Courtfield Chaos, Comebacks & Celebrations!
- leemcgarvie
- Jun 10
- 6 min read
Woeful Wednesday
On a Wet and Windy Stanwix Green
Jo, Anne and Gill managed to grab a well-earned 13–13 draw, picking up a crucial single on the last end to snatch a point.
Linda, Aileen W and Aileen M had a tough outing against Linda Davidson’s triple, going down 17–7.
Julie, Leslie and Corrine were 9–7 up at the halfway mark but sadly couldn’t add to their tally until the last end, eventually losing 14–11.
A frustrating day for the team, who now need to regroup – especially with Stanwix waiting once again in the upcoming Top Club fixture.
Top Club v Fitz Park
Well, things looked bad from the off when one of our team decided to go all the way to Keswick when the game was at home, and another thought it was a 7 o’clock start. A chaotic start, and the drama continued on the green.
On Rink 1, Mr Chris played the 4-wood singles against Ryan Brannan, who got off to a flyer, storming into an 11–2 lead. Mr Chris dug deep and battled back to 17–17, but Ryan edged the win 21–17 – first point to Fitz Park.
Rink 2 saw Kev and Tayler take on Mike Davies and Dave Brannan. Another close affair, but it was the Courtfield duo who pulled away to secure the win. 1–1.
In the triples on Rink 3, John, Gerry (the comeback kid), and Dave McManus took control and dominated the game – a comfortable win and the advantage to Courtfield.
On Rink 4, John, Dai, Lee and Jaffa played Craig Phillips’ four and were tied 14–14 with two ends to play. A sloppy penultimate end left them 3 down. Two excellent bowls from Dai gave us a sniff of a comeback, and Jaffa’s final bowl touched the jack... but not quite enough. Fine margins!
That left Rink 1 again – and it all came down to Dawesy in the 2-wood singles. Battling the elements as much as the opponent, Dawesy looked the stronger, but Fitz Park clawed back and led going into the final end. Dawesy’s last bowl was close but didn’t make full contact with the shot bowl. A valiant effort across the board.
County Ladies Pairs – Chaos, Canines & Courage
On Thursday afternoon, Jo and Gill faced Ann Creighton and Elizabeth Graham in the County Ladies Pairs. In between the endless jacket changes, bowls were played – much to the delight of a local border collie who clearly fancied a chase. Add in dive-bombing seagulls and some truly grim weather, and you’ve got a minor epic on your hands.
🐾🌧️ Despite it all, the ladies dug deep and progressed to the next round, where they'll face Nicola Bowe.
Carliol League
Thursday Night Domination
Courtfield A took full advantage of rivals Subscription having a vacant date, smashing Wetheral 10–0. Three of the four rinks made it look easy, but Tayler, Ian P and Kev had a real scrap on their hands. Trailing for much of the match, they smartly shortened the jack to shift momentum, eventually stealing a single on the last end to clinch it 12–11 and complete the clean sweep.
Meanwhile, Courtfield B travelled to Kirkbride on a gloomy evening:
Jean, Tony, and Dawesy ground out a solid 12–9 win.
Julie, Corrine, and Ste B stormed home 21–7.
George P, Tony R and Mike were edged out 13–8.
Jo, Anne and Gill, struggling with a couple of injuries, were defeated 21–5.Final score: a narrow 6–4 defeat.
Elsewhere:
Stanwix returned to form to beat Brampton 7-3 and and move to 4th
Magpie beat Sub B 8-2 to maintain their mid table position
Dalston beat bottom of the table West End 10-0
👀 All eyes now turn to this Thursday’s historic first-ever Derby between the A and B teams!
Friday – Over 55s vs Wetheral
A repeat fixture from Thursday night, but a different tale. This time it was Wetheral who edged it 6–4 in another classic “fine margin” match.
Final shot score: Courtfield 48 – Wetheral 55.
Elsewhere:
Subscription A went top of the table beating Dalston 9-1
Brampton beat Subscription B 8-2 to go just behind the front three
Stanwix beat West End 8-2
🎉 125 Years of Courtfield – A Celebration to Remember! 🎉
Saturday’s party was everything we hoped for – and more – a day truly worthy of 125 years of Courtfield Bowling Club.
The plan was to get some bowls played, but the weather had other ideas! Still, that didn’t stop the fun. With stalls all set up, the day officially began with our president delivering a beautifully researched speech, featuring original plans for the club and even a newly created version of the first-ever photo from 1900.
Many got into the spirit in Victorian attire, and it really felt like we were stepping back in time – a true celebration of history and community.
🍰 Stalls, Games & Sweet Surprises
The cake stall was a massive hit, selling everything from jam and chutneys to (probably underpriced!) homemade masterpieces.
Classic village games brought charm and cheer:
Guess the weight of the cake
Tombola with a fantastic range of prizes
Guess the teddy's name and birthday
Raffle, all beautifully run by our superstar volunteers
🎯 Target Bowls, BBQ & Banter
Eventually, Target Bowls made its appearance – and as the drinks flowed, so did the courage! The BBQ fired up with burgers and sausages flying off the grill. In between games and dodging the less-than-thrilling football on TV, Quiz Master Tony kept minds sharp with a great pub-style quiz.
Back on the green, Target Bowls got more competitive as the day went on – with Lawrence eventually crowned the winner.
🃏 Play Your Cards Right – Courtfield Style
As evening fell, Dawesy stepped into full Brucey mode for Play Your Cards Right, complete with Jo as the dolly dealer. The pair kept the crowd laughing from start to finish, with George walking away with the £125 first prize!
The night wrapped up with music, drinks, and plenty of reminiscing – the perfect end to a perfect day.
💚 Thank You!
A massive thank you to everyone who helped, volunteered, donated, or just turned up in the rain. You made this a day we’ll never forget. Here’s to the next 125 years!
At Silloth – County Alsop Trophy
The Alsop team kicked off their season, and four of Courtfield’s finest – Paul, Tayler, Ian B and Kev – were part of a dominant Cumbria squad that overwhelmed Lancashire 22–0 in a rare four-rink format.🧱 All rinks won comfortably.Meanwhile, in the other game, Yorkshire hosted Northumberland, sneaking a 3-shot aggregate win to take the match 16–6.
Sunday – Singles Success for Steve G
On a tricky, heavy Courtfield green made worse by recent weather, Steve G took on A. Jenkinson in the County Secretary/Treasurer Singles. It was a tough battle, with both players struggling to adapt to the pace, but Steve dug in and found his rhythm.
🎯 A strong finish saw him edge the contest 21–17 and book his place in the quarter-finals. Great effort, Steve!
Monday
In the Stan Bragg league, Courtfield defeated bottom-of-the-table West End 8-0, with all three rinks winning comfortably. A victory in next week's big game against Caldbeck will see Courtfield back in contention.
Elsewhere, Linton moved to the top of the table with a 7-1 win against Brampton
County ties
Lee and Kev faced Simon McFayden and Chris Pattinson at Wigton Park on another atrocious evening, and the bowls matched the weather. The Courtfield duo couldn't find the pace and were well beaten. The Wigton Park pair now face Steven Griffiths in the next round. Paul gave his tie away to Workington's James Fuge.
Over on Wigton Main Road, Angela, Jean, Aileen and Evelyn were playing their county fours match. Not the best of starts, losing 7 on the first end. With support from Gill and Allan, they battled back but called it a day losing 26-13. Better luck next time.
Round up
Another week of bowls has passed, and I want to extend a special thank you to Gill and her team for organising such a brilliant day on Saturday. If I've inadvertently left anyone out, please know that the entire club should be proud of what we accomplished together
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