Author: Dawn Slaughter

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Looking Ahead to Sunday 5th September

The Club was really busy with all rinks on the go this morning with two club semi-finals seeing Peter & Audrey come through against Kevin K & Sheila C in the Mixed Pairs and Mike C & Brian N getting a victory over Ann B & Bernard W in the Open Pairs.

On rink 3, Steve G, Norman & Ian D were neck-and-neck with the Egham team of John Carey, Ian Jenkins & Jay Head up to  8 ends.  The heads were pretty incredible.  After that the Egham boys moved into 4th gear with a few ends of high scores and, alas, our chaps couldn’t quite catch up.  Great effort though.

On our lovely rink 2, Tina took on former international Doreen Hankin in the first round of the National Singles with it getting really tense as both girls took turns in winning the ends by 1 or 2 shots.  Tina pulled away to lead 20-12 but Doreen wasn’t going to go down without a fight and crept up over the next few ends to reach 17-20.  In the next end, Doreen put 3 bowls jack high and Tina had 2 slight shorter and wide.  Her third bowl slipped between Doreen’s to land about a foot behind the jack.  Doreen came up to assess the situation.  Hmm.  Her 4th bowl didn’t change the head.  Tina picked up her bowl, then put it down again and came up to the head.  She (sensibly as it happened) decided to risk a measure rather than bowl.  After a measure, Tina’s bowl held the shot and thereby the match!  It was the first time she’d beaten Doreen in many years of trying.  Well done, that girl!

Tina, Tricia, Lucy & Teresa lost their Fours last night to Sarah, Ange, Ann H & Dawn and the three T’s are back on the green tomorrow morning at 10.00 am against Egham in the second round of the National Triples.  Good luck girls.  You can do it!  Supporters welcome!

In the afternoon, the Club has a mixed friendly v Staines.  Good luck to everyone playing in that too.

Thanks to Jane for looking after us behind the bar at lunchtime today and in anticipation of the same tomorrow!

 

PS  Don’t forget just one more week to the Christmas Lunch.  If you haven’t paid for your ticket yet, please pass the money in an envelope marked to Ange asap

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Saturday 4th December

Two National comps this morning and a club men’s pairs all starting at 10.00 am.

There wasn’t a notice up, but if anyone wants to come down for a mixed drive from 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm, you’re very welcome.

It’s sunny outside, so a good morning to get some fresh and some extra steps in for the day!

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EIBA Update on Face Coverings

We received an email with some updated guidelines from the EIBA, which we will implement at the club.

Please could you wear a face covering when entering/moving around/exiting the club.  If you are bowling or drinking/eating, it’s fine to leave the covering off.  This will help all of us help all our members to try and prevent any infection spreading.  We are not aware of anyone who has been in the club in the last week or so having been tested positive, and it would be really good to keep it that way.

There are only a few matches between now and Christmas and these will be played in greys, as suggested by the EIBA.

If  you haven’t had your second dose or booster, it’s a good idea to get it done.  However, we cannot force you into being vaccinated, as we know you have a personal choice.

Be alert when you’re out and about too.  You are all important to us!

Thanks

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December How Did That Happen?

Pinch, punch for the first of the month!  White rabbits!

Has the first chocolate behind Door 1 on the Advent Calendar been consumed yet?  I gather there are some alcoholic Advent Calendars, so I hope you’re all waiting until the sun is over the yard arm to open that door today!

We put our Christmas tree up in the area where I work yesterday.  It looks pretty.  With the new Omnicron variant, the restoration of face coverings in many places, I hope that we manage to get on top of the infection-spreading so you can all enjoy larger family gatherings as the festive season comes along.

We have a few poorly members, so we hope that their health improves over the rest of 2021.

What is your favourite Christmas song/carol?  Let us know and we can put a playlist together for the club Christmas Dinner on Sunday week.  “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” sung by Judy Garland makes me think of my Mum.  I don’t know why but it still makes me well up even though she’s been gone ust short of 11 years.  “In the Bleak Mid-Winter” was my Granny’s favourite carol closely followed by Silent Night.

Ooops, must dash – nothing to do with reindeers nor snow!  Have a good day.

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David Baker – RIP

We were extremely sad to learn of the passing of Dave Baker in the earlier this month.  He was such a lovely soul both on and off the Teddington and Cambridge Park greens and very caring, with a very good sense of humour and a ready smile for all.
The time to bid him farewell and to share many memories mixed with tears and laughter are detailed below.
we send our condolences to Estelle, Katrina, David Jnr. and the whole family.

Wins and Losses

There was a very comfortable win v London Civil Service yesterday afternoon.  Good bowls and banter all round.  Thanks to Kevin L and Gordon who stepped in to fill the LCS team vacancies.  Thanks to Kevin for organising and to Jane on the bar.  The mixed friendlies are good fun and there will be more next year.

Peter J & Gym had a walking-on-water game v Laurence & Peter T yesterday morning in the 2020 Club Pairs.  It didn’t matter how close Laurence & Peter got to the jack because Peter or Gym just sneaked in with an even better shot!  Well done to them and also to Tricia & Teresa who outbowled Tina & Dawn in the National Ladies Pairs.  We held them for a while then dropped a 7 – not sure how that happened as our bowls had nudged some of theirs – obviously in the wrong direction!  Goodluck to them in the next round – another Egham opponent.

