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Yet another monthly TTT at Ryan's ? No, this wasn't to be. I arrived as per usual at Ryan's at about 5.45 p.m. To my surprise there was a band setting up downstairs. Ah ha, looks like Ryan's have double booked. Upstairs to see the Manager. The 1 and only barman says he's not around but buzzes him. So I ask to see the diary. Tippexed out is backgammon and whatever the name band is scribbled on top - deposit paid. I've been running Live TTTs on the 1st Wednesday every month at Ryan's since January 2002. Let me be polite and say I wasn't best pleased. I did a quick stock take - there was a 4 piece rock band pretty well set up downstairs, groupies around both upstairs and down, they were paying for the venue and I don't. What were the chances of the Landlord telling the band to get lost ? The tippex gave me the answer. While I've made for the last year or so, for the sake of my players comfort, my relationship with Ryan's appear rosy it hasn't always been that way. I've asked for extra lighting, they've promised but never delivered. As I walked out of Ryan's looking for another venue for this evening I decided this was the final straw. The Rose and Crown was my first port of call. We could play there but they don't do food during the evenings. Not ideal but at least somewhere to play. The Fox Reformed couldn't help either but suggested The Prince. They would have loved to help but are refurbishing their function room and had a Jazz band on downstairs. The Lion had a band on upstairs and no room to play downstairs. I went back to The Fox Reformed to think aided by a half of beer. I found myself wondering why the hell I bother trying to promote backgammon. Is it really worth the effort ? Ah but this evenings show is booked and the show must go on - players are coming - don't know how many - but I can't let them down. Ok - Rose and Crown it'll be. We'll sort out something food wise. I returned to Ryan's where the manager was behind the bar. "I'm new here, nobody told me about backgammon." I didn't give a fig how new he was, backgammon was in the diary and it had been tippexed out. Nobody had phoned me to let me know. He shrugged his shoulders. I didn't see much point arguing the toss, his downstairs room was filing up nicely this evening as far as he was concerned and didn't give a damn about a regular customer who brings in people every month. I asked for a pen to alter my "Backgammon Downstairs" signs and sitting at the bar proceeded to make the necessary changes. The manager asked if I wanted a drink. "Is it free or you want me to pay for it?" I asked. "We don't give out drinks for free" was his reply. I didn't trust myself to reply verbally so I just gave him a death stare and carried on with altering my sign. I've had my last drink in that gaff. Mahmoud arrived and we decamped to The Rose and Crown. I sat in a seat where I could keep an eye out for players entering Ryans. We didn't have many players - only 5 of us. Another reason to suggest that monthly Live Tric Trac Tournos are past their sell by date. However we played our TTT. Mick V. won a backgammon in his first match which suggested, in a 5 player TTT, that he would probably win it. However he couldn't have fully realised the anger that was within MMM who took a gammon off Paul L. a win off John B. and thus set up a final match against Mick V. Mick V. needed a win of any sort and MMM needed a gammon at least. Backgammon is not a nice persons game; it's kill or be killed. And MMM found words from Arlo Gurthrie's Alice's Restaurant ringing in his ears. "Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill, KILL, KILL." I did. I gammoned Mick V. Sorry Mick, nothing personal, but I was angry with Ryan's and you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. MMM won his second TTT. Paul L. was off to Moscow the next day and Mahmoud had things to do so John B. Mick V. and myself decamped to a restaurant in Church Street for some dinner. And very good it was too. We were later joined by Miranda before we too made our way home. So that's the end of Live Tric Trac Tournos on the first Wednesday in every month in Ryan's Bar. The days of online Tric Trac Tournos happening on Playmaker-world ended last year and the evenings of Live TTTs ended on this evening in July 2005. All good things come to an end but you can't keep a good idea down. Irvbighead nowadays runs online Tric Trac Tournos on DailyGammon. 
See their Discussion Board. |
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