Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Darts in various places

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Darts in various places

    Looking to a darts trip with some of my team mates from Cardiff on the train. Day out in Bristol/Gloucester/Hereford of darts and food/pints. Can anyone recommend an area/cluster of pubs which offer some decent real ale/craft beer, a dart board and food in any of these places?

    Thanks in advance

    #2
    Funnily enough, I'm just out to darts now - I will endeavour to get some details on places in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury if you like? I play in the Cheltenham Darts League for a team, and in the Tewkesbury Darts Singles League so am aware of where dartboards are, but not too certain on the food and ales.

    Comment


      #3
      Back in the 1970s, each county and region had its own board, before the one used on telly became standardised. A London board only had twelve segments that were either 5, 10, 15 or 20, a Yorkshire board had no trebles, etc. I remember playing on a board in Devon where the treble ring was outermost, with the double ring immediately inside it (so finishing on a double ran the risk of immediately busting if you went outside the double into the treble, and missing the treble could score 0).

      Comment


        #4
        So where was the standardised board we now know from?

        Comment


          #5
          Even though the PDC was only startedin the early 1990s, it was still using two dartboards as some competitions used the quad board. Interestingly, when it started, it was also using the equal darts rule, which Ithought was better.

          Comment


            #6
            I thought the standard board was a “London Board”.

            I’d heard about the East London Fives board that Rogin mentions, and knew of a few other regional variations from my dart playing elders, but never seen one in any of the pubs & social clubs I frequented from mid 70s onwards. Apparently there are a couple around still, though.

            Can’t help ingodale much with his regional quest, though.

            Comment


              #7
              The Bristol darts league online seems to show that Darts is typically played in sports bars that turn into nightclubs at night. This probably does not help w/ your search.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Simon G View Post
                Funnily enough, I'm just out to darts now - I will endeavour to get some details on places in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury if you like? I play in the Cheltenham Darts League for a team, and in the Tewkesbury Darts Singles League so am aware of where dartboards are, but not too certain on the food and ales.
                Thanks Simon, very kind.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Ok, so as with most places pubs are closing left, right and centre in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury but I'll do my best with the knowledge I have.

                  Tewkesbury:
                  Until recently there were quite a lot of darts pubs, but two shut just last week. Despite living in Tewkesbury, I don't actually frequent the pubs all that much, so this is what I know of boards, etc... The best thing about Tewkesbury is that all the pubs are within a short distance of each other - and if you can't get decent food in the pubs, then there's some fantastic restaurants in town (3 curry houses, all brilliant, 2 chinese, a couple of Italians, etc...) Tuesday night is darts night in the town.

                  The White Bear
                  At the very north end of the town - renowned for having at least 5 decent ales on tap and a darts team runs from there, so one can assume they have a board.

                  The Village
                  Actually in a village called Twyning, just off the M50 (last junction before the M5). Has a couple of dartboards, but can't comment on the ale itself - though I had a good pint of Doom Bar in there.

                  DDs
                  Town centre. The Food is terrible, and no ale on tap, but is by far the best place for darts with it's set up in the back room. There are 3 boards, with the middle one having a wooden knock-up of the old Lakeside stage. It's a members club, but I've been playing in there for the last 3 years and have never been a member. The owner is more fussed by getting money in. Has a singles league on a Friday night (not every Friday) and a Super League team also runs from there.

                  The Northway
                  Technically my local (I live in Northway), and a couple of miles out of town. One to avoid, but they do have a good darts setup in there with two boards and plenty of room to throw.

                  The Canterbury
                  Just on the road out of town, a Greene King pub (which tells you all you need to know about chance of decent ales - though I like a Greene King IPA). Food is fantastic in there though. Not sure on a dartboard, I don't recall seeing one in the couple of times I've been in there.

                  The Nottingham Arms
                  Decent town centre pub, with a couple of ales on tap - no dartboard

                  The Anchor
                  I've never drank in this town centre pub, but one team does run from there so assume they have a board or two,

                  The Wheatpieces
                  A Hungry Horse in Walton Cardiff, just outside town. The food can be hit an miss (It's a Hungry Horse), but there are usually a couple of ales on, and I'm sure they have a dartboard.

