House Rules
07th July 2014
7th July
House Rules
For many years now I have played a silly game when out walking. If you fall over and land on your backside you have to buy a round of drinks at the end of the walk. Quite simple, very childish, but this silly game has taken on a life of its own.
I am not sure quite how or when this game started and I not even sure if it was me who suggested it......but as it involves beer, I suspect it was me.
For years my old girlfriend and I would seek out new places to walk. We have been around most parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, with an in depth experience of walking throughout England. We walked through all weathers and seasons and often one of us would fall over descending a slippery slope. The opportunity for the game is clear, why is lost in the mists of time and the haze of the consequence of both of us falling over too often.
L
Throughout these years I have introduced this game to others who may have joined us, or I went with separately. I would point out that if you were walking with me there was a House Rule. Strangely (it seems now) most companions were more than happy to join into the game. In fact many have taken the game into their own walks. It seems the child is inside most of us.
I remember meeting a couple of gents whilst walking over the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland. It was a particularly wet and misty day and the slope I was ascending was steep and extremely slippery. I was thinking to myself I was glad I was going up as coming down would have been challenging and certainly would mean slipping over. It was whilst I was in my reverie that these two Irish men appeared out of the mist above me. As is the way in these hills, you stop and chat. Very social and civilised.
It was during this chat I mentioned my House Rule (my partner was slowly climbing below). Both men laughed and one remarked (pointing to his companion):
"Feck, if that's the case he owes me a fecking brewery"
A great moment and I always hope those Irish walkers are now continuing this game and passing it on to their friends. It seems an appropriate country to have a rule that takes you to a bar after a walk.
However, once you have entered the game things begin to change. All of a sudden fellow walkers are now more cautious. Taking care on every step, gently moving across wet ground where before they pranced with free abandonment. Now easing more nervously down the scree slopes, tentatively peering over ledges that once they leaped with little care for their mortality, let alone buying a few beers; they now are making a very conscious effort to keep on their feet.
In addition to this increased desire to remain upright, my fellow walkers have forced rule changes (or at least finer tuning of the rules). The early game was if you fell you buy the beer. However, what constituted a fall? If you stumbled but managed to put a hand down had you actually fallen? Was it different if you landed on your front or your back? How much contact with the ground constituted as a fall? In fact what was a fall? The things people would argue to get out of buying a beer was phenomenal, especially when considered they would have normally bought a beer after a walk anyway. The game changed the dynamic.
Rules:
Any person, during the period of starting and finishing this walk (first step from car/starting point to last step before car/finish point) should fall they must buy a round of drinks for all of the company of walkers joined on the walk.
A fall is recognised when both cheeks of the buttocks make contact with the ground.
One cheek, a hand quickly lowered that catches the fall (so both cheeks not making contact with terra firma) is considered a save and all walkers will comment:
"Good save" ...."you lucky bleep" ......."you tight bleep" etc.
Full account of any unseen falls must be disclosed when in the pub. Your conscience will without, but dirt marks, etc will always be you undoing if hold back......are you prepared for the shame of being 'outed'?
So contestant, are you ready? Then get walking and remember the House Rules.
The Mourne Mountains
House Rules
For many years now I have played a silly game when out walking. If you fall over and land on your backside you have to buy a round of drinks at the end of the walk. Quite simple, very childish, but this silly game has taken on a life of its own.
I am not sure quite how or when this game started and I not even sure if it was me who suggested it......but as it involves beer, I suspect it was me.
For years my old girlfriend and I would seek out new places to walk. We have been around most parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, with an in depth experience of walking throughout England. We walked through all weathers and seasons and often one of us would fall over descending a slippery slope. The opportunity for the game is clear, why is lost in the mists of time and the haze of the consequence of both of us falling over too often.
L
Throughout these years I have introduced this game to others who may have joined us, or I went with separately. I would point out that if you were walking with me there was a House Rule. Strangely (it seems now) most companions were more than happy to join into the game. In fact many have taken the game into their own walks. It seems the child is inside most of us.
I remember meeting a couple of gents whilst walking over the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland. It was a particularly wet and misty day and the slope I was ascending was steep and extremely slippery. I was thinking to myself I was glad I was going up as coming down would have been challenging and certainly would mean slipping over. It was whilst I was in my reverie that these two Irish men appeared out of the mist above me. As is the way in these hills, you stop and chat. Very social and civilised.
It was during this chat I mentioned my House Rule (my partner was slowly climbing below). Both men laughed and one remarked (pointing to his companion):
"Feck, if that's the case he owes me a fecking brewery"
A great moment and I always hope those Irish walkers are now continuing this game and passing it on to their friends. It seems an appropriate country to have a rule that takes you to a bar after a walk.
However, once you have entered the game things begin to change. All of a sudden fellow walkers are now more cautious. Taking care on every step, gently moving across wet ground where before they pranced with free abandonment. Now easing more nervously down the scree slopes, tentatively peering over ledges that once they leaped with little care for their mortality, let alone buying a few beers; they now are making a very conscious effort to keep on their feet.
In addition to this increased desire to remain upright, my fellow walkers have forced rule changes (or at least finer tuning of the rules). The early game was if you fell you buy the beer. However, what constituted a fall? If you stumbled but managed to put a hand down had you actually fallen? Was it different if you landed on your front or your back? How much contact with the ground constituted as a fall? In fact what was a fall? The things people would argue to get out of buying a beer was phenomenal, especially when considered they would have normally bought a beer after a walk anyway. The game changed the dynamic.
Rules:
Any person, during the period of starting and finishing this walk (first step from car/starting point to last step before car/finish point) should fall they must buy a round of drinks for all of the company of walkers joined on the walk.
A fall is recognised when both cheeks of the buttocks make contact with the ground.
One cheek, a hand quickly lowered that catches the fall (so both cheeks not making contact with terra firma) is considered a save and all walkers will comment:
"Good save" ...."you lucky bleep" ......."you tight bleep" etc.
Full account of any unseen falls must be disclosed when in the pub. Your conscience will without, but dirt marks, etc will always be you undoing if hold back......are you prepared for the shame of being 'outed'?
So contestant, are you ready? Then get walking and remember the House Rules.
The Mourne Mountains