Dear LPG,

Today marks the 58^th anniversary of Jamaican independence and, in my own rather long-winded way.  I would like to pose a question.

As it is with many pensioners of our time, I am the English product of a pair of foreign parents, which I know is not that original these days.

There are many pensioners all over the world who, if they hark back to their earliest days, were brought up in a land where the values, culture and traditions were very different to the ones that their parents tried their best to instil in them, and I believe that we are a richer world community as a result of the mix. 

My parents happen to have found their way to England from Jamaica in the days of the early 1950s; an interesting time when, like all children, we had our own problems but children like me also enjoyed the best of the two worlds. 

One of the traditions I have always been fascinated by is the west Indian way of playing dominoes because, as with everything, it is very easy on the surface although ‘reading the game’ is quite a different kettle of fish altogether.  If you really know what you are doing, as the tiles are placed (or in the case of many West Indian players, ‘slapped’) onto the table, the secret of the game is knowing which tiles have already been used because this will help you to work out which of the other players are most likely to have the tiles that have not yet been placed.  It is truly a game of strategy based on the principles of the fact that each of the tiles is unique and each number appears seven times in one set of 28 ‘double 6’ tiles, so if you can recognise them quickly enough, you have the best chance of winning the game.

This is why if you watch the game played by serious connoisseurs and manage to see past (or should I say hear past) the noisy style of play, the players can often see who has won a long time before the last tile is put on the table, which I always find quite confusing. 

Now I have offered a short explanation of the game, I come to my question…

The other day, while going through some of my Father’s things, I found a set of dominoes which comprises 55 tiles that are numbered up to double 9. 

There is a group of seasoned domino players who meet not far from where I live but, when I challenged them to a game with my set of dominos they flatly refused to go there. 

Is there a group based within a reasonable radius of Lewisham who would take on the challenge? 

I would love to be able to offer their thoughts and reactions on this day next year, the 59^th anniversary of Jamaican independence… 

TM, Catford

TM has found some information about the basic principles of the game…

(►►►)   (►►►)     (►►►)  

..and  how it is often played in the Caribbean…

 (►►►)     (►►►)