The Northants 8-Counties Challenge of 2005: 

For Northants' ambitious project, which included a visit to Handcross Social Club, check out this link:

…..and a Return Challenge in 2007, when Mid Sussex visited Northamptonshire one Saturday:

The inaugural Mr Kipling challenge took place last night in the deepest wilds of Northamptonshire - and what an enjoyable event it was !

It may sound crazy for a team of misfits to be cobbled together to make a 280-mile round journey to play a friendly match, but such is the power of the Forum - without which, let's face it, such a venture would not have happened.

So what was the point of it all, you may ask ?
Well, Distinguished Member The Colemanator mentioned a nice pub in Thrapston in which a brilliant table had been installed - but with no immediate prospects of a team (well maybe in the summer league), all current league players being happily settled where they were. So a landlord who has made such a commitment deserved to get at least a competitive match or two there to find out what it's all about.

Now, a good venue with a good table is a precious commodity, so, impressed with the "Eight Counties Challenge" undertaken by the "Northants Nutters" two years ago, we "Southern Softies" felt the opportunity should not pass to make a token effort on behalf of a bunch of guys with whom we feel an affinity as, whilst they take their bar billiards seriously, they do not take themselves too seriously. THE COURTHOUSE INN, THRAPSTON.

Kipling Challenge. 9 singles were played - a format rarely seen except in Internationals !
Away team had breaks 1,3,5,7,9 and Home team breaks 2,4,6,8.

Courthouse Criminals 4, Bolney Bailiffs 5  (match held at the Courthouse, Thrapston, Northants on Saturday 24th November 2007)

Hammy 7530, tommo 2990
First on is always the 'guinea pig' but this one was no match for the 'hamster'. 1-0
Herr von Puebik 3870, margo 490
H/V/P was out for revenge after a Bucks Open defeat, couldn't take it out on tommo so took it out on his poor wife instead 2-0
Triplex 1500, Sir KT 11,130
Unlucky draw for Colemanator II, Sir KT opened with 5k and he did not get a real opportunity to shine. 2-1
Colemanator 9580, BigTJ 2680
The red shoes heralded a magnificent display from the cool dude in an indiscriminate attack. 3-1
Coleman III (Junior) 2780, Big DJ 4010
Retaliation in the form of the Red Hat. You just have to see the pictures ! Junior showed glimpses that he is going to be some player in the future. 3-2
Sir Gaylord of Ectonshire 6440, Sir Jock o'the Strap 4910
Best game of the evening, Sir Jock struggling valiantly against a tip-top performance from Sir Gaylord. 4-2
Quagmire 1830, BB Reaper 6560
The Reaper was fired up, and looked set for a five-figure score, but ran out of steam, Quag played some good shots but unable to pull it back. 4-3
Admiral Burch 1800, Mama Hall 4710
The admirable Admiral was rolling a bit, but Mama was on a mission to make it all square and succeeded. 4-4
Jel 1580, Lady Hayley 5850
What can I say, all was all very boisterous with much table-thumping and chanting "Hay-ley ! Laydee H !" The barrel was slightly the worse for wear but gallant in defeat as Lady H turned in an immaculate performance to clinch it for the Bailiffs. 4-5

Some "Thank yous" :

Thanks to Kevin and Hayley Tunstall for guesting for us and for supplying handsome perpetual trophies which we'll have to try and put up a photo of some time. The winners bears a Kipling Tart logo and the runners-up a Tescos Cherry Bakewell logo.

Thanks to Lorraine Hall for doing all the driving and getting us there and back safely, and somehow managing to shave an hour of the estimated time for the journey each way.

And thanks to my opposite number Ian Coleman for looking after us and arranging a super spead of delicious curry with rice, or chilli con carne with rice, garlic bread and a generous array of Cherry Bakewells.

All in all, a tremendous evening.

Report on “Tart activity”.

'Tart activity' was more or less reduced to one main player on each side.
Dave Jones for the Bailiffs, not only for his red hat with the dangly bits which he wore for his game, but also for the ear-splitting snoring for the entire duration of the journey home (briefly interrupted by a sharp jab in the nadgers by Sir Jock.)

And for the "Crims" I give you.........none other than Herr von Puebik himself ! His crimes, which by self-admission earn the handsome total of 3 Kipling points (is that all ?) :
1. Knocked his glass over in the rush to get over to score, then denied it from afar.
2. Repeated the feat with a full glass - no denying it this time !
3. Scoffed the 'match stakes' of the packet of Kipling 'Festive' Bakewells whilst scoring the last game. Tart !          

(A multi-page thread can be found on the British Bar Billiards Forum containing all the banter with Northants surrounding this event.)

- Clive T,  25 Nov 2007.