Chris Pearce's Blog, page 18

Worst moments in Olympic Games history

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

The Olympics Games have unfortunately been the setting of a number of ugly scenes, incidents of political opportunism, and athletes so desperate to win that they resort to cheating. I have tried to pick what I see as the four worst or most publicized incidents, across a wide period and representative of several types of worst moments: terrorism, boycotts, drugs, and political propaganda.

First place, or is that last place, would have to go to the “Munich massacre” at the Summer Olympics in 1972 in Munich, West Germany. Israeli team members were taken hostage by Black September, a splinter group of the Fatah organization of Yasser Arafat. With World War II a distant memory, a joyous time was being had by all, and security was quite relaxed. Concerns were expressed by the Israeli team over security but little was done. In the middle of the night, eight members of Black September climbed a six foot wire fence and entered two apartments of Israeli team members. Several burly wrestlers and weightlifters escaped or tried to escape. Two Israelis were killed at this stage.

Nine hostages were taken and were restrained in the apartments. The attackers wanted the release of 234 Palestinians and others who were in jail in Israel. However, the Israeli government refused to negotiate. The German government offered unlimited money for the release of the hostages, but the kidnappers wouldn’t budge. Negotiators were able to buy time by somehow convincing the terrorists their demands were being looked at. The attackers then demanded to be taken to Cairo.

There was a feigned agreement and about 16 hours after the drama had started, the kidnappers and their hostages were taken by bus to two helicopters that were to take them to an airport. Authorities had planned an ambush at the airport but snipers were outnumbered. The kidnappers took the four helicopter pilots hostage too, and a shoot-out started between the terrorists and authorities when the attackers discovered the plane, a Boeing 727, that was to take them to Cairo was empty.

Armored personnel carriers were headed for the site but they got stuck in traffic and didn’t arrive until midnight. When back-up finally arrived, the kidnappers turned on the hostages and shot several of them dead. One of the terrorists threw a grenade into a helicopter, blowing it up along with several more Israeli hostages inside. Another kidnapper allegedly shot dead the remaining five hostages, who were in the other helicopter, although what happened to them has been a matter of dispute. Some of the attackers had been killed already, and the others were captured by the police.

Initial media reports had all hostages alive and all terrorists dead. But it was soon realized that all 11 hostages were dead and the eight kidnappers dead or in custody. It was a sad day indeed for the Olympic movement. Competition was suspended for a day as more than 80,000 people, including 3,000 athletes, attended a memorial service. Security was tightened considerably at subsequent games.

Another black moment in Olympic history occurred eight years later at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The USSR had invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. US president Jimmy Carter gave the Soviets an ultimatum to withdraw by 20 February 1980 or the US would boycott the games. The USSR didn’t pull out and the US announced a boycott on 21 March. Many other countries also decided to stay away in protest. Sport had become a pawn in a political game that athletes had absolutely no influence over.

In all, 62 countries who had been invited did not compete in the games. This included many Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, but only three major European countries: Albania, West Germany, and Norway. Other notable absentees were Japan, China, and Canada. A number of European countries supported the boycott but felt that it was up to individual athletes to decide if they wanted to compete. Many countries didn’t attend the opening or closing ceremonies but their athletes marched under the Olympic flag, including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Olympic anthem was used at many medal presentations.

Sadly, this worst “moment” continued onto the 1984 Los Angeles games where 14 countries boycotted in a political tit-for-tat that had started four years earlier. This consisted of the USSR and 13 of its allies.

On an individual athlete level, perhaps the worst moment was when Ben Johnson was stripped of his 100 meters gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics when he tested positive to banned drugs. Johnson had been beating arch-rival Carl Lewis at a number of meetings before the games, breaking the world record in 1987 by a whole tenth of a second, winning in 9.83 seconds. This should probably have set alarm bells ringing more than they did, although Lewis was certainly quite vocal. Johnson suffered some injuries in the lead-up to the games and his times were slower. Lewis declared he would win.

Despite poor preparation, Johnson won the final, clipping another four one-hundredths of a second off his world record. Three days later, Johnson was disqualified after the drug Stanozolol was found in his urine sample. He lost his gold medal and it was awarded to Lewis. Johnson also admitted to using steroids when he broke the world record in 1987 and this was rescinded too. Ironically, four of the fastest five athletes in the Seoul 100 meter final tested positive at some time in their careers. Linford Christie was later banned for using steroids. Lewis himself tested positive for three banned stimulants at the 1988 US Olympic trials, although he was able to get the results overturned as the use was inadvertent.

Any list of worst moments in Olympic history would have to include the 1936 Berlin Olympics which were used as a propaganda machine by the Nazis. Hitler allowed only “Aryan race” members to compete for Germany, pushing his belief in racial supremacy. His country won the most medals but there were some notable exceptions to Hitler’s race theory, including black American Jesse Owens winning four gold medals in track and field. At the time, the Nazis prevented Jews and Gypsies from taking part in sport of any sort. Jews in particular were discriminated against. There were “Jews not wanted” and similar signs around the city, although Hitler removed them from tourist areas. Gypsies were being arrested for no good reason and being put in camps. The US considered boycotting the games.

The Olympic Games will probably always attract their share of “worst moments”, especially as the games receive saturation media coverage around the world. If anyone has a gripe, this is a favourite way to give it exposure. The drug problem probably won’t stop either, with a proportion of athletes willing to take the risk for Olympic glory.

How Olympic host cities are chosen

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

A new two-phase process was introduced to decide the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics and subsequent winter and summer games. This new process came out of the 110th International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in December 1999. The reason for the new process was so that interested cities could be judged initially by the IOC and if they were deemed to be insufficiently prepared to hold the games, they would not have to incur unnecessary expenditure.

The first phase of the new process is the applicant city stage. If a city is interested in holding the games, it prepares an application, gets it endorsed by their National Olympic Committee, and sends it to the IOC. Applicant cities for the 2008 games were four Asian cities of Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and Osaka, three European cities of Istanbul, Paris, and Seville, North American cities of Havana and Toronto, and the African city of Cairo. Each city’s basic technical requirements are assessed by an expert team which then reports to the IOC’s executive board. The board reviews the findings and decides on a shortlist of candidates. For the 2008 games, the cities that made it through to the second, or candidate city, stage were Beijing, Istanbul, Osaka, Paris, and Toronto. This was announced at a meeting in Lausanne on 29 August 2000.

