CHRISTMAS GAMES PART 1: 'THE BUMMER CUP'...

 Christmas Games Part 1: 

'The Bummer Cup'…

School’s out!

Cold. Dark. Dank.

Frost stealing onto 

Dull blades of grass,

But meagre trimmings

Cannot deny the presence 

Of Christmas coming,

Yet too quick to pass…

Must practise!

Aim. Throw. Retrieve.

Rubber rings thrown onto

Circular wooden board

And simple repetition

Ensues, frustration too

Of Christmas approaching

And a present hoard…

Round the hooks!

Pedantic. Ordered. Inflexible.

From one to thirteen,

Then returning to one

But impatient irritation sets in,

Rushes of blood to the head

Of Christmas defeats,

For father will beat son…

Pete Ray

The ‘ring board’ had been made by my father in the 1930s, with 13 hooks screwed into a circular wooden board.

He won the 'Bummer Cup' from the Boxing Day tournament every year at my house in Shard End, Birmingham.

IN LATER YEARS WITH MY MUM.
THE MIRROR WOULD BE TAKEN DOWN & THE RING BOARD ATTACHED FOR THE COMPETITION...

Names were drawn from a hat and the competition began…

My father threw the rings like he was throwing darts and he was so accurate…

To win a tie, 101 was needed but you had to finish exactly on 101, so if 9 was needed and you scored 10, your score was nullified until your next turn… 

I practised and practised when school was out, also throwing like a darts player would but I could rarely beat my father and NEVER in a competition…

I went round the board to help with accuracy, starting at 1 and getting to 13, then reversing the practice…

Didn’t help much though…

However, I was very good and well versed in how to lose, at Draughts and cards too…

I USED THE RING BOARD IN MY World War Two LIVING ROOM WHILST DOING CHRISTMAS SESSIONS FOR KEY STAGE 2 KIDS...