Carrom Association UK

I am on the look out for any photos taken at Glastonbury Fetival which show Carom being played.
Seemingly a friend had a stand there a few years ago and although he has given me some photos from 2005 I was wondering if any of my readers have photos they’d like to share.
A prize of a championship striker to anyone who sends in a photo of blokes playing carrom in silly hats.
Also does anyone recognise these three likely lads?
Any ideas for a caption?
“It says here, in the rule book, anyone wearing a silly hat, must forfeit a go.”
“I’m hiding my highlights. You should too.”

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Here is a short video to show you how to set up the game of carrom. It only takes him half a minute.
This is for those of you who can’t find the rule book or the original box the pieces came in.
Yes we all know they’re somewhere safe. If only you could remember where you put them.
I usually tape the rule book to the back of the board so it is in easy reach.

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To meet the Official Standards adopted by the Carrom Association carrom boards should be square, flat and the play surface should be made from top quality plywood with a hardwood frame. The play area should be 73.5 cm in length and width. The pockets must be 4.5cm in diameter and the frame of the board a minimum 4cm in width.

However you can buy a carrom board with a light, medium or dark finished frame and there are different medallions to choose from.
The important thing is that it comforms to the correct size.

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I found this game on the net.
I hope this helps you pass some time. Relax. It’s fun.
Thanks go to Karandeep Singh and here he is.
Have a look at his webpage.
A medical student who sings too. Oh to be young again.

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In order to keep your board in the best possible condition follow these simple instructions and in return you will have years of fun.

Keep your board dry.
Keep your board away from extreme temperatures.
Treat it as you would wood, these boards are hand made and the designs are hand painted.
To prevent losing parts, keep all carrom pieces boxed and together.
To prevent scratches or accidental damage, when you finish playing cover the board with a cloth.
When you have finished playing wipe the board with a dry cloth, removing any residue.
Nail varnish may stain the board if players use cheap nail varnish so be careful!!
Store it under or behind the sofa, under the bed or better still, hang it on the wall.
Make sure you use rawlplugs and a screw or a hook strong enough.
Then all you do is thread a piece of strong cord through one of the holes in the corner of the board and hang it up.
It will look good, maybe cover up a stain on the wall, and be easy to get down when you fancy a game.

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Well I had a good weekend.
My new friends enjoyed a few carrom games on Friday evening.
Then on Saturday we watched the lunar eclipse from my balcony.
We had a carrom board out there, a few bottles of wine and lots of delicious nibbles.
We played late into the night, with the big red moon shining on us. It was magical.
I think they have been converted to carrom. They want to play next weekend.
One of them is a natural. She has really good hand-eye co-ordination and seems to know instinctively how much, or little force to use to pot the coins.
She put me to shame.
Most of my pots are down to flukes.

Photograph credit to Earthshots.org

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There is a carrom competition planned to take place in Dortmund, Germany in July this year.
I don’t know if it is a natiional or an international affair. I will keep you informed.
However with the usual German efficiency, carrom is played and promoted across the country.
There are some very good web pages about carrom, but in German.
My schoolgirl German helps a bit, but it is a difficult language.
However one of our team speaks perfect German and I have asked him to find out as many details about the contest in July as he can.

Dortmund is a very pretty town, with castles, carrom and cakes. The Germans make delicious cakes. So lots of excuses for a visit. And good reasons to get carrom promoted more in the UK.

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Below is a picture of a board advertising those lovely brave lads and lasses in the London Fire Service.
They are heroes, everyone. It’s just a pity our Government doesn’t appreciate them.
Who will they call if their homes go up in flames, or worse still a loved one is trapped inside?
You can always find another place to live.
But these people go into blazing buildings, on a daily basis, at all hours of the day and night, risking their lives and for what?
It’s not for the money.
They’d make more working behind a desk from 9-5, Monday to Friday, in the City or Whitehall.
It can’t be the uniform and the sense of power they have over other people, as is the case with the army, police, even traffic wardens or community officers.
They are a breed apart.
I have nothing but admiration for the fire service, not only the London branch, but nationwide. No, correct that, worldwide. Some of my strongest and abiding memories of 9/11 are the firefighters of New York, their bravery and the tragedy of so many dying trying to save others, in buildings that collapsed in minutes.
This has nothing really to do with carrom apart from the picture of the board.
It gives me an excuse to show my appreciation of these wonderful, selfless people and to have a pop at our Government for being so stingy.
We never seem to have a problem financing bombs, No. 10’s drinks bill, wages for yet more penpushers and quasi police.
But how many fire stations have been closed in the last decade?
I don’t know the exact figure but even one is one too many.

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Some people call them carrom counters, some call them carrommen. Still others say carrom coins or carrom pieces.
It’s not important.
The important thing is that the counters, coins, call them what you will, should be between 3.02 cm. and 3.18 cm in diameter.
They should be between .70 and .90 cm thick and weigh from 5.25 to 5.50 grams.
There are 9 black and 9 white counters and 1 red counter which is called the queen.
When they are set up in the middle of the board the queen is always in the middle.

They are usually made from wood and they should not get scratched as this will slow them down.
Nowadays you can also buy carrom pieces made from resin.

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Strikers, which are round and flat, should be no larger than 4.12 centimetres in diameter, and weigh at least 15 grammes.
You could win one of the strikers below if you come up with the winning caption for the previous post. They look beautiful, no? They are made from resin.
In the past, Carrom strikers were made from ivory. However, ivory has now been banned in tournaments and if you turn up to play with one you will be disqualified.
Metal strikers or ones containing a design in metal are not allowed either. They may damage the carrom pieces or scratch the surface of the board.
The striker can be one colour, or have a design as long as it is not offensive.
Some champions spend a lot of money to have a specific design engraved or hand painted on their strikers.
People become really attached to them, and some believe they win because they play with a lucky striker.
It must be much the same as snooker players who have a favourite cue.
It’s what you are used to, I suppose, and if you believe your game is better because of a particular piece of equipment, it probably is.
In the case of Carrom, just don’t lose your lucky striker.

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