As soon as the IOC announces its acceptance of candidate cities, each city may commence its promotional campaign. A candidate city creates an emblem that has the five rings of the Olympic symbol plus a second element that represents the city. The emblem has to be submitted to and approved by the IOC before any public campaigning. The IOC is acutely aware of the Olympic image, and cities are under scrutiny to be conscious of costs, targeting the right audience, and not making vague promises, or setting unrealistic goals during the promotional campaign, so as not to bring damaging criticism from the public, sponsors, and media.

A drawing of lots is conducted by the IOC’s executive board to determine the order in which the cities give their presentation to the board. The draw takes place a few weeks after the initial announcement of candidate cities. For the 2008 games, this took place in Sydney on 13 September 2000, just before the Sydney Olympics which were held from 15 September to 1 October. An information meeting takes place between the IOC and the candidate cities. This was on 25 September in 2000. A few months later, a ten minute presentation is made to the board in Lausanne, which doesn’t seem much time for something so complex. This was held on 13 December in 2000.

Candidate cities then have to submit 70 copies of a lengthy questionnaire of over 100 pages to the IOC. For the 2008 games, the deadline for this was 17 January 2001. This candidature file must be accurate and concise, and reflect a candidate city’s current situation as well as its plans for the games. There are sections on national, regional and city characteristics, legal aspects, customs and immigration formalities, environmental protection and meteorology, finance, marketing, general sports concepts, Olympic sports, the Paralympic Games, the Olympic Village, medical and other health services, security, accommodation, transport, technology, communications and media services, Olympism and culture, and guarantees. Answers are to be given in both English and French. Various IOC and other guidelines must be abided by, such as for media, accommodation, marketing, technology, and an Olympic village. Cities also have to meet the requirements of the various international Olympic summer sports federations. A deposit of US$150,000 has to accompany a city’s candidature file. This money is returned to those cities who are not awarded the games.

The IOC studies each candidature file to make sure all information has been included. Further information may be sought from a candidate city. The IOC then authorizes each city to send a copy to each IOC member, honorary member, and various sport and other federations, committees and associations. Candidate cities are then permitted to release their file to the public and the media.

An IOC Evaluation Commission then visits each city, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. Sites are inspected and meetings held with the Candidature Committee and with various experts in all relevant themes. For the 2008 games, visits were conducted in mid February to mid April 2001. The Commission then prepares a report by mid May. This is examined by the IOC. The IOC’s executive board decides which cities proceed to the vote at the following IOC session, which is held about two months after the Evaluation Commission’s report.

At this next session, each candidate city makes a presentation not exceeding 45 minutes. Questions from the floor follow each presentation. Minutes are taken, and all statements made by the candidate city are binding on that city should it be chosen as the host city. After the presentations, the IOC Evaluation Commission delivers a report to the session. IOC members then vote by secret ballot. Each member votes for one city. There are over 100 members but not all of them are allowed to vote. Members from countries with a candidate city are not eligible to vote in the first round but are eligible to vote in subsequent rounds if their city is eliminated.

A city must obtain an absolute majority of votes for it to be awarded the games. If, at the end of the first round, no city has a majority, the city with the least votes is eliminated, and there is a second round of voting. This process continues, with as many rounds of voting as it takes to produce a majority vote for one city. The name of each eliminated city is made public as soon as it occurs.

The final result is given by the IOC president and is televised live. That’s when you see all the delegates of the successful country yelling and cheering, and back-slapping each other. The 112th IOC Session was held in Moscow on 13 July 2001, and this is where Beijing was announced as the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The elected city immediately signs a Host City Contract. A government representative of the host country then signs a confirmation of government support. This process has been repeated to decide the host city at the 2010 Winter Games (Vancouver), the 2012 Summer Games (London), and the 2014 Winter Games (Sochi, Russia).

As you could imagine competition among candidate cities is fierce. There have been various allegations of bribery and other wrongdoing over the years. The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games was alleged to have offered bribes to the IOC before the host city was picked for the 1996 games. However, committee documents were destroyed before the inquiry. A bribery scandal involved Salt Lake City in 2002, resulting is the expulsion of several IOC members. This was not the only time IOC members have been investigated for allegedly taking bribes. In 2006, candidate city Nagano in Japan spent $4.4 million entertaining IOC members.

Tougher rules have been introduced from time to time, although the process of selecting a city has remained basically the same since 1999, and that is the process described above.

Great moments in Olympic history

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

There have been numerous great moments in Olympic history. I love the Summer Olympics and look forward to them every time, especially the track and field and the swimming. To see the athletes at the peak of their careers, all the hard training behind them, line up to see who is the best in the world and if they can beat the world record is simply awe-inspiring.

Jesse Owens 1936

My all-time favourite moment in the Olympics is when black American Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 games in Berlin. Hitler and the Nazis had been carrying on about how the Aryan race was superior. Owens won individual gold medals in the 100 yards, 200 yards, and long jump, and a team gold medal in the 4 x 100 yards relay. His four gold medals was the first time an American had done this at the one Olympics.

I’ve seen an old documentary a number of times that highlights Owens’ Olympic achievements. It includes footage of Hitler turning away as Owens crossed the finish line in one event. Hitler didn’t hang around for the medal presentation either. Earlier, when he shook the hands of German victors only, officials said he should either greet all medal winners or none. He chose none. But the great thing was that even his own people didn’t see eye to eye with him. Some 110,000 people who had packed into the stadium cheered Owens on, and many ordinary German people later sought his autograph.

US hockey team 1980

In second place would arguably be a moment from the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid when the US hockey team won a gold medal against the mighty USSR team. The moment became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” There was a fair bit of niggle between America and Russia in those days, so the victory was more than just a hockey win. It was a Cold War showdown, and a win for free America against communist Russia. The USSR was the dominant hockey team going into the 1980 Games. It had beaten everyone in the 1979 World Championship. The Americans were the clear underdogs, lacking the skill levels of their more favored opponents, and were beaten 10-3 by the Soviets in an exhibition match just before the Games.

