Thanks to some dedicated work from our members the bowls club grounds are certainly looking colourful. Lots of effort has gone into getting the gardens into bloom, together with the inevitable weeding and cutting hedges, also giving new life to benches, etc.. All efforts are to be applauded so if you see a job that needs doing and can spare the time please do get stuck in.

Our club competitions will kick off next month with the draws taking place after one of our upcoming team home friendlies. Everyone is welcome to enter with the only stipulation being that you’re available to compete on one of the days of the finals weekend 30-31Aug. Most competitions run the length of the season and have deadline dates for each round to be played .. they usually run quite smoothly thanks to the zest of the members competing! In addition we have four day-long competitions which take place on specific dates and are generally played as a series of shorter games in round-robin format. The first of these is the Mixed 2-Woods Pairs on Sat 7th June from 10:30am. Pairings are drawn on the day and we’ll be taking last-minute entries up to a couple of days before. I plan on dropping into this week’s Club Night and am happy to answer any queries, etc. .. and collect any entries!

We started a run of four consecutive team friendlies on Sunday with a home game against Hersham. Last year’s result was close with Sunbury winning on more rinks but just losing out on overall shots by 4. Well, it was pretty much a repeat performance this time where we won 2.5-1.5 on rinks but lost by 5 shots! It was a good friendly afternoon of bowls with some competitive games, just as it should be.

The early rounds of this year’s county competition games were played this week. Tracy, Nikki, Karen & Eileen competed in the Middx Women’s Fours and enjoyed a good win at Cambridge Park .. next up is a visit to Bishop Duppas; BobH narrowly lost out in his Middx Unbadged Singles game at Ashford. My games came in quick succession as a result of entering so many .. Middx Unbadged Singles, NW Surrey Unbadged Singles and National o’60 Men’s Singles. It proved to be my week though with wins in all .. let’s see how the coming weeks pan out?! Good luck to all those opening their campaigns this week .. Nathan, Karen & Eileen. Some others have received byes, etc. so the best of luck when they get going.

Finally, we’ve received further details about the club’s Beer, Gin & Music festival on 17th August. The offer of buy 4 tickets for the price of 3 runs until the end of the month. More details are available here .. Beer & Gin Festival

We plan on implementing some safeguarding recommendations from Bowls England over the course of the season and as such our membership application form will be changing. Declarations such as any primary health concerns and emergency contacts will be voluntarily requested. If we do have any medical emergencies in or around the green then calling 999 will always be the first port of call, but being able to inform responders of medical concerns and contacts could be useful, particularly those frequenting the club by themselves. Other changes around photo ID checks, etc. are on the agenda too.

NB: Saline wash for any medical instances have been placed in the fridge in the chalet.

We concluded the season’s Open Days on Saturday with a somewhat low attendance but it did follow a bumper crop at last Friday’s evening session. As a result of that, and other promotions, we have 6 new members which is fantastic news. We still have hope for a few more deciding to join us too. If anyone knows of others interested in bowling then we can run separate sessions on Tuesday evening or mutually convenient times.

Our decent start in the South Middlesex League (SML) continued on Sunday with a trip to Stanwell where we took advantage of another male-heavy team. As such we won on one of the four rinks but took the win on another as well as overall shots for a 6-4 win. Although unfair to single out players I think it’s warranted to mention the game Roger played, rolling back the years in his first game of the season and on a challenging green too! The win gives us a very creditable total of 18 points from our first four games. We now move onto a run of four friendlies taking us into June.

Finally, a plea to please write your names clearly on any sign-up sheets. It takes some skill, akin to bowling, to scribe vertically onto a felt board but please do try and make your name readily identifiable!

The ever-popular Friday Triples league will start on the morning of Friday 6th June so please sign up via the sheet in the clubhouse asap and certainly by the end of the month. This has been running for a few years now and is designed to give the social bowler a good introduction to more competitive games.

