WORLD CHALLENGED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 94, 15 January 1935, Page 14

WORLD CHALLENGED

England’s Veteran Dart Champions Dominion Special Service—By Air Mail. London, December 22. There is not an inn in any English county without its dart board. From those pleasant and hospitable survivals of the coach and horse days spring the village dart champions. From village to village the challenge goes forth, and in Hertfordshire, that pleasant agricultural county just north of London, something akin to a dart board civil war has broken out. Coldharbour's “Four Gay Lads” (average 79) started it. The dart throwers of Wheathampstead and Hertingfordbury took it up. The Hertingfordbury Infants, as they style themselves, are: Jack (“Old Cutty”) Cutts, 79; Noah (“Dido”) Maynard, 70; Edward (“Ted") Mardles, 85, and Edward (“Ned”) Saville, 74. Ted and Ned are widowers, “Old Cutty” has the best wife in Hertfordshire, and “Dido” has escaped the wiles of “them gels” and is a bachelor. However. "Dido” lost an eye some years ago, so he considers that, although he has escaped a wife, he hasn’t escaped misfortune altogether. But you should see “Dido” take a dart “sighter” with'his one eye. The team wouldn’t lose him for anything The Hertingfordbury “Infants” are prepared to go anywhere to uphold their claim to the “Methuselah” championship. Motor-cars have been placed at their disposal. The “Infants” say they will play anything or anybody. They are on their mettle. Now, all that remains is for somebody to produce a champion of ninety-five or one hundred, some real grown-up who can keep these twelve Hertfordshire lads from becoming too boyish.