The US team made it to the medal round but had to play the USSR. Although outpointed in most aspects of play, the US held their own on the scoreboard, matching the Soviet team goal for goal. With 10 minutes left, the US led 4-3. The US somehow held off a relentless Russian attack. The crowd counted down the last seconds as ABC commentator Al Michaels joined in the count and made his now famous call: “Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now. Morrow, up to Silk … five seconds left in the game … Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable!” The US had won, despite only 16 shots at goal compared with 39 by their opponents. The rest of the medal round matches were an anticlimax. By the way, the US beat Finland 4-2 for the gold medal.

Nadia Comaneci 1976

Any list of great Olympic moments has to include Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian gymnast who won five gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics at the tender age of 14. Even more remarkable was that great moment when she received the first ever perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics events. It happened during the team section of the competition on the uneven bars. Ironically, the electronic equipment wasn’t able to display a score of 10.0 and it read 1.00 instead, but everyone knew it was a perfect score. This was a moment quite worthy of third place overall. Nadia went on to score six more 10s at the Montreal Olympics.

More great moments

Equal fourth goes to two incredible runners and two record breaking swimmers. Edwin Moses won a gold medal in the 400 meters hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics eight years after winning his first gold medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Had the US not boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games, Moses would have more than likely won that race too. He was undefeated in 107 consecutive finals between 1977 and 1987.

Michael Johnson winning the 200-400 meters track double at the 1996 Atlanta Games rates as one of the great Olympic moments. He is the only male runner to have done this at the same games. He successfully defended his 400 meters title at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, becoming the first male athlete to achieve this feat.

Swimmer Mark Spitz won a record seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Amazingly, he set a world record in every event he contested: individual records in the 100 meters butterfly, 200 meters butterfly, 100 meters freestyle, and 200 meters freestyle, and team records in the 4 x 100 meters freestyle, 4 x 200 meters freestyle, and 4 x 100 meters medley.

Dawn Fraser from Australia won eight gold medals in three Olympic Games. The highlight of her career was probably when she won her third straight gold in the 100 meters freestyle at the 1964 Tokyo Games, having won in Melbourne in 1956 and in Rome in 1960. Fraser held 39 records, and is one of only two swimmers to win an event at three successive Olympic Games.

There have been many more great moments in Olympic history and no doubt some superb performances have been unfairly left out. The Olympics often bring out the best in athletes and we should see more great Olympic moments in the years to come.

Through the Eyes of Thomas Pamphlett: excerpt – finding land

Here’s an excerpt from my non-fiction book on an Australian convict, Through the Eyes of Thomas Pamphlett: Convict and Castaway. After nearly a month lost at sea, the remaining three cedar fetchers finally reach land …

Pamphlett, the only reasonable swimmer, volunteered to go ashore to obtain drinking water. He fastened the keg to the running rigging, stripped off his clothing, climbed over the side and swam towards land. His health had deteriorated greatly and his strength weakened by the hardships of the previous three and a half weeks at sea. An exhausted Pamphlett battled for more than an hour through current and surf to get the keg to shore. As soon as he touched the sandy bottom in the shallows he struggled to his feet and hobbled up the beach as fast as he could, collapsing beside the fresh water. He drank like a horse. Temporarily satisfied, he stumbled back across the golden sand to the edge of the sea to retrieve the keg he had left there during his mad dash for the stream. But he was forced back to the spring for another extended guzzle. In all, he tottered between the keg and the delicious, cool, clear, fresh water three or four times. When he eventually attempted to fill the keg he found himself too weak to do so, from swimming and from stretching his stomach with several pints of water.

A strong onshore breeze sprang up. Pamphlett saw his friends beckoning him to return to the boat so they could up-anchor and sail out of the way of the breakers. He stood watching the big surf and the little boat being tossed about in the swell just beyond the breaking waves. He knew he lacked the strength to swim it. Instead, he yelled to his companions to raise the anchor and to let the surf bring the vessel ashore. A very thirsty Parsons succumbed to the temptation of a limitless supply of drinking water, reluctantly agreeing to land. Parsons, who could swim a little, and Finnegan, a non-swimmer, climbed out of the boat and clung to it tightly while guiding it as best they could through the breaking surf to the beach. Within five minutes of landing, the relentless movement of the waves over the sand firmly embedded their trusty craft.

Fresh water was priority though, after 25 days at sea. Parsons grabbed the pint pot brought ashore by Pamphlett for the purpose of filling the keg. He lolloped desperately towards the stream, falling down in front of it. He scooped up a cupful of water and bolted it. He gulped down another pint, and another, and another, until he had polished off 13 pints in succession. Sawyers had enormous capacities for fluid, although the claimed quantity made no allowance for spillage or partly filled pots caused by the great hurry Parsons was in to quench his thirst.

Finnegan did not bother about the etiquette of using a cup, choosing instead to lie down in the middle of the water, lapping it and sucking it in as rapidly as he could. But his constitution could not cope with the foreign substance and he vomited. Again he drank furiously and again he was sick. He repeated this cycle several times.

Exhausted and bloated the three survivors sat naked on the sand. Their clothing was in the boat where they shed it to swim ashore. Pondering their next move they watched in vain as waves of an ever-increasing size broke over their transport, covering it with spray. They were too weak and the surf too rough to consider salvaging anything from their battered boat that afternoon. Surveying their surroundings, the long sandy beach continued south for as far as they could see, but to the north it seemed to finish with a rocky headland about two miles away. Behind them was a low ridge of sand dunes, bare of trees or any other material suitable for a fire. In any case they had no means of lighting one. Believing they were still some considerable distance south of Illawarra, they ascended a nearby dune to seek a resting place for the night. Tomorrow they would free the boat and continue north along the coast supposedly towards their original destination.

With no shelter against the pouring rain they rested their weary bones on the wet sand. Pamphlett lay between the other two where he was afforded at least some protection from the elements, he being the weakest of the trio due to his long swim.

