| Where: | Jedburgh |
| When: | Thursday after Shrove Tuesday (but double check as sometimes it's held a week later!) |
| Time: | 12 noon (boys) and 2pm (men) |
Known locally as Jethart Ba’, two handball games are played on the Thursday after Shrove Tuesday (or the week after, depending on when the first new moon falls after Candlemas -the offical fixing of the date is the Thursday following Fastern’s E’en and Fastern’s E’en is the Tuesday following the first new moon after 2nd February aka Candlemas; this is usually but not invariably the same day as Shrove Tuesday). Traditionally the first ever game was played with an Englishman’s head (opposite to the Alnwick Football legend!) and the ribbons on the ball symbolise his hair.The teams (Uppies and Doonies) are chosen by where they live – Uppies are those born to the South and Doonies to the North of the Market Cross. Play is in the town centre starting in the Market Place with the boys or Callants game at 12 and the mens game following at 2; the Uppies goal is outside the Castle Jail and the Doonies goal is at the Pleasaunce, each a couple of hundred yards away from the start. Several balls are thrown and the games can last for hours- expect lots of thrills and spills and scrummaging!
Helpful Hints
There is a handy free car park at the South end of town just off the A68. Food & drink are readily available (though some shops are boarded up for protection from the game and it’s early closing day on a Thursday). Keep well back from the scrum as play is fast and furious and the pavements are hard!
Kind staff at the local school have provided me with a timetable for the game date lasting until 2025! The dating is relatively complex as its related to the lunar calendar as well as the church calendar so for clarity to modern readers I’ve tried to relate it to the better-known Shrove Tuesday. In some years a quirk of the calendar means that the dating is about a month different to Shrove Tuesday.
In 2025 it should be on Thursday 6th March (the same week as Shrove Tuesday this year!).
Click here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3752125518387284
Oh dear, my condolences to the residents of Jedburgh.
Condolences are not required, it’s a long standing tradition, and all the locals turn out in force to watch the action.
hi mick notice your sighn by accident im colinbirtley from in my day stocks at nitten if you see this can you e mail me
OMG! That looks like way too much fun and I would love to be there to watch. It is nice that their not using an Englishman’s head any longer though isn’t it……
I kept really quiet when we were there, just in case…..
I have played the game all my life and will do so again this year for the 6th decade on the trot.To me it is not “just a game” it is a big part of my life.
Lovely to hear from you Billy!
I first met you at Hobkirk church before the game there 2 years ago and found that you are a mine of information on the sport. Glad to hear that you’re still enjoying it all – I’ll doubtless catch up with you again on a visit to a handbag’ game sometime in the future as I found they’re a great tradition and a good day out!
Best wishes,
Averil
Damn you,autocorrect! I did NOT mean handbag but handba’!