Baby it’s cold outside… But not too cold for games!

Wrapped up warm, the Silly Army come out to play.

In bitterly cold wind, a well wrapped up Silly Army took to the park on Sunday for more silly sports and games.

When Dave, K and Pete stood surveying the chilly park at 1pm the wondered if they’d get many players – but never doubt the Silly Army troops, they were soon turning out in force (and several layers of clothing).

Starting with a toe-numbingly cold game of Big Tennis, it was quickly decided that we should play a runaround, firstly because there were now lots of players and secondly in the hope of defrosting our tootsies.

We started with hockey and despite the yellow team featuring some of the best hockey players, including dynamo Steph, Alex, Paul and Karen, the red team’s combination of the ever-speedy Giles, all-over-the-pitch Greg and surprisingly-fast-when-he-wants-to-be (usually when there’s chocolate to be chased down) Pete meant the play was quite balanced with spells of activity at both ends of the pitch. Both teams were playing together very well and everyone was able to make a real contribution to the game, when the hard-to-control ball allowed, of course.

The reds went ahead and the yellows soon equalised, the score fairly quickly moving to 3-3. However, it was the yellows who managed to chip two more past the red defence and keeper K to win 5-3.

The Silly Army version of Handball

After a spot of Double Dodge, where Steph and Giles were among the best at surviving their friends’ efforts to knock them out.

We lost Richard and Alan to Bike Club, while the rest of us played Sticky Ball. Here the yellow team had the winning combination, winning the first game quickly while the blue team had good movement but couldn’t get their balls to stick. The yellow team won the first game 3-0 and while the blues managed to get two on the board in the second game they were beaten 3-2 in the end.

The idea is to get your hands to the ball. Though with the whole heads-at-groin-level thing, you have to avoid headbutting anyone in them.

Next up was Combi Ball. Still smarting from being on the losing side of the notorious 21-0 defeat a few weeks ago, the blue team’s Pete was quick to chip in some ground level goals to open the scoring. For a while play was quite even again, although the yellows were playing much better as a unit, making full use of space and all team members. Top prize has to go to the incredibly versatile Paul, however, the first person in the history of Silly Army to score a kicked goal in the high net, securing 10 points and a win for his team. Only Ras has touched on this before, and then only in practice, not in active play. The rare sighting Lee spent an entire games session in the summer trying to achieve this elusive goal – we think he’s gone off somewhere with a large hoop and a ball and is still practising.

There was just enough time, and we had just enough feeling in our fingers, to play Impossiball, the game of home-made large lacrosse style nets. K gave a great demonstration of how not to do a throw-in in Impossiball after thrice lobbing the ball off the pitch. However, she redeemed herself a little by forming a good up-front partnership with Esther for a goal.

Balls up!

Remembering to add the exclusion zones about halfway through the game made it a little easier to score and this proved to be the blue team’s game, winning 5-3 after latecomer Nick provided reinforcements.

Then it was time to pack up and head home once more, curse these dark nights.

It was great to see so many players turning out for Wednesday games at the YMCA this week. We played UnReal Tennis (the indoor version of Big Tennis, using the walls like in Real Tennis…) with the largest number ever recorded.

Netball allowed Helen, Alex and Paul to really show off their shooting skills on the green team, while Tori, Sabine and Pete excelled for the reds. It’s great to see, or rather hear, that Lisa’s fantastically distracting “war cries” are still in fine operation, excellent for putting the other side off!

“It’s coming right for him!” Nobody has the heart to tell Rob an alien is about to pounce on his head. They just stand and watch.

Handball is a crazy game played with a googly faced ball that never quite does what you want. This was a game won by the red team, clearly more experienced in punching things with a face on them…

There was time for some indoor Loopy Lobbing, which is clearly Giles’s game, before it was time to go out into the cold.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to support us at Sunday and Wednesday games. We are really pleased to see so many people turning up to play. We will be in the park this Sunday, snow or no snow, and in the YMCA hall again next Wednesday. Come along and join us!

The Silly Army line dancing class really needs some practice!

