Indoor Finals for Sidmouth Bowls Club

Over the three days there was some excellent bowling to watch and some very close calls, and it was also good to see some new names doing so well.

Scott Archer , who only started playing last September and was drawn in the men’s pairs to play with John Mason and how well he played, winning on the final end.

Debbie Caine has been playing for just two seasons. Partnered with Sheila Faulkner, they had a great game to win against myself and my partner Jan Jameson-Bates. 

Other Winners were as follows: 
Club Open Championship - Brian Smith
Ladies Championship - Carol Smith
Mens Championship - Andrew Lowe 
Mens Matchplay Singles - Don Smith 
Mixed Pairs - Kevin Frickey & Carol Smith
Ladies - Joan Jeffrey, Julie Wevill, Mary Meadows, Sue Turner 
Colin Bryant Trophy - The Inverness Caledonian Thistle team of Andrew Lowe, Paul Irvine and Ken Wheeler.

Then came the Gents v Ladies. Unfortunately, we were rather short of ladies for this ‘friendly’. However, we borrowed a man and he was on our only ladies’ winning rink.

Our thanks go to Mick Jerome, along with Chris Ward, Mary Meadows and Chrissie Leedham for helping to save us from a whitewash. The final score was rather a disaster for us Ladies but a great victory for the Men, 89 – 65. The top team was Keith Pollit, Ron Clint and skip Brian Smith, 26 - 14.

Finally, the mixed drive, once again played over two sessions. The morning winners were Lynn Pike, Anita Mason and skip David Butler with a plus 8 score. The afternoon winners were Scott Archer, Debbie Caine, Sue Clint and skip Mick Cox, also with a plus 8 score.

The week before last was a special one at Sidmouth Bowls Club, as members came together for the fun and camaraderie of President’s Day.

The stage was set for a fascinating game of bowls between President John Mason's team and Chair Karen Hollingdale's team, so the stakes were high for bragging rights.

So many members wanted to play in this traditional occasion, the club was actually overloaded, so, to avoid disappoint, several players split their game half and half. In the early session, the winners were Julie Wevill, David Timms, Clive Brook and Wendy Cox, 27 - 16, a great start for the Chair.  

A delightful lunch was once again served by Debbie Leeds with the help of Lynn Pike and Lynn Bearman. Luckily, there were plenty of volunteers to clear up, and thanks go to Ann Capon and Paddy and John Chew. The very busy bar was marshalled by Karen and Sue Doughty.

On to the afternoon bowls and more great performances on the greens. The winners were Debbie Leeds, James Poole, who shared with Christopher Ward, Rob Doughty and Carol Smith, 24 – 11, also playing for Chair Karen.

Although it was his day, I am afraid the Presidents team didn't do very well, losing to the Chair's on aggregate, 74 -125. An excellent enjoyable afternoon, with lots of laughter and banter especially on my rink.

Then came the final friendly match of the indoor season, which was away against Honiton men. Four triples made the short trip from Sidmouth and a good mixture of our newer and more experienced players. 

It was obviously a good afternoon, as Sidmouth won on two of the four rinks and overall by 65 - 61. A very close game, all being decided on the final two ends. The top rink for Sidmouth comprised Scott Archer, Derek Mountford and skip John Mason, who won 18 - 11.

Bowling thoughts are now turning to the outdoor season and, after a long, cold and wet winter, it will be fantastic to get back playing in the fresh air and warm sunshine.