That is what the headline read. I heard it from Paul and thought "it's a joke, right?"

No joke. See, there are things that don't go with beer like driving a car and then there are things that not only go with beer but are only really about the beer - dwile flonking is one of them. But not everyone agrees in Norfolk:

Norfolk District Council had warned licernsees Lorraine Clinch and Sue Hancock at the Ludham Dog Inn that the game would classify as a drinking game and would be illegal under the new code. Dwile flonking involves competitors throwing a beer soaked towel at opponents using a pole. If you miss your target twice in a row you have to down a pot of real ale.

The Code? Apparently on their way out the door Old Labour decided to impose a code for proper alcohol retailing and included restrictions on drinking games. Now I understand what Pete was going on about last winter with the whole dentist's chair thing. But not even Pete could have imagined this would reach out and suck the life out of dwile flonking.

Dwile flonking? It gets a page and a half in 1975's Pub Games of England including this bit on its creation: "According to one account it was a court pastime of King Offa of Mercia in the eighth century. According to another it was dreamed up by an underworked BBC man during an extended tea-break." I lean towards the latter understanding.

Does it matter that this strikes at silly middle-aged reasonably middle-class made up rural drinking game when the law was clearly aimed at urban youff? I suppose it shouldn't... but that would make it a dumb law, right? Unless the dwile flonkers are out of control and no one is admitting it.