As usual we met in the breakfast room of the very friendly and accommodating Old Well Inn. Eleven of us sat down on three tables to play a variety of games.
‘Race Across the World’ was a new one to us, based on the TV show. Four of us battled it out on the journey from London to Singapore across land and sea by bus, train and boat, but also on foot for the trip to the job centre. We each started off with £900 which seemed like a lot of money but soon petered out due to high transport and accommodation costs. The accommodation varied from 5 star hotels to some very dodgy dives, provoking much hilarity. The ‘Chance’ cards picked up on the way were met with groans as sometimes more cash disappeared, and we had to find paid employment. At the final destination we were all were surprisingly close together, Annie won by a whisker.
Other tables played ‘Azul’, during which players take turns drafting coloured tiles from suppliers to their player board. Later in the round, players score points based on how they've placed their tiles to decorate the palace. Extra points are scored for specific patterns and completing sets; wasted supplies harm the player's score. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Sue proved to be the Azul queen.
Two tables also did rounds of ‘Skyjo’, a fast-paced family card game. The goal of which is to earn the lowest score by collecting, swapping and revealing cards over several rounds. Chris and Hilary were the winners on the two tables. As usual it was a really enjoyable afternoon.
Report by Hilary Clarkson