After a sleepless night suffering from cold and hunger, daybreak was a welcome sight. They dragged themselves to their feet and stood on top of the dune when they were horrified to see the remains of their boat, broken up overnight by powerful surf. Their means of reaching civilisation had disintegrated into a useless shell, with pieces of wood scattered about the ocean. Some of their food and equipment had washed up on the beach. They went down to the high-water mark to retrieve what they could. The contents of two of their three bags of flour were ruined by sea water but the third had only been penetrated about two inches at one end. Discarding the spoiled flour they apportioned the good among the three bags. Each bag weighed 20 to 30 pounds, the limit they thought their weakened state would allow them to carry any distance.

Breakfast was a revolting mixture of uncooked flour and water prepared in a bucket. Along with the keg, axe, scissors, tin pot and an old jacket belonging to Finnegan, these items became the sum total of their possessions. They had no other clothing, it being lost when the boat broke up. In that state, and each with a sack of flour on his back, their only food, and containers full of water, they commenced walking north along the beach believing they were south of Sydney and possibly somewhere south of Jervis Bay.

How wrong they were! The trio were actually nowhere near Jervis Bay. They were not even south of Sydney. Their navigational abilities did not match their boatmanship or survival skills. They were in fact more than 500 miles north of Sydney and walking further away from it.

– end of excerpt –

There are still some print copies at certain sites although this book is mainly available as an ebook through Amazon, Google Play, Apple iTunes and Kobo:

http://www.amazon.com.au/Through-Eyes-Thomas-Pamphlett-Castaway-ebook/dp/B00QHEGGA6/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_img_1

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Eyes-Thomas-Pamphlett-Castaway-ebook/dp/B00QHEGGA6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Eyes-Thomas-Pamphlett-Castaway-ebook/dp/B00QHEGGA6/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Chris_Pearce_Through_the_Eyes_of_Thomas_Pamphlett?id=6uihBQAAQBAJ

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/through-eyes-thomas-pamphlett/id946797962?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-the-eyes-of-thomas-pamphlett?bookId=5f6a77ed-aaa5-4d63-91ab-e036c185f737

A Weaver’s Web novel excerpt: Albert and Benjamin remeet

Next day, Sunday, Benjamin left home as usual in the afternoon. He went directly to Charlotte’s house. She was still seeing her aunt, but the other occupants were there.

‘Have you brought us the money, rich boy?’ Nicholas said.

‘If you tell me where my brother Albert is.’

‘Give it here and we’ll tell you.’

Benjamin took the money from his pocket and held it out. Everyone in the room swarmed around him, jostling each other for a better look.

‘A ten shilling note and four shillings in silver,’ said one. ‘I’ve never seen so much money.’ He snatched at it.

But Nicholas pushed him aside and grabbed the money himself, before pulling back the sacking between the two rooms. Benjamin looked at him inquisitively, then peered into the back room.

‘Go on, then,’ Nicholas said.

It was very dark and Benjamin pointed to the candle. Nicholas nodded to him to take it. Benjamin saw there was someone in one of the beds, but couldn’t see if it was Albert. He went closer, and saw a face. It was still and the eyes were shut. For several seconds he studied it, searching for a familiar trait.

‘I can’t tell,’ he said.

‘You mean you don’t know your own brother?’

‘I haven’t seen him in years.’

Benjamin then recalled a peculiarity of his brother’s posture when asleep. His left arm was always straight by his side and the right one across his body, a legacy of having to share a bed for so much of his life. Whenever he put his right arm at his side, it used to fall out over the edge of the bed, while the left arm would hit Benjamin’s leg if not tight against his body. ‘He used to lie a certain way.’

‘Pull the blanket down and have a look.’

Gently Benjamin peeled off the bedding and saw the right arm draped over the midriff. Dumbfounded, he stared at the body before him. It was dressed in street clothes and a bit smelly, but he could see it was Albert.

‘He’s still recovering from last night,’ Nicholas said.

Benjamin stepped back as his brother stirred. The eyes opened, slits at first, trying to focus on whoever it was in front of him, then suddenly wider, startled. Benjamin, almost as alarmed, returned the look, nearly dropping the candle, while Albert pulled the blanket up over his head.

A moment later, he peeped out. ‘Benjamin?’

‘Albert!’

‘How did you find me?’

Benjamin glanced at Nicholas who gave him a threatening look and tipped his head towards where Charlotte usually sat. ‘It was …’ He didn’t want to inform on her, but he would rather face her than Nicholas and bullyboy George. ‘… Charlotte,’ he finally whispered.

‘I knew it.’ Albert sat up. ‘That little tramp.’

‘It wasn’t her fault. I made her tell me.’

‘Don’t dare say anything to the family. I’m happy doing what I do. I don’t want to go back.’ His face was sweaty and grimy and glowed in the candlelight.

‘Mum’s in the asylum.’

‘I suppose he put her there.’

‘Dad had to, because …’

‘… because it suited him not to have her around, just as it did to have me out the way.’

‘That’s not true.’

Albert got up. To Benjamin’s surprise, they were the same height. Being two years younger he had always been several inches shorter than his brother. He watched as Albert ran his hands through his hair and put his boots on.

‘Where are you going?’

‘The Crown and Anchor. Coming?’

(cover of A Weaver’s Web showing the Peterloo Massacre)

Benjamin had never been to a tavern, even during the week, let alone on a Sunday.

‘My shout,’ Albert said.

‘I won’t be drinking much. I’ve got to go home.’

‘Afraid of him, eh?’

‘No … yes, sometimes.’

They went up the steps to the street and walked a couple of blocks before Albert led them into a laneway between high buildings. It was dark and narrow and strewn with rubbish. They came to what Benjamin thought was someone’s workshop. Albert did a certain knock. The door opened and a man, the owner, waved them inside. There were two other men, customers, at a counter in a small room. Benjamin heard a woman’s voice and a child crying on the other side of a partition and presumed this was the bedroom, and the bar probably the man and his family’s living room when the tavern wasn’t open. The pair sat at a table in the corner.

‘Two specials,’ Albert said to the owner, who went behind the counter and poured a dark-coloured liquid from a barrel into two glasses.

Just the thought of what might be in it made Benjamin recoil. He sniffed his drink, but the room was full of so many others smells, he couldn’t tell what was in the glass.

Albert laughed at him. ‘It’s only poison.’

This made Benjamin push his drink towards his brother. ‘You have it then.’

‘I thought you were a man now.’

