Let’s start with wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year for 2024 – and that is just how it started on the bowls scene. We were at home to Vistabella and won 9 points to 3. It’s not all it seems though Anne Stone, Norman Ship & Shirley Hadaway were 7-1 down and then picked up a 7 to take them into the lead and never looked back, winning – 26-8, what I considered was our strongest trip of Margaret McLaughlin, Barry Roberts and Peter Parsons were trailing by 12 shots but pulled it back to a very creditable 18 each. Our other regular strong trip with Barbara and Jean & Don Fowkes had a very tight game losing by 1 shot 14-15. Our top scoring triple was Steve Douglas, John Morgan & Garth Slater winning 28-12, our 5th rink of Janet Parsons, John Callaghan and John Rae won by default and had no game but contributed 2 points and 10 shots giving us a overall points win of 9 – 3.
On Wednesday for those brave enough to face the weather, watched 2 mixed triples (internal) the one between Anne & Mike Stone and John Rae versus Don & Jean Fowkes with Garth Slater was very close at 18-19 in the latter’s favour. The other game was a bit more decisive with Dave & Lesley Joynes and Len Daniels winning 24-11 against Marilyn Fryatt, Johnny Callaghan & Barry Roberts.
Friday and the news against Emerald Isle is not quite so good, where we came away with just 2 points, and that was very close. Our thanks goes to Janet Parsons, Norman Ship and Garth Slater winning 19-18, our overall shots were 67-115.
Our week ended with a short memorial service on the green to Mick Smith who we lost after a 3-month illness on 16th December. Our thoughts are with Carol and the family at this sad time.
Dave Hadaway
