Club News
Didn't they do well
Friday 4th November 2022 saw the annual awards presentation at Little Hay Golf Club. The evening event allows everyone to put on their glad rags and enjoy a three-course meal and of course excellent conversation discussing the years highlights and woes.
The event saw the presentation of nineteen internal and two external awards. Special mentions go to our new bowlers, in particular John Callaghan who won both the men’s Clubman and Novice trophies, which means he can no longer enter those competitions, neither can anyone else who has won a singles or pairs trophy. So all new bowlers make sure your names are down for this competitons in 2023. Congratulations to more new bowlers, Caroline Simmons for winning the Fred Hawley and her grandson and youngest member of the club at 14, Tyler, who was an integral part of the team winning the mixed 4’s plate. The caption picture shows Lesley and Steve Wilson who were looking for a courier company to assist with their huge haul of trophies. A fabulous night and well done to all our winners, runner's up and of course supporters who made this a special evening.
Finally, many thanks to Sheila Howling who stepped in at the last minute 2 years ago to continue this annual prize giving.
Next year’s event is already planned and booked for Friday 13th October 2023 at Berkhamsted Golf Club, organisers Coral Maycock and Rob Rodway will I am sure be updating one and all throughout the season.
Internal Competition Winners
Men’s over 65 Steve Wilson
Ladies’ over 60 Janice Cheshire Burke
Men’s Clubman John Callaghan
Men’s Novice John Callaghan
Men’s Triples John Heron, Peter Burke, Steve Wilson
Mixed Open Triples John Linton, Lesley Wilson, Malcolm Smith
Men’s Pairs Malcolm Smith & Steve Wilson
Ladies’ Pairs Coral Maycock & Lesley Wilson
Mixed Australian Pairs Carol Eaton & Michael Kirkby
Mixed Pairs Jenny Roberts & Malcolm Smith
Open Club Singles Steve Wilson
(Played as a mixed 7up competition)
Men’s Two Wood Ken Delagua
Ladies’ Two Wood Sheila Howling
Husband and Wife Coral and Malcolm Maycock
Men’s Championship Steve Wilson
Ladies’ Championship Lesley Wilson
Friday Night Aggregate Coral Maycock, Doug Howard & Keith Gissing
Mixed 4’s Plate Barry Drake, Chris Halls, Jenny Roberts, Tyler Adams
Fred Hawley Cup Caroline Simmons
A cut above the rest
Last week saw the Green team take delivery of a 2nd mower. At the start of the season, we were able to purchase the first mower and now have been able to release ring fenced funds for the backup.
Two new mowers enables the team to set the two levels required for cutting the green and outer edge and then alternate the machines when it comes to servicing and maintenance.
A member of the team stated, 'Having two world class mowers, gives us, the green team, the chance to produce a first-class bowling surface'.
The team immediately set about removing fourteen bags of cuttings (normally 3 or 4), following their hire of an overseeding machine a few weeks ago.
Well done the team and we all look forward to the season start in 2023 and yet another magnificent rink.
Put to Bed
Well done to all those who attended the club today and closed the green down for the winter.
The Green Team were hard at it preparing for seeding next week, so a big thank you to Steve, Keith and Ken for the work on the green and all those (too many to mention) who then helped to brush and remove the debris.
In addition plenty of other jobs were completed, including the moving inside of all the furniture around the green, dismantling the new gazebo, flagpole and of course washing down all sponsors signage and storing the same for the 2023 season.
So a special thanks one and all for your hard work.
Now let the winter activities commence!
Creating Club History
Our Internal Competition Finals for 2022, saw Lesley and Steve Wilson become our first ever married couple to have held both the Ladies and Mens singles titles twice at the same time. A fantastic achievement having also played in a number of other finals during the four days, one of which included playing each other.
The extremely busy weekend saw a total of 16 finals with the potential of having 26 different winners. The final tally for the competitions which included, singles, pairs and triples meant the trophies were shared across 16 members. Our Chairman Maurice congratulated all the finalists, both winners and losers and hope that all members will be encouraged to enter the various competitions next season.