 

Silly Army Caption Competition: Party Time

In honour of the festive season approaching, it’s time for another caption competition. This is from a party several Sillies attended back in March, where we quickly took over the upstairs of the building and started playing games. But what’s going on here? Caption suggestions please (by leaving a comment on the blog).

Winner of the last caption competition is Nick with “Paul the seal learns to catch” – next time we see you, Nick, remember we owe you a cabbage! Prize for this caption contest… A random root vegetable.

 

Own Goals, Hard Balls And A (Monkey) Toss Off At Silly Army

It was a cold, damp and slippery King’s Park that greeted The Silly Army on Sunday afternoon, but despite the slightly overcast conditions there was a good turn-out of players enduring enjoying the crisp conditions.

Big Tennis is one of the most popular Silly Army games.

We were slightly late setting up due to some members enjoying enduring a thrilling Saturday evening sorting through the accounts in preparation for grant applications. However, many hands do light work make and  – after a random outbreak of Volleyball that was quickly tempered by hard balls – we soon had a game of Big Tennis underway, won by Team Helen.

With rapidly increasing numbers we opted to play a runaround next and went for Hockey. Despite the vast majority of the strongest Hockey Players being on the red team, this was a close fought and long match, with play being in one end for some time before switching to the other. Pete and Paul showed off excellent goal keeping skills in the red end while K took her usual position in goal for the yellows.

Jolly hockey sticks. Picture by Aleksandra Dimitrova.

After the score had been locked at 2-2 for some time, and because of increasingly limited time due to shortening days, we decided next goal would win and a brave battle ensued. The match was eventually sealed with the reds taking victory, thanks to a lovely blooper of an own goal from yellow dynamo Nick.

Following a spot of Double Dodgeball in a strangely shaped circle, where even Giles’s flexibility couldn’t save him in the slippery conditions, we played Combi Ball.

Because two balls are better than one. Particularly when they're both purple, and one is sausage shaped. Picture by Aleksandra Dimitrova.

Pete, remembering being on the losing side with the embarrassing score of zero last time we played this game, was determined to save some face this week and opened up the scoring with a nicely kicked goal for the blues. The yellow team made much better use of the field, however, and were better at finding space to quickly take the lead.

This wasn’t good enough for yellow player Helen, however, who bemoaned the scoring of an easy one pointer when she wanted to go for big points, much to the amusement of her own team. The old adage ‘every little helps’ clearly wasn’t on her mind!

The blues did a very good job of catching up, but it was the yellow team who got a deserved victory thanks to some sharp shooting. At least Pete and the rest of the bluesers could trudge off without egg on their faces, however, as they had played well, though they did have mud on their trousers due to lots of falling over (a Silly Army art form unto itself).

Sticky Ball looked like being a bit of an embarrassing defeat when the yellows shot out of the stocks and instantly scored three to take the first game. However, the blues battled back in the second game and for a long time nobody seemed to be able to get a ball on the board despite good play from both teams. K eventually opened the scoring for the blues on second attempt, but it was the yellow team who won this game too.

Loopy Lobbing, the game of throwing circular discs at each other, was next and top marks must go to Tori for her ‘Throw all and be damned’ method – which worked rather well! Helen and Alex also showed great skill at this game.

Team captains Tori and Viv got to chose who they thought were the best tossers in The Silly Army. A difficult choice indeed! Picture by Steph Mills.

Viv requested a tea break, but sadly our great Treasurer has vetoed tea for the time being, so we moved on to Monkey Toss. Tori and Viv were crowned team captains and the cringe-producing team picking method was employed.

Both girls picked well and, despite some off tossing from some of our top tossers to begin with, though Tori’s team took the lead Viv’s team forced a draw. That meant only one thing: it was time for a Toss Off.

Picking the windy end of the park (obviously) five tossers from each team lined up to chuck their mustard monkeys. However, Helen’s toss went horribly wrong and the resulting score was 5-4 to Tori’s team.

Shock of the game still has to be K managing to outrun Giles.

There was just enough time for another game of Big Tennis, during which Pete abandoned his team to join ‘Pedal Car’ Alan and Richard in Bike Club. But the neglected team of Viv, Giles and K proved they didn’t need their esteemed leader after all and won the game.

