Inventor hoping to coin it in with loose change game

Jul 30 2007 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

Inventor hoping to coin it in with loose change game

Regulars blown away by comic’s Wind of Change

THE world of pub games has not changed for decades – usually involving a standard fare of darts, cribbage, doms and pool.

But now The Wind of Change is coming and its creator Stanley McHale is hoping it will be a huge hit and maybe make a fortune.

The Wind of Change was invented in its simplest form when the 30-year-old writer and comedian was playing with a stack of loose change at the bar of his favourite pub, the Lion in Tithebarn Street.

“I arranged the coins into a tower and suggested to the barman, Dave, that he couldn’t blow it down. It was a typical pub bet. He gave it an almighty blast and managed to dislodge the top three or four but the rest remained standing. We thought “Hello, there’s something in this…” said Maidstone-born Stanley who moved here seven years ago and now considers Liverpool his home.

The basic principle of The Wind of Change is for two players to keep the money they dislodge from their opponents change tower – but the rules are more complex than this (see panel).

“It’s very positive at the moment because whenever we play it in the pub, it gets a crowd. People are intrigued as to what we’re doing with our heads on the bar blowing at coins. Which is perfectly understandable,” explained Stanley, who says that the copyright is watertight and first prototypes imminent.

With the help of Lion landlord John O’Dowd an elaborate waterproof bar runner or towel has been devised as a board awash with penalties and bonuses. They’re also hoping that the finald product will be franchised out to breweries who will pay to have their name customised on the board.

“There are probably twenty million people in the world trying to come up with a board game as we speak,” said Stanley. “But as I understand it, most games are invented by games manufacturers and you’ve got a million to one shot of getting noticed. So we’ve invented a pub game. ”

“The idea is that it starts getting played in pubs and bars in this form, then we introduce the base for the coins so it becomes a board game, which we take to manufacturers. Then we retire to Fiji.”

He added: “I’d love an inter-pub Wind Of Change league. If anyone fancies a game, contact The Lion, or just pop in. Although that invitation is no longer open to the brass section of the Liverpool Philharmonic. They were awesome and destroyed us. Those boys have lungs.”