How it all started

How the back pages of a marbles book helped the creation of Yorkshire Meds.

I have always been fascinated by marbles; so when in 2001, we went on holiday with our young children to Devon & Cornwall (South West England); one of the attraction was the House of Marbles. We spent the day visiting this great venue and brought back a lot of marbles with us. We started to play (and invent new) marble games using our mini-snooker table at home. Soon, friends & families joined the games at home.

In 2003, a friend and neighbour (Jackie), knowing my passion for marbles, gave me as a birthday present the 1991 book edited by House of Marbles, called "Marbles, the pocket book of marble collecting, history & games" . At the very end, this book had two pages on an international marble tournament in Tinsley Green that has been running since 1932.

So researching the Internet, I found that the marbles championship has been running ever since. I just could not believe it. I contacted the organiser (Sam McCarthy-Fox) and Sam suggested that if I could put together a team of six players, I could register for the 2004 tournament. 

Then came the interesting bit:  the task of putting a team together. Remember that for most of us playing marbles is something our generation played as children (and the new generation plays even less of it in the playground or outdoor). So just me talking about "playing marbles as adults" would probably encounter (let's say) interesting responses; let alone if I asked them to actually be part of a team and driving to the South of England for it. However, I am in the UK, and I know we excel at vintage, eccentric and ancient games. So there was hope.

Anyway, I prepared a presentation - the day out, history  of the tournament; rules, location, the great fun of it and various how-tos. I would normally decide within a few minutes of someone's reaction whether to pursue this or no. I talked to a few people in various places, family & friends, work, neighbours etc.. I was surprisingly fortunate to have family & friends warming up to the idea; in particular the great initial support were my father-in-law Akil (who likened the game to something he loved, the French outdoor game  Les boules, la pétanque), two of my bother-in-laws (Halim & Eyad), my friend Bob and my son Aziz.  Bob was very keen but could not make the 2004 event. Eyad got us a friend and his girlfriend as player 5 and 6 for the 2004 event and that is how we started.

And this is how we got involved in the marbles championships.