The Rye u3a pétanque / boules team have been back playing on Strand Quay most weeks since April 2023. It is a known French game and, depending on which part of the country you come from, in the south some call it pétanque, further north they call it boules.
The Wednesday group has grown considerably over the last couple of years and we now have 21 members. The number is too big for one team, so a Tuesday group was started. Both meet every week at 10am.
Scoring is similar to lawn bowls and the individual balls nearest to the jack, score the points. The number in the groups is between six and eight, depending who turns up. On Wednesday, June 7, both groups had a competition. It was great fun with much laughter and continued explanations of the rules, even though Ian Scott, chair of Rye u3a, had devised an interesting strategy, so all sixteen players could be in the game. One team won twice but it was all very friendly and finished at Marino’s in the Mint with fish and chips.
It has to be said that it’s not just for ‘oldies’ – sometimes a member brings her grandson in the school holidays and often in the evening a group of young people play and have fun. The u3a teams range from 60s to 90s. Both groups are full now but anyone can start a new group and play on other days. It is worth checking out the website of the u3a as it has many other interests people might like to join as well as getting to know other members. www.u3a.org.uk
Image Credits: Mike Taylor , Ian Scott .