NOBODY really knows when the first snowball fight took place – but it's a fair bet that most of the folk living in the caves of Nottingham during the ice age were experts.

As a general rule of thumb, snowball fights tend to be more exciting with more people. A group of ten which can be broken up into teams seems to be ideal.

However, there is much to be said for that element of "surprise" inherent in a lone attack on an unsuspecting dad walking down the garden path, unaware his children have been sent home early from school.

A pair of decent gloves is more or less the only equipment you need. Beware of woolly varieties because the snow tends to stick.

If your garden or street is unsuitable, an ideal location may be a field. A hill, such as Wollaton Park, will also create more intrigue.

Under no circumstances must you aim at the head or face – a decent body shot is generally considered most satisfactory.

If anyone ends up in tears as a result of your attack, you know you are doing it all wrong.

Ganging up on one person is a temptation, but unless they have been particularly irritating, this line of attack is best avoided.

Setting a time limit of, say, one hour is a good idea because kids these days seem a lot less hardy than they were in the old days and may want to retire indoors more quickly than their parents.

Do not involve anyone unsuitable in your game: strangers in the street, toddlers and teachers are best avoided. There is usually no particular aim in the game of snowball fighting – just throw and see how dry you can keep yourself.