Silly Army games will be taking place tomorrow (Wednesday) in the YMCA, Westover Road, from 7pm – come and join us, it’s warm and great exercise!

There will also be regular Silly Army Sunday Games in King’s Park from 1pm this Sunday. Come along and toss monkeys – you know it makes sense.

Rain fails to stop play at Silly Army

A miserable text was sent from the Silly Army’s chief miser to their own Mrs Doyle this morning – due to wet and windy conditions, there would be NO TEA at Silly Army!

There's no such thing as friendship in Loopy Lobbing!

It was indeed assumed there would be no play at the club due to the continual bucketing down of rain. But the Sillies are better than that; they know this is England and they won’t let a bit of wind and rain stop them from having a run around. The two thirds of the committee that hail from the Highlands of Scotland would describe this as ‘bikini weather’.

Although our great leader Dave made just a fleeting appearance, having to go home because he hadn’t done his homework, K and Pete were soon joined by Steph and newbie Matt and they braved the rain to play Big Tennis.

Helen arrived soon after, followed by Karl and a proper game could ensue, K, Pete and Helen winning two games to one.

The rain kept falling and we decided it was time for a run-around, so played three-aside hockey on a slightly less muddy part of the field. Richard abandoned watching the Grand Prix and came to join us and a close game was played – the reds shooting ahead in the first half only for the yellows to come back in the second, leaving the score teetring at 9-9.

Matt and Pete had a great partnership up front for the reds however to score the final, winning goal.

The Silly Army is big on recycling. The loops from Loopy Lobbing are taken from old, broken Sticky Ball pads.

After its popularity last week, we played Loopy Lobbing, Pete again learning the hard way there is no such thing as friends when it comes to throwing hoops at each other.

A quick biscuit break (just not the same without tea!) was followed by Dodgeball with a large, slimy ball. Karl’s flexibility continued to amaze; he, Matt and Steph were the best at surviving.

More giant tennis rounded an all too brief session off lightly, won by the combination of Pete, K, Steph and Matt two games to one.

The Silly Army will be playing out next Sunday from 1pm whatever the weather, and will be in the YMCA this Wednesday from 7pm for rather drier indoor games!

How Silly Army Started…

A long, long time ago, two little boys had a big idea while playing war. That big idea blossomed into The Silly Army, where they even got to play with real (not plastic) friends...

Caption Competition: Caption this pic!

Time for another Silly Army caption competition. Please leave us a comment with your best caption for this pic:

Picture by Aleksandra Dimitrova

Chilly Army – Playing out until after dark

The Silly Army Flag - we sallute you (and Steph, who made you!) Picture: AD

The Silly Army beat reports of heavy rain and enjoyed another gloriously sunny, if rather chilly, day of games in King’s Park on November 7.

We started with Big Tennis, the lengthening grass in our little corner of the park adding further ambiguous bounces to the already unpredictable ball, and prompting the call from Matt for ‘a goat and a steam roller’. Unfortunately, nobody had remembered to pack either of these items, so a challenging game ensued. Strangely, the blinding sun in players’ eyes proved to be an advantage, as it was the team on the sunny side of the pitch that won both games. Steph’s team comfortably won the first game, while Dave’s enjoyed a similarly resounding victory in the second.

First up on the big pitch was Combi Ball, although we almost forgot to set up the side goals. The blue team were soon wishing that we had forgotten to play the game entirely as the most embarrassing defeat of Silly Army ensued. The yellows were all over the blues and won 20-0 thanks to some sharp shooting from Ras, Steph and Tori among others, and a particularly fine football goal from Dave. The blue team, meanwhile, were prompted by their leader Pete to try to get at least one point on the board – and promptly failed in that mission. Well done, yellow team, on earning your place in the Silly History Books.

Ras is one of the top scorers at Combi Ball. Picture: AD

Next up was Dodgeball, which rapidly evolved into Double Dodge despite lower numbers than in recent weeks. After that we played Hockey, which was well battled and evenly matched with a decent amount of play at both ends of the pitch. Dave’s idea of starting from the centre after a goal also meant there was more even play. In the end it was the yellows who won, but the game was close.

