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Boxing Day

I hope you had a good Christmas. For some of our members, it was the first Christmas without a family member or close friend.  I hope you still enjoyed the day and shared happy memories of Christmases past.

Boxing Day as a child was a mixture of Painting-by-Numbers, a jigsaw, thank you letters and cold turkey with Branson Pickle (there are other varieties) for supper. I guess we went out at some point. I don’t remember that.

As a teenager, our church had the Boxing Day tradition of going down to one of the parks in Ealing and played hockey. Not everyone knew the rules and the curate was lethal but it was enjoyed by all. Competitive? Of course!
As an adult, it was a trip down to Kent to see my brother and family with Turkey Curry, playing ring-on-a-string, Fruits (sometimes Stations) where everyone was  given the name of a fruit, and we sat round in a circle with one person sitting in a stool in the middle, blindfolded. That person called out two fruits and those people had to change places without being caught by the person in the middle. Also we had a go at completing my brother’s jigsaw.
As an older adult, it’s definitely a walk at some point, starting the new jigsaw and not eating Bubble & Squeak nor going to the sales!

Does your family having Boxing Day traditions?

Alas, playing bowls won’t be on today’s agenda but it can be tomorrow, Wednesday 27th,  when the Club opens again.  Grab a friend, book a rink and catch up on the festivities whilst getting your arm back in swing. (The bar won’t be open this week.)

Check out the noticeboard for those club competition deadlines, contact your opponent, fix a date  also check out the noticeboard near the bar as there are sign up sheets for London Welsh on 21st January and a newly added fixture away v Camberley on 29th January

Mike and Bob are standing down as organisers of the annual tour to Potters in November, so if anyone would be interested in taking it on, please let Mike know. Deposits for 2024 need to be collected by February so an organiser is needed quite quickly.

Enjoy your Boxing Day whatever you do

 

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One Out of Three – Not too Bad.

The Mixed Friendly v West Surrey on Sunday clocked up a good win. Hooray! Congratulations to all who played.
Unfortunately both the Men’s Pairs and the Mixed Fours went down to the Century bowlers.
Having liaised with Peter T, it seems that the opp skips did the damage. Certainly Dave Baxter had a great game in the Mixed Fours. He’s playing in the Open Singles Finals at Potters in 10 days’ time and we wish him luck – hoping he’ll continue the top quality bowling that he displayed against us!

Jacqui & Teresa play Tina & Dawn on Thursday evening in the National Ladies Pairs and the men are out in force for the 4-rink Denny Plate game v Herga on Saturday morning.
Good luck to all playing.

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Lest We Forget

No official bowls today, so a chance to reflect on times past and what our family generation’s went through so that we are here today.

For some countries the horror and trauma of war continues today. How frightening to be caught up in it because of time and place.
The Festival of Remembrance is televised from the The Royal Albert Hall tonight and the parade to the Cenotaph tomorrow.
My Dad used to take me up to London on the Sunday to view the crosses set out in the various Army, Navy and RAF battalions. He’d look for the naval friends and colleagues he lost in World War II. In the final 4-5 years of his life, he used to go to local schools and recount the experience of the Normandy landings. I went with him sometimes   The groups he spoke to were usually heading out to France to view the beaches.  It gave the children some insight from a person who had been through it and not just learning from a book or film.  They asked questions ranging from “ Did you kill anyone?” to “Were you ever seasick?” to “What did you eat?”

He never glorified it. He was a matter-of-fact person and he knew he had been one of the lucky ones. Mum had been evacuated to Aylesbury and hated it. Her uncle was a Japanese Prisoner of War. He came home but he never spoke about it.

This weekend specifically, we will remember everyone who has fought and continues to fight for peace and the safety of their families now and for generations to come. We are thankful.


The photo is part of the Fields of Mud Project worked on by Dan Metcalfe.

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Saturday 4th November – Yetton Trophy v Egham at 10:00

Once again for the umpteenth year (!), we are facing Egham in the 2nd round of the National Yetton Trophy, playing on Saturday morning.  Two rinks will be at home and two at Egham.

Good luck to all the girls playing!

 

Well done to Dave P & Joyce from Hounslow who beat Peter T & Dawn in the National Mixed Pairs last night.  Only 1 shot in it going into the final end.  Dave played a cracker of a bowl to nudge Dawn’s shot bowl out and Peter’s running bowl decided to take the skinny pathway!.  Oh drat!  One day we’ll beat Dave P & his various partners!

Good luck to Dave & Joyce in the next round.

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Foul Weather even for Fowl!

Take care when you go out. Many gutters are full and anyone walking or cycling by are quite likely to get soaked!

Sou’westers, thigh-high wellingtons, windscreen wipers on your spectacles are the orders for the day or, alternatively, shorts and t-shirt … as your skin will dry quicker than clothes!

Tea/coffee/soup/Christmas adverts which have just broken might be a distraction!

Anyway, we hope you all stay safe and dry and keep an eye on your neighbours

 

 

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Tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick … Falling Back into Sunday and the Egham Trophy

Don’t forget the clocks go back tonight so we get an extra hour in bed.  Hooray!

For those of you playing against Hounslow in the National Egham Trophy, don’t turn up at 09:00 old time just get there for 09:30 new time at your respective venues!

Good luck and both venues welcome supporters.

Alas, we were unable to beat Hounslow but Steve G, Ian D, Frances D & Ann B had a terrific win on their rink and Peter T, Jacqui, Barry & Teresa made an excellent comeback and lost by just one little shot in the final couple of ends.

Good luck to Hounslow in the next round.