‘I’d rather be a live boy than a dead man.’

‘Charlotte thinks you’re a man. She’s told me about you. I think she likes you.’ Albert sipped his drink. As he swallowed it, he screwed up his face and gasped for air. ‘What did you put in this?’ he called out to the publican.

‘Secret home brew.’

‘It’s even worse than usual.’ Albert grinned and had another sip, a bigger one, and nearly fell off his chair.

Benjamin had seen enough, pushing his glass further across the table.

‘I’ll tell Charlotte you’re a coward,’ Albert said, his voice rasping.

He didn’t doubt his brother’s threat. What he did question was if Charlotte liked him. She had shown no signs. But she was the only girl, apart from his sisters, he had ever spoken to and felt at ease with. He reached over and picked up his glass and held it to his lips. Closing his eyes tightly, he let his top lip touch the drink before he put it down.

‘You’ll have to do better than that,’ Albert said.

Benjamin picked it up again and took the smallest sip, though he made it appear he had taken a larger one. His throat felt as if it was on fire. The heat travelled up to his mouth, which he opened wide. He blew hard, half expecting flames to burst out, like a dragon. His eyes watered and became sore. ‘Is that good enough?’ he said and coughed several times.

‘It’ll have to do. What do you see in her anyway?’

– end of excerpt –

My historical novel, A Weaver’s Web, is available fro the following stores:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H52SEEK

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H52SEEK

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00H52SEEK

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Chris_Pearce_A_Weaver_s_Web?id=-hlJAgAAQBAJ

Kobo Books: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-ww/books/A-Weavers-Web/jHgKZNwqjkybm8qWDO3mcw?MixID=jHgKZNwqjkybm8qWDO3mcw&PageNumber=1

Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/a-weavers-web/id775610928?mt=11

The Norwalk Islands, Connecticut

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

The Norwalk Islands are a group of over 25 islands off the coast of Norwalk City and Westport Town in the state of Connecticut in north-eastern United States, in an Atlantic Ocean estuary called Long Island Sound. Most of the islands are about a mile from the coast and form a chain some six miles in length more or less parallel to the coast. Manhattan skyscrapers 40 miles to the south-west can be seen from the islands on a clear day.

The islands are what geologists call terminal moraines. They were formed from glacial debris including gravel and rocks at the southern edge of an ice sheet which covered the state 17,000 years ago. This debris originated in the Norwalk River and Saugatuck River catchment areas and was pushed downstream by glaciers. Gravel, rocks, and boulders are a feature of the islands.

They are used for various recreational activities, including kayaking, fishing and hunting, swimming, camping, and bird watching. Some of the islands are privately owned, while others belong to Norwalk and Westport governments, and to the federal Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge includes various parts of Connecticut’s shoreline and is named after the late congressman who was instrumental in setting it up in 1972. The Norwalk Islands are an important environmental area and are protected by town ordinances, as well as federal legislation such as the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982.

Kayakers frequent the islands, some of them paddling the 40 miles from New York City. The water is usually calm and the currents are gentle. A good landmark is the power plant at Manresa Island, which is not actually an island but a peninsula on the western side of the mouth of the Norwalk River. The main things kayakers need to look out for are larger craft and also fog which can descend on the Sound without much warning. A brochure showing a canoe and kayak trail with half-day and full-day loops is available from the South Western Regional Planning Agency. There are guided tours by kayak too.

Fishing and hunting are popular pastimes at the islands. Fish that can be caught in the surrounded waters include trout, flounder, bluefish, striped bass, dogfish, fluke, bonito, and false albacore. There are clamming beds too. Ducks can be hunted below high tide during duck-hunting season. Deer hunting is possible on the privately owned islands if the owner gives permission.

An abundance of wildlife inhabits the islands. Many birds can be found on Sheffield Island, including ospreys, herons, songbirds, shorebirds, terns, and various wading birds. Waterfowl such as black ducks, brants, and scoters can be seen in the surrounding waters. Cockenoe Island is becoming an even larger home for birds than Sheffield Island. Harbor seals also live on Sheffield, mainly at the south-western end, and kayakers are asked to stay at least 50 yards from them. Deer inhabit a number of islands, swimming to them from the mainland. Plants on the islands include sassafras, bittersweet, juniper, honeysuckle, and thorn thickets, as well as black cherry and blackberry bushes.

The four largest islands in the Norwalk group are Chimon, Sheffield, Shea, and Cockenoe. Chimon Island is the largest, with an area of 59 acres and located directly opposite Norwalk Harbor. It is part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. The south and east coasts are covered with boulders, while the north and west coasts have a gravel beach. Boaters and kayakers can land at this beach year round. They cannot land elsewhere on the island between 1 April and 15 August due to bird nesting. Overnight camping is prohibited.

Sheffield is the next largest island at 51 acres and is at the south-western end of the chain. Rocks and boulders cover the shore. It is also part of the McKinney Refuge and is closed most of the year to protect bird nesting areas. However, tours are available in summer to visit the lighthouse which was built in 1868. A trail of over one mile has been established for public access at certain times. Winter cruises to see the seals and waterfowl are run by Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium.

Slightly smaller at 45 acres is Shea Island. It is situated between Chimon and Sheffield islands and is owned by the Norwalk City government. The public can access it from May to October and can camp with a permit at one of 16 campsites. Restrooms are available on the island. Again, the shoreline is covered with rocks and boulders. Shea Island is subject to a number of restrictions such as no alcohol, no glass containers, no dogs, no tampering with trees and other plants, no hunting on the island itself, no open fires apart from on the beach, and no fireworks anywhere. The regulations apply to Grassy Island too. No garbage is to be buried or otherwise left on Shea, Grassy, or Chimon islands.

Cockenoe Island is at the north-eastern end of the group, opposite Westport and owned by the government of that town. Most of the bird rookeries are now located on this island. The guano of the cormorants is toxic to trees and can kill them after the birds nest in them for best part of a year. Camping needs to be booked as only four parties are allowed there per night.

