It was quite a day for the club yesterday with Dave Pitt, runner up in the National Champion of Champions rolled up in the morning with Dawn then in the afternoon, Laurence was on hand to welcome Andrew Newell and his family to the club.  It’s a long time since we’ve seen teenagers on the outdoor green!

Andrew contacted us through our Facebook page.  He lives in London but represented Jamaica in the Commonwealth Games in 2018.  The report from sw_londoner is below.  I hope that Andrew will be back again soon and we’ll try and find some Bob Marley in our cd collection for when he comes back!

Reggae Roller Newell claims shock lawn bowls Commonwealth Games victory

Andrew Newell is the Caribbean island’s first-ever lawn bowler at the Commonwealth Games and he produced a shock victory over English world number three Robert Paxton.

In fact, shock doesn’t come close to doing justice to the result.

This genteel sport had never seen anything quite like it, as the 44-year old danced down the parched greens of Broadbeach while the DJ frantically searched his reggae playlist and the surf rolled in on the adjacent beach. It was a result even more stunning than the vista.

Along with team-mate Merv Edwards, the ‘Reggae Rollers’ have caused quite a stir Down Under and were even stopped for a photograph in the athletes’ village by Yohan Blake.

But Newell, who lives and works as a youth worker in south-west London, was determined not to be another sporting novelty act.

However, after losing all his pairs matches with Edwards by heavy scorelines, things were looking bleak.

And they didn’t get better when he suffered a 21-0 and 21-2 defeat in his opening two singles matches, not the ideal preparation for taking on gold medal favourite Paxton.

However, Newell danced and jigged his way to the most improbable of victories, leaving Paxton ashen-faced in the midday sun.

“I like it when they crank the music up, it was good to hear Bob Marley at the end there – I need to find the DJ and give him some more tunes,” said Newell.

“I feel I’ve done myself justice now. I’ve been beating myself up about my other results but this proves I deserve to be at the Commonwealth Games, proudly flying the flag for Jamaica.

“It feels amazing, it makes everything worthwhile. Perhaps Robert was not at his best but I couldn’t have performed any better, I’m just so proud.

“He’s a big scalp. If you’d told me I’d lose every game here and beat Robert Paxton, I’d have snapped your hand off.

“We read stories about Jamaican sport and it’s all about participation, so it feels great not just to have participated but to have won a big match too. It’s amazing to represent your country and be the first to do it.”

Newell’s journey to the Commonwealth Games started on a park in south London and he hopes his unlikely story will now inspire some of the children he works with.

“The kids have got more and more interested as the Games got closer, it would be pretty cool to see a few of them start playing too,” he added.

“I started 15 years ago in Battersea Park and I just loved it straight away. I used to go down the park and see these guys playing bowls and I thought ‘I’d like a go at that’.

“Me and Mum would watch the bowls on television and one day I was off work and I just called a local club and never looked back.”

And with that Newell, who beat India’s Krishna Xalxo later in the day, was off – as Bob Marley’s ‘Sun is Shining’ was played over the public address.

Well, after a flurry of emails and phone calls, the outdoor green opens today.  14 members  have already booked sessions to play.  If you think  you’d like a go, for today please email David Hale david.hale@blueyonder.co.uk  We are just doing the final testing on an online booking system which will work through the Members’ section of the site.  David and the webhost are tweaking even as I type!

I hope some of you managed to get out at the weekend.  The mornings were chilly but by the afternoon, the temperature was good.  Thinking that everyone would be out in the parks etc., I popped down to Richmond Sainsburys only to see the queue about 40 people long, so abandoned that idea.

John D has been out and about spotting CP members lurking in the Woodland Gardens in Bushy Park.  As long as you keep your distance, you can have a chat to one other person not from household.

Last weekend, I spent a bit of time tidying up Rita’s Garden and planted some begonias, petunias and nirene something.   I’m not sure I’ve planted some of  them the right way, so we will have to see.  A few more to go in this week.  At the moment there are a lot of yellow and blue violas and as you can see, the small rose bush in the middle is just beginning to bloom.  The various ducks are keeping a watchful eye from the sign and the neighbourhood robin pops down as supervisor in the hope there might be a few interesting morsels about.  There is also a bluetit nesting in a hole in the wall near the dining room entrance.  Ange report that he and a couple of others were keeping a watchful eye on Scott and her as they weeded and swept the ditches, washed and replaced the mats .  Terry  has set up the rink markers and will turn the green each week, so there’s a good chance of equal play across the whole green.

Afternoon everyone!

Firstly, thanks for looking at the outdoor bowling bookings.  David has been busy.  It would be easier if you could email him, although I appreciate there are a few things it’s easier to ask over the phone.