It was also a silver medal for Steve G, Norman, Laurie & Mike C in the L&SC Single Rink v Herts.  Hard luck chaps.

Despite winning the Potters tournament last week, all four of us couldn’t duplicate wins yesterday.  That’s bowls!

The next round of the London & Southern Counties Challenge Shield is on Saturday 18th December v Watford – 2 rinks home, 2 away starting at 10.00 am.

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Another busy day with Laurence & Peter J on opposing sides (yet again – 4th time in 23 weekends!) in the Men’s Pairs this morning at 10.00 am and Tricia & Teresa play Tina & Dawn in the National Ladies Pairs also at 10.00 am at CP.
We play a mixed friendly v London Civil Service this afternoon at 2.00 pm at home and Steve G, Norman and team play their London & Southern Counties Single Rink competition away this afternoon v Watford.  The L&SC Challenge Shield is v the winners of Herts & Watford playing this morning, so a chance to possible suss out the opposition for that!
For those of you who like tennis – I can think of at least two of you! – the BBC are broadcasting the match with Emma Raducanu v Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Emma’s playing partner) live from the Royal Albert Hall at midday.  You can watch via the BBC Red Button, on iPlayer or https://www.atpchampionstour.com/champions-tennis-event-live-stream/ or via their Facebook stream.
In fact all the games can be seen on the above link, including that wonderfully entertaining Mansour Bahrami who will be playing doubles preceding Emma’s match, so do watch it.  There will be a final session at 7.00 pm with another two doubles’ matches – winners of the round robins.
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The Icing on the Cake

We did it!  It was a Tournament win for Tina, Mike, Laurence & Dawn at Potters!

To be fair, the opposition helped us with one of them being hungover, hwich didn’t help their team spirit, and the two brothers playing at 3 and skip not seeing eye-to-eye on shot choice.  That apart, we played well as a team with Tina and Laurence at the front end putting shots around the jack, just leaving Mike and I to try and plug any gaps and fill any spaces should the firing shots come off.   It was still a nerve-wracking game because it was the Final.

We were really grateful for the support from the Cambridge Park & Friends especially as they sat through the last 16 quarters and semi cheering us on.  It really made a difference.

Ann H also had a win on the Bingo.  It wasn’t a big win and she had to share it with another lady, but a win is a win!

The third win was that the coach had heating on the way back and it was at the perfect temperature!  Everyone returned safely and we all look forward to repeating the experience next year.

Now, it’s back to normality after a week ‘in a bubble’ with shopping, cooking, washing up and washing!

We’re playing London Civil Service tomorrow (Sunday), home at 2.00 pm and looking forward to getting back to the Cambridge Park green for matches and leagues this week.

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Potters – The Final Morning

Well, what an afternoon and evening yesterday.

Kevin, Scott, Carole & Ray K had a great comeback from 2-9 down to an end score of 9-10 reducing their opponents shot difference which helped our teams

Joan, Bernard, Stella & Barry claimed victory over a team who had won their previous 3 games

So, Dave P, Terry P, Ann H & Ange made it comfortably into the last 16. Mike, Tina, Laurence & Dawn scraped in at 15th place and Joan, Bernard, Stella & Barry were 17th so only missed the cut by 1 shot!

A very cruel draw saw Dave & Dawn’s teams play in the last 16.  Dawn’s team took the first end single shot and then trailed 1-6 before getting another to double their score!  The teams then battled it out with Dawn’s Four coming through by a couple of shots

In the quarter final, the opposition lost their lead (she’d gone back to her bungalow) leaving us anxiously waiting for over 5 minutes past the start time.  It was a scrappy game and none of us played our best but we managed to hang in

The semifinal was a repeat of the 2018 Final, (with one person change on the Parabowls team).  It was always going to be a tough game and we had to concentrate very hard to get shots in and around the head.  After a good weighted shot which took the Jack back, we took a 3 and then we were off, battling to get nearer that little white ball than our opponents. We were 3 up going into the last end and had a bit of a wobble but Laurence’s slightly narrow bowl pushed across so that the Jack was completely sandwiched between their 2 bowls locking it in. Mike played a pearler and landed within 3” of the shot bowls. Dawn played one to the back of the green and Stevie played a what-normally-would-have-been a fantastic shot dislodging the jacks only to send it to Laurence’s sideways bowl.  Dawn sent another bowl to the back leaving the opposition with an impossible shot. We had our bowls scattered around so that almost any shot he played, we would still be in a winning position. It was a brave attempt and, luckily for us, gave us another shot to win the match  WOW!  Delighted and dazed in equal measures!

The packing has been done and we’re heading off to breakfast before a photo shoot of the group with added Bishop Duppas (who missed yesterday’s one!)  The final is then at 9.20 am  keep your fingers crossed for us.  We’re playing a team with a young international trialist at skip!

As always, the atmosphere, the food, the entertainment, the fun and laughter has been tip-top and we are looking forward to returning in 2022.

Let’s hope the coach has found its heating for the return journey. It will be a lot more difficult to nap if it’s cold

Thanks to everyone who has joined the Cambridge Park & Friends Tourists including Dee Hardy who came with her husband for a new-week break, then found herself joining Laurie G, Sarah & Ann B for the tournament. Thanks to Laurence for organising the CP events. It has been a pleasure having so many of us together bowling and socialising after a rubbish pandemic 18 months