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The Half Crown Pétanque Club are the English Club Champions, 2010.
We are based in the village of Stockton deep in the heart of Warwickshire. We are very active in promoting and enjoying the game of pétanque (French Boules). We play socially, seriously, internationally (through our exchanges with Pétanque clubs from France and Germany), but most importantly, we have fun.
Our facilities are extremely good, with eight international-sized terrains and the ability to host competitions of up to 24 teams very comfortably. We are attached to a thriving pub - The Crown Inn - which gives us all the facilities we need, including a top notch restaurant, bar snacks, fine wines and real ales, as well as club house facilities for our social events.
Since its inception in February 1989 the Club has grown from a few enthusiasts to the current membership level of over 40 paid up members, with many casual players from the village also attending our many competitions and other functions. The club is therefore an important provider of village recreation, welcoming youngsters, senior citizens and the disabled, all of whom have benefited from the club's activities since its inception.
We take part in the West Midlands leagues and various Regional/National competitions, many of which we host at The Crown Inn. On the social side, we play every Saturday from 2.00pm and, during the Summer, Tuesday evenings from 7.30pm, and welcome newcomers for come and try sessions. We can lend you some boules, instruct you in rules of the game and ensure that you have an interesting experience, whether you are 8 or 80 years old.
We have three twinnings each year - two with clubs in France and one with a Club in Germany. We boast a number of GB internationals, and have represented GB in the European Cup.
We are in the Guinness Book of World Records for our '24 Hour Boules Marathon' which took place in June 2001, and in we were awarded the accolade of being very first 'Senior Sports Club of the Year' by Stratford-on-Avon District.
A regular feature during the summer is 'come and try' evenings (or 'Piste parties' as they are better know). Instead of a 'beer and skittles' night we offer a 'beer and boules' night where we encourage groups of people to come and challenge each other to a game of Pétanque. This costs between £7-£10 which includes hire of boules and a hot meal or BBQ. We have had a variety of organisations participating in such events ranging from Women's Institutes and Rugby Clubs to The Lions and The Roundtable.
So, despite being located in a small village we are one of the most active Pétanque clubs in the UK.
The Half Crown Pétanque Club is always pleased to welcome new members. So why not come and join us on Saturday mornings from 11.00am? If you want to know more about the sport and its rules, please visit the English Pétanque Association's web site www.englishpetanque.org.uk
If you want to know more about the Half Crown Pétanque Club visit our web-site on www.halfcrownpetanque.org.uk, give John Emberton a call on 01926 814267 or visit us at The Crown Inn.
CHAIRMAN John Emberton (01926) 814267
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