13th May 2026 A warm welcome was received on our visit to Oxford City & County for a celebration match whilst in the area. President & Captain Mick made us feel very welcome and the game was played in the usual good humour and sportsmanship. The weather was quite changeable with 2 heavy downpours making the green a little heavy at times but we managed to find it on most rinks. Despite winning 3 rinks and…
Tuesday 12th May We arrived at Kidlington on a cool but dry day. Warm clothing was the order of the day. The ladies in the kitchen had prepared an array of filled rolls which we could add to with onion, tomato or sweet pickle. Very tasty indeed. I already knew club President Chris Cox so it was good to catch up on old times. We started proceedings with a Spider for a large bottle of…
Monday May 11th 2026. With winter finally behind us, this was the first Friends’ game of 2026. With 27 fixtures scheduled across the country, it marks the start of a busy spell — including three matches in the Oxford area. The Abingdon green looked and played beautifully, and their electronic scoreboard kept us all well informed throughout the afternoon. After the game we enjoyed an excellent two‑course dinner, followed by a short and very engaging…
Friends of English Bowling are very grateful to Bowls International, who now include a monthly feature from Friends in their publication. This is fantastic exposure for us — and for the many bowls clubs we’ve visited throughout the season, whether celebrating milestones or sharing interesting news from across the sport. It’s a brilliant initiative, and one we’re proud to be part of. Thank you, Bowls International, for the opportunity! In no particular order, here are…
Sunday 14th September : Centenary Celebration Match It was the final game of the season for both ourselves and Amesbury. Most of us arrived at the club around 11:30 in preparation for a buffet at midday. Thanks to the club for a magnificent spread which we all enjoyed. The skies were getting very dark and we expected the rain to appear any minute, and it did. We started the match in light rain but it…
The second of our final three fixtures took place at Marlborough Bowls Club on Saturday, 13th September. With a weather forecast that hinted at the date being an unlucky one, we were relieved to begin play at 2:00pm. Despite intermittent rain prompting a few players to briefly leave the green, we were fortunate to complete the match in full. The game was closely contested, with the Friends securing a narrow victory: 89–87 and 3.5 rinks…
Friday 12th September Today, Friends from eleven different counties made their way to Rodbourne Cheney Bowling Club. A few of us missed the turning and had to retrace our route, but thankfully, no one arrived late! We gathered to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary — a truly special occasion. President Brian Tuck and Captain Ryan Sawer gave us a warm welcome, despite the ominous forecast. There was much discussion about how much play would be…
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…