Bowling Club News

There was a good attendance for the opening day of the new outdoor season at Hemyock bowling Club. In the absence of both the President and the Chairman members were welcomed by the Vice Chairman John Bendle. Relatives of the late Les Wannell, who had been a member of the club for about 20 years, were to be there to present a seat in his memory but they had been detained in Portugal due to the cancellation of flights because of the volcanic dust cloud. John thanked the Green keeper Martin Dear and his helpers for all their hard work in getting the Green ready for play, before handing over to Bob Tennant who was organising the order of play for the afternoon.

Teams were selected at random and competitive play on four rinks was organised, each rink having a different method of scoring. However, to start the day off a Spider Challenge was played where bowlers spread out around the edge of the Green and, at a signal, all bowl at the same time towards the Jack, which has been placed in the centre. More luck than judgement but this was won by Colin Risdon. Members were able to enjoy a wonderful sunny afternoon and a playing surface which was much drier than had been experienced in recent years. The winning team of the day's play were Tony Wedgwood, Penny Gale and new member Chris Clark. They were treated to a drink of their choice from the bar as their prize. The day ended with a convivial 'Bring and Share' tea in the clubhouse.

The 'Open Days' over the Bank Holiday weekend went well, although Saturday morning turned out to be really wet and it was not possible to actually play on the Green. Those who came enjoyed the bacon butties and were introduced to some basics of the game. The Sunday afternoon session was more successful with 8 newcomers and many club members on hand to help with tuition, plus a nice sunny day although there was still a rather cold wind. The session ended with tea and cakes in the clubhouse, everyone saying how much they had enjoyed the afternoon, which we hope means that they will think about joining the club. New members are always welcome.