Box People and Places
Latest Issue 48 Summer 2025 
  • This Issue
    • Augustus Perren
    • Church Photos
    • Box Village Photos
    • Bath Photos
    • Pictor Photos
    • Celebration Photos
    • Perren Family Photos
    • Unknown Photos
    • Box People Photos
    • VE Day Full Story
    • Memories of VE Day 1945
    • VE Daty 2025 Anniversary
    • Oral History
  • Previous
    • Issue 46 - Box Hill
    • Issue 45 - Moleyns Lordship
    • Issue 44 - Viking Hazelbury
    • Issue 43 - Late Medieval
    • Issue 42 - Beautiful Box
    • Issue 41 - Becket Plays
    • Issue 40 - Selwyn Hall
    • Issues 30-39 >
      • Issue 39 - Modern Box
      • Issue 38 - Railway Workers
      • Issue 37 - Mill Lane Halt
      • Issue 36 - Box Rec
      • Issue 35 - Inter war
      • Issue 34 - Fogleigh House
      • Issue 33 - KIngsdown Post Office
      • Issue 32 - Chapel Lane
      • Issue 31 - Saxon Box
      • Issue 30 - Georgian Rudloe
    • Issues 20-29 >
      • Issue 29 - Darkest Hour
      • Issue 28 - VE Day
      • Issue 27 - Northey
      • Issue 26 - Heritage Trail
      • Issue 25 - Slave Owners
      • Issue 24 - Highwaymen
      • Issue 23 - Georgian
      • Issue 22 - War Memorial
      • Issue 21 - Childhood 1949-59
      • Issue 20 - Box Home Guard
    • Issues 10-19 >
      • Issue 19 - Outbreak WW2
      • Issue 18 - Building Bargates
      • Issue 17 - Railway Changes
      • Issue 16 - Quarries
      • Issue 15 - Rail & Quarry
      • Issue 14 - Civil War
      • Issue 13: Box Revels
      • Issue 12 - Where You Live
      • Issue 11 - Tudor & Stuart
      • Issue 10 - End of Era 1912
    • Issues 1-9 >
      • Issue 9 - Health & Leisure
      • Issue 8 - Farming & Rural
      • Issue 7 - Manufacturing
      • Issue 6 - Celebrations
      • Issue 5 - Victorian Centre
      • Issue 4 - Slump after WW1
      • Issue 3 - Great War 1914-18
      • Issue 2 - 1950s & 1960s
      • Issue 1 - 1920s
    • Index By Author
    • Partner Sites & Book Reviews
    • Currency Converter
  • People
  • Places
  • General
  • FULL Series
  • Contact
    • Blog
    • Q&A
Darts at Lamb Inn                      Photos courtesy Rose Ledbury     November 2023
Picture
The two teams in 1947-48 mostly suited, all with collar and tie and few flat caps.
For several years around the Second World War, the Lamb Inn took part in the Chippenham Hospital League of Friends Darts Knockout Cup. The competition was run by Ushers Brewery to fundraise for St Andrews Hospital, Chippenham, in the years before and shortly after the formation of the National Health Service. Early rounds were split into geographical divisions: Chippenham Area, Corsham Area and Calne Area, and most locations submitted more than one team.[1]
 
In the 1947-48 season, the team from the Lamb Inn reached the final against the White Lion, Corsham. The pub continued to compete annually and in 1953 again reached the final defeating Chippenham British Legion.[2]
Picture
Probably the Lamb Inn clientel. Can readers help to identify any people please?
The event was popular as a social event for ex-servicemen but the exclusivity was challenged in 1949 with the proposition “Should Women Play in Matches?”[3] The question was raised at the annual general meeting of the organisation, along with more specific issues such banning teams who arrived late and increasing the number of players in each side. The reply about including women had some prejudiced replies – that some clubs banned women entrants and men who played against women would not concentrate on the game. So much for women’s contributions in World War II.
 
The Lamb Inn was not the only Box organisation to participate. In 1935 the Quarryman’s Arms entered a side and in 1939-1940 The Rising Sun.[4] Some Box pubs did not enter either because they were banned by their own brewery or were on the western side of the village where their allegiance was more to the Bath Hospitals.

​Both photos originally came from Sidney Oliver who was the landlord of the Lamb Inn between 1942 and 1949.

References
[1] North Wilts Herald, 1 March 1940
[2] The Wiltshire Times, 5 September 1953
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 13 August 1949
[4] The Wiltshire Times, 6 May 1935 and North Wilts Herald, 1 March 1940 ​
Back to Issue 42