The beginnings of board games

From Cluedo to Call of Cthulhu, we’ve the Mesoptamians to thank

If you’ve ever played Monopoly with an enthusiastic eight-year-old at Christmas you might have experienced the strange phenomenon by which two-and-a-half hours can seem like four-and-a-half centuries. So if you’d like to woo them away from an unending game with the lure of something that really has been going for four-and-a-half centuries, you might like to step down to the British Museum before Christmas.

The museum has on display a copy of the world’s oldest playable board game, known as The Game of Ur. “Er… what?” we hear you cry. Well, here’s the lowdown.

The game was uncovered in a tomb in a royal cemetery at Ur, southern Iraq and is thought to date from around 2,500BC, making it 4,500 years old… That’s about the length of time your great aunt likes to cook sprouts for, for context. The wood has long since decayed but the beautiful board is intricately decorated in shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. It certainly knocks Cluedo into a cocked hat,

It’s a ‘race’ game (like Snakes and Ladders) but with a bit more skill and strategy involved, for two players.  It uses two sets of seven pieces similar to draught pieces, and the board consists of two ‘boxes’ with smaller boxes within, joined by a narrow bridge. You make your move by rolling two four-sided dice. The winner is the first person to move all their pieces through the board and off. It’s a lot more complex than that but there’s nothing more tedious than reading board game instructions un-anesthetised by half a bottle of sherry.

This year, The British Museum Shop has created a replica of the original game using ancient writings and archaeological evidence to piece together the rules. There’s also an advanced gameplay rules just in case you get too good at Ur, and even an Ur scarf, for anyone wanting to signal their approval but sit this particular ancient game out and head off for a bracing walk instead.

Now. Whose turn is it to go first?

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More festive fun and games

More from our December issue

Simple Things | Summer's Tiny Pleasures

We’re all about celebrating the simple things in life. Here are a few things we love about summer

• Picnics in odd places: on a tiny roof garden surrounded by tomato plants; in a tree house; on the kitchen floor. A familiar thing in a new place.

• A neatly-packed suitcase: everything, for the moment; beautifully ordered; the ideal number of socks – not too many, nor too few; a smart jacket, well folded; more of life should be like this.

• Celadon blue: or perhaps it is really more a shade of green; hard to decide; it’s serene without being passive; cool and ample – your gaze can rest in it.

• Fresh French bread and butter: so simple, so reliably delicious, it’s the marriage that’s magical – the butter is salty and sleek, the bread is soft, yet chewy and filling.

• The sound of cicadas: the ideal sound of summer, a hot day; work means making a salad for lunch, driving to glance at a ruined temple and an afternoon swim.

• The heat as you step off the plane: it’s physical, in your lungs, on your forehead. It implies afternoon naps, ice, lemons. You’ll be someone slightly different here.

‘Summer’s tiny pleasures’ is taken from Small Pleasures (The School of Life Press) theschooloflife.com. Read more about putting first the things you love in our feature The Pursuit of Pleasure, in our August issue. And if you’re all about the simple pleasures of summer, you also will not want to miss our Gathering feature, Field Day, which includes lots of ideas and recipes for a simple summer picnic in a meadow… or anywhere you choose! From cocktails and chipolatas to toasting marshmallows and tucking into muffins - it’s a recipe for a jolly good summer’s day in the sunshine.

More from our August issue…

More things to love about summer…

Playlist | a playlist about playlists

Listen here

We hope you enjoy our mixtape. Scroll down to enter our mixtape competition

Make ours a mix tape! Each song on March’s playlist has a story for a member of The Simple Things team. They all featured on much loved mix tapes, but which tunes soundtracked crushes, and which got us through our paper round? Read on…

‘Raspberry Beret’ by Prince

“A boy at school made me ten different Prince mix tapes – I only mentioned in passing that I liked one Prince song and thought it was weird he made me so many. I naively didn't think anything more of it…” Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor

‘(You’re The) Devil in Disguise’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ by Elvis Presley

“I've had one mix tape and that was from my partner, Udo, when we first got together. I was really touched until I got to songs four and five: ‘(You’re The) Devil in Disguise’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’…!” Joe McIntyre, Art Editor

‘Mr Wendel’ by Arrested Development

“This was on a mix tape that I used to play while doing my paper round when I was about 12 – I knew that when it came on I was almost done.” Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor

‘Golden Hen’ by Tenor Saw

“When I was 16, my then boyfriend made me a dub/reggae mix tape. I loved this one song in particular and would often sing the lyrics when it played. My boyfriend never wrote down the titles of the songs, so I was mortified to find out – a couple of years later – that the song’s chorus line (and title name) was ‘My Golden Hen’ not ‘My Bowling Name’, as I’d sung it! Might explain why the guy didn’t last as my boyfriend.” Anneliese Klos, Art Editor

‘Accidently Kelly Street’ by Frente!

