as though it would kick off, but it didn't. After our pint, we left, didn't want to insist 'winner stays on'. Regarding playing sub-standard players, I've been beat a lot by hit-and-hope players who smash the ball, and after hitting cushions for an age, trickle into a pocket. Been beat by a 9 year old as well, real hustlers in the making. |
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Post by daz on Nov 27, 2016 20:23:45 GMT
Yes I was okay at pool too, bit inconsistent sometimes, but generally pretty good. Don't get me wrong I've lost to some very average players, but I've also beaten some very good ones I was asked a few times to play for teams, I could never be bothered with league play though. So I never had any trophies. For a time I was a member of a Riley's and really got into 9-ball, I was playing about 3 evenings a week, for several hours at a time.. At first it seemed weird on the massive table, with the heavier balls but I got to really enjoy (and respect) that game. Better than traditional '8-ball/reds and yellows/spots vs stripes'. Rileys! I was also a member, cheap beer and a great afternoon shooting 8-ball. They even had an L Shaped table to hone your skills on. I played in a league in the late 80s, my cue was like glass it was THAT smooth. Long gone now I'm afraid. I visited a rough pub in 1990, and the usual dossers insisted on 'winner stays on'. I explained I only wanted a game and a pint with my brother, but he and his rough mates were insistant that their boy stayed on as he was the previous games winner. I six balled him in less than 3 minutes. My brother is quite tasty and it looked as though it would kick off, but it didn't. After our pint, we left, didn't want to insist 'winner stays on'. Regarding playing sub-standard players, I've been beat a lot by hit-and-hope players who smash the ball, and after hitting cushions for an age, trickle into a pocket. Been beat by a 9 year old as well, real hustlers in the making. I used to play against this guy from Glasgow years ago. A really good pool player, but would always look to snooker you if he couldn't play a shot. Used to drive me bananas. Have to admit to being more of a hit and hope merchant than a natural pool player. Darts I like but due to bad eyesight I am woeful at it. The closest I have ever come to a nine dart finish is actually hitting the board with one of my first 9 darts. |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 27, 2016 20:29:10 GMT
Yes I was okay at pool too, bit inconsistent sometimes, but generally pretty good. Don't get me wrong I've lost to some very average players, but I've also beaten some very good ones I was asked a few times to play for teams, I could never be bothered with league play though. So I never had any trophies. For a time I was a member of a Riley's and really got into 9-ball, I was playing about 3 evenings a week, for several hours at a time.. At first it seemed weird on the massive table, with the heavier balls but I got to really enjoy (and respect) that game. Better than traditional '8-ball/reds and yellows/spots vs stripes'. Rileys! I was also a member, cheap beer and a great afternoon shooting 8-ball. They even had an L Shaped table to hone your skills on. I played in a league in the late 80s, my cue was like glass it was THAT smooth. Long gone now I'm afraid. I visited a rough pub in 1990, and the usual dossers insisted on 'winner stays on'. I explained I only wanted a game and a pint with my brother, but he and his rough mates were insistant that their boy stayed on as he was the previous games winner. I six balled him in less than 3 minutes. My brother is quite tasty and it looked as though it would kick off, but it didn't. After our pint, we left, didn't want to insist 'winner stays on'. Regarding playing sub-standard players, I've been beat a lot by hit-and-hope players who smash the ball, and after hitting cushions for an age, trickle into a pocket. Been beat by a 9 year old as well, real hustlers in the making. Yes Riley's was a good laugh. Ours didn't have an L shaped table. But it did have a complete hardbody who worked behind the bar. Tottering around in an 'aeroplane' skirt on 4 inch high heals. Man she was worth the membership fee on her own....  No wonder I used to spend about 10hours a week in there. I'm probably cack now. I mean stuff like the angles are still there but I bet my touch would be all over the place, it was last time I played. I've only played pool a few times since I moved to Cornwall. I've won every time too, but the last one was very lucky, it was 3-2 in games and in fairness I should have lost, it went down to the wire and he lost his nerve, that's how I won. But he was probably the better player on the day. |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 27, 2016 20:38:55 GMT
I used to play against this guy from Glasgow years ago. A really good pool player, but would always look to snooker you if he couldn't play a shot. Used to drive me bananas. Have to admit to being more of a hit and hope merchant than a natural pool player. Darts I like but due to bad eyesight I am woeful at it. The closest I have ever come to a nine dart finish is actually hitting the board with one of my first 9 darts. That's pretty much how I used to play pool, a right nasty get..  Re: Darts, I had the highest checkout recorded in our staff room at work, till the place got refurbed and the gaffers didn't want us putting another dart board up. It was 138.  So not exactly BDO material, let alone PDC. My father was very good at darts and has many trophies.. I have had random people in pubs comment to me about how good he was, at a local level like. So maybe I have some latent talent? |
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Post by daz on Nov 27, 2016 21:03:18 GMT
I don't think people appreciate how difficult darts is, especially trying to do a checkout or finish on a double, doing it drunk was another skill altogether.
