This Sunday the clocks go forward so you will lose an hour of your weekend.
Aren’t they short enough?
So instead of doing the Spring cleaning, the shopping or visiting Ikea or B&Q this weekend, relax and have a few friends over and play a few games of carrom.
You know it makes sense.
At last, the Equinox
Now the days will be longer than the nights.
I hope they are warmer too.
Soon the clocks will be moved an hour forward.
The kids will start bringing home reams of paper from school, encouraging parents to get involved with various fund-raising activities.
So why not do it the easy way.
Drag your carrom board out from under the bed, clear away the cobwebs covering it, find all the pieces and strikers, and set up a Carrom game in the school hall.
Charge £1-2 a game.
Hold a mini competition if you like.
Set a time limit if you must.
Say you have 4-5 games an hour, fom 11am-4pm that’s only £20 worst scenario, but the school will still appreciate it. Every little bit helps.
It could be £50 and if you had two boards you could double that. Ask to borrow them from friends, relatives or neighbours.
Or get some-one to sponsor them. They would be an investment, as they can be used year after year.
You could also sell samosas to people waiting in the queue. They’re easy and cheap to make.
It wouldn’t take much effort and the kids and parents would enjoy it I’m sure.
And don’t dump it under the bed again. Keep it out. Use it. Enjoy it. It makes a change from watching the box.
I just wish I’d thought of this years ago when my kids were at school.
Of course I had more energy then, but I would still have preferred to play carrom than some of the things I was asked to do.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In the UK there are a few places where you can buy Carrom.
However here is a new place where you can try before you buy in London. Only on a Sunday though.
Carromcafe, Spitalfields Market
Speak to the people running the stall. They are keen to help and are well informed of anything happening on the carrom front.
Some local Indian grocery stores in and around London occasionally stock the odd carrom board or two.
Details available soon
Details available soon
You can try any of these online retailers
UK Carrom Shop
Farscape games
OKCarrom-Ireland
If you know of any other places that sell carrom please just let us know and we’ll do our best to add it here.