“My best friend in fifth form, Sally, put this on a mix tape for me when we were 15. It’s cheerful and sunshine-y and was one of only approximately three songs that they ever played in Harold’s café in Neighbours, which we thought was hilarious. Sally still makes me a mix tape nearly every year at Christmas, though she moved to CD a while ago. I’m a cultural vacuum, so I always look forward to musical education. And Frente! still always makes me smile.” Iona Bower, Editor-at-Large

 ‘Hey! Get Out of My Way’ by The Cardigans

“I put this on a mix tape I made myself to celebrate summer. It was about the time I was old enough to actually enjoy a bit of freedom, but not old enough to actually have any responsibility. Every time I hear it, it takes me back to blue skies and suburban parks and the feeling of possibilities.” Frances Ambler, Deputy Editor

‘Kooks’ by David Bowie and ‘Father and Daughter’ by Paul Simon

“My best friend made a lovely mix tape for me when I had my first daughter. The songs included ‘Up All Night’ by Razorlight, and these two choices.” Liz Boyd, Picture Researcher

‘Short People’ by Randy Newman

“An old colleague gave this to me, just before I started a new job. I’m quite short and when I listen to the lyrics, I’m never quite sure if he meant it affectionately or…” Frances Ambler, Deputy Editor

‘XO’ by John Mayer and ‘Hold Me Now’ by Johnny Logan

“As a kid, I was obsessed with the Irish Eurovision entry 'Hold Me Now' by Johnny Logan. I remember holding my tape player close to the TV and recording it off of TOTP several times (in the days before the repeat function), so that I could hear it again and again. I remember the recording also caught my sister walking into the room shouting, ‘Not again!’ on it. Nowadays, I have a much more ordinary playlist, but my eldest has started downloading some of my songs onto her playlists – our current favourite is this song by John Mayer.” Abbie Miller, Sub Editor

‘The Whole of the Moon’ by The Waterboys and ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It’ by R.E.M.

“Many moons ago, my husband (then boyfriend) used to make me mix tapes. One of the songs that I discovered through them was ‘The Whole of the Moon’ by The Waterboys. Some 30 years later, I can still hear in my head the starting chords to the song that followed it… ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It’, by R.E.M.” Louise Gorrod, Wishlist Editor

‘Romantic Type ‘by The Pigeon Detectives and ‘Just a Song About Ping Pong’ by Operator Please

“My mum’s friend owns an antique shop ­– and has a son. My mum and her friend got talking about how we both liked gigs. We communicated with each other for about a year, solely through mix tapes, passed to each other through our parents. These are both from tapes that he gave me.” Olivia O’Connor, Subscription Manager

‘The Real Thing’ by Tony Di Bart

“When I was about 12, I got one of those CD and tape players that let me record onto tapes – so the first time I could record from the radio. At the time, this was number one, and I kept trying to record it – with the deft art of stopping before the DJ starts talking. I think there were a few belters on that first tape, such as ‘Swap Thing’ by The Grid and ‘Mr Vain’ by Culture Beat. If ‘The Real Thing’ gets played (which is rare) it takes me straight back to that time and place. 

Rob Biddiss, Commercial Director

Competition! Now you make us a mixtape!

We want you to make us a mix tape! It can be themed, or perhaps biographical, or simply introduce us to some great music – it’s up to you. Just put together around an hour’s worth of music on Spotify, send us the link or the track listing, along with a couple of sentences on the story behind your playlist to thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.uk. We’ll need it by 23 March. And we’ll feature our favourite in a future magazine. 

More of our playlists…

More from our March issue…

Eat | Blackberry and goats' cheese flatbreads

Crumble certainly has its place but if you’re looking for something a little different for your blackberry glut, look no further than this simple September starter, side or light lunch to share

This combination straddles the sweet and savoury worlds and is all the better for it. Sweet and sharp blackberries pair well with creamy goat’s cheese, thinly sliced onions tip it towards savoury while the final drizzle of honey pulls it back to a harmonious and very seasonal whole.

Makes 4

500g strong white flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ red onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
150g soft goat’s cheese, cut into discs
400g blackberries, gently crushed with a fork
1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme
2 tbsp runny honey

1 Put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Pour over 325ml warm water and the olive oil, and mix to a soft dough. Tip out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins, then transfer to a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

2 Meanwhile, put the red onion in a small bowl with the vinegar, mix together and leave to marinate.

3 Once the dough has risen, set a baking tray upside down on a high shelf in the oven and preheat to 240C/Fan 220C/Gas 9.