                  I'm sure, but not 100% certain, all of the above show live sport as well.

                  There's a Wetherspoons (The Royal Hop Pole), and a few other pubs in town that I've never been in but I'm sure doesn't have a dartboard. The Bell is meant to be great for ale and food, but I've never been in there.

                  I'll do Cheltenham later in the week if that's ok. Just need to speak to a couple of people about ale houses.
                  Last edited by Simon G; 19-01-2019, 09:02.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thanks Simon. What's the standard of darts like over your way? How many players in a team? Maybe I could ask if our team fancied travelling over for a friendly/match later in the year. We don't have a summer league to enter this year so would most likely be up for a game.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I don't play in the Tewkesbury League (team) anymore, but I know a team who would most likely be up for a game - or I could at least get a group of lads in Tewkesbury to play a game. Standard is ok - mostly pub standard, with a few Super League players and one or two County players (BICC Div 3). The Tewkes League play 5 singles games and 3 pairs (BO5 and BO3 respectively). I'm a middling player and I average around high 50s-low 60s.

                      In Cheltenham the standard is similar - the team I play for has a County player who played in the UK Open a couple of years ago. We would struggle to get a team for a friendly though. They have more players per team though with 7 singles (BO5) and 3 pairs (1 leg at 701).

                      If you want to give an idea of when you're about (pm if you like) - I can have a word with the captain of the team in Tewkes and arrange something.
                      Last edited by Simon G; 23-01-2019, 11:55.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Simon G View Post
                        I don't play in the Tewkesbury League (team) anymore, but I know a team who would most likely be up for a game - or I could at least get a group of lads in Tewkesbury to play a game. Standard is ok - mostly pub standard, with a few Super League players and one or two County players (BICC Div 3). The Tewkes League play 5 singles games and 3 pairs (BO5 and BO3 respectively). I'm a middling player and I average around high 50s-low 60s.

                        In Cheltenham the standard is similar - the team I play for has a County player who played in the UK Open a couple of years ago. We would struggle to get a team for a friendly though. They have more players per team though with 7 singles (BO5) and 3 pairs (1 leg at 701).

                        If you want to give an idea of when you're about (pm if you like) - I can have a word with the captain of the team in Tewkes and arrange something.
                        Is that calculation including all finishing - missed doubles an'all? If so that's pretty good!

                        I'd have to check with the others (it was just an idea that came to me) but I'll get back to you definitely.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          It is - I did get to a point where I was averaging high 60s, but my form has dropped off a cliff in the last year or so and I was just starting to get it back, before falling down the stairs at home 2 weeks ago and injuring the top of my throwing arm. I'm still throwing, but my average yesterday lunchtime (BO9 against the Russ Bray app) was only 52. The first 3 or 4 throws are agony as well, but then it settles and I can't feel it.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            That's good going? I average about 45. I'm pretty happy with that considering quite a few of my games still end in a double 1 off. Nobody in our team plays county of superleague but we did win our summer league which I was pretty chuffed about as it's the first thing I've won since I was at primary school.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I only started playing competitively in 2013 - before then I had never won a trophy in my life.

                              Since then I've won three winners trophies, and five runners up, which take pride of place on the window sill in my darts room. Only one of them is a singles trophy (the rest are team trophies) which was when I won my then team's knockout.

                              I only started playing by accident as well, my skittles team was changing pubs and home games would be on a Tuesday - at the time my wife was working Tuesday evenings so I had to quit. One of my teammates suggested darts on a Wednesday and it's stuck since.

                              Do you keep a note of your first 9 average? I used to beat myself up about low averages until I realised they were hampered by poor doubling (although at times that's been the best part of my game). I had a throw this past lunch against Level 5 on the Russ Bray App (I lost 5-4) and had my best throw in months - I ended up averaging 57.4 with a first 9 of 58.9. I trailed off in the last two legs, I was above 60 up until then, including an average of 79.1 in the 4th leg.