The committee have been thinking (shock, horror!) that it would be a good idea to try out a wider variety of games. So it was that Steph’s Teapot It was played. Two players are linked like a teapot – one the handle, one the spout, while a cat chases a mouse around the pitch. The mouse links on to a handle and the spout has to run off – sounds simple, but confused the whole of the Silly Army good and proper. Once we got the hang of it it was a great game, however, despite looking from a distance like some kind of messed up speed dating event…

Pete forgets the high stick rule in hockey. Picture: AD

After a brief tea stop, Sticky Ball came next and was a very long match – it seemed impossible for either team to score and it may be time to replace the sticky goals. Particular kudos must go to the blue team’s Rob and Pete, who were so busy trying to prove the goal at their end wasn’t sticky that they were still testing it as the yellows scored at their end! Also to K of the blues who realised too late it’s not easy to catch a ball with your shades in your hand.

Because of time and light constraints, and the fact the blue team once again failed miserably to score, we only played one game of Sticky Ball this week and the yellows won 3 balls to 0.

Another new game came next, or rather an old game resurrected. Loopy Lobbing proves how committed the Silly Army are to recycling, making use as it does of the old discs that surrounded sticky pads gone to that great Sticky Ball pitch in the sky.

Each player is armed with three discs and the objective is to knock out other players by lobbing discs at them, without getting hit yourself. The result was something of a quickfire massacre. Ras’s technique of mass lobbing worked rather well, while Pete learned the hard way that there are no friends in Loopy Lobbing after an ill-advised union with Dave resulted in his untimely demise.

Balls! Picture: AD

After that there was still enough light and energy to play a couple more games. We opted for Impossiball, and the blue team finally found there forte, scoring three goals without answer. The yellows got two back but the blues scored two more for a well deserved victory.

Monkey Toss was the last game of the day and was a true walkover as Pete’s team went on the offensive and scored victory in just three runs – clearly, these guys have been practising their tossing.

The Silly Army meets every Sunday in King’s Park from 1pm, and every Wednesday in the YMCA on Westover

Impossiball involves large, unwieldy nets and a flighty ball. Picture: KI

Road, Bournemouth, from 7pm. Come and join us!

Picture credits: AD – Aleksandra Dimitrova; KI – Kaye Inglis

The Silly Army October 24 and 31

The Silly Army has had a busy few weeks, hence the slight lack of blogging activity. Here’s a quick round-up of the last two Sunday games sessions in October.

Two great minds prepare for battle on the hockey pitch... Picture by AD

Glorious Autumnal sunshine has boosted turnout in the last two weeks of October as many people have been out enjoying being chilly and Silly in the sun-blessed King’s Park.

Sunday October 23 saw a record turnout of 29 players, sending ledger keeper Pete into overdrive with his charts and statistics (yes, he really does keep them). It’s great to see so many people out enjoying the sunshine and the silliness.

As usual we started proceedings with a game of Big Tennis as Sillies gathered, but rapidly increasing numbers meant it was quickly time to play a runaround. It was also excellent that so many new members and recent recruits turned up to play.

There's no more beautiful sight than a man and his monkey... Picture: AD

We began with Sticky Ball, the yellow team playing most fluidly and working best as a team to win the first two games.

Dodgeball followed before we moved on to hockey. Here the red team suffered a bit of a massacre, red goalie K not on the ball at all, letting five in in succession for the team to be soundly beaten.

Next we played Combi Ball, which was a much closer affair and a hard-fought battle, the yellow team eventually claiming victory despite a brave battle by the blues.

Confusion abounded for everybody next with Crumbs & Crows, the chasing game. Doozer the monkey, who had turned up hoping for some Monkey Chase, took part in the game, helping Raz with his running and Pete with calling. Perhaps Doozer had more of an idea of what was going on in the game, as most of the Sillies remained entirely confused throughout (and ran in the wrong direction!)