Among the other islands, Grassy Island, just to the north-east of Chimon Island, is one of the larger ones. It is open between May and October and camping is permitted. Goose Island, to the east of Grassy Island, has an interesting history. Research may have been conducted there to find a cure to yellow fever. A small stone hut on the island may have been built as a spy lookout in World War II. Sprite Island, north-east of Calf Pasture Beach on the eastern side of Norwalk Harbor, was owned by a New York financier who bred collies there. He sold it to the Sprite Island Yacht Club in 1952, who converted the kennels into lockers.

The Norwalk Islands offer a variety of activities for locals and tourists alike. The area is subject to various restrictions in order to preserve its fragile environment. It is best to check these restrictions before visiting the islands. The regulations are commonsense rules that will protect the islands and their wildlife, and allow future generations to enjoy the area as much as people do today.

How did Norwalk, CT get the nickname “Oyster Town”?

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Norwalk is a coastal city of 84,000 people in the US state of Connecticut. It is about 40 miles northeast of downtown New York and is regarded as part of its metropolitan area. The Norwalk region originally belonged to the Norwalke or Norwauke Indians. In 1640, land to the west of Norwalk River was bought by Daniel Patrick. A year later, Roger Ludlow purchased the land east of the river from the local population in exchange for items of clothing, tools, and other oddments. Settlers arrived in 1649, pursuing various agricultural and pastoral activities, and the town was incorporated in 1651.

The city has a long association with oysters. It is quite possible that the resourceful pioneers of the mid 1600s collected and ate oysters, and perhaps even sold some to settlers further inland. The industry may have started at this time. Oyster farming has been practised since ancient times when the Romans cultured oysters in England and shipped them back to Rome. Certainly since the 1700s, Norwalk has farmed and harvested oysters. There was a plentiful supply in all the estuaries along the northeast coast from Delaware Bay to Massachusetts.

The people of Norwalk and other coastal areas consumed large quantities of oysters in the early 1800s. However, with the increase in population in the following decades, depletion of readily available supplies resulted in oyster prices soaring. Soon only the wealthier classes could afford oysters. Demand for Norwalk oysters increased in the mid 1800s when the expansion of the railways across the US opened up new markets. At the same time, improvements in oyster farming technology as well as in canning and preservation methods further boosted demand.

Eventually, prices fell and by the 1880s, oysters were cheaper than meat, poultry, or fish, and production surged. By then, Norwalk was the largest producer of oysters in Connecticut and had the biggest fleet of oyster boats with steam power in the world. Norwalk became the oyster capital of the US and became known as “Oyster Town”. The boom lasted for several decades, into the early part of the 20th century.

The downturn in the Norwalk oyster industry started in 1906 with the Pure Food Laws. The new legislation brought sweeping changes to the food business in general. For the oyster industry, it meant a complete change in processing and shipping methods. A lack of cleanliness in the industry was taken up by health officials and the newspapers. The adverse publicity led to people eating far fewer oysters. A typhoid outbreak in 1924 as well as pollution of the harvesting areas exacerbated the problem. It is doubtful that Norwalk encouraged its “Oyster Town” tag at all in these years. Consumption continued to decline. The local industry took a further blow in the 1950s when oyster beds were devastated by storms and hurricanes. Many people left the industry or moved into areas such as clams.

In 1972, brothers Hillard and Norman Bloom bought Norwalk’s leading oyster company Talmadge Brothers Inc, originally formed in 1875, and started rebuilding oyster beds still ruined since the storms of the 1950s. It was hard work. The brothers had been in the clam industry for 25 years and, although clamming requires long hours, clams set naturally and it is a matter of finding them. Oysters, however, need to be farmed. The shells are vacuumed and put on land. When the oysters spawn, the shells are returned to the water. Within a few months, baby oysters set in the shells. Close to a year later, they are moved to the growing area, where it takes a further four years before they are ready to harvest.

In recent decades, the industry has turned itself around and once again Norwalk is happy to be called “Oyster Town”, although the name doesn’t seem to be used as frequently as in the industry’s heyday in the late 19th and very early 20th centuries. Talmadge Brothers Inc. promoted their oysters at trade shows and participants always held Norwalk oysters in very higher regard, apparently preferring them to the product of other areas. The company was split into Hillard Bloom Shellfish Inc. and NRB Corp. by the children of the now deceased brothers in 2001. Hillard Bloom is the largest oyster company in the US.

Demand for oysters has increased despite their high price. The city remains Connecticut’s largest producer of oysters. The industry is still not without its problems though. In recent years, warm winters have kept the water temperature high and warm-water diseases have migrated north and killed many oysters.

Since 1978, the city has celebrated its oyster heritage with the annual Norwalk Oyster Festival in September, the weekend after Labor Day. It is like a state fair, with over 90,000 people attending each year to try the vast array of seafood on offer, including of course local oysters. Entertainment is provided by top performers such as the Village People, Willie Nelson, the Monkees, Little Richard, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. The festival is conducted by non-profit organization Norwalk Seaport Association and each year contributes more than $5 million to the local economy. Norwalk no longer tries to shake off its nickname as the “Oyster Town”.

Croquet in art and literature

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Croquet is a lawn game where players hit balls through hoops with a mallet. It was introduced into England from France in the 1850s and soon became a popular game played around the country by middle and upper class ladies and gentlemen. It is portrayed widely in both art and literature, especially during its heyday in the second half of the 19th century, but also in more recent times.

In art, painters depicted croquet in various ways. US landscape painter Winslow Homer, for example, seemed to use croquet to show women’s alleged weakness and ineptitude. Only the women in his paintings are playing croquet. In “Croquetspiel” (spiel is German for play), painted in 1864, he portrays three ladies, and one gentleman who appears to be showing them how to play. He is bending down near the lady in red in the middle of the painting, pointing at the ball, and also to the mallet which he is holding in his other hand, as if telling her how to hit a ball with a stick.

Homer’s 1866 painting “A Game of Croquet” has one woman concentrating on holding onto her hat and the other about to hit the ball, but she seems to be holding the mallet with only one hand. His “Croquet Players” of 1865 has four ladies playing croquet while two men and one lady appear to be bystanders. The lady in the middle of the picture looks like she might have just hit the ball with one hand and missed the hoop from about three feet away. All the women in his croquet paintings are wearing the long, flowing dresses of the period, but even wider than usual, making it very hard to play any sort of sport or games.

