A deck-idedly good time at new games group in Brancaster!

Organiser Helen is encouraging more people to join them at their friendly games nights

Playing board games and cards takes me back to rummy with my nan as a child and fiercely competitive monopoly afternoons with my elder sisters (who would always hide money underneath the board). So a games evening at Brancaster Village Hall definitely appeals.

As I walk in Helen Bocking, who’s set up the new group, is playing a card game with a few others. They look around and smile, I’m offered a drink, and Helen tries to reassure me “It’s not really about the winning, it’s just about the playing - about having fun.” That actually makes me slightly nervous, I tell them, as I do like to win. “You definitely see someone’s personality come out quite a lot!” She laughs. Let’s hope mine doesn’t shock them.

There’s a table full of games and the chosen one is Sushi Go (which is new to me, so makes me feel better about potentially losing). And as we play Helen tells me why she started the group, “I lived in Australia and did a similar thing and I really enjoyed it, it’s a good way to socialise, to meet people and the focus is on the games.”

“We are hoping to grow the group slowly, at the moment it’s summer and the nights are warm and maybe people don’t want to be inside, but we think it’ll pick up in the winter.” She’d like to get to the point when people are coming from villages all around and it becomes ‘a kind of family’.

Helen’s brother George hopes the same as “We love playing board games and are fed up of playing each other!” Another lady, also called Helen, laughs and tells me the siblings “Definitely do get competitive. I saw it last time,” which makes me feel better.

Organiser Helen hopes it could potentially be a more relaxed way to meet a partner, “In Australia we talked about this. All the single events we went to were so awkward, mingling with strangers or speed dating when you’re forced to talk to someone. Having a board game out puts the focus on that, and is just good fun.”

It’s a friendly evening and I’d forgotten that playing games is a lovely way to pass the time. I’d like to say I won, but I didn’t.  I did keep my cool though and put losing down to being distracted by asking questions (!).  And there’s always next time.  If you fancy joining it’s fortnightly from 6 til 10 in the evening, the next one on July the 25th.