I visited Darts Knight – a new independent darts shop and social venue in Station Lane – to try out the playing lanes and put my (non-existent) darts skills to the test.
Owner Dave Knight, who was once a window cleaner, followed his passion to “bring the community together” through darts, and this shines through in every element of the premises.
Darts Knight opened in Station Lane on September 27(Image: Charlotte Anderson)
Giant darts decorate the walls, coasters and tables are dart board replicas and there is even a “Wall of Fame” in the corner, featuring names including Luke Littler, Gary Anderson and John Lowe.
I started with an “Around the Clock” game – aiming to hit each number in turn from one to 20 – and let’s just say that time moved slowly.
After nearly 10 minutes, I was still only on S5, with a hit rate of 8 per cent.
At this point – while desperately watching other players for technique – I realised my stance was all wrong, and on adjusting this my game improved from here.
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Eventually I completed the 20, plus a bullseye, in 141 throws, around 25 minutes and a hit rate of 14.89 per cent.
Not too shabby?
More importantly though, it was great fun and easy to see how you could spend a whole afternoon playing darts.
The screens on each lane made it super interactive and the four-player lane features dozens of different games, Dave told me.
Th entrepreneur is already taking bookings for Christmas parties and it is clear to see why: darts enthusiasts and novices alike can get stuck in, and even hit that bullseye.