Jubilee Cup Final
Tuesday 23rd August 2022 saw Potten End -v- Kings Langley in the final of the Jubilee Cup held at Radlett Bowls Club. Ladies Triples with the scores on both rinks added together after 18 ends to decide the winners.
This was an extremely gripping game with the lead moving from one side to the other, even at the latter stages it was too close to call even with just one end left. The game was finally decided on a measure and PEBC lost by that one shot. Annie Rowe our ladies Captain said' A fabulous effort from our badged ladies and we will be back next year'
Team L- R Janice Cheshire -Burke, Karen Baxter, Linda Burfot, Annie Rowe (Capt) Lesley Wilson, Sheila Howling and Coral Maycock
NB. All participants need to be badged players meaning they have put themselves forward to play in Watford and District Games. You need to enter at least two games per season, so please speak to Annie.
Blues win the day
Thursday 7th July 2022 saw the annual Mixed Fours event at the club.
A great turn out with 26 people and thanks to Annie and Richard for stepping out and running for the remaining 6 teams.
The victors, team blue, consisted of Tyler, Jenny, Barry and skip Chris who won on a thrilling tie break, single end with the last bowl of the day allowing them to win by one. New player Tyler our youngest member at just 14 will join the other three with his name on the boards having just signed up in June. We all hope this is the start of many wins for Tyler and the rest of the team over the coming years.
Plant a tree for the Jubilee
Saturday 3rd June 2022 was a very special day for the club as we confirmed our contribution to the green canopy with a flowering cherry tree.
WHAT IS THE QUEEN’S GREEN CANOPY?
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
Everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates will be encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees.
With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.
As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
The day allowed members to celebrate the Jubilee with bowls, food drink, and as always great companionship amongst friends. We were also lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day.
A wonderful gesture
A massive thanks to Paula and her family.
The club is now the proud owner of a fabulous quality gazebo which we have already used for the Open days and will be again used for the forthcoming Jubilee BBQ.
The donation was on behalf of her dad and club member Norman Betts who was born in August 1923 and sadly passed in September 2021.
Norman joined the club around 1984 when the club played in two separate sections that being men and women, both working independently with their own committees. The club however was a true family affair as Norman was joined by his wife Joyce, grandson Peter and finally daughter Paula.
Norman soon took over as Men’s Captain, followed on by Chairman, positions he occupied on more than one occasion. Norman was always there to help with work around the club and was involved in the extension, took a major role in building the kitchen and laying the new green. All this could not have been achieved without additional funds and Norman with another member Stan Durrant would hold very popular auctions during the winter months to raise the cash.
Norman played for as long as he could and finally with a heavy heart had to admit defeat. He then became a life member and even to the very end was always keen to hear news from both on and off the green.
Thank you, Norman and RIP.
We’ve gone Potty
Thanks to some quick thinking by Alan and Sheila whilst visiting Potters Holiday Village we were able to welcome bowler Mark Royal*, roadshow sales manager and his extensive range of stock to the club.
Members of Potten End along with other clubs took advantage of the vast array of bowls, clothing, and other accessories on sale, the extensive knowledge Mark brought about the game and of course the ability to immediately test purchases on our excellent home green.
The day ended with many members walking away with new brightly coloured bowls as well as shoes and various carriers.
Clearly a success for both the club and the roadshow, we now await a date in 2023 for the start of next season.
*Mark Royal has consistently been in the top 16 of the World Bowls Tour Rankings since 2003, and reached a career high of world number 2 in 2009 on the back of a really strong couple of seasons on the tour. It was in that period that Mark claimed the first of his World Bowls Tour singles victories, taking the 2008 Welsh International Open title and added a second in 2011.
Open Day – What a success
Our 1st open day of the month was held on Sunday 1st May 2022.
Although the day itself was cloudy a little chilly and at times brought a slight drizzle, even so we were extremely pleased to receive 42 prospects and several other interested parties thinking of moving from their current clubs.
The day started at 10am with our first arrivals and the last bowlers were away around 4.15pm. Those attending were initially measured for the correct bowls and if they did not have flat soled shoes then footwear where available. Then onto the green to meet our coaches.
