Somerset's fives walls, and how medieval English churchyards inspired a sport that's big in Nigeria

[@FirstLast-vp5fp]

Just wanted to say thanks for spending 11p on the stock photo for me. Much appreciated.

[@EricosterWo3]

holy shit mate if this inst an absolute collection of history of obscure British culture, than i dont know what is. Absolute gem, i really think you accomplished more than you think you did. You deserve ti be compensated heavily for what you accomplished here, a trove of historical insight without a doubt. Well done and I love you.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

cheers! yeah i'm quite proud of this one, definitely went further down a rabbithole on a topic which has been less thoroughly covered by others before. too bad the mighty Algorithm, in all its inscrutable wisdom, doesnt seem to want to promote this one much compared to some of my others

[@geoffandjuliemcintyre5352]

Thank you so much for all your work on this. It’s fascinating! I’m the current President of the Rugby Fives Association, and we’re always on the lookout for ways of bringing this great game back to the masses. Any ideas gratefully received.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

Thanks! seems like someone posted this on a fives-related facebook group, I've had a little burst of traffic, nice to see it reach interested eyeballs! I don't suppose I have any useful new ideas for spreading and reviving it... I guess I would start with schools and youth clubs but I'm sure that's obvious and been/being done...

[@acesoyster4705]

Today, a decade after I left school, I learned what the weird three-walled things at my school were made for, and it wasn’t just parking the minibus! Thanks for taking the time to put all this research together

[@martinwarriner7570]

I live in South Somerset now and know these Fives' walls quite well. Strangely I learnt to play it at school in London where we had four courts, close to Tower Bridge.

[@alansoldat1779]

Totally fascinating! I had read about the fives court at Martock but couldn't find it - now I know why. I also remember the fives courts at Bristol Grammar

[@jamieknight326]

11p well spent. Thank you for a brilliant video. This is deeply fascinating! I grew up in Somerset and know many of the walls featured and had always assumed they where ruins of collapsed towers etc.

[@SmashmanVideos]

Another intriguing video of something that I'd never understand and likely never even see! Cheers!

[@petemitchell9111]

Really interesting and great photography, thank you. There was a fives court at Bristol Grammar in the sixties which was more popular as a spot to have a ciggy than to indulge in healthy exercise. Don't suppose skittles supplanted fives in the villages? Many pubs had - & have - alleys and in British weather might have become more popular. Thanks again - and please keep them coming.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

The (Rose &) Crown in South Petherton definitely did have a skittles alley. it was shown on the tithe map and many aerial photos. Not sure about elsewhere

[@SevCaswell]

@@PedestrianDiversions The Skittles scene in Somerset is a busy and vibrant part of county life. There is a page dedicated to the various men's and women's leagues in the Bridgwater Mercury, and virtually all pubs have a skittle alley of varying qualities. (I know of at least 2 that slope upwards!) Indeed there is much scope for investigation of the nine pin skittles game as there appear to be 2 types of alley with differing rules! The alleys in the Bristol area, and some newer pubs in Somerset, have different layouts to those normally found in Somerset. I spend some of my childhood in a small village between Avonmouth and Bristol where I was employed as a 'sticker-upper' on Saturday evenings by the local publican to replace the skittles and return the balls, and as an adult in more recent years have played in almost all of the pubs in the Bridgwater area that have usable skittle alleys, so I have experience with both 'codes'.

[@alistanford]

I really enjoyed that thank you. I actually love walls. I also appreciated the connection you made with Fives and todays skateboarding, graffiti and parkour. When purpose built skateparks and climbing walls are provided, they get used extensively but the original old sites remain popular, growing the sport. It is a shame that Fives died out, maybe graffiti artists kept bombing the walls.

[@radicalcartoons2766]

There do seem to be thriving school sports competitions in this, it's called Wallball or Handball, and Girl's schools are involved.

[@samuelclayson]

That was bloody brilliant, I was engrossed from start to finish

[@nigelmattravers5913]

Great video, I played Fives at Dr. Morgan’s School, Bridgwater (a state school) until I left in 1971. The beauty was its simplicity, you could play in uniform; all you had to do was take off your jacket, roll up your sleeves and put on a pair of well worn gloves provided by the gym master. The court was a simple Rugby style, as it was in my previous school Derby. At my first senior school, Wolverhampton we had four courts, two Eaton and two Rugby. PS, Combwich is pronounced Cumich in these parts.

[@risvegliato]

I was at Wolverhampton G.S. (a state school) in the 70's and the Fives courts were still very much used, both casually and 'professionally'. I think they hve now been demolished unfortunately.

[@nigelmattravers5913]

@@risvegliato I was at Wolverhampton GS in 64-65, only one year as my family moved to Derby but Fives was played at all my senior schools.

[@Roland8879]

We had fives courts at Colstons back in the early 60's.

