Well done to the Rink Outsiders, who had a fantastic win in the Chess Vale Sunday League. Chris F, Pam H, Andy R and Mitch. Photo above. Other team members included Jackie B, Trevor B and Liz Mills. Well done guys!
Following the conclusion of the Friday Short Mat League, trophies were presented to the winners, skipped by Malcolm, with Peter, David, Chris and Katie (who is not pictured in the photo on the left). The runners-up, skipped by Ray, were Jan T, Brenda, Scott and Rod, with Steff absent from the photo. A small gift was also presented to Kim in recognition of her hard work in organising the league and making it such an enjoyable competition. Thank you, Kim.  Thirty-one of our members recently enjoyed a four-night, five-day bowls break at the Warner Hotel in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. We set off in beautiful sunshine and enjoyed a smooth, trouble-free journey to the island. Unfortunately, on arrival there were a couple of minor hiccups. The hotel staff had not been informed that we were arriving as a coach group, so our welcome meet-and-greet, room allocations and information packs were not quite ready for us. To add to the challenge, the lift was out of order for most of our members staying on the second floor! One couple was able moved to another part of the hotel where a much needed lift was working, while the rest of the group bravely accepted the daily exercise of climbing up and down two flights of stairs. Thankfully, once those early issues were behind us, the rest of the week went without a hitch and everyone had a really good time. Our club entered six teams into the bowls tournament, competing against 22 other teams and each other. Two of our teams reached the finals day when the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were played. Alan’s team of Trevor, Delphine and Geoff had a very close quarter-final but were unlucky to lose by just one shot. Meanwhile Scott’s team of Ian, Vanessa and Barry went on an exciting run, reaching the semi-final. The semi-final was a real nail-biter (as described in the previous post below), but our team held their nerve and secured a fantastic win to reach the final. After only a 45-minute rest, having already played the quarter- and semi-finals, they were back on the green for the final. Winning the first end gave everyone a real lift, but it soon became clear just how experienced the opposition were. Our team played extremely well and managed to pick up some more points, but by the final end it was clear that catching up would be a bit of an ask. Even so, our team did us proud, and the whole trip was a great success both on and off the green. A fantastic week of bowls, friendship and fun!   Two of our teams reached the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, Alan, Trevor, Delphine and Geoff’s team narrowly missed out, losing by just one point. However, Scott, Ian Vanessa and Barry’s team secured a convincing six-point win to move into the semi-final.
The semi-final proved to be a real nail-biter with plenty of twists and turns. Going into the final end we were one shot ahead, but the opposition picked up a point to level the match, forcing an extra end to decide the winner. After Barry, Vanessa and Ian had played, we found ourselves a couple of woods down, leaving it all to our skip, Scott. His first bowl came agonisingly close, finishing just short of the opposition’s woods. The opposition skip then played but made no change to the head. With everything riding on his final bowl, Scott delivered a superb shot which wick off another wood to take the shot. The opposition skip had one last chance, and we watched on the edge of our seats as he delivered — but to our delight his bowl fell short. A fantastic win for Scott’s team and a place in the final! Our Murder Mystery Night was a real success, with a lively atmosphere and plenty of fun and laughter throughout the evening. We were very well entertained by the talented Rickmansworth Players, who delivered an enjoyable blend of drama and comedy. The delicious food and excellent service, provided by Ann Tennant, kept everyone well looked after and added to the occasion. Thank you to our Social Team — H, Kim, Norman, Mitch, Ray, Sue and Helen — whose careful planning and hard work ensured the evening ran smoothly. Thanks also to Andy, Chris, Jan and Declan for their extra help with the bar and raffles. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night and a great example of members coming together, having fun and raising valuable funds for Chesham Bowling Club. Thanks Helen |