4 Sprinkle a handful of flour on your work surface and roll out a quarter of the dough as thinly as you can. Sprinkle another handful of flour on the heated baking tray, transfer the dough to the tray and bake for 6 mins.

5 Drain the onion and pat dry with kitchen roll. Remove the flatbread from the oven and scatter over a quarter of the cheese, a quarter of the blackberries, a quarter of the onion and a quarter of the thyme. Return to the oven for about 7 mins.

6 Drizzle the flatbread with a little honey and eat immediately. Repeat with the remaining dough and ingredients to make four flatbreads. Cook’s note: If you have a special pizza oven or a pizza stone, you may be able to put the topping onto the raw dough and cook it all together, but most standard ovens won’t get hot enough to make flatbreads without soggy bottoms unless you cook the base a little first.

This recipe is by Lia Leendertz and is part of our Finders Keepers series on foraging. You can find the rest of the recipes for blackberries and elderberries in our September issue. We’ve got everything from elderberry lemonade to roast blackberry fool!

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our September issue…

More fun for foragers…

Playlist | A Menu of Songs

Don’t know about you, but we’re dining out on these

Listen to our songs about food

More playlists…

A could-do list for January

Things you might want to do this month (no pressure!)

Turn up your internal central heating with spicy stews and aromatic teas

Have your sledge at the ready for the first snowfall

Enjoy the peace and order that this month brings

Take a pot of steaming soup to a friend or neighbour in need

Change your route for a month and notice new things around you

What would you add? Come over and tell us on Facebook or Twitter. 

More from the January issue:

More simple things:

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View the sampler here.

Bedtime story illustrator: Christine Rösch

Meet illustrator Christine Rösch, whose work illustrates May's Bedtime Story, Fireflies. Christine Rösch is a German illustrator based in Scotland. She has studied in both Germany and Israel. Her images often incorporate hand-drawn typography and have become more colourful over time which she attributes to her constant desire for summer and spring. In addition to her freelance work, she participates in a creative group called the Pencilcase Collective. See more of her work on her website and at the Pencilcase Collective.

May's issue of The Simple Things

Have a look at the new issue of The Simple Things before it hits the shops. No need to be a teenage May Queen to personify spring. Just wear jeans and plimsolls instead of a white gown; swap the crown of flowers for a sprig of blossom and armfuls of home-grown greenery; and make your speech a quiet hurrah for headspace, pets, tea, cakes and all that stuff your mum calls 'tat'.

And should you feel compelled to hop, skip and jump, just make the nearest sapling your maypole. Lead your own parade through the town. The Simple Things will be at your side.

May's issue of The Simple Things is on sale from 29th April in all major supermarkets, WHSmith, M&S and larger newsagents. If you can’t find a copy, you can buy an issue here.

Win a cosy winter break with New Forest Living and The Simple Things

Relax, recharge, unwind. Spend a long weekend in a forest hideaway, Hunters Moon cottage in Godshill is the perfect setting for a weekend getaway...

As the summer holiday season draws to a close we’re already dreaming of winter breaks in unspoilt countryside: watching the sun rise across misty fields, warming our toes in front of an open fire. So we’ve teamed up with New Forest Living to give you a chance to win a three night weekend break in a rural idyll.*

Click here to enter now before 30th September 2013!

* The prize is a three-night self-catering weekend break at Hunters Moon cottage in Godshill (from Friday to Monday, accommodation only) for four people plus one dog, worth up to £775. The break must be booked before 14th October 2013 and taken between 1st November 2013 and 3rd February 2014 (excluding Christmas, New Year, school holidays and bank holidays), and is subject to availability.

To book a relaxing break call 0845 680 0173 or visit www.newforestliving.co.uk

Issue 12 moodboard: If wishes were fishes

A round-up of products we love from around the web inspired by the new issue of The Simple Things.

Column one: fishing hook bracelet UGothooked, weird fish notepad Jaquelinafreitas, column two: fish bowl Clayopera, abstract tiles Tillissimo, catch of the day mugs Not On The High Street, column three: star fish pillow ChloeandOliveDotCom, whale t-shirt CandyBarrel

Don't forget to pick up a copy of issue 12 inside which River Cottage's Head Chef Gill Meller give us the low down on sustainable fish.

The Simple Things of Life Part.1

A round up of some of some of our favourite little pleasures from the back covers of the last 7 Issues. Enjoy. Why not share your simple thing with us on our Pinterest board* or leave a comment below.