The reds concede a goal in hockey. Picture: AD

Tchouckball was up next after tea break and the yellow team again took victory, covering more of the pitch most efficiently while the blue team relied on just a couple of players.

Then it was time for Double Netball and here the teams were far more evenly matched, the yellow team only just snaring victory.

Monkey Toss was the last game proper of the game and was another close call, this time Pete’s team clinching the win.

Lisa makes a pass during Combi Ball. Picture: AD

As numbers began to dwindle, the final game of the day involved experimenting with large hoops Pete and Dave had made during the week, with an outline game design involving running through them dribbling (dribbling a ball, not just dribbling, although the old men of the club are rather good at that!) After realising that when a team got possession, as the yellows did, it was pretty much impossible to get the ball back from them, the confused blue team decided this was a game in need of more work!

October 31 was another sunny Sunday and after Big Tennis we played Hockey. This was a very long and very evenly matched game: with the scores at 4-4 it was the red team who managed to shoot that all important point to win the match.

A battle ensues as the yellow team defend against the blues.

Sticky Ball followed Double Dodge and was similarly drawn out and even, with both teams finding it very difficult to score despite some good moves. The yellow team won the first match and the blues the second, at which point we decided it was time to opt for a draw – a very unusual occurrence in Silly Army!

Next up was netball and here the yellow team excelled to win comfortably. New players Mike and Paul got thoroughly stuck in to the game and the girls on the yellow team played well together to clinch victory.

After tea we tried Giant Football (football with the dodgeball) which is very difficult to control, particularly in the ubiquitous King’s Park wind, leading to the ball blowing all over the pitch. In the end this became a ‘first goal wins’ game, the yellow team scoring.

A Monkey Toss Action Shot. Now that's not something you see every day... Picture: AD

Monkey Toss was the final game of the day, complete with a humiliating school style team picking. Pete proved that not only is he a top tosser, he can spot a tosser at ten paces as he chose the winning side, comfortably beating Dave’s troop.

Top tosser. Picture: AD

The Silly Army meets in King’s Park every Sunday from 1pm and plays such silly games as these. Come along and join us!

More Silly Army pictures from October 24 and 31:

Alex the poser defends the yellow goal. Picture: AD

Games on Hallowe'en can have interesting results... Picture: SM

Dodgy geezers never break their pose, no matter what happens. Picture: SM

We welcomed a new member, Paul, and could tell he would fit in straight away. Pic: SM

Sam is confident of victory. Picture: SM

Picture Credits: AD – Aleksandra Dimitrova; SM – Steph Mills

Another sunny Sunday Silly session!

The Silly Army last Sunday.

Despite being described by some nay-sayers at Bournemouth Council as an “underused resource”, King’s Park was again busy on Sunday afternoon as footballers, cyclists, dog walkers, families and runners made the best of the gloriously crisp, sunny day to enjoy the benefits of spending time in green space.

Big Tennis - by far the best way to start a Sunday afternoon in King's Park.

In their new spot in the far corner, The Silly Army were of course out in force, and it was super to see lots of new players as well as many familiar faces. Welcome, Alex, Nick, Matt, Sue and Visiting John – we hope you’ll come and play with us some more!

As has become a tradition with Silly Army, we started our park games session with a game of Big Tennis. The new players all took to this game surprisingly well, quickly showing some of the old hands how it should be done. Due to various late night games, drinking sessions and emergency 1am peppermint tea deliveries, some of the old guard were a little off the ball, and the ball itself was quite frequently off the court as we whacked it here, there and everywhere. However, some good rallies were eventually had, and Karen’s team were the most alert to claim a deserved victory.

Dave proves he has the legs for a netball skirt.

First up on the big pitch was Double Netball, a recently invented game with two very high, very small netball hoops in which you have to toss your balls.

This is a fast game that soon had everybody warmed up in the chilly air. This is a game where the girls tend to excel – Helen in particular an excellent shooter – but the boys proved they were just as comfortable in netball skirts (well, according to what we’ve heard about some of them…) and a tight, frantic game ensued, eventually won by the blue team.