We should have an online booking system up this week which is really exciting!  Our web host at Bowls-Central is brilliant!

Secondly …..

We have a great place in which it would be easy to sit and watch at the required 2m distance but for the time being, the Bowls England Guidance is quite clear that no visitors or spectators are allowed and the club remains shut although there can be access to a toilet.  (As mentioned in our Guidelines, anything you have contact with as regards handles, flush, seat and taps needs to be disinfected after use.)

We have to abide by the Bowls England Guidelines* so let’s see how the first week or two pan out.  It maybe then that Bowls England update their Guidance Notes (as with the Risk Assessment, these are all “rolling” documents and can be changed as we go forward) and the restrictions are eased again.  That would be good.

Not everyone wants to play.  Some would like to come and watch and enjoy seeing familiar faces and catch up but I’m sorry as we are not allowed to do that yet.

One step at a time.   We have to walk before we can run!

As soon as the next lot of Guidelines come through, we’ll keep you updated.

Dawn

• I will move a copy of these to the Covid-19 post in the Members’ Section so everything is in one place.

Well, we’ll be able to bowl outdoors from Monday 18th May thanks to Ange, Laurence, Jacquie and David H and of course the Bowls England Guidelines which were posted on Thursday and helped the cause.  We are so fortunate to have Ange and Jacquie as members, as both are qualified to produce formal Risk Assessments and we have been working hard to make this work for both Cambridge Park and MIddlesex Clubs.

The Risk Assessment, Self Declaration Form and Guidelines for Members are in the Members’ Section of this website.  Please email me dawnslaughter60@icloud.com for password.  Please read them.  They are for your benefit!

Quick Summary:

3 Rinks will be bookable from 10.30 each day for 1 hour only.  Must be booked at least 24 hours before – no turning up on the day!  David Hale is taking the bookings for the first week.  Contact details on the Guidelines.

Come changed.  Bring your own water for while you’re playing.  The main Clubhouse is shut. but lobby will be open to collect mats and jacks.  Disinfect your hands as soon as you enter.

Ensure you have signed a Self Declaration Form before playing – either email me or the club or leave in the lobby.  There are hard copies in the lobby if you cannot print at home.

You will be invoiced for Subs which will need to be paid within 7 days of playing.

We have some Anti-bac Back Packs available – 20 at the moment.  Let me know if you would like one or you can bring your own.  Antibac hand gel, Antibac disinfectant spray and cloth.

 

Solo and Singles Roll up and Practice only for the time being.

Solo – Disinfect the mat(s) and jack(s) before and after play.

Singles – Disinfect mats and jacks before play.  Nominate ‘Matman’ and ‘Jackman’.  (Ange’s description!)  Matman always places the mat at each end and Jackman only places the jack – wherever the end winner wants it.  You’re working as a team but keeping physical distance.  On the mat to bowl then after, one of you moves to the width of the rink marker to the right and the other moves to the rink marker to the left.  After all bowls played, you walk up in line with the rink marker on your side.  Look at the head separately – keep that 2m!  No measuring.  Get used to using your eyes!  One player kicks bowls back to respective sides of the rink.  Only handle your own bowls.  We have to reduce the risks in order to keep you safe.

After play, disinfect mats and jack and place back in lobby.  Do not hang around to mingle.   I know  you can meet one other person in a park at a safe distance now but we can’t have a dozen of you doing that because you’ll be tempted to stand closer and closer – we’re all such socialable beings!    Check timings on the Guidelines in the Members’ section

Tips:  Try disinfecting the edges (back and front) of the mat ie where you put your hands.  If you spray all over, the centre of the mat can get slippery and we do not want you falling over whilst keeping you safe!

The antibacterial gel can make your bowls slippery in your hands.  Bring your own Grippo or cloth.

Finally (maybe!).  Some of you are on 12 week lockdown and still staying safe at home.  That’s fine.  There’s still a lot of summer left to bowl.  Secondly, some of you will not have been out other than a quick dash to the corner shop and do not want to venture further yet.  That’s fine too.   Please do not worry if you feel frightened about leaving the cocoon in which you have been living.  It is perfectly understandable.  Take it in stages.  Disinfect your hands before leaving your home and on returning.  Keep the physical distance between you and other people.  Use your common sense.  Phone a friend!  We’ve all been scared during the last 8-9 weeks and so we should have been!  Talking to someone else really helps.  The number of cases of the virus are coming down and as long as we all stay aware and alert, life will return to some sort of normality but, personally, I doubt if it will ever return to how it was before February.  We will adjust.  We are flexible!

Shout if you have any issues about the above.

Dawn