Bowling News
In some respects it has been a very long summer, with no bowling it seems to have dragged, but at the same time the lack of bowling has made it fly. We were continually asking when we would be able to start, would we get any in before the end of the season, suddenly it was the end of the season and we knew the answer.
But I think there was and is something else missing, something almost worse in a way, we lost our connection to the grapevine. In other years there were all those social gatherings, somewhere we could go for a game of doms, cards and, in larger venues, perhaps even a bit of carpet bowling, not this year though, gatherings of any sort were banned and suddenly we were on our own. We lost track of who retired, was taken ill, moved house/team, got married or acquired children or grand-children (of, if like me, great-grandchildren). At this point may I ask the gentlemen not to try and insist that it’s only the ladies who like the gossip, because it isn’t.
Towards the end of the season, when we did manage to play the odd friendly game, some connections were made and some news did start to be heard, but not nearly what we normally have and, hopefully, the winter league will keep it moving. Then came this new website and the news we had been missing began to appear, some of it not really wanted. Those of us who follow the veterans league are used to hearing that somebody has gone, but not usually months after the event, not that we could have gone to the funeral anyway, and not usually more than one at once. I find it almost impossible to believe that I will never see John Hoyle again, I’m really going to miss him, such a lovely man. At the same time I read about Tommy Dunford leaving us, Tommy who, all these years ago, talked my husband into getting more involved with the veterans. Thank you Tommy.
By next summer we will, we hope, all be plugged back into the grapevine, but if not we will still be able to keep up to date by using the website and we won’t have to wonder how our old friends are doing.
Norma Maxwell
26th December 2020
Feel like putting your memories of 2020 down in writing. Give it a bowling angle and we will be pleased to put it on record. You are probably feeling exactly like many other bowlers that we have been cheated of a year of our bowling lives. Tell us about it
Thanks Norma, this has been a year like no other. Usually by the end of the season I’ve had enough bowling and look forward to holidays abroad and by the time March comes along I’m itching to play having resolved to do better than last year - but usually don’t ! But this year has been strange. I thought we might get a half season in , but it became more and more obvious that it wouldn’t happen. However we managed some games between us at Lindley and had a little internal competition. Theses games were something to look forward to and eased the boredom having got the garden looking better than ever and doing a few jobs. It was j…
Nice read Norma thanks