The 8th September arrives and it is the Friends Game against Waddesdon B.C. in Buckinghamshire for their 100 year anniversary. Waddesdon village is the home of a large stately home owned by the Rothschilds and the bowls club was reached by entering large black and gold entrance gates and past security into the small sports complex of bowls, cricket and tennis in the grounds. We received a very pleasant welcome from the chairman and captain…
Sunday 7th September ’25 : Waddesdon BC, in the peaceful surroundings of Waddesdon Manor, was the venue for The Friends of English Bowls annual match against the “BE Celebration Team for Players with a Disability”. (That title is quite a mouthful so maybe a competition for something snappier?!). It was my pleasure to be Match Officer and to welcome Jennie Sandford, MO for the aforementioned side and her 4 rinks of players with varying disabilities. It…
🤝 The Friendly Fixture vs Bowls England On Thursday 28th August, Friends took to the green for their annual match against Bowls England. This year’s opposition featured players from the Performance Team, including Sandy Hazell, Mo Monkton, John Bell, and Mal Evans—setting the stage for a competitive afternoon. At halfway, Friends trailed by just seven shots and led on three rinks. But Bowls England surged in the second half, securing a 113–79 win, with Friends…
🌿 Final Match in Lancashire: Bolton Flat Green Club Monday 4th August 2025. The last of our Lancashire fixtures took place at the Bolton Flat Green Club, nestled in the southeast corner of Bolton at Darcy Lever. Despite a forecast of storm-force winds and rain, the weather cleared—right on cue—by 1:00pm, just in time for our 2:00pm start. Thanks to the artificial green and a touch of luck, everything was set for play. Due to…
3rd August 2025 at Southport BC The weather on the morning was not good with rain on the way and it did not look good for the afternoon. However, the sky cleared and we were met with a warm welcome from all at Southport for a celebration match whilst in the area. Captain Ted Pentecost gave us a warm welcome and the game was played in the usual good humour and sportsmanship. The rinks were…
Saturday 2nd August 2025 – Heaton Park Bowls Heaton Park’s striking bowling facility, originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, played host to a lively day as Friends arrived from 11 counties to kick off a weekend of bowling in Lancashire. Some made an early start, enjoying a pre-match catch-up at the nearby garden centre café before play began at 2pm. President Mark Oliver served as captain for the day, alongside Friends’ Captain and Webmaster,…
Thursday, 24 July 2025 — Cranleigh Bowls Club Organised by Charlotte Emanuel, 2025 President of Surrey, this spirited match saw the Friends face rinks representing Surrey clubs from Hersham, Purley, Hook & Southborough, Wonersh, and Mitcham. A last-minute addition included a team featuring 13-year-old Frankie, bringing youthful energy to the greens. The game commenced at midday, with Surrey Clubs remaining on their designated rinks while the Friends rotated every six ends — keeping bowlers on…
Sunday 20th July 2025 President’s Centenary Celebration Match We were invited to Woolston to help them celebrate the one hundredth birthday of their president Wally Kemish. He was president in 2018 when he was 93 and has remained active at the club since then. His bowling these days is a little gentler but the Past Presidents convinced him that he could do it with their help. Wally did not bowl on the day but he…