Unusual sports

Couch potatoes are not trendy but let’s face it, going to the gym doesn’t guarantee a six pack. In fact, if you are thinking that by overworking your body you’re going to look like a supermodel, you’ll soon give up. Engaging in sports activities like tennis, football and even walking for an hour will keep you interested for a long time. But if you find these sports too boring or too conventional, why don’t you try any of these?

AUNT SALLY.

Aunt Sally is a game that has it’s roots in the county of Oxfordshire, and goes back to the 17th century, but is still played today on a regular basis around the country, particularly at village fetes and fairgrounds during the Summer months.

In the county of Oxfordshire, where the game originates, there is an Aunt Sally League, which has been playing regular matches since the 1930’s.

The game was originally played in pubs and at fairgrounds. A ball, which is called a dolly, is placed upon a spiked, wooden plinth. Each player is given six sticks, which they throw at the dolly. The person who knocks off the dolly the most times is hailed the winner. The sticks are not known for their compliance, making the game one of much skill and dexterity.

Originally the dolly was a figurehead of a woman with a pipe in her mouth, commonly known as an Aunt Sally.

BARREL ROLLING.

This is a game with its roots in the 18th century. Owing to the main implement of the sport, it is supposed that the sport was initially played as a pub sport.

People would lay a beer barrel on its side, stand on top of it, then ‘ walk’ the barrel along a stipulated course. The first person to complete the course would be the winner.

The game of course is not as easy as it sounds, and resulted in many people falling off the barrel, many of which sustained some quite nasty injuries.

However, despite it’s dangers, the game still lives on in many parts of the country.

CHEESE ROLLING.

Cheese rolling is an age old game played throughout the British Isles in most of it’s cheese making areas.

A large ‘ round’ of cheese would be pushed along the village or town streets by as many people as could be mustered.

The aim of the game would be to push the cheese as far as possible without it falling over.The ‘ round’ that travelled the furthest with least damage done to it, would be deemed the winner, and a prize awarded to the maker of said cheese.

Today the game is played by rolling a ‘ round’ down a steep incline, and people would chase after it, with the intention of overtaking it.

In recent years it has been hailed as a very dangerous sport, which has caused many serious injuries.

The Cheese Rolling World Championships are held in the county of Gloucestershire every Spring Bank Holiday Monday.