Similarly, French painter Edouard Manet shows two women playing croquet, but in slightly narrower dresses, in his 1873 painting “Croquet Party” while two men look on.

By contrast, Louise Abbema, another French painter, has men playing the game too. In “A Game of Croquet,” painted in 1872, she shows a game being played on a sandy beach with four women and four men participating. Croquet was a game played on the beaches in France and Belgium. A lady is hitting the ball using two hands and looks far more skilled than those portrayed by Homer. French painter Pierre Bonnard, in his 1892 painting “Twilight (The Croquet Game),” shows two gentlemen and two ladies, with at least one of the men appearing to be a player. One of the ladies is having her shot.

A number of paintings from this era portray croquet as a means of young gentlemen and ladies taking advantage of an opportunity to socialize informally, even flirt, a rarity in Victorian times. In John Leach’s “A Nice Game for Two or More” painting from 1861, players of both sexes are enjoying the game. In a sketch version in Punch, the caption reads: “Fixing her eyes on his, and placing her pretty little foot on the ball, she said, ‘How, now, shall I croquet you?’ And croqueted he was, quite thoroughly!” Indeed, in “A Game of Croquet” in the Daily Graphic, 20 June 1870, the focus seems to be on men and women socialising rather than playing croquet. They have mallets in their hands but appear to be too busy chatting and flirting to worry about the game.

The old portrayal of women hardly able to play the game didn’t disappear completely. Norman Rockwell’s 1931 painting “Croquet” is set in the 19th century and shows a lady swinging a mallet with one hand. A man behind her looks on with a facial expression that seems to suggest he assumes that she will play a poor shot. More recent paintings show the growing informality of the game. “Croquet Anyone?” (c. 1960s) by John Lavalle shows a relaxed group of men and women playing croquet. The man hitting the ball has bare feet.

A large number of paintings, cartoons, photos, and croquet paraphernalia are exhibited at the National Croquet Museum and Gallery collection at the Charles P. Steuber National Croquet Center, West Palm Beach, Florida.

In literature, croquet makes a number of appearances, often as a strange or brutal game. US writer and artist Edward Gorey is known for macabre illustrations in his books and often used croquet pictures. “Epiplectic Bicycle,” published in 1969, includes a picture of a sister and a brother, Embley and Yewbert, hitting each other with croquet mallets.

English author H G Wells uses croquet as a metaphor for man confronting the issue of why he exists, in “The Croquet Player,” published in 1937. It is written in the first person and is about a man whose life is heavy influenced by his aunt’s wealth. He declares he is one of the best croquet players in the world and that his aunt is good too. But he says: “If we did not shrink from the publicity and vulgarity of it we could certainly be champions.”

Despite various influences throughout the book, at the end he hasn’t moved away from croquet. He tells a friend: “I must be going … I have to play croquet with my aunt at half-past twelve.” The friend says: “But what does croquet matter … if your world is falling in ruins about you?” He tells the man he doesn’t care and almost repeats his previous line about having to play croquet with his aunt.

In chapter 1 of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” Alice recalls “trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself.” Later, the Duchess gets an invitation to play croquet with the Queen. In chapter 8, “The Queen’s Croquet Ground,” the Queen asks Alice if she plays croquet.

Alice describes the croquet ground as “curious.” The game is played in a rough field that is “all ridges and furrows.” The balls are hedgehogs, the mallets are flamingos, and the soldiers themselves make the arches by doubling over backwards. She secures a flamingo and is about to use it to hit a hedgehog but it looks at her and she laughs. Then it unrolls itself and crawls away. The ridges and furrows are a hindrance and the soldiers keep moving to other parts of the ground. Everyone plays at once and they are all arguing. The Queen is angry too and calls for Alice’s head. She tries to escape the field.

English novelist Jasper Fforde includes croquet games in his stories. In a number of his novels with literary detective Thursday Next as the main character, he uses croquet. In “Something Rotten,” croquet is depicted as a brutal sport. Prime minister Yorrick Kaine and the Goliath Corporation plan to dispose of the English president. Kaine’s ambitions may result in nuclear armageddon. Next has to make sure the Swindon Mallets beat the Reading Whackers in the 1988 Croquet Superhoop final in order to stop Kaine and Goliath and the end of the world. She enlists a group of Neanderthals to help win the match and thereby saves the world.

In summary, the game of croquet in depicted in art and literature in a wide variety of ways. It is used in paintings to portray women’s perceived inability and to show how gentlemen and ladies used it to socialize informally in an otherwise ultra-conservative era. Croquet is used in literature to show situations ranging from anger and brutality, to a man’s struggle with his existence, and a match that was a world saver.

Best outdoor lawn games for a family reunion

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

At a family reunion, you will probably have a large number of people of different ages, some of whom have rarely met if at all. A good way to get people interacting and socialising might be to organize one or more lawn games. These should be suitable for people of a wide age range and different levels of ability and fitness. Here are some games you might like to consider for your next reunion.

Croquet

Croquet is a game traditionally associated with older people but can be played by everyone. It might even get some of the more senior family members on their feet, especially those who might have played the game sometime. Croquet involves hitting a small plastic or wooden ball with a mallet so that it goes through a hoop pushed into the ground. Sets can be bought quite cheaply.

There are a number of variations of the game and rules can be complex. For a family reunion, it might be best to place two hoops in the ground perhaps 20 or 30 feet apart. Each participant takes it in turn to see if they can send a ball through each hoop from this distance. Teams can be organized, with the first team to get their ball through a hoop perhaps 10 times declared the winner.

Quoits 

This is another lawn game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Again many family members may have played the game at some stage. It is a popular game on ships and some relatives may have played the game on a voyage as a migrant or tourist and be able to relate a story or two. Quoits is played with rings of metal, rubber, or synthetic material. These are thrown at a pin or stake in the ground over a distance of 30 to 60 feet depending on the version of the game.

At a family reunion, with participants of varying fitness and skill levels, this distance could be reduced considerably. Quoits of a lighter weight than competition quoits can be readily purchased, and these might be more suitable for social play. The game can be played between individuals or teams. The simplest scoring method is to award one point for each quoit that lands over the pin.

