Beer & skittles...

On my way to Sidmouth I saw a sign, to Colyton, the ‘Rebel Town’, which piqued my interest. When I arrived in the town - just a sizeable village really - they were setting up stalls for a Christmare Fair (Fayre?), so I parked up, took some pix, then put the camera away. The village pub has not one but two skittle alleys: one downstairs and one, bizarrely, in the back bar. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen drinkers sharing a room with a full-sized skittle alley!

The landlord told me they had matches every night of the week, and that eleven teams - eleven! - operate from the pub, which, in essence, is little more than a skittle alley with a drinks license. They take the game seriously round here!

There are nine, not ten, pins to aim at with a ball the size of a small melon, made from lignum vitae, a wood chosen for its weight and density. Behind the pins was a barrier, made from thick carpet, to stop the balls doing too much damage. Half of the bar was uncarpeted bare boards, and players fired the balls down its full length: about 30 feet.

At the business end was a young lad whose job it was to set up the skittles and send the balls back (by putting them onto a sloping ‘ball-run’ which delivered them to the other end of the room and which, incidentally, kept drinkers and skittlers apart). The players - six on each side - were able to sit down, chat and drink beer as they watched others take their turn. But for the boy - he looked about 12 - there was no rest. I was told he got £18 per session: good pocket money, but he earned every penny. By the time the game ended - with the locals winning, hooray! - he looked knackered.

What a fun way to spend an evening! The combined racket from both skittle alleys was like distant thunder… or people shifting heavy furniture next door…

‘Rebel town’? I had to google it…

Not my pic, but the skittle alley was a bit like this...