Roll those dice and give a board game cafe a go | Emma Kay

It is sure to boost the unique experience of where people can come and play a lively library of games that suit one and all.

Board game cafes are an emerging trend that is very much needed. Hopefully, they will plug the considerable open wound we have all felt within our socially distanced loneliness and longing.

Any kind of new experiences where we get to meet new friends are a scant rarity. A board game cafe atmosphere is completely different to the atmosphere of a regular cafe. Sure there are the cakes, coffee and crumbs, but there is something else going on here too.

No ordinary cafe tests your creativity, your maths skills or your imagination.

Old classics are fun but we need to move past the mundane monstrosity of Monopoly, row away from the woe of Cluedo and take a break from the babble of Scrabble.

All of these games hold a place in our hearts but there is so much more out there to try.

Why restrict ourselves? We need to embrace the gamer growth and dive right in. There are probably some people that have not played a board game in years and have forgotten the pure joy and escapism it brings.

Whether it is teaching the rules of a new game to someone or an unseasoned newbie waltzing through the cafe doors who has not picked up a dice in many a decade.

Dice is a really vibrant and friendly place to spend your day. It is very easy to pass quite a few hours there and nothing compares to sharing a hobby you love with someone else.

Last weekend saw the welcome sight of its doors finally opening to the waiting members of the public.

It was heartening to see large numbers of people gathered to support this diverse business. I waited patiently in the overwhelmingly long line, watching people eagerly carry out new board games under their arms like precious cargo.

I have been playing board games for years and have an overflowing collection myself. I can chase a running train as a cowboy in Colt Express, test my creativity in Codewords, or simply racing cute pandas to consume as much bamboo as possible in Matchi Kuro.

There is nothing like taking family and friends to a game cafe and exposing them to all kinds of different board games that they likely have never heard of and spurring them to step out of their comfort game zone because who knows.

The consequences could be fun.

Charity Shops

It seems latest fashions are strictly under furlough and taking a vacation this year. With everyone clearing out their wardrobes and bookshelves in a crushing wave to curb their lockdown boredom, charity shops are solidly stuffed with tons of preloved garments and oddities.

Go into any charity shop and you will see it steeped in goods like never before. It is the ideal time to restock your wardrobe or bulk up the book collection for your summer reads.

Bargains are booming and they will help to jump-start the economy again.

Charity shop donations will never be so plentiful or so fruitful again, so it is no small wonder that people are making charity shops a priority visit.

Good value goods are also a godsend to those who are feeling the post pandemic pinch of the pennies and struggling to make ends meet.

It is a treasure trove and everyone is invited.

School Masks

Walking along the school corridors, it’s rather surreal to see the re-emerging faces of pupils again.

School staff have missed seeing their smiles.

Masks in class created a somewhat muted atmosphere in our schools with people mumbling to be heard or submitting to silence under a guide of cotton and cloth.

It was not ideal, but cases were decreasing and we were settling into a normality that was not perfect but it was working.

Unions and scientists urged face coverings to remain in schools at least until June 21, describing the measure as ‘an essential part of the wider system of control in schools.’

It seems these concerns have gone unheard.

Why are we juggling health and safety?

It took a long time for our pupils to wear masks as a regularity and feel comfortable doing so. It was just part of their daily routine and now that safety net is cut.