Horseshoes 

Horseshoes is a similar traditional game that might be suitable at a family reunion. In competition, the game is played by two people or teams throwing four horseshoes at two stakes in the ground 40 feet apart, although women and seniors throw from 30 feet. You might like to reduce these distances for your reunion lawn game as many family members may never have played, and might not be able to hurl a two pound shoe this distance let alone make it land on a stake so far away. The stake sits 14 to 15 inches above the ground.

Scoring is simple enough, with a “ringer” worth three points and a “leaner” or a shoe within six inches of the stake worth one point. In competition, the first player to earn 40 points wins the game. In the backyard, the winning person or team might be the first to reach 15 or 20 points.

Lawn darts 

Lawn darts became a popular backyard game in the late 1950s and is another game for all ages. It is usually played with four darts and two players or teams. The darts are 12 inches long, much larger than those used indoors at home or at pubs. They are held by the rod and thrown underarm at a plastic ring laid on the ground 50 feet away. For a family reunion game and in order to get as many people as possible taking part, this could be reduced to perhaps half the distance.

A dart in the ring scores one point. In competition, extra points can be earned with a dart outside the ring if it lands closer to the ring than an opponent’s dart. Sets can be bought cheaply, although they aren’t available in the US and Canada where they were banned in the late 1980s after three children died from dart injuries.

Volleyball 

If the oldies have had enough but younger family members still have energy to burn, a game of volleyball could be organised. This game is normally played by two teams of six on a court with a high net strung across the middle and held up by two posts. At a family reunion or other gathering, up to nine players to a team could take to the court.

Nets are fairly cheap. If you don’t have a net, one can be made fairly quickly with rope and old netting or other bits of material hanging down from the rope. Suitable posts are fixed objects such as a fence, tree, clothes line, or side of a shed or house. The only other thing needed is a volleyball. The object of the game is of course to keep the ball from hitting the ground on your side of the net and trying to hit the ball to the gaps on the other side.

There are many other lawn games suitable for a family reunion. Before deciding which game or games to organize, take into account the number of people, their ages and fitness, and the size of the venue. If you have a family member who has played a particular game competitively, you might like to include this game and ask them to show other members the finer points.

Best lawn games for children

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

If you have a group of people that includes a number of children, you might like to consider one or more lawn games to give them something to do and let off a bit of steam. There are many lawn games suitable for children. The game or games chosen will depend on the number of children, their ages, and how much room you have at home, at the park, or wherever the gathering is held. Perhaps consider soccer, rugby, volleyball, quoits or cornhole.

Soccer

Soccer can be a great outdoor game played on grass between hastily arranged teams of boys and girls of various ages. The object of the game is simple, that is, to kick goals, and can be understood by quite young children.

In official competition, the game has 11 players from each team on the field. In the back yard or at the local park, it doesn’t matter how many to a side. About 3 to 7 players to a team is a good number for lawn soccer in a confined area.

All you need is a soccer ball and a reasonably flat grassed area that is large enough for kids to run around on. Trees or bushes can be used as goal posts if they are in the right place. Otherwise, chairs or other objects could be used. At school, we used bicycles as goal posts.

There’s no need to worry about a net, as long as the ground isn’t near a road or other dangerous area. Minimal supervision is required, with perhaps a couple of adults to settle any arguments and ensure no rough play resulting in injury.

Rugby

Rugby is another game that can be played on a lawn area by children of various ages. Again, this would not involve professional match conditions with fierce tackling and charging.

A popular game in some parts of Australia is touch football. It is based on the game of rugby league, with the tackle being replaced by a simple touch or tag. About six players to a team is the ideal number. A try or touchdown is scored when a player places the ball over the other team’s line. The only equipment needed here is a football, usually oval, although its shape doesn’t really matter.

We played a similar game at school called British bulldog, without a ball, and this would be suitable as a lawn game for children. Someone is picked as the bulldog. All the other players line up on one side of the field and attempt to run past the bulldog to the other side. If they are tagged, they join the bulldog. Participants run back and forth across the field until only one child remains untagged as the winner. There are a number of variations.

Volleyball

Volleyball can be a lawn game suitable for a largish number of energetic children. This game is normally played by two teams of six on a court with a high net strung across the middle and held up by two posts. In a children’s game, there can be any number of participants, although things get a bit crowded with more than nine a side.

Nets can be bought fairly cheaply. If you don’t have a net, one can be made quite quickly with rope and old netting or with other bits of material hanging down from the rope. Suitable posts may be a problem for impromptu matches. Possibilities are fixed objects such as a fence, tree, clothes line, or side of a shed or house.

The only other thing needed is a volleyball. Don’t use a soccer ball as these are too hard and heavy, and will cause soreness or injury, especially to young hands. The object of the game is of course to keep the ball from hitting the ground on your side of the net and trying to hit the ball to the gaps on the other side.

Quoits

If it’s time for a quieter game or if you don’t have a large enough number of children or the room to play other games, quoits or cornhole might be suitable lawn games.

Quoits has been around for centuries and is played with rings of metal, rubber, or synthetic material. These are thrown at a pin or stake in the ground over a distance of 30 to 60 feet depending on the version of the game. For a children’s lawn game, this distance should be reduced considerably, depending on the age of the children.

Quoits of a lighter weight than competition quoits can be readily purchased, along with a pin that comes with a stand, so that the game can be played indoors too.

Anywhere from two to about six children could play this game, either individually or as two teams. The simplest scoring method is to award one point for each quoit that lands over the pin.

Cornhole

Cornhole is a lawn game played with corn bags, which can either be bought or made at home. They can be made from two squares of colored fabric stitched together and filled with corn kernels or beans or some other stuffing material. The size should be about six inches square and the weight about one pound, so they are nice and light for children to throw.

You can buy a cornhole board with hole cheaply or perhaps make one. In competition, players throw from about 30 feet but this could be shortened, perhaps to 15-20 feet, for a children’s social game. A bag that goes in the hole scores three points and one that lands on the board earns a single point.

There are many other lawn games for children, apart from the ones here: soccer, rugby, volleyball, quoits and cornhole. The important thing is to get the children out into the open air and have them running around or exercising in some way. This is a good way to keep them fit. Lawn games will also encourage them to socialize and will promote the development of teamwork and various sporting skills.