By Alice Galletly

At the risk of sounding like a masochist, I really hope it rains on Sunday. Ideally, we’ll be battered by an icy southerly gale – the kind that makes your eyes water – accompanied by crashing thunder and maybe even a bit of hail. Why? Because those are the perfect conditions for playing my favourite winter sports. Picking the right venue is crucial. In Auckland, there are few places where I’d feel comfortable taking my Scrabble board, fewer still where I’d spread the medieval fantasy game, Dominion, across a table. But, at Galbraith’s Alehouse I’ll happily do either.

My friends and I try to get a table near the fire, and I sit with my back to it, so I can see the room. In a previous life, Galbraith’s was the Grafton Library and it still feels very grand with its high, vaulted ceilings and polished wood panelling. It reminds me of a much bigger version of my English Grandmother’s house. Through a glass-walled room you can see the brewery, and the gentle scent of malt and hops mingles with Sunday roasts.

If there’s ever music playing, I don’t notice it. It’s usually quiet enough to hear the clack of Scrabble tiles, or the thud of heavy pint glasses on the wooden tables. Mine is always filled with Bob’s Bitter; the creamy, citrus-scented cask ale that I call "My Secret Weapon". It’s only 4% you see, so I can sip it through a few Scrabble matches and still spell the words.

To be honest, though, I’m less competitive when I play at Galbraith’s. Even if I lose, I only have to listen to the rain hammering the windows – unable to penetrate this cozy wooden fortress – to feel I’ve beat winter at its own game.