PUBS

The Pub

Pages

BEER & SKITTLES

P. A. BAXTER

larger. I had assumed it was centred only around the Lincolnshire town of Stamford, but Mark Shirley recently assured me that there is a significant number of teams and players along the South coast, although I have yet to get more detail. Why there should be such a large distance between two centres of a game already known for it's relative obscurity is a mystery, but to me this is yet another part of the joy with pub That Tony Pugsley of Wincanton has an electric heater that works in a power cut (Must be

Solar). That Ryan Sandercock of Castle

Cary is a dab hand at topiary. That Shepton Mallet’s Stacey

Bennett-Hinchliffe thinks

Wincanton is very Convenience. That whatever the weather,

North Cadbury’s postie delivers his letters and parcels with a smile. That just ‘three quarters of an inch’ can make Mrs Janet

Feakins of Sprowston a very unhappy woman, especially after several short measures in her tins of G&T. That when it comes to sitting in comfort, Castle Cary’s Kevan

Davis much prefers a high seat. That Wincanton’s Jeff and Lynne

Cook have found the bear necessities.

games. Furthermore Mark believes that the Stamford game is in a parlous state and only just about hanging with about six pubs involved in their league. Who can tell what may be the fate of this game or indeed any game when pubs re-open?

I mentioned before, the Rose & Crown of Bradford Abbas, and Mark has, in his most recent post, given more than a little room to his visit mentioned earlier. He and his partner Karen took in as many establishments as he could on their break here in the West Country, and he stayed in the pub and we even gave him an opportunity to play the beautiful game! (take a look, do!)

It has occurred to me that perhaps Governments are not quite telling us the truth about our various activities that they class as being undesirable. To reinforce this view, one needs only to look at the picture of ‘The Lads of the Village’ in the Rose & Crown having a smoke, a few pints and of course, the delightful film of them skittling. Between the five of them they'd reached 434 years, making an average age of just under 87 years.

So I present to you the Baxter guide to longevity; drink, smoke and play skittles! (No need to thank me).

© P.A. Baxter 2021. skittlealley@hotmail.com That when it comes to a tasty bacon roll, Damian Hoddinott of South Cadbury prefers it without the addition of salad cream. That after many years living in

Crewkerne, former landlord and landlady of Castle Cary’s

George Hotel have returned to the town. Welcome back Innes and Sally. That according to young Zac

Rendall of Yeovil, if you don’t listen properly you may just have your ears put on Ebay. That former Weymouth resident

Mr Paul ‘Tony’ Hawkins, has, after much practice, mastered the art of two-bridge walking. That the recent fire at the former

NatWest Bank in Crewkerne must have left some people feeling a little low … and not with the anticipated high as expected.

Solution to March Sudoku

ANSWERS TO POP MUSIC QUIZ

on page 12

1. Kiss 2. Paul Carrack 3. Hollies 4. Teignmouth 5. The ceiling! 6. Nelly Furtado 7. The Proclaimers 8. Hanson 9. Poppy Family 10. The Long and Winding road

Worth-A-Guess Bonus Question: 140

Anorak Bonus Question: The Hollies

Vinny counts down the days...