LAST Sunday a special boules tournament was held at The Clytha Arms in memory of avid boules player Richard Berry.

Richard passed away two years ago and since then his wife has organised an annual boules tournament named the Crutch Cup. The name derives from the cup given to the winning team that contains the ashes of one of Richard's crutches.

Under a rare old Spring sun the players got the pints in and divided themselves into pairs on the freshly levelled pitch.

The players showed wonderful team spirit, with a competitive edge soon surfacing in the disguise of lip biting, high fiving, and the odd tape measurement for precision.

Richard Berry was a skilled member of the Clytha Arms boules team despite his handicap of only having one leg. Naturally, the difficulties in playing such a sport with this handicap made him inspirational. Not only did Richard have to navigate picking up his boules, he was often faced with harsh competitors, one of which complained that his crutches were outside of the designated throwing circle.

Richard's wife Jane is the organiser of the event, which is now in its second year. Inspired by the Ashes, the idea of the Crutch Cup came from The Clytha Arms boules team who were passionate about remembering the well-known local.

Jane Berry said, "It's nice to see the boules team promoting camaraderie, for everyone to come together in memory of Richard, and to know that he was seen as such an inspirational man."

Last year's winner of the Crutch Cup was Richard's brother, Mike Berry but 2013 saw next-door neighbours Ian Clement and Martin Davies take the cup home. The Crutch Cup will continue as a Clytha Arms tradition, but for those interested in joining the boules team, contact The Clytha Arms on 01873 840206. New members are always welcome.

Pictured are the winners of The Crutch Cup: Martin Davies and Ian Clement