Have You Ever Played Darts?

Darts, the quintessential British pub game. Have you tried it? In the UK it has the reputation
as being the drinker’s game. If you like beer, you’ll love darts!

These days, it’s not uncommon to see a digital equivalent of darts in many Spanish bars. The
board lights up when you score, and the darts stick to a multi coloured, pimply plastic surface.
They really turn me off. If there’s any way to ruin a bloody good game, I think they’ve found it!

Back in the 1980’s, when I lived in the UK and was responsible for at least 80% of beer sales in
the London area (ie. I drank a lot!), I frequently played darts. I had my own set of ‘arrows’ in a
red and black leather case, and I would whip them out whenever there was a game going on.

My best friend and I both had dart boards in our houses when we were kids, and we’d spend
many a night after school honing our skills and aiming for that elusive treble 20, the highest
score - 180.

Years later, in my first job as an insurance clerk, I would go to the pub Friday lunchtime and
out would come the darts.

One Friday, I remember there was a serious game going on. A game of doubles and the guy
scoring with chalk next to the board, was the office clown Peter French. My friend Malcolm,
after being wound up for over an hour by the annoying, and universally disliked, Mr. French,
finally decided he’d had enough. He aimed a dart straight at Peter’s leg, and there it stuck,
for everyone to see. Peter was crying in pain as we all shouted “ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!”