It is open to everyone and there is no pressure to play every Friday; in fact it’s unlikely to be case as only three players from each team will play each time and there are typically 5-6 players in each team. The teams are set for the season but other players may join during the season at the discretion of the organiser. The games take place each week between June-August and each team captain will decide who plays, typically based on a roster availability basis. It is down to each captain how they organise and communicate with their respective team mates.

The organiser of the Friday Triples decides which teams play who, the start time (typically 11am), games format (typically 14 ends), trials or score one on first end, etc.. Each team gains two points for a win and one for a draw. The winning team at the end of the season will be invited to pick up the accolades at the end of season Dinner and Presentation of Awards in November.

Watch this space for information on this season’s Club Competitions which will also start in June. Many of you have already entered but I shall post again soon for the benefit of those new to the club and as a reminder for others!

NB: Andrea has kindly sorted out the first aid box in the chalet/shed; there is also one in the clubhouse. If they get used please put them back and let Andrea or NeilF know (sorry Neil, you’re no longer unique!), although the plan is to check them monthly from now on.

Following on from a fine mid-week friendly win against Walton we tasted success in the SML on Saturday with a 6-4 win against Strawberry Hill, albeit in trying circumstances. The visitors were only able to field 3 rinks and lacked women, something Sunbury is proud to say is anything but the case! The weekend was completed with a visit to Staines on Sunday, again in the SML, where we shared the spoils over the rinks at 2-2 but lost out overall on shot count for a 6-4 loss. Last year we suffered heavily on a green badly affected by leatherjackets; since then the green has been completely reset with great results.

The weekend got off to an encouraging start with our first Open Evening on Friday which was certainly a big success in terms of numbers with all rinks being used throughout. We’re hopeful that quite a few folk will follow through and join us. Thanks to everyone who helped .. the next opportunity is Saturday 17th 1-4pm.

Our club competitions are due to kick-off in June so if you haven’t done already so please get your entries in over the next couple of weeks. There are entry forms in the clubhouse and available online. There’s a £3 entry fee for each, apart from the Junior Championship, which is free for new bowlers. If you need any help or advice please see me or ask any existing member.

Club Competitions

We opened our campaign in the South Middlesex League (SML) with a trip to reigning champions Hampton on Sunday. On a rather chilly afternoon there were fleeting glimpses of sun and a colourful array of bowls too, albeit not as bright as JenB’s! The future looks bright with plenty of effort on show and we gained one point more than in the equivalent fixture last year in an 8-2 loss.

After the the bank holiday we head into a rather busy week .. Tuesday’s Club Night is followed by our first home match of the season on Wednesday – a friendly with Walton; Thursday brings Chris’ roll-up and the opening fixtures in the NW Surrey Mixed league; Everyone is welcome at Friday’s Open Evening from 5pm; The weekend then sees team matches on both days.

Elvis has recovered and has been rebooked for Sat 31st May – for more details and other news click here .. Cricket Club News

Sunday saw the first of the season’s team matches with a friendly visit across the Thames to Ember. It was a glorious afternoon for bowls and a perfect opportunity to dust off the cobwebs and get used to team games. The match ended with two wins each over the four rinks and an overall points loss.

All the remaining team games will be in the more familiar format of triples and three bowls each. The games are usually played over 18 ends with a score of one on the first two ends for friendlies; league games have two trial ends. See the team sheets in the clubhouse for further details and to sign-up for them. The captain usually picks the team a week before the match.

We say au revoir to April with Club Night on Tuesday, with weather forecasts pretty much guaranteeing a fine evening for bowls. She can certainly come back again next season!

Just a reminder that we have an Open Evening and Open Day in May so please do pass the word on to family & friends.

We kick off the season’s team games on Sunday 27th with a gentle game of rinks at Ember on a traditionally nice green. Thanks to all those who’ve put their names down – the team sheets are available on the noticeboard, as is the game with Hampton on the following weekend.

The weekly Club Nights have started well .. two Tuesday’s in and no rain! Please try and sign in by 5:45pm for a 6pm start. The Thursday morning ad-hoc roll-up has also kicked off – please contact Chris Shire if you want to be included.

