Medbourne & Hallaton, Leicestershire

The villages of Hallaton and Medbourne in Leicestershire are perhaps best known for the annual Bottle Kicking tradition. The game has strong links with the three remaining village pubs, acting as unofficial headquarters to participants, and as the focus of fundraising activities for the event including the many charities it supports. The pubs are also good places to find images and artifacts from previous years of this important local custom. There...

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Two Skittle Alleys in Loughborough

A surprising taste of West Country Skittles can be found in the Leicestershire town of Loughborough. The Swan in the Rushes was one of the first pubs taken over and thoroughly revitalised by the Tynemill Pub Company (now Castle Rock Brewery of Nottingham), and has maintained a reputation in the town as an excellent traditional ale house ever since.If there's perhaps one thing lacking from the otherwise excellent traditional interior of the Swan,...

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A Wisden's Shove Ha'penny

John Wisden & Co are perhaps best known as the publisher of the world famous Cricketing Almanack. However, the company originated as a supplier of sporting equipment, specifically that used for cricket which was the sport played by its eponymous founder. Other games including this high quality Mahogany Shove Ha'penny Board were added to the range sometime in the mid 20th Century, presumably to take advantage of the popularity of the game in post-war...

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Duke William, Matlock, Derbyshire

The Duke William is a true all rounder of a village pub. A campsite at the rear, and a large dining area fully exploit the picturesque location of the pub at Matlock Green, and yet this is no tourist season one-trick pony.Of course a pub in the Matlock area which doesn't actively seek to accommodate the tourist trade is really missing a trick, but the secret to lasting success in a tourist hot-spot is to also find space for a loyal local trade. These...

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A Compendium of Pub Games Images - Pt.9

The Hand & Heart in Peterborough (above) is one of a select number of pubs which appear on the CAMRA Heritage Group's inventory of unspoilt interiors, possibly one of the most important pieces of campaigning that CAMRA have undertaken. The Hand & Heart is a classic inter-war years terraced boozer, largely unaltered inside, and now lovingly run by local CAMRA activists Paul & Susan Brammer. Of interest to this blog are the traditional...

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New Plough Inn, Hinckley, Leicestershire

'Real Ales, Skittles, Darts, Dominoes'. All the right attractions for a thriving town centre locals pub, though not necessarily in that order! Under the stewardship of the current licensee Louise Newton, the New Plough Inn has developed into a serial winner with the local CAMRA branch, noted for an excellent range of real ales served in thoroughly traditional surroundings. I've only visited the pub a couple of times in recent years, but have always...

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The Beacon, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Perhaps the tidiest purpose built skittle alley I've so far seen is the one located below the Beacon public house in Loughborough. The Beacon is quite a large, and relatively modern pub, originally built by Nottinghams Home Brewery in perhaps the 60's or 70's. The pub is now owned by Everards Brewery of Leicester, and still serves the social needs of an ever expanding area of housing on the edge of the town centre.The Beacon is a real 'hub of the...

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Evesham Quoits

This is my own Evesham Quoits, or Dobbers Board. I'm using the Evesham tag because I know that this board originated from a long-closed pub in that area. It perhaps a shame that it was never painted in the traditional red and green livery, but I'm pleased that numbers indicating the scoring have not been added, frequently seen on more modern commercial boards. If you really need reminding of the 5-2-1 scoring areas, you probably shouldn't be playing...

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Bulls Head, Arthingworth, Northamptonshire

The Skittles Table at the Bulls Head is one I've played on a few times in the past, though not with any great success it must be said. Midweek games at Arthingworth were always frustratingly close affairs, sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, but there was rarely anything in it. Another slightly frustrating aspect of league play at the Bulls Head is the location of the table in a small ante-room to the main bar. During a match it's always nice to...

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