Atherstone, Warwickshire, UK. 5th March 2019. Pictured: The ball is thrown out of a first floor window of Barclays Bank into the waiting crowd. / Hundreds of people of all ages flood into the Warwickshire town of Atherstone to either participate or watch the 820th Atherstone Ball Game. The Atherstone Ball Game is an ancient Shrove Tuesday tradition in which the people of this rural North Warwickshire town awaken and literally brawl over a large ball up and down the town's small ancient streets. Shops are boarded up, local schools are closed and town people of Atherstone gather in the main street at 3pm with only one rule in mind, the ball cannot be taken outside the town. Anything and everything else goes. The winner in this no holds barred contest is the person holding onto the ball at 5pm. This traditional Shrove Tuesday Ball Game has been held annually since the early 12th Century and is one of Atherstone's claims to fame. The origin of the game, in the reign of King John, is thought to have been a "Match of Gold that was played between the Warwickshire Lads and the Leicestershire Lads on Shrove Tuesday". // Lee Thomas, Tel. 07784142973. Email: leepthomas@gmail.com www.leept.co.uk (0000635435)