Highworth Bowls Club

All full bowling members should by now have received a ballot sheet to decide dress code for 2011.  If you haven’t received yours yet, please contact Ian Thomas. Ballot results will be announced at an EGM which will precede the Spring Meeting and opening of the green on Sat 16th April at 11:00am.

The Ladies Spring Meeting will be held on Sunday March 13th,
with the Men’s Spring Meeting following on Sunday March 27th at 11:00 am.

This year we’re going to combine the Club Spring Meeting with the Opening of the Green – this will be on Saturday April 16th, with the meeting starting at 11:00 am, followed by the ‘official’ green opening.

On Saturday 19th March we have a Quiz Night which has been organised by bar our staff to tie in with Red Nose Day, and then on Tuesday 5th April Town Gardens Bowls Club join us here at Highworth for another of their popular quiz evenings. Visit the Club for further details, or to enter your team.

A little later we’re hoping to hold a Royal Wedding ‘Street Party’ at the Club on Friday April 29th – outside if the weather is kind, or in the clubhouse if not!

Finally if you know anyone who would like to join the Club as a social member or bowler, we’ll be holding our annual Open Day on Saturday 14 May from around 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

In July I wrote that it was difficult to believe that the season was already half over.

Well here we are in September and the season is now well and truly over. Club finals day has been and gone and I am pleased to report, with my Competitions Secretary’s hat on, that it was a most successful weekend and particularly pleasing to see that some new names will be going on the Honours Boards.

Throughout the season I firmly believed that we  could give a good account of ourselves in both the Wilts and S&D  Four Rink Evening Leagues.  At the half way stage (the beginning of July) we were well placed at 6th position in the Wilts League, whilst in the S&D League we were sitting at the top, having  played 11 and won 11.

The second half of the season saw us wobble slightly, losing two consecutive games, first away to Wroughton and then at home to Haydon Wick. It could have all gone wrong from there on, but we showed a strength of character and determination to bounce back in our next game to beat Rodbourne Cheney 12-2.

Meanwhile the Wilts squad completed their campaign to finish in a very creditable 5th place.

I am pleased and immensely proud to be able to say that the S&D squad completed the season without losing another game. Highworth became Champions of the S&D Four Rink Evening League for the first time in the Club’s history. In achieving this it should also be noted that Highworth remained at the top of the League throughout the entire campaign.

Finally my congratulations to the following:

S&D Competitions

Rinks – Winners – Kevin Carter / Brian Stallard / Paul Stokes / Dave Warren

Under 25′s Finalist  -  Paul Stokes

Pairs Semi Finalists  –  Kevin Carter / Paul Stokes

Green Keeper’s Competition

Finalist – Kevin Carter

Club Competitions

To all those who entered, the finalists and the eventual winners.

To Linda Kingston from our Ladies Section for an outstanding season:

S&D Competitions

Champion of Champions – Winner

4 Wood Singles – Winner

Secretary’s Cup – Winner

Wilts Competitions

Champion of Champions – Finalist

Well done to everyone and on a personal note I should like to take this opportunity to thank all of you that have supported me and helped to make  this a very special year for me as Captain of the Highworth Bowls Club Men’s section and an extremely successful one for Highworth Bowls Club.

 Gordon

Already we  are half way through the season and as Captain I could not have asked for more, by way of support, than you have all given me this season. The Wilts and S&D squads have played with spirit and determination. Team morale is excellent and as a result we find ourselves well placed in both evening leagues.

The Wilts squad currently holds a very creditable 6th position with every chance of a top 5 place at the end of the season.

The S&D squad sit at the top of the table having played 11 and won 11. The second half of the season will be an even bigger challenge, but we now have the momentum to go on and win the league for the first time in our history.

A special mention for those who have represented the club in the County Middleton Cup team and also in the South West Counties squads, Paul Stokes, Richard Young and Kevin Carter who is also in the Green keepers Final. This is a tremendous achievement and demonstrates what a small club, with average bowlers, is capable of when everyone is working as a team. We have produced an England  player in the past (Neil Hope) and we certainly have the potential to do it again.

Well done and thank you to eveyone in the Men’s section and good luck for the rest of the season in whatever competitions you may have entered.

Gordon

What a brilliant start to the new season we have had. On Tuesday 27 April we made our annual pilgrimage to Rodbourne Cheney to play our opening match of the 2010 S&D campaign. Always a difficult opening fixture and unfortunately one that we rarely manage to win, regarding any points as a bonus. It seemed as if history would repeat itself yet again with Highworth looking at best to secure 4 points. Then after 15 ends Highworth found themselves up on 3 rinks and just 6 shots down overall. Suddenly the possibility was there for a rare victory. The remainder of the match was a tense affair but Highworth managed to keep their nerve and came out the victors by 84 shots to 76. More significantly 12-2 Highworth!

Thursday 29 April and we were facing our 2nd  S&D match within the week again a tough one against Wroughton, this time a home fixture.  The weather being poor the Captains agreed no trial ends with just one shot to be scored from  each of the first 2 ends. Buoyed up from Tuesdays result Highworth quickly took the lead on all 4 rinks. Wroughton however did begin to make a comeback towards the end of the game, but Highworth managed to  remain in control , eventually winning  the match 96 -55 shots. 14 -0 Highworth. Two games played  26 league points.

Well done everyone!

Gordon.