West Country Games to open indoors for the winter!

“Where Be That Blackbird To?” ask the Wurzels in one of their songs known well by many West Country folk. 

Bristol has always had a reputation outside the city for being, well, slightly on the parochial side.  And although the city has in many ways outgrown this stereotype as it has blossomed in recent years, we Bristolians remain very proud of our heritage.  After all, aren’t Wurzel songs still heard on the terraces of Ashton Gate at every home game?  Too right they are!

Imagine a place where you can celebrate all West Country traditions.  Well, that place does exist in the form of a hilarious group activity day designed for adults called West Country Games.

The Long Ashton based events company welcome up to 450 people every Saturday from March to October in their “It’s a Knockout” style activity days.  Particularly well suited to stag & hen groups, as well as birthday parties and corporate entertainment, the quirky activity company have very quickly grown to become one of the most popular Bristol activities.

All things West are celebrated here as you move around 8 themed activities using large inflatables, catapults, bungees and fat suits, each one dafter than the next.  So whether you’re attempting to knock off your best mate from their podium using an oversized pitch fork, or launching cider apples at the Wurzels, you’re sure to be in fits of laughter from start to finish.

Now entering their seventh year, West Country Games are now moving to an indoor activity site just a few miles from the centre of Bristol to continue their whacky events through the winter months.  Merchant’s Academy Sports Centre in Withywood will be turned into a barn-themed arena to host the events.

The activities are suited to adults of all ages and physical ability.  For the more competitive ones in your team, points mean prizes as you battle it out with your friends or colleagues to be Top Dog.

Many groups attending West Country Games get into the spirit of things by wearing fancy dress, which is also provided for the stag or hen free of charge.

Here’s a rundown of each of the side-splitting games:

·         The Cider Run – Race head to head on an inflatable runway to place your pilfered cider glass as far forward as possible before the bungee twangs you back to the beginning quicker than you can say “Mine’s a pint”.

·         Sheep Shenanigans – It’s time to forget all the sheep jokes.  Clamber aboard the woolly wobbler and hold on for your dear life in Sheep Rodeo!

·         Pitchfork Duel – This Gladiator Duel themed game is made all the more amusing with over-sized pitch forks used like cattle prods.

·         West Country Wipeout – Using a bike attached to the centre of the inflatable, one member of the group controls the Wipeout sweeper arm by cycling back and forth.  The remaining members of the group must jump over the approaching arm or be knocked out of the game.

·         Wurzel Knockout – They had it coming for years!  Using catapults attached to your feet, lean back and fire apples at the four members of the famous West Country band.

·         Vicky Pollard Handbags – Yeah, but no but, smack her!  Dressed in Vicky fat suits and armed with a Burberry handbag, wrestle your opponent to the ground in this hilarious take on a sumo fighting game.

·         Drunk Pub Skittles – One of the oldest West Country Games is made much trickier with a set of Wobble Goggles to accurately emulate a night on the scrumpy.

·         Welly Wanging – A traditional village fayre game of skill, take turns at lobbing your welly boot into a series of targets. Trust us it’s much harder than it looks!

Included within the price are free photos of your group, as your Activity Host snaps away during the day, and a prize for the best dressed team.

West Country Indoor Games takes place on Saturdays from November to March at Merchant’s Academy, Withywood.  It costs £39.50 per person and you need a minimum group size of 8 people.  Sessions last approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on group size. 

There is currently a special early bird discount of 15% off each group booking before the end of November.