Newsletter

Those lovely people at the Bendlowes Trust asked me to write a few words about what we get up to in the Bowls Club. The following article was published in the Bendlowe's Bugle (Newsletter in September 2020.

"Shalford Village Hall Carpet Bowls Club, that's our title, it's quite a long title and we are of ten referred to as the Bowls Club. However the Carpet part of the title is quite important.

There are, currently, three games of bowls played indoors on carpets: Indoor Bowls; Short Mat and Carpet Bowls.

Indoor Bowls is the traditional game of Bowls as played famously by Sir Francis Drake in

the first Elizabethan days of the Spanish Armada, brought up to date. The indoor version has adapted rules lawn bowls using full size bowling balls, also known as “woods”, conforming to specific standards that allow for variation in size and weight. Therefore, bowls may be chosen and purchased by the players based on the size of their hands and strength of body.

Short mat Bowls is played in Village Halls and Community Centres etc. on a Carpet approximately thirty six feet long by approximately six feet wide. This game is also played with full size woods provided by the club.

Carpet bowls as played in Shalford is on a carpet shorter than Short Mat at thirty feet long by six feet wide. The Bowls are of a smaller uniform size which are provided by the club, this keeps the cost of playing to a minimum as no specialist personal equipment is required to play the game. We do, however, wear our Team Colours of yellow top and black trousers or skirt when playing friendly matches

In Shalford we usually meet every Tuesday evening to play three games on two carpets. When sixteen players turn up we play two teams of four players on each carpet. When more than sixteen players assemble, some players patiently wait for the next game whilst enjoying the spectacle before them or, more likely, having a good old gossip.

When each team has bowled their particular eight coloured balls to the other “end” of the carpet the team with the highest number of bowls closest to the Jack records their score on a score board. When five ends have been bowled the team with the highest score is deemed the winner. It doesn't pay for the winners to gloat as in the next game you could be drawn to play with your previous opponents. Each player bowls two balls to a smaller white ball, the “Jack”, placed at the other end of the carpet. As the bowl is not a perfect sphere it can be made to bend on its path to the Jack, which is useful because an eighteen inch circular block is placed in the centre of the carpet.

This is where the skill of the game is developed, learning how much pace is required to get the path of the bowl to bend and stop in the right place, plus the angle needed to position the delivery. This

provides enough variation to keep adults amused for a couple of hours. After the excitement of two thrilling games it is time to chill out with a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits. More gossip and, often, some fascinating news from the chairman, then back on the carpets for one more game. However, it is not all fun and games and it is all hands to the pumps for setting out the carpets and putting it all away at the end of the

There are a few members of the club who enjoy the game so much that we play tournament matches in both Essex and Suffolk. Some tournament games are played for charity and some are organised by the Essex Carpet Bowls Association who give the tournament winners an opportunity to play in National tournaments.

Now if that isn't exciting enough, Shalford Village Hall Carpet Bowls Club also play friendly matches with other Village clubs; taking on some of the best performing league clubs around including Gosfield, Notley Green Community Centre, Finchingfield, Rayne and Braintree Catholics Club. We travel as far as Wendens Ambo and as close as Wethersfield. Although Wethersfield play short mat which puts them at an advantage when we go to their Village but somehow they play well when they come to us. Strange

that.

We meet lovely people and I am missing the comradeship of my team and the laughs we have with all the guests that come to us as well as the hosts who make us welcome at

theirs. When we do get back to normal why not come and see us? We welcome all who want to have a go or who want something to do or someone to talk to on a Tuesday night.

I like to think that we’re not cheap but we are relatively inexpensive. £2.50 per night and an annual membership fee of £2.00 has got to be good value for money. Your first two visits are free which will let you try the game and meet some of your neighbours in competitive mode.

If you would more information you might like to visit our website.

https://sites.google.com/site/shalfordbowlsclubvh/

I try to keep it up to date but cannot bring myself to delete old photos. If you would like to see your younger selves or would like to see what your neighbours looked like a few years ago they are

there in all their glory.

You will also find information about the game including the Rules of the game from the English Carpet Bowls association.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Villlage Hall Committee who take care to maintain the Hall and services. Their commitment to ensuring a safe and comfortable playing environment is much appreciated.

What next? Well when we get back to normal and we are all happy to return, why not come and see us? Please be aware that the game itself can be addictive but it is mostly about the fun, the gossip and friendship, hey! I could be talking about Meet and Greet.

Stay safe.

Vic"

Thoughts of the Chairman — 25-Mar-2020 09:46:43

Thanks to Our Temporary Home — 25-Mar-2020 09:09:30

Opening of the Village Hall — 25-Mar-2020 09:04:50