While Dave organised a game of dodgeball, Mrs Doyle’s tea shop opened early – but not for the usual reason of a well-earned tea break. Oh no, the next game was one that hadn’t been played for a while and was new to many of the more recent Silly Army members.

English Football is truly the Beautiful Game. It’s played the way football was intended to be played – with a cup of tea, a saucer and a strategically placed biscuit. The object of the game is to score standard football goals, without spilling your tea or getting a soggy biscuit. Cue lots of mincing as players attempt to keep up with the ball without losing any of the precious brown stuff.

Viv was spectacularly fouled as the ball knocked her cup and saucer clean out of her hand, while Pete played by the book and gained some advantages – drinking his tea, getting a refill and eating not just his own but other team members’ biscuits.

English Football also requires that each player carries an Excuse Me card, which can be presented once to an opposition player, who must oblige by stepping aside. However, not many of the Sillies played this card to their advantage, too focused on keeping their saucers clean. Despite having tea junkies Pete and K on their team, the blue team lost out to the yellows.

There's something wrong with this football game... That's right, everyone needs a nice cup of tea!

Tea was not required for an evenly matched game of hockey, where K’s late night peppermint antics saw her being not particularly on form in the yellow goal. Both the red and yellow strike forces were on good form, though, and K eventually woke up enough to defend in golden goal time by kneeling on the ball, not in the slightest intimidated by Pete’s (joking?!) threat to put leg and ball in the goal. The yellow team struck gold soon after and won the game.

Sticky Ball came next and was again quite evenly matched. The yellows got off to a great start but it was the blues who played better and won the game.

After tea break proper, we played Tchoukball and here the yellow team started off playing far better. Steph, Karen and Paul are among the best players at this game and all were on target. The blues soon picked things up and began to catch up, but this was another yellow victory.

Despite being pursued by two giant shadows, Helen is not distracted during Impossiball.

Next up was another game we hadn’t played for a while, Impossiball. This is a lacrosse style game with home-made racquets that make the transition of the ball somewhat difficult to control. New girl Alex adopted a particularly entertaining method of moving the ball – dragging it behind her along the ground inside the racquet. This proved a rather effective target, and she proved a sharp shooter – scoring an excellent through the hoop goal (worth two points). Yellows however scored the winning goal.

There was time for some tossing with a tense Monkey Toss match, blessedly free of wind this week, which meant the flying monkeys flew better. This was another very close game and it all came down to the last toss. K proved that tossing monkeys is one of her few sporting talents, thus crowning Pete’s team Top Tossers and negating the need for a toss off.

Impossiball by name...

More big tennis was played to round the day off and at 6.30pm it was time to trundle home before it got dark.

On Wednesday a selection of Sillies enjoyed more indoor games at the YMCA. A newly designed missile game was followed by Unreal Tennis, involving the ball bouncing off the walls (and also involving quite a lot of ducking as the ball moves rather fast).

We also played Bouncing Volleyball, and Netball where the green team won comfortably – Helen proving once again what an excellent shot she is. Pete meanwhile proved his girlie credentials by tying with Tori as the best shooter for the red team.

The Silly Army hope a giant ice rink doesn't land on their heads.

The Silly Army will be meeting in King’s Park again from 1pm this Sunday. We will be playing Randomiser, Big Tennis, Combi Ball, Cladwhacking, Hockey, Budge, Monkey Toss and other games – come along and join us.

Apologies for the lack of blog activity last week. The Silly Army committee has been extremely hard at work organising paperwork, fighting the ice rink plans and planning a series of activities to ensure winter is far from boring – including The Silly Army Christmas Party (yay!). Details will follow in Dave’s mailout shortly.

Alex provided a great news write-up of his first experience of Wednesday games. Read it here.

 

 

 

Pete and Dave look quite the happy newlyweds in this shot, and all their friends look happy for them. All except Alan, who is clearly coveting Karen's cup of tea.

Silly Army Caption Competition

It’s been a madly busy time for the Silly Army scribe of late – match reports from our recent games sessions will be posted shortly.

Meanwhile, here’s another picture for you to caption. Post your captions as a comment.