                              I find darts is my form of escapism. It was always football, but that's only once a fortnight - darts is whenever I need to (and with my kids being the absolute devil, that is most days)

                              Comment


                                #16
                                I don't use the Russ Bray app or one that gives you a first three dart average. Having said, a lot of games I play are registered on the Russ Bray app which, as you know, does. I wouldn't know without asking what it is though.

                                I like darts because it's similar to distance running and TTs cycling (both of which I do on and off) you can lose a match but still better your average or doubles hit percentage in the same way you can come 54th in a 10k but do a PB etc. I find it therapeutic just to have a chuck on my own too.

                                This month I am doing dryanuary and I have to admit I find it easier to play competitive matches with a pint or two in me. I am slightly more relaxed but I haven't lost a singles game this January so maybe it's in my head.

                                Any more darts players on here?

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  In my very first iob (aged 16-19 in 1980-83) I worked for a bank and got reasonable at darts. We had a board in the staff lunch room and I got into the team for the Friday evening inter-branch comp. My mates and I all had boards and we'd just play at one another's places. Never knew my average; never knew that was a "thing". Met the future Mrs. S in late 83 and Real Life took over. Ever since it's just something I've done occasionally if at a pub and others are having a game, just with the pub's own darts for fun and without much success.

                                  We moved into a new office in December and someone had the idea we should be more like Google(!) so we have a ping pong table, fussball table and dart board. A combination of deteriorated hand/eye coordination and slowed reflexes means I am embarrassingly bad at the first two, but I threw some darts with a couple of other English ex pats - who play regularly - and found that after a bit of a warm up I'm not too bad. Bought myself some darts this week* and over the weekend I'll be measuring up the shed for an oche and board. I'm surprised at how excited I am.

                                  *Winmau, plugged as "Simon Whitlock", 90% tungsten 24g. If such things are worthy of note. I read that 22-24g are better for novices, and also learned about the tungsten thing which wasn't on the early 80s radar.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    A mate of mine emigrated to New Zealand about five years ago. Always did enjoy his darts, but he was only at best the third or fourth best player in the village pub team. Anyway, there's a thriving darts scene in New Zealand - the PDC take their top players over once a year for a tournament, and my mate has got to a level where he's now an entrant in an event called the South Island Masters or something. The winners get invites to the BDO Winmau World Masters and the qualifiers to the BDO World Championship, and it also earns points on the PDC world rankings from which the top 96 go to their world championship version.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Dart board purchase tomorrow. The shed is just long enough for the oche.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        I've moved in the past week meaning that I've lost the office at the back of my old garage. I think I've just got enough space in my new garage, but it's not perfect.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Good darts article on The Ringer (US focused site).

                                          https://www.theringer.com/sports/201...al-corporation

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Domestically, my team won it's second trophy of the season last night with an 11-3 aggregate victory in the Cheltenham Darts League Jubilee Cup. This joins the Cheltenham Darts League Pairs trophy that we won 2 weeks ago (the league is played as 7 singles matches, 3 pairs per game, trophies awarded for singles, pairs and overall).

                                            Before taking up darts competitively in 2013 I had never won a trophy in my life. The two won this season are numbers 9 and 10. So I can't complain.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Nice one Simon, and good article Snake.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Cheers Sits - I'm happy to say I won both my matches in the two legs as well, albeit last night's match was very much the deadest of rubbers as we were already 10-3 up when I played the last game.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Been practising, a little on the board at work but mostly in the shed. In the latter over the weekend I was finding T20 pretty fruitless, perhaps inhibited subconsciously by the awareness that now and then a throw higher up the board can hit the lightbulb.

                                                  Thought i I would try T19 for a while to remove this factor and it proved more lucrative almost immediately. I've even tried it on the work board and it seems better there too. Might just be a change being as good as a rest but this may well become my scoring zone of choice. Does anyone else do this?

                                                  All the big issues of the day, as they arise.

                                                  Comment

                                                  Working...
                                                  X