After another cracking week here at Potters, the tourists are heading home this morning.
We managed to get two teams – Dave P, Ann H, Gary & Terry P as well as Tina, Mike, Laurence & Dawn through to the last 16.
Dawn’s team were drawn against an interesting very chatty team in the Bowlers Bar Green. The Italian skip thought he should hug every player before we started. Different. Dawn’s team got off to a good start being 12-0 at the half way point, then the Italian managed to get a decent running bowl in and picked up a 3 then a 2. However, thanks to Tina’s lead drawing skills, we stayed on top and progressed to the quarter final.
Meanwhile, Dave’s team came up against a four from Darlington. They weren’t the speediest players on the green – slow on the mat, which is difficult if you’re used to getting a move on. Holding 2 on the 7th end (8 ends and max of 60 min playing time for these matches)  but 1 shot down in the match, they had a team discussion about the best shot to play, checking watches. Whilst this happened, the umpire announced time was up and no further jacks could be delivered and Dave’s opposition took the end and the match. Our team thought there was another 3 mins to play, which is plenty of time to put a jack up, but it didn’t happen and they went out. Disappointing when it had been so close and to leave the green feeling a trifle aggrieved.
Dawn’s team went on to play the same team on the rink where they had just beaten Dave’s team. That was a shame for Dawn’s team as the Bowlers Bar Green plays very differently to the International Arena.
However we did not complain. If you’re good enough to get to the quarterfinals, you should just be able to learn to adapt to your rink. Unfortunately, we didn’t adapt as quickly as we needed to, so although Tina & Laurence played well, we were out bowled.
if you don’t play well enough, you don’t win. Simple.

Cerys took our photo for the next edition of Bowls International

The Darlington team then went on to win the semi and are playing early this morning in the final v Gedling.

The new Potters Christmas Show started with a very soothing classic Christmas song (appears in Home Alone) with the cast beautifully decked out in Victorian costume  and followed with traditional Christmas Carols

Laurence found it very soothing    …

The CP Table Football Tournament still hasn’t been completed so Laurence is hoping the last couple of games will be finished before we depart for home bowled out, quizzed out, swum out, sauna-d out, talked out, fed out, drunk out, free-from-washing-up out and late-nighted out!
Adjusting to London life will take a few days!

Tina might find it a bit easier having won the main prize on the Thursday Night Bingo flyer.
Wow-wee!!  A first bingo win for CP tourists!

Thanks to Laurence for organising the table tennis and kerling but a really big thank you to Mike C and his side-kick Bob for getting this Annual Potters Tour up and running so smoothly. Both are slightly greyer than they were in February when they started collecting the £50 deposits, as it’s really hard work especially with a group of over 50 people.
We really appreciate it.
Thank you very much indeed.
Safe journey home everyone. We’ll catch up with you all when the leagues start again on Monday.