The aim of the day, being to introduce everyone to bowls, our club and of course engage them to come again to our coaching sessions before making any decision about membership.
That said we immediately signed up three new members and look forward to seeing the remainder when they return for midweek or weekend coaching sessions in May.
Our next Open days are the last weekend in May, so come and join us and hopefully we can all take in a bit of sun as well.
Well done team Potten End.
Pictures of the day will be added to the website gallery. https://www.pottenendbowlsclub.org/photos/general/
Member Profile - Strictly Bowls
Linda Burfot known as ‘Nanny B’ by her four grandchildren has been a playing member of Potten End Bowls Club for 20 years being first introduced to the game by her late husband David. Linda has a close, caring and loving family who all play an important part in helping and supporting one another and especially keeping an eye on Mum!
Her husband David was a playing member who was influential and successful in lobbying for the launch of the married couples trophy, which today is always keenly contested and a much valued club competition to win.
But in 2016 Linda decided to take The Level One Award in Coaching Bowls (QCF), which Trevor Clark a Coach at Harpenden Bowl’s club encouraged her to take. Her qualification has served her and the Club well with many new and existing members benefitting from her expertise coaching, vital tips, help and support. She plays an essential and key role at the Club especially on the annual Open Days, helping novices to try out the bowls and more importantly encouraging and persuading them to join.
Linda enjoys the overall friendship, togetherness and atmosphere of the club and especially when playing in team games, which she prefers. She can remember winning the Watford & District Triples Final with Lesley as lead Paula Skip whilst Linda played second. They were underdogs going into the final but she can clearly remember the final end when Lesley playing lead bowled a wood straight onto the Jack, which proved crucial in the overall standing and result with the team eventually running out winners of the competition.
Linda has also played indoor bowls at Harpenden for the last 10 years along with several of her friends and colleagues from PEBC, but overall her first love is outdoor bowling at PEBC. She believes playing bowls has helped her cognitive, fitness and mental health.
Next spring Linda will be going on an indoor bowling trip to Torquay with Harpenden Bowls Club. The South West has always been a favourite destination for holidays and she likes to visit Lyme Regis, Brownsea Island, Bournemouth and many other attractive nearby coastal venues. Given the chance Linda has her mind set on exploring other places in the UK with no immediate plans to travel abroad. Although, once a year Linda entertains her sister from America and has made several return journeys to the States, of course this is something that she always looks forward too.
Apart from bowls Linda naturally enjoys seeing her family, playing short tennis, darts and other social events held at the Club. When relaxing at home she likes to watch TV and a good drama, nature and the occasional soap programme.
It was an honest-to-goodness pleasure to interview Linda, who has a real zest and energy about her with a great sense of humour. She loves life and being with her friends and colleagues at the Club which has provided a real stimulant for her and for everyone at the Club.
Long may our own ‘Strictly Linda’ be an example to all of us who have taken up the wonderful game of bowls.
Everyone's a Winner
In December 2021 we were able to report that the new defibrillator had been sourced, purchased, and fitted to the outside of the club.
In our summary for March, we were able to confirm that the unit had been taken to a incident in the village but thankfully was not required.
On Saturday 9th April, Maggie with her assistant Resusci Anne, provided training to club members in both resuscitation and the use of the defibrillator.
I would estimate that we have 30% of the playing members now trained in its use and more importantly able to safeguard those vital minutes until qualified and equipped emergency services are on scene.
It is now extremely important that we ensure everyone refreshes this knowledge regularly.
Well done Maggie OUTSTANDING!!
Did you know?
The lifeless body of a young girl was pulled from the river Seine in Paris, France in 1900. Since her identity could not be established, a death mask was made, as was customary in such a case. There was no evidence of violence, and it was assumed that she had taken her own life. Several romantic stories based on this mystery were published. She was known as the Girl from the River Seine.
In 1958 Asmund S. Laerdal, a doll and toy maker by trade, began work on a life-like manikin for training people on mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He commissioned the well-known sculptress Emma Matthiessen to model a manikin face in the likeness of the Girl from the River Seine and in 1960 Resusci Anne was born.
