Sunshine, Smiles, and Socialising: Family Fun Day Success at Norwich Pétanque Club

Saturday 28th June saw Norwich Pétanque Club host its annual Family Fun Day—and what a day it was! With glorious sunshine and temperatures soaring to 29°C, it was the perfect setting for a day of games, laughter, and community spirit.

The event drew a fantastic turnout, with visitors of all ages enjoying garden games, trying their hand at pétanque, exploring local stalls, and relaxing with a cold drink in the sunshine. Whether people came to play, support a stallholder, or simply socialise with friends and family, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

A special thanks to Gareth Lewis for bringing his marvelous garden games to the fun day.

A huge thank you goes out to all the club members who helped make the day run so smoothly. From early setup and running stalls to coaching newcomers and packing away at the end—there were so many of you involved (too many to list!), and we’re incredibly grateful for your support. We’d also like to especially thank those who have been working hard behind the scenes for months in advance to make this event happen.

Norwich Petanque Chair, Sharon Thorndyke commented: "Thank you to everyone who came along to share their love of petanque with others at our Family Fun Day. It was great to see members interacting and encouraging others and ensuring the children had fun.

Special Thanks to Gareth Lewis for bringing along his games and to the stall holders who came along to the event."

It was lovely to see so many people enjoying the sunshine on probably the hottest day of the year so far.

If you’d like to join the planning team for next year’s Fun Day and help shape it from the ground up, please speak to any committee member—the more hands we have, the better we can make it in 2026.

We were especially thrilled to see so many new faces trying pétanque for the first time—many of whom are now keen to return and get involved with the club. Keep an eye out at our Wednesday evening sessions for new players, and let’s give them the usual warm Norwich welcome!

Norwich Petanque Club Coach, Mark Bell commented: “The day was such a success—it was fantastic to see so many different people giving pétanque a go and really enjoying it. One moment that really stood out was meeting a gentleman with only 20% vision who wanted to try the sport. With a bright-coloured jack and a bit of support from his playing partner, he was soon pointing like someone who’d been playing for years. He left absolutely thrilled to have found a sport he could take part in."

"I also had the pleasure of meeting a young woman preparing to compete in the British Transplant Games in Oxford this July. She was there with her niece, showing her how to play pétanque. Hearing her story and seeing her enthusiasm was inspiring—and as she was still quite new to the game, I was able to offer a few tips that might help in her upcoming competition.

I really do love it when you see moments like that—it reminds you that pétanque is truly a game anyone can play.”

Finally, now the dust (and gravel) has settled, we’re looking ahead to how we can make next year’s event even better. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to email coach@norwich-petanque.co.uk. Your input will help us create an even more enjoyable Family Fun Day in 2026.