So, I thought to myself, what games traditionally have a formal, easy-to-use-and-understand arrangement for keeping score? I considered cribbage boards (a bit small, and a bit fiddly), portable table-tennis scoreboards (big and clunky, and the numbers are likely to wear out) and various other cunning devices.
Finally came up with this, which has a certain Gonzo charm all of its own. It arrived yesterday.
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| Just how badly did you want to know the score...? |
It's a little over 86cm wide. The numbers are on brass rollers, so each of the two score rows can be switched to 1-20, 21-40, 41-60. 61-80 or 81-100. Yes, it's a bit worn, but it's old, right? The black panel on the left is a small blackboard - I had a fleeting idea of converting it to a (black) magnetised mini-noteboard, but then realised what an outrage that might represent - so blackboard it shall remain. [No writing in blue chalk, though.]
One thing for sure, in future I may have no idea how my games are going, but I will be in no doubt about the score.
If anyone is expert in this area, I suspect that it was made by EJ Riley Ltd, of Accrington, Lancs, as a special order, but have no proof - the fellow who sold it to me doesn't know the background. I'd be interested to know a little more about its pedigree if you have any ideas.
This is a handsome find and perfect for the discriminating wargamer.
ReplyDeleteThe Contesse has been surprisingly supportive - she doesn't know I'm going to order the snooker table next...
DeleteIts certainly a handsome piece. As long as you remember to notch up your points when scored, it should serve well.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of having adc's to do this sort of thing but they'd probably expect to be paid and housed and would eventually get to drinking and gambling etc so I've never tried it.
I should have a big, flashing LED sign next to it, to remind me. Plus a buzzer, of course, to remind me to look at the LED sign. What can possibly go wrong?
DeleteThat's a nice bit of kit!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to put a touch of proper wax polish on the casing - it will certainly smell better for it.
DeleteI use gold play money coins, but this is tres elegant!
ReplyDeleteGold coins are pretty elegant, too. When playing C&CN games involving Prussians recently, we have been using Deutschmarks for the Iron Will counters (since I am far too stingy to have bought the Prussian Expansion) - I fancied getting a small stock of Napoleonic-era Prussian coins, but that is getting silly, and too expensive. Mind you, if the small stock was actually one coin, it would be possible to cast some white-metal replicas. Hmmm.
DeleteGold play money coins makes me think of those chocolate jobs you get at Xmas - there would be an additional risk there, of course. "Blücher loses battle because the French ate his Iron Will counters".
Billiards, ah, now there's a real game!
ReplyDeleteI have a great liking for billiards and snooker and related games. I love formal games equipment, immaculate baize cloth, bright lights, the click of crystallite - I also love the formality and the tradition. Sadly, my eyesight doesn't do straight lines, even a bit, so I have never been able to have a serious shot at playing properly. [Different topic, but this is similar to my love of high-class casinos, though of course I would never gamble in them (or anywhere else) - I just love all that glitter and fancy equipment. Croupiers with white gloves - you don't think this is weird, do you...?]
DeleteI am reminded that my maternal grandfather had what he called a "carombole" table, which was French, and had no pockets. He couldn't play for toffee, but took great delight in holding forth at great length about how the modern game with pockets was a mere upstart imposter, and the proper game, "as brought back from India by our army...", was without pockets, like his table. When I checked, of course, I found that - like most of his views - he was entertaining but completely wrong...
Thank you all gentlemen - billiards, come to think of it, might be exactly what the ADC's spend their time playing. Tricky, transporting the table on campaign.
ReplyDeleteSorry about slow response to comments - of late, something appears to have changed in Blogger again. In theory, it should now be possible to do moderation again, with email notification to me if a comment arrives. Seems to be working this morning, but prior to this I was receiving no notification, comments were appearing without being moderated (hence the occasional Indian political flyers and ads for Viagra in Indonesia - that wasn't me, honest), and I could type comments as much as I wanted, but couldn't publish them. With luck it should be working now.
ReplyDelete