Atherstone Ball Game 2010

22nd Feb 2010 19:14pm

Shrove Tuesday in Atherstone saw another game of the yearly Atherstone Ball Game. Roughly 901 years old now, this game begins with large crowds gathering in the main street (Long St) and await the huge ball to be thrown out of Barclay's Bank window. Once it's thrown out the people in the street boot the ball up and down the street for about an hour and a half, then once that time is up the mayhem erupts and everyone goes for the ball to see who has it when the claxon goes at 5pm.

The game does involve violence, so if you're tempted to get the ball around 4.50pm then you more than likely will be punched, kicked or thrown everywhere... that's just how the game is. Anyways, this years winner was Mark Rollinson (I think I've spelt his name correctly).

» WikiPedia :: Atherstone Ball Game

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Tags: atherstone, ball game, shrove tuesday, pancake day

Atherstone Ball Game 2009

23rd Feb 2009 22:07pm

Well Atherstone is already starting to prepare for the wonderful 800 year old tradition of it's Shrove Tuesday Ball Game.

So far Keri Anns, Lloyds TSB and Somerfield have already boarded up their fronts and the pubs are fairly empty as people are saving up for tomorrow.

So, what is this Ball Game you speak of Dale? Well to those people that don't know anything about it, let me give you an extract from the Atherstone Ball Game website about it.

The game begins at 3pm when the ball is thrown by a local celebrity from the window of the Barclays Bank on Atherstone's main shopping street. The object of the game is to be holding onto the ball at 5pm, when a loud klaxon is sounded to signal the end of the game.
...
Things though seriously heat up as time goes on and the Ball Game ends in dozens of men literally brawling to get hold of the ball and to hold onto it. Many of the ball games more serious competitors often drink for many hours before the game begins.
...
There is only one rule, and that rule is the ball can not be taken outside the town. Anything and everything else goes. The winner in this no holds barred contest is the person holding onto the ball at 5pm.

I will be there getting pictures and recordings of it too... and hopefully - and I say that cautiously... I can be able to get close to the middle and take a few pictures of the middle of it all!

» Atherstone Ball Game Website (No longer working)

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Tags: atherstone, ball game, shrove tuesday, pancake day

Atherstone Power Cut (Again!)

19th Jan 2009 06:36am

Oh look... the powers gone again. Not exactly the best time for it to do it, though the sky looks so clear and starry.

The not-so-wonders of digital phones mean that we can't phone anyone to report the power cut... however hopefully someone else does it. It's well weird walking in the street too... no street lights, no house lights... just pure darkness and a faint sound of someones house alarm.

Also it only seems to be this side of the town (again!) Why?!

Oh actually on calling the council line thingy they've said Atherstone, Mancetter, Merevale, Grendon and other surrounding areas are affected and have been since 11:10pm. They've also said they believe it should be restored by 2.15am... (well depending on when I've posted it, will obviously show if it has been put back on or not).

Yay... all back on... only took an hour and 25 minutes. :)

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Tags: atherstone, power cut, mancetter, merevale, grendon

Atherstone Power Cut

14th Nov 2008 02:23am

Take a look at the picture below...

Atherstone Power Cut

The only light you see is of the car going past in the distance... well at around 5pm this afternoon (13th November 2008) the power went from pretty much the south end of Atherstone. Everything was dark... no street-lamps were on, no office buildings or businesses were open (as they closed due to no electric) and it was pretty eerey. Also the next town, Mancetter, was also out of power too. Luckily my house was fine - the only problems that we had was the lights would randomly flicker every now and then and the phone lines all went dead - meaning the internet also went dead too. Luckily it wasn't like the power cut in my street that happened about 3 years ago... that one lasted ages.

The power now is all back on, though I was told it did drop again about an hour and a half ago... but it's all restored now. I don't know what would have had caused it though.

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Tags: atherstone, power cut, mancetter

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