The A307 is no Route 66 but it does take me past some favourite London locations such as Kew’s Botanical Gardens and alongside the Thames as it glides serenely through gorgeous Richmond.
But what I hadn’t noticed before now when traveling this route was the slightly incongruous building at 86 Kew Road.
The architecture suggests a former public house, probably one of ill repute where ruddy-faced men would historically enter on Friday and rarely be seen again until Monday.
But today it hosts something a little more alluring and far more exciting.
Today no.86 is The Library Pot and I was about to enter my first Board Game Cafe with the same sense of awed anticipation as Charlie walking into the chocolate factory.
This was another world.
Wall to wall board games.
And people using their quality time on a Sunday afternoon to play them.
It’s true to say that my initial gushing was overtaken by an encroaching reality.
3ology is entering a noisy market.
Shelf after shelf after nook after cranny was rammed with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of board games.
Now, Dear Reader let me assure you, we might be board game dreamers but we’re also board game realists.
We know that going into the board game business is unlikely to make us wealthy.
We’re aware that with 3,000+ new games released every year, 3ology might struggle to be heard above that noise.
But it was only when I walked into The Pot that the daunting prospect of entering a saturated market really came home.
We might own Whitechapel, but we’ll only generate £2 rent on the random occasion that someone actually visits.
What’s more, I barely recognised any of the hundreds of games on display.
My initial scan revealed little or nothing familiar until my eyes landed upon … Operation.
I might not have played the game since I was 6, but I was relieved to be reacquainted with the portly patient and his classic ailments.
We found ourselves a table.
And found ourselves a game (or three).
My daughter went for Block Party and won.
My wife decided to go for Headbanz and lost.
I grabbed Operation and didn’t care.
It was all fabulous and what was equally fascinating was to scan our fellow denizens at The Pot.
Most tables were occupied by groups of Gen Z women — confirming Alan’s assertion that despite our modern day obsession with high tech, the low tech board game is thriving.
Intriguingly there was also a couple playing alongside us who, during 2-3 hours of focused rule reading and competitive high jinks, played their way through no less than 4 games.
What was their dynamic?
Long-term married couple looking to spice up their life with a game of Uno?
Contented relationship that bonds over a regular session of Risk?
But then it struck me … it’s a brilliant idea for a first date.
Now I have a confession to make at this stage about my own dating criteria, back in the day.
I used to vet my dates based largely around their vinyl collection.
Any sign of Duran Duran and it was an early red card.
But a board game test, early in the relationship?
That’s the work of genius.
Why wait until you’re deep into the relationship before finding out that your new partner doesn’t like Articulate?
And then it struck me again.
3ology is the perfect fit for that first date …
Dive into some Top 3 categories and you immediately extinguish any uncomfortable small talk plus you can turbo charge the traditional slow burn of getting to know each other.
I was so overcome with excitement that it took all of my inner strength and a wifey kick under the table not to rush across, shatter their romantic moment and scream ….
SWIPE RIGHT for 3OLOGY**
**Available soon for all board game cafes and first dates