Sun set to shinefor big marblesgame at Battle

The town is expected to be buzzing today (Friday) for the colourful Easter event that sees teams in colourful costume competing for cups and medals.

It will be a welcome contrast to last year’s marble event when it snowed.

This year’s event is looking to be something very special with a record number of entries in both marbles and the children’s Easter Bonnet competition.

Hundreds of people are expected to be in the town to enjoy the colourful spectacle.

Marbles matches take place on the Abbey Green. They start at 10am and continue to noon.

There has been a long build-up to the event with wardrobe masters and mistresses stitching and gluing outfits in preparation for the big day while umpires have been brushing up on the very precise rules to decide how many ‘donkey drops’ merit a red card.

An impressive field of 120 players line up for 24 teams, most of them in flamboyant fancy dress.

New teams this year include Battle Cognoscenti and you can expect to see a team of Keith Lemons.

Other themes adopted by teams include Monopoly Board, Mr Men, scarecrows, comic heroes and Tetris.

A record number of children have entered the Easter Bonnet competition and will parade around the Abbey Green at 11.30am.

The procession is followed by a marbles scramble where 1,000 free marbles are up for grabs.

Cups and medals are presented to the winning teams at around noon.

Teams cannot be entered on the day but people can still turn up and enjoy a game of marbles by taking part in the ‘all-comers board’ with two Easter chicks as prizes for the highest score during the morning.

Matches are organised by the Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Battle Muffin Club and Battle Rotary.