My Games

On certain days, you can expect to serve virtually no guests. Sundays are typically dead, and Mondays are usually fairly quiet as well (in my post 'My Night of Boredom', I mentioned I'd spent 6 hours on bar and served no one. That was a Sunday night). It is a challenge to keep myself entertained on these nights. This is largely due to a sign in the staff area that says "Staff are not allowed to play games and/or read on bar!"

With that in mind, these are the games I play!


Builder - The idea is to construct furniture out of whatever you can find on bar - usually corks and toothpicks


Origami - Self explanatory, though I can only make a 'crane' and a 'hopping frog'


Monkey - Get guests to mimic you as often as you can, without them realising - This is actually fairly simple, as long as it's done casually. For example, it is easy to make guests call me, Sir, and thank me for my service. I've also found that guests will often repeat the greeting you aim at them; 'Good Evening' results in 'Good Evening' even if said at 9am, and some will even go so far as to mirror 'How'do!'


Story - Make up criminal back stories for guests drinking in the bar (this is taken from the pub scene in 'Shaun of the Dead') - Unfortunately, requires 2 players


Tiddly-Drinks - Put two drinks that will be identical, and involve adding soda water, next to each other on the bar. After adding the spirits, attempt to 'leapfrog' one measure to the other's glass using a high pressure burst from the soda syphon - Can get messy; should only be played with an amiable guest



And my most recent addition,


Anagram - Pick a wine at random off the wine list and jumble its letters. Then see how many words you can make from that selection

e.g. Clarendon

Alone Cad Can Cane Caned Canoe Canned Car Care Cared Clad Clan Clean Clear Clone Cloned Coal Cod Code Con Cone Conned Cord Core Crane Dale Dance Dancer Dane Dare Deal Den Don Done Lad Laden Lance Land Lane Lead Led Lend Lone Lord Lore Near Nod Node Nor Ocean Ode Once Oracle Oral Ore Race Raced Ran Read Real Red Rod Rode Role

(If I have missed any, please feel free to add them!)