I can remember playing darts once in a pub, the only time I played in public when I was 16 and missed the board and the dart landed on a girls boob...on the nuts board, remember when nuts used to hang up on the wall behind the counter and would reveal either a topless or nearly topless young lady the more packets of nuts which were sold. I was banned from darts after that. I suppose I could claim I hit a double or a different sort.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 28, 2016 7:38:30 GMT
the only time I played in public when I was 16 and missed the board and the dart landed on a girls boob...on the nuts board, remember when nuts used to hang up on the wall behind the counter and would reveal either a topless or nearly topless young lady the more packets of nuts which were sold. I was banned from darts after that. I suppose I could claim I hit a double or a different sort. Yes I remember those calendars. Not that I needed much encouragement to eat snacks whilst drinking. We also had the cockle lady that came round. With jars of cockles and muscles and packets of scampi and stuff, carried about in a little wheelbarrow no less. She didn't shout 'Alive Alive O' though, which was a bit disappointing. |
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 29, 2016 11:16:35 GMT
In a former workplace in the 90s I used to play darts. We sometimes played other employers in a tournament and they could be good nights out.
I still have a dartboard but it has not seen use for years.
I also had a spell in the early 90s playing quiz/games machines which we had at work.
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Post by plasticpenguin on Dec 1, 2016 17:49:21 GMT
Used to love playing pool or snooker.
Above everything the favourite pub game was trying to pull the unpullable (ahem). But I was only a teenager.
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Post by thecraftyleek on Jan 6, 2017 21:25:36 GMT
Shove Ha'penny every time. Great game. Shouting 'scuds' as your opponent pushes coins up a wooden board. It bores some people to death. Others like me, we love it!
Just out of interest, if anyone sees a shove ha'penny board with brass lifter dividers across the lines in the board, please let me know! I've been searching for one for many years, but they are very rare.
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Post by jno on Jan 8, 2017 10:01:54 GMT
I shall be challenging thecraftyleek to a shoveha'penny match in February as it happens ... in the meantime I've been polishing my board and practising me shoves. SCUDS!! |
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Post by bensonrad on Jan 25, 2017 22:49:07 GMT
Arcade games for sure, seeing a few of those classic during watching through all the Minder episodes got me hankering for a nice wood grain Space Invaders, managed to get one at the end of last year, very happy. Darts and Bar Skittles were my other choices.
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Post by bodiesstuntdouble on Feb 2, 2017 16:00:19 GMT
I'm rather partial to a pinball machine - I grant you that it would be awfully out of place in a quiet country pub , but in the right setting they provide a lot of harmless fun and enjoyable competition.
Back in the late 80s when I was in the RAF I used to earn my cab fare to the train station from my winnings on quiz machines (made by Barcrest I think ?)
Slightly off thread - does anyone else remember " Indoor League" on telly in the 70s ? I used to love that show as a kid so I got the DVDs a little while ago - Fred Trueman should have hosted more shows ! Lol
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Post by flyingsquad on Feb 2, 2017 16:23:26 GMT
I like pinball. I also used to play the quiz machines and watched 'Indoor League' in the 70s. |
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Post by jno on Feb 2, 2017 18:54:31 GMT
Slightly off thread - does anyone else remember " Indoor League" on telly in the 70s ? I used to love that show as a kid so I got the DVDs a little while ago - Fred Trueman should have hosted more shows ! Lol Indoor League is a window on a period of time that anyone born after 1980 probably just won't get. Network had this out on DVD a few years back and this is thoroughly superb viewing. The Yorkshire dart board is pure magic and as thecraftyleek mentions above, shove boards with metal levers - utterly fascinating viewing for me (Mrs jno thought I should be committed for watching it along with presenter Fred Truman). 'Indoor League' is well worthy of it's own thread at some point - top class telly for anorak retro lovers like me. Only 2 weeks and myself and thecraftyleek will be having our annual Shove match at my drum when he comes to visit - it's game on like donkey kong! Scuds! Practise ye shoves, I'll suthee later! Apologies for bad language here and I know I should be setting an example here but as far as presenters go, this guy is the absolute ballcocks. Can you imagine him doing the BBC 6 o'clock news?   |
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Post by jno on Feb 19, 2017 6:03:29 GMT
Result of my annual Shove Ha'penny match versus thecraftyleek: thecraftyleek 2, jno 0  After 2 full games, I must admit the 'Oxford' variant rules do make Shove Ha'penny a much better game - it certainly speeds things up a little. I clearly need to practise my shoves ready for next year. I am already soaking my ha'pennies in vinegar and talcing the board down. |
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Post by harryshand on Jun 30, 2020 22:03:53 GMT
Growing up in the West Country it has to be skittles. I was a sticker up for a couple of years, great pocket money, £5 a night plus drinks when a weekly paper round was paying less than £5 a week. Probably started my smoking habit though.
Played with the old man for a few years when home from Uni. Top score 57 for the aficionados.
“STICK ‘EM UUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPP”
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Post by jno on Aug 8, 2020 2:30:53 GMT
Having spent most of the Corona virus time setting up a bar at home, I have decided that one entire corner shall indeed be dedicated to shove ha'penny. I reckon I could be the first ever bar in Austria to have a permanent shove ha'penny board ready to go. I might even start my own league, which tragically is likely to be me vs me for the forseeable, until the unlikely event of me ever meeting a local who knows what the duck shove ha'penny even is. Game on! |
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So not exactly BDO material, let alone PDC.