Winter activities come to an end
Winter Activities come to an end
In addition to the Darts, winter months have seen a keenly contested cribbage card school on a Wednesday and carpet bowls on a Thursday morning.
Many thanks go out to John and Chris Linton for dealing out a great deal of fun on a Wednesday and to Alan and Sheila for their indoor slightly slanted not quite even Thursday matches. I am sure Doug and Rob will make our green beautifully level for the summer which I am sure will confuse the carpet bowlers for a few weeks.
Well done to all who organise and those who have supported and enjoyed these weekly events.
We can now look forward to a wonderful summer with the knowledge these winter events will enable us to catch up with friends and keep us smiling.
Ladies Spring Luncheon
A wonderful way to start the season.
The Ladies Spring luncheon was held at the club on Wednesday 6th April 2022 hosted by the lady’s club captain Annie and her vice-captain Linda.
Whilst press were refused entry, we were able to grab some interviews as the members left. All those spoken to stated they had been spoilt for food and drink and had enjoyed a fantastic afternoon. One new member stated, ‘This was my first ladies luncheon and I am now fully enthused to play this season’, another confirmed she had not stopped talking.
Well done one and all.
We met the Mower
Now that was a busy Tuesday!!
Well done to all those who attended this morning for their introduction to the new mower. Special thanks to Sheila, Annie and Jenny for the lovely bacon rolls and refreshments and Steve for the indoor discovery and outdoor practical sessions.
The club was a hive of activity getting ready for the season with over 20 members in attendance and plenty of finishing touches occuring to drives, steps, paving stones, windows and much more.
In addition the coaches were finalising their training for our Open days on Sunday 1st May 2022, Saturday 28th May 2022 and Sunday 29th May 2022 and the follow up training for all players for 2022. News of dates to follow.
Darts Finale – Seasons Winners
Fantastic night with food and plenty of laughter.
On Saturday 2nd April 2022 the grand finale of the Potten End Bowls club darts season came to an exciting end with several winners.
Our Doug throughout the winter months has yet again run a fabulous Friday night social which includes various dart games, general knowledge quiz questions and all competed for by almost every ability of darts player. Let’s hope John Heron and his team don’t have too many holes to fill.
Winners
Doubles
Runners up - Rob Callahan and Keith Martindale.
Winners - Doug Howard and Paula Gillings.
Singles
Runner up - Jenny Roberts
Winner - Keith Martindale.
A massive thank you to Doug and all the members who have supported him throughout the year.
Winner - Rob Rodway
Congratulations to Potten End Bowls club newcomer in 2021 Rob Rodway.
Rob joined at our May Open Day in 2021 and immediately immersed himself into club life. Having never played bowls before but a keen footballer in his youth, Rob set about learning the new skills and made the most of the coaching available and advice from senior members.
During the season Rob played in as many mixed matches as he could and continued to improve.
Once the season finished Rob went off to try his hand at the indoor game joining Harpenden District Indoor Bowls Club.
Suffice it to say all the hard work has paid off and Rob in his first year at indoor bowls, won 21 -17 the Bradbury (Novices) Cup at their finals gala.
Well done Rob and lets hope you keep on winning for Potten End.
Easy fundraising - Money for old rope! Are we missing a trick?
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In 2021 Sheila Howling registered Potten End Bowls Club on Easy Fundraising. This made it possible for members to go through the website to their favourite online stores or suppliers and purchase goods with the supplier sending back a % to the club.
At the end of the year the monies raised stood at £130 almost the cost of a year’s membership and no one was inconvenienced.
Easy Fundraising works with over 5,900 businesses from AA, Argos, BT, Direct Line, M&S, Sky to Wickes.
Help us now and sign up to raise money for the club.
We currently have 15 members onboard. Are you? Sign up now
www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pottenendbowls/
Why not ask your friends and family to donate. (They can be anonymous). There is also an introduction donation from Easy fundraising.
Please help, it costs nothing and you're only dealing with the companies you currently buy from.
Contact Sheila if you want to discuss further as she can get an introduction bonus.