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Bath Boules 2015: The Reside Retrospective

Posted on by prateek

Bath Boules returned in 2015 with a bigger, better and more exciting tournament. Two sides of Queen Square were closed to traffic, and the roads lined with boutique food and drink stalls run by the likes of Yammo!, Pieminister and Masterchef champion Ping Coombes. The event, sponsored by a host of local businesses including Reside, proved a major success, drawing large crowds and raising valuable funds for local charities.

Bath Boules 2015

Warned by the Bath Boules staff that no team had ever won the competition two years running, the victorious 2014 Reside team crumbled under the pressure of the organisers’ mind games, losing the first game badly. A stern team talk later, and Team Reside was back on song, winning all seven of the remaining group ties. It was, alas, too little too late, as their first match opponents went on to win all eight of their games, thus knocking Reside out of the competition.

The Reside team were unable to repeat the heroics of their triumphant 2014 campaign, but a superb day was enjoyed by colleagues, family and friends. Congratulations to all involved for putting on such a wonderful few days’ entertainment, and to the winning Actual Experience team for pipping us to the post. We’ll be back to get you in 2016!

Pétanque: Bath’s Incredi-boules Second Sport

Posted on by prateek

Bath Boules

Anyone trying to argue that rugby is not Bath’s sport of choice can expect to incur the wrath of a city proud of a heritage that will be 150 years old next year. However, within drop-kicking distance of The Rec, a second ‘sport’ grips the residents of Bath to such extents that its players can often be seen plying the gravelled playing areas until the dark hours of most summer evenings.

Rather less physical and more well-mannered than its oval-ball counterpart, pétanque has long since been established as a popular pastime for the Bathonian who would rather choose gin over gym. The game is enduringly sociable, affably competitive and is often played with an eye on closing time at the nearest hostelry. The only scrum is the knot of furrowed foreheads knitted together over a cluster of tightly grouped boules, desperately trying to fathom which sphere has crept closest to the tiny coche.

Across Bath, several gravel pistes host competitive matches throughout the summer. Serene Alexandra Park, on Bear Flat, is known as a luscious deep playing area with spectacular views over the city, whilst the sparse and unreliable surfaces within busy Queen Square often draw intrigued spectators, many of whom are foreign to the city and are captivated by this quintessentially French yet somehow very English game. A new floodlit terrain is currently being developed at Larkhall Sports Club, with the help of a £23,185 grant from Sport England. Such luxuries will be warmly welcomed by anyone who has ever relied on passing car headlights when completing a closely-fought game in the dark.

As well as summer-long leagues which often provoke Bath vs. Gloucester levels of rivalry and sportsmanship, a two day affair in the midst of summer has become a popular tradition and a raging success. Bath Boules is a non-profit event that raises money for local charities; it has become so popular with local boules teams and businesses that online registration for this year’s competition was open for just one hour before all of the places had been snapped up. Based in Queen Square, the games spill over onto the rugged footpaths and mossy arteries which sprawl around the bustling arena. Pleasingly sponsored by, amongst others, Champagne Jacquart, the weekend represents all that is brilliantly social, fun and slightly eccentric about the game.

As for Reside, we have a band of five fearless, if rather erratic, boules joueurs who compete in Bath’s Thursday League. We are also proud to be a sponsor of Bath Boules 2014, and look forward to being involved in this fantastic tradition for the first time this year.

Those wishing to investigate this genteel, good-natured and entertaining recreation can visit The City of Bath Pétanque Club’s website where more information can be found about how to join in.

If you happen to see our fleet of five pétanque pros gathered in Queen Square, trying to claw their way back from the brink of another defeat against one of the seasoned campaigners who we often find ourselves up against, please do pop by to watch and say hello. We also post weekly updates on our progress on Twitter because this is Bath’s second sport, after all.

Reside5 – Public Sporting Facilities

Posted on by prateek

Every year, the tense tiebreaks and luscious lawns of Wimbledon inspire many of us to turn off the telly, reach for a racquet and indulge in some very rusty but much-needed exercise.

Bath has a wealth of high quality public sports facilities just waiting to be raided by those of us in the grip of Murray-mania, which is why we have decided to share with you five of our favourite Public Sporting Facilities in the city.

There’s something for everyone in our latest Reside5, but be sure to share your own recommendations with us on Twitter or Facebook.

1. Tennis in the Park
Royal Victoria Park, BA1 2NR
Twitter: @ExcelTennis
(photo credit: twitter.com/ExcelTennis)

Anyone can turn up to Tennis in the Park, who offer a membership-free pay and play system. A total of seven courts are hidden away in a sheltered corner of The Royal Victoria Park, four of which are indoors and floodlit during the winter.

Set in such tranquil surroundings, however, grunters of the Sharapova variety may wish to tone down their performance.

2. Odd Down Cycle Circuit
Bloomfield Road, BA2 2NU
Twitter: @OddDownCircuit
(photo credit: nowbath.co.uk)

This brand new 1.5km (that’s 0.93 miles to you and me) cycle track was built by B&NES council with the help of a £600,000 grant from British Cycling and is one of only 17 such closed road cycling circuits in England. The track received a grand opening from the UK’s King of the Pedals, Sir Chris Hoy, and is designed to encourage more people in the area to take up the sport.

Open family sessions run several times a week from as little as £1 per participant, and inhabitants of penthouse apartments with no storage space can always borrow a bicycle from the track.

3. The Sports Training Village, University of Bath
Claverton Down, BA2 7AY
Twitter: @TeamBath
(photo credit: atcinternationallanguages.com)

This round-up would not be complete without mention of the University of Bath’s impressive sporting facilities, many of which can be booked for public use. The Training Village has played host to a variety of international sports stars and teams, and if you’ve ever idly wondered whether bobsleigh could be your calling then look no further.

A state of the art gym is available to members, and virtually every other sport is catered for – from badminton to volleyball. This is truly the place to discover your area of expertise in time for Rio 2016!

4. The Approach Golf Course
Weston Road, BA1 2DS
Twitter: @Aquaterral

Fans of a Reside5 (let’s call you Reside5ers) will recognise Bath Approach Golf Course from our Viewpoints of Bath blog a couple of months ago. Not only can anyone walk in off the street and enjoy a reasonably priced round of golf, but the panoramas over Bath are not to be missed.

Club hire is included in the admission price, so don’t worry if you’re a 5 iron short of a full set – there’s something here for everyone.

5. Bath’s Pétanque Pistes
Various Locations
(photo credit: flickr.com/bathintime)

If you find that golf is rather too much of an adrenaline rush, you may wish to consider the wonderfully social and gentile game of pétanque. Bath has several pétanque pistes, most notably in Queen Square and Alexandra and Alice Parks, all of which can be booked through the council or used for free if you happen upon an empty one.

The Bath pétanque scene is a busy one, with popular Tuesday and Thursday leagues always on the look-out for new teams and players, and several other competitions running throughout the summer. In fact, visitors to Queen Square on a Thursday evening will often be able to spot the low-flying Reside pétanque team in action.

We hope we’ve given you 5 good reasons turn off the telly and explore some of what Bath has to offer, but before you dig out your tennis whites why not tweet us to let us know what sport you’ll be playing today.