The 'Toptafel' is fascinating game still practised in West Flanders in the region of Brugge.

By means of a strong, short pull on a string, a spinning top is launched; on its way on across the table. The top has to knock down as many skittles as possible.

The game is also commonly known as simply "Skittles" or "Devil amongst the Tailors" but whatever the name, the game can be lots of fun albeit almost totally down to pure luck.

Dimensions: 90cms x 50cms

What does the game include? 1 board, 1 stand, 8 skittles, 4 tops, 4 pull cords

What is the object of the game? To score as many points as possible by knocking down the skittles set out in a wooden box by launching a top.

How to play Each turn consists of a single launch of the top into the game table. The string is wound around the top and the top positioned in it's starting position at one end of the game. The string is then swiftly pulled away from the table spinning the top into the table. The turn finishes when the top comes to a halt and the points for each of the pins toppled is then calculated.

A typical game will consist of each player taking 5 turns to spin 5 tops. The total of the scores at the end determine the winner.