*To become a contributor to our group board tweet or Facebook us your Pinterest handle

Issue 2 : reader photos

It seems that Issue 2 has inspired loads of you to enjoy some simple things this month! We've rounded up the best of your pics to share.

As we get ready for The Simple Things issue 3 to hit the shops (THIS THURSDAY! Put it in your diaries!), we thought we'd gather together all the photos you've been sharing on our Facebook and Twitter accounts to show you.

Our baked eggs breakfast recipe was a big hit, as were our beautiful terrariums! We love seeing what you've been up to, so keep sharing your pics with us.

To all whose snaps have been included (that's you Emma Mitchell, Craig Freeman, Claire Thatcher, Laura Lindholm, Natalie, Kelly Mead, Threads Cornwall, Salt Home and Gifts and Clairey Custard) a great biiiiiiig thank you!

Download your FREE Simple Things soundtrack

We're giving away our Simple Things video soundtrack free to download!

As a special treat for your weekend, we're offering our The Simple Things soundtrack free to download.

Click the link below to have a listen, or right click and 'Save link as...' to save the mp3. It's perfect relaxation music, so pop the kettle on, put your feet up and escape for five minutes!

Right click to download The Simple Things soundtrack.

Try unplugging

Unplug for one day each month. Sounds a little scary, doesn't it? Blogger Emily from Peck Life says it's worth it.

How often do you check your phone each day? How long do you spend Tweeting, or surfing the net? When we stumbled upon Sarah's project to 'unplug' herself for 24 hours once each month, it got us thinking. How difficult would it be to go a day with no phone, email, social media, no TV?

And would we see any benefits?

Sarah says that unplugging helped her to feel more present and really connect with what she was doing, not to mention giving her a whole chunk of time back! Pop over to Peck Life to read all about her experiment.

Has anyone else tried going 'unplugged'? Share your experiences with us below!

Apple butter recipe

This apple butter recipe is perfect partner to the dee-licious rugelach we shared in our firework night feature in issue 2.

Rugelach is a bite-size pastry filled with spices and chewy dried fruits - perfect for a nippy firework night. Any kind of jam can be used for the filling, but for a wholehearted autumnal flavour, nothing beats apple butter.

Our recipe of choice comes for one of our fave baking blogs, apt 2b baking. Baker Yossy ropes in friends to help her make a big batch every year. Check out the apt 2b baking blog to see how she does it.

Have any of our readers tried our rugelach recipe? Let us know how it went and don't forget to Tweet us a pic!

The Simple Things launch party video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIKZVN5B3TU *Sigh* We loved our launch party. So many fab people, so much amazing cheese.

In the midst of all our excitement for issue 2, this gorgeous little video of the launch party provided us with a moment of calm. Spot anyone you recognise?

P.S. You can also see some pics from the party here ...

Issue 2 - out soon!

Tah-dah! The Simple Things Issue 2 goes on sale in the UK on 4th October! What do you think of our cover?

As it's our October issue, we're embracing all things autumnal. We'll be chatting crusty loaves with a fabulous baker brother, seeing the sights of Amsterdam, whizzing through fallen leaves on bicycles and rounding the day off with a bonfire party. All, of course, with crafts and recipes worthy of fireworks.

Issue 1 is still available, but not for much longer. If you've not got your hands on one yet, get down to the shops sharpish to start your collection!

For a rundown of where you can get your hands on the mag, check out our 'Find us' page, or download our digital version here.

Issue 1 : reader photos!

The Simple Things went to press last week - can you believe it?!

We're still buzzing from the launch, and could not be more pleased about all your amazing comments! Loads of you have been sharing pics of yourselves getting into the Simple Things spirit - taking time out to do some crafting, baking (our raspberry brownies especially proved to be a massive hit!) or get back to nature. Here are a few of our favourites.

Keep 'em coming on our Facebook and Twitter pages, we love to see what you're up to!

Thanks to (deep breath) ...Caroline Madaher, Miss Leoniest, My Red Wellies, Betherina, Jody Richardson, House Mouse, Madeline Norris, Poppy Sakulku, Bella and Will, Kate Helen Carter, Forest Flower 23 and Jayne Lynch for your photos.

Say a simple thank you

Whether its to your mum for looking after the kids for that extra couple of hours, or a friend for making you feel better when everything is going wrong, sometimes everyone needs to say a proper thank you.

We thought this thank you gift idea from You are my Fave was really lovely. Next time you want to show your gratitude, wrap a freshly baked (whether by you or your local baker) loaf of bread in a simple tea towel and tie it with a pretty ribbon. If it's something really big, you could even add a jar of jam.