Peter Liddle's talk on the History of Board Games began with a wall painting from Pompeii circa 79 AD. The image appeared to be showing young men playing a game at a table, or perhaps arguing over the score? We can't tell which game they were playing but dice have been found dating back to the Iron Age so it's safe to assume we’ve been playing them throughout history.

Gaming pieces of stone, metal or glass have been found in graves and cremation urns, Viking longboats, the Mary Rose and Ur in Mesopotamia, but very few boards (wood doesn't usually survive). Neither would the box or leaflets with the rules! A few medieval manuscripts mention games, mainly chess.

King Alphonso X of Castille published an illustrated Book of Games in 1283 which included all the Rules! However, few would have access to it at the time.

Most games involve 2 to 4 players, with each player trying to win; from the simple noughts and crosses through nine men’s morris, backgammon, draughts, Monopoly and chess. But Pandemic pits all the players against the Disease!

A few interesting facts:

• The Royal Game of Ur was played in Mesopotamia c2400 BC. One set of The Royal game of Ur is in the British Museum.

• Hnefatafl is a Viking battle game which a member of the audience claimed to play in the village!

• Nine men’s morris is mentioned in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and has its world championship in Ryedale, Yorkshire.