[@mikebetty9117]

Thanks for the video - very informative. I played fives at Crewkerne Grammar School in the mid 60’s but the purpose built Court does not show on Google Earth so I assume has been demolished now that the school building has been converted to flats

[@user-hz4zq3lu5e]

I've watched this twice now. I think the 11p has brought me more joy than I would get from the local sweet shop! I also think there might be a fives wall in the grounds of Downside Abbey in Stratton on the Fosse, I work at the school there and will endeavour to investigate. I shall update...

[@maximusoakley]

I've spent the last 3 days watching all of your videos, and as a huge fan of the local history, you've taught me so much. If you ever want the 11p back for that stock image, tell me where your Patreon is, and I'd gladly support you. Best original history videos I've seen in a long time.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

I don't have a patreon, but I have recently turned on monetisation and what can I say, I made that 11p back already :)

[@allangriffiths9555]

Well done and thanks for another brilliant video. Another factor which may have contributed to the decline of vernacular fives might have been a worsening climate. The period you describe might loosely be thought of as Dickensian, and we all know how cold and snowy Dickensian winters were meant to be.

[@DaveKibble]

Great work - very informative and entertaining - your 11p was well spent on us :) thanks.

[@simoncroft9792]

Never heard of this sport, thanks for enlightening us through your incredible research!

[@olly5764]

Yeah, we played our own version of fives at my secondary school, a state comprehensive in Wolverhampton, with a tennis ball, against a windowless wall. We called ours "Handball" and the related one using feet was "Kickball"

[@thomaswarford467]

My school in a different ares played something similar, we called it patball

[@OfficialScottR]

Just been binge watching your videos since finding you through the central train station video. Never heard of fives before, but found this incredibly interesting. Keep up the good work!

[@wattster71]

Was introduced to Fives at Bristol Grammar School. Only place I ever heard of it. Not sure if they stil have the courts.

[@rickmartin6147]

@ 5.46. Holes in Church (and castle) walls were originally used for "putlogs" , short lengths of timber used to support scaffold boards, during building and maintenance. Usually filled in with lime mortar after use.

[@tomd5678]

Great video. I lived in Bishops Lydeard

[@retroactivejealousy-worldl1805]

Loving this channel :-)

[@PedestrianDiversions]

cheers!

[@MegaCj74]

Likewise - thanks PD.

[@davidsimms6609]

Brilliant.

[@conollytom7049]

cheers.

[@guybristow7472]

Extinct today? Are you sure? I used to play a version of the game at school in Bristol (Cotham). We called it O-U-T. All you need is a tennis ball and a blank wall. The teachers were always trying to stop us. I don't know if they still play it, I doubt it, the teachers have probably won.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

I meant extinct on those village walls and church towers, not very clear sorry. indeed it's still around in schools etc

[@Jugdein2009]

17:53 what camera lens are you using please? Also, I love your work!

[@PedestrianDiversions]

Thanks Rob! I use a Nikkor 18-200mm VR II. Really nice all-purpose lens IMO although this video is not the best advert for it! Lots of this footage is annoyingly soft / unfocused, not sure why, user error I'm sure as the lens is sharp enough on my photos usually...

[@martinpook5707]

Thank you for the 11p

[@EtonFives1]

Here's the wall at Warminster being used for a game: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4iQaIqamdpseKc

[@MattBaker1965]

OMG Milbourn Port has 4 Brompton bicycles !

[@PedestrianDiversions]

a cycling club happened to stop for a break there as i was filming, I think they were actually from Dorset

[@MrJohnQCitizen]

Key takeaway from the history of 5s is keep women involved to maintain legacy

[@alistairbarclay3116]

I wonder if the growth of football had anything to the demise of fives?

[@PedestrianDiversions]

yes when I asked the anonymous local history expert I spoke to, why he thought fives died out, his answer was just one word without hesitation: football

[@alistairbarclay3116]

@@PedestrianDiversions I read a long and quite boring,but never the less interesting book on the “original “ Peakey Blinders in the midlands and the largest factor in the decline in street by street gangs was the increasing popularity of local football clubs and the rivalry moved to a area basis based on the clubs location.

[@skarloeyable]

It's funny: I grew up in Kibworth Beauchamp, several counties away, and have never really thought anything of the pronunciation. I do know that the four villages that make up the town have a mess of etymologies spanning Norman, English and Norse roots on account of Leicestershire hopping in and out of the Danelaw and various other kingdoms when the settlements were first established. Smeeton, Westerby, Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt are all now agglomerated. The even more out-of-place "Great Glen" and "Glen Parva" are nearby. They have no business being in England, and really ought to agree on Norman or English adjectives.

[@willnash1842]

I live in somerset, nvr heard of fives lol. Ur pronunciation of "combwich" tickled me tho, its more like "cum-itch"

[@PedestrianDiversions]

thanks. I think it is probably impossible to make a video about somerset and pronounce all the names right!

[@nickbannister775]

Remember the Crown in South Petherton, good friendly pub. So sad it closed in the early eighties when the landlady passed on,