Traditional British Games
Many Traditional British Games can be seen at the Egremont Crab Fair, which is held in the town of Egremont, Cumbria, every September. The highlight of the day-long event is the international gurning contest, where contestants have the opportunity to impress the audience and judges, by making the most horrible faces imaginable.
However, the other Traditional British Games on show should not be missed. Other such games can be seen around the country at village fairs and fetes, as well as in school playgrounds. One such game is conkers, where participants hit each other’s horse chestnut seed, to see whose is the hardest.
The local pub is home to many Traditional British Games, many of which are still played today. Snooker is a pub pastime that has gone on to become an international sport. On the other hand, games such as dominoes remain the domain of elderly gentlemen, who gather in their local pub for some social recreation.
Some of the most Traditional British Games have been born out of the garden lawn or village green. Tennis has probably enjoyed the widest success in exporting this kind of sport; cricket isn’t far behind. Croquet has a more exclusive following; in this game, a ball is hit with a mallet towards a designated target. Despite, the French-sounding name, mallet and ball games were first thought to have been played in England.
There are also a great number of board games that can be regarded as Traditional British Games. The internet is a great source of information about Traditional British Games; despite concentrating on gurning, the hardgurningnrg.co.uk website is a useful starting point.