Today I had my first day at leisure for 5 years, playing boules again.
Malc set up this group soon after we arrived probably around 2004
Today now I have retired from Mains Tendues I played boules again.
It was my first afternoon of leisure for 5 years and by gum I enjoyed it. It brought me closer to Malc who had he been alive would have been there with us on our 55 th wedding anniversary.
This was 2011
For many years now a dedicated group of boulistes, mainly Brits but with regular assistance of some French, occasional Dutch players and often supplemented by summer visitors, have met on Friday afternoon to indulge in this most French of pastimes.
Numbers vary from 10 to 20+, all ages, both men and women, plus many children in the holidays. In order to achieve some fairness in the teams players are generally seeded into “tireurs” (those who think they can knock out opponents’ boules) and “pointers” (the rest). Teams are always drawn at random to try and give some semblance of equal opportunities.
The game is usually played in either “doublettes” – teams of two players using 3 boules each - or “triplettes” – teams of three players using 2 boules each. Given the unknown number of people attending on any Friday we don’t usually know until we start how many doublettes and/or triplettes we will have. But we usually manage to sort something out.
We usually play 2 or three games, “parties”, up to 13 points. The afternoons last about 2 hours.
In summer the matches are at the Verfeil boulodrome, but in winter we find Varen is less likely to be cold as the sun remains on the “terrain” much longer.
All the matches are played in a serious but friendly spirit and the regulars would welcome any newcomers and will willingly help explain the rules and the tactics. You don’t need to become a regular; come as often or a little as you wish. Some of us have even become familiar on the French circuit of “amicales” – occasionally the very proud winners of a few euros! It’s a pastime or a passion, as you wish.
From Friday 4th November we will be meeting at Varen on the boules terrain by the little Vival supermarket, rain always permitting. So if you would like to come and play or just find out more we would love to see you.
For more details ring Malcolm 0563 64 06 73 or email taglines82@gmail.com — with Deborah Eagle and Neil Ford.