Next month we’ll be publicising the ever-popular Friday Triples League and announcing a deadline for this season’s internal club competitions .. both will start in June.

Elvis is back this Saturday 26th April. Advance tickets are available via this link .. Elvis

The Beer, Gin & Music festival is back on Sunday 17th August. Entry Tickets are £20 for adults and £10 for children (aged 5 to 16), with under 5’s being admitted free. We are giving our members the opportunity to buy 4 adult tickets for the price of 3 using this link .. Beer, Gin & Music

Head greenkeeper Dennis has given the okay to open the green on Sunday 2pm. Unlike previous years there are no concerns over the weather, in fact the continuous bright and sunny weather brings other issues especially over watering the green. Also, thanks to those who gave their time preparing the grounds last weekend. Work will continue throughout the season and especially now that planning approval has finally been granted for the summer house at the paddock side of the green.

Following the official opening, the first Club Night of the season will be held on Tuesday 15th at 6pm. We’ve already seen some interest from potential new members some of which may be present at club night .. I’m sure you’ll make them feel welcome if you spot any unfamiliar faces. Let’s hope we attract some more at the Open Days planned for May .. please spread the word. Some postcards are also available in the clubhouse.

Also in the clubhouse are the team sheets for some of the early team matches so please have a check and add your name – there’s a mixture of  South Middlesex League (SML) matches and friendlies. Everyone is encouraged to participate, even if you haven’t played in a team match before.

Once we all know what we’re doing on the green and with a few club nights, roll-ups and team matches under our belts attention will be on the Club Competitions for those wishing to enter. There really is something for everyone but more on this nearer the deadline – sometime in May. I realise competitions can be very confusing and it’s not helped with us being affiliated to bowling associations such as Middlesex, South Middlesex and NW Surrey. They all have nuances of their own and differing deadline dates for entry. The county-wide Middlesex entries are all done but South Middlesex and NW Surrey are still open – here are links to the entry forms .. NW-Surrey-Comps   South-Middx-Comps

Further information will be available is due course on such things as the popular Friday Morning Triples and NW Surrey Thursday night league, etc..

The club’s Open Days have been set and all are welcome to ty their hand at lawn bowls. There’ll be some advertising on social media and postcards placed in local places, but word of mouth seems to yield best results so please do spread the word.

It’s almost time to part with your money and sign-up for the coming season! Please try and make it on Tuesday 25th from 7:30pm – membership and competition forms will be available. It’s also a good opportunity to catch-up on all the coming season’s bowling activities.

Membership Form 2025         Competitions Form 2025

The weekend before official opening there’ll be a final push to clear the grounds so please pop on down if you can help on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April from 11am. Refreshments will be provided. Aside from activities on the green itself, we need to finish sprucing up some of the paths and benches, remove the fencing and getting rid of any rubbish!

Today was day one of the big clear-up and thanks to everyone who popped down. A lot was achieved in a relatively short time but there’s still more to be done tomorrow, Sunday 2nd, from 11am for those who can make it. Refreshments will be in plentiful supply courtesy of Nikki.

Some of you may have spotted a new sign by the the corner of the green, hinting at a new arrangement with Right at Home. It’s early days but we’ll see how it goes with our new sponsor.

Elvis is making a comeback at the club in April. Here is news of more events happening soon and this year ..

Tickets are on sale for our next COMEDY NIGHT on Sat 22 March:
https://www.sunburycricket.co.uk/payments/comedy-night-saturday-22-march-128701.html

Tickets are also on sale for ELVIS & Friends Show on Sat 26 April:
https://www.sunburycricket.co.uk/payments/elvis-is-returning-to-the-club–saturday-26-april-129029.html

BEER, GIN & MUSIC FESTIVAL returns on Sunday, 17 August
featuring live music from the sensational Cassette Crew & others

DJ EDDIE COLLINS ‘End of Season Party’ on Saturday 4 October

GROOVE MANOOVA’s live Funky Show on Saturday 15 November

NYE ‘Back to the 80s’ PARTY featuring the splendid Cassette Crew