1939-03-31 — Page 14

"OH -- DARTS!'

ADIES and Gentlemen,

We

Let us tish society. What remains to be discuss the phenomenon of found is the how and the why, darts. "Phenomenon," I know, Has the darts bobni passed its sounds very like a public speech. peak? My colleague, Paul Irwin, So I have just how looked up Ro- thinks it has, and says, "Now we get's Thesaurus, and find that what can get on to the board in our local, I really mean is a prodigy, a wonder, whereas a few months ago a miracle, freak, monster, curiosity, couldn't without queuing up.. And what no words can paint, annus mir- now we can we don't want to." abilis, and things of that kind, all of which call forth such suitable ex- clamations (according to Roget) as, who would have thought it, fancy, did you ever, you don't say so, well I'm blowed.

:

when any player puts his foot be- yond the borderline, known to dart- players as "the dockey."

Elaborations of that sort always seem to me a sign of decadence.

Be that as it may, the expert opinion is that darts as a craze has not reached its peak. It is impos- That is a subjective view, but I

sible to collect any sort of full have collected one or two signs of statistics. decadence that seem to bear it out how many leagues

Simply nobody knows there are and such as the invention of a dart- 'how many people play in them. board which, slowly revolves while It is known that entries for the play is in progress, to make the biggest competition at present num- game more difficult,

ber 257,000, and the finalists who will throw their darts in the Agricul tural Hall in London and the Free

The prodigy of darts is not new. It is no longer news that darts has Somebody else has invented s swept like an epidemic through Bri- device that switches on a red light

S.P.C. ANNUAL BALL

CABARET AND BRIDGE

Under the distinguished patronage of

will be held at

PENINSULA HOTEL

Trade Hall in Manchester some- where about midsummer will have the satisfaction of throwing a nif- tier dart than a quarter of a million competitors.

THE CHINA

THE INVADER REPELLED-Visitora të tide. Huge waves broke over the promenade.

In addition, there are county leagues, brewery leagues, club lea- gues, an infinity of friendly club and pub matches, matches between His Excellency the Governor, Sir Geoffry Northcote, Kt., K.C.M.G. | Press and Stage, and I don't know whether Law has yet played Medi-

When I telephoned some of these invade Mayf cine.

organising officials, whose voices the suggest it w Essex is playing Surrey at the B.B.C. and television have made Perhaps

famous it was worse than ringing digy to reco end of the month. In Yorkshire, dart-players are organising them up the Home Office to ask about Wilfred ("W selves into a country association, AR.P., such an air of controversy, cartney, afte In the North of England they tell strained nerves, and irritated feel- ce from the me there are Sunday School Leagues. ings electrified the wire. But there is a pre-Creation chaos in As to the these rules. There are "friends" it all. There is no uniformity either four distances from the board, all' of rules or of dartbroad size or num- frequent

7ft. 6in., 8ft., 8ft. 6in., ancient game peculiar thată bering.

on

FRIDAY, 14th April, 1939, at 9.30 p.m. Tickets ($4.00 each, including supper) are obtainable at Peninsula Hotel and Hong Kong Hotel.

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ST. GEORGE'S BUILDING ́

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CHÄTER ROAD, HONGKONG

and 9ft., this last being the distance used in the biggest competition. But throughout the North of Eng- land they throw from 7ft 6in., and at a smaller and different board.

In the North, the number at the top of the board is four in the South it is 20. Both the North and South have a "double ring" (where scores.count double), but the.South. has a "treble ring" as well, which the North hasn't. They have been 'playing darts like that in Lancashire and Yorkshire. for 60 or 70 years. But the South says it is improper.

I first remember playing darts at the beginning of 1932 at the Sir Charles Napier. in the village of Spriggs Alley. It was then, on the whole, a game for villagers and workingclass pubs in London. At exactly what point did the craze begin?

If we could answer that question we might lay a finger on the how and why. At some point a prole- tarian and village game began to

about 1935, a that sees-ne

att

Of

course,

OLDE ings over Mr Tha ed to be th firm: faveti

stage."

Bringing Up Father

NOW-1 WANT BOTH OF YOU TO STOP PICKING ON MY, BROTHER- HE WAS UP VERY -EARLY THIS MORNING AND

WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE HOW MR. WILL GET WELL IS. GETTING ALONG THE IS MGA SO THOUGHTFUL-

IF YOU COUNT T DAYS HE BEEN AWA IN HIEEE

JUST BECAUSE HE, WAS AWAKE TWO HOURS YESTERDA MOTHER THINKS HE HAS INSOMNIA--

OK-HELLO-MR. GET WELL

I HOPE YOU ARE FEEUN". BELTER, AND WILL UP AGAIN SOON)-