User:RickTucker/Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club

Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club

The Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club was formed on 16 January 1955 at Christ's College in the University of Cambridge in England. CUTwC has been continuously active for 69 years, making it the longest active tiddlywinks club in the world.

History
Winkers attending the first CUTwC meeting were Bill Steen, R. C. Martin, John Rilett, Lawford Howells, R. Parker, Brian Tyler, and the Chaplain of Christ’s College, the Rev. J. Brown. Bill Steen, a chemical engineering student, was elected as the Club’s first President.

In 1955, the erstwhile winkers conducted a study of various factors involved in playing the game of tiddlywinks, entitled The Science of Tiddlywinks, also known as The Thesis. The five factors examined were: the type of mat, the tiddlywink, the squidger, the player, and the atmosphere (physical and mental).

Despite numerous attempts at arranging matches against Oxford and other universities, newspaper journalists, and others, very few matches were held in the club's first 3 years. The club's first match was held on 14 June 1955 against Whitcomb's Winkers, organized by columnist Noel Whitcomb of London's Daily Mirror newspaper. CUTwC won the match, 9 games to 3.

... to add: other prominent early matches ...

... the Goons match on 1 March 1958, held at the Cambridge Guildhall ...