Search Results

We didn't have Oberon on our map but the boys at Bathurst told us about it. We drove 30 minutes for a Saturday game. It's a big club - modern. The bowls clubhouse is a shed out the back. They've had problems in the past with unsupported management but all is good now. They're coming back! There's a cute barbecue area. We met Vice President Keith who took our money. He told us the Men’s club has about 20 members and 12 women. Most are at a tournament in Cowra today. Mal chatted with Pieter who's from South Africa. Jean asked about the format. Keith pointed to Doug and said "We're challenging you! Three-bowl pairs!" It was us Vs them. They had a transistor radio playing 2BS. Jean recalled when she lived in Gulgong she listened to 2BS-MG. The same songs were played. There's one synthetic three years old. It's that plastic type. Ours was the only game and three guys had a rollup. Jean got grass perfectly but struggled with weight. Then she worked it out. We were about twelve down. Mal called: "Put one straight down the middle!" She took.out Keith's bowl for one, then Mal consolidated . Then we got two fours and a five on the second last end. We got up 21 to 17. They got a five that made it 22 to 21. We lost! We bought drinks. Jean had a Chardonnay. The boys asked if we wanted another. Jean said "No! If I have another one I'll be anybody's!" Doug bought her another! Jean kept dreaming about their eventual good bowls. Alas, too late! Oberon - the boys made us very welcome.

When we came through this way a few weeks ago, we didn't stop at Wallerawang because we didn't realise it had a bowls club. The boys at Bathurst told us about it. We added it to our map and drove the 40 minutes from Bathurst for a rollup. It's a nice little modern club. Jean found a funny poem about bowls. There's a lovely garden out the side with a waterfall. The club has historic pictures of Wallerawang. The staff were very nice and helped us out with information about social bowls. They served drinks professionally. When we arrived, Denice and Bruce were having a rollup. We chatted for ages about our trip, their planned trip to Norfolk for bowls and bowlers we knew. Denise said she'd heard about us when we went to her club - Portland. Bruce bowls here at Wallerawang. The club has one reasonably new synthetic green. It's the NR 'Dick' Bulkeley Green. It's the carpet kind that Jean likes. We didn't roll up for very long as it got quite warm. We also didn't keep score - though Jean thinks Mal won. We also forgot to take photos until the last end when Jean gave up and Mal bowled all the bowls down. We like to support the clubs we visit so we came inside for drinks and a bowl of chips. Jean remarked that it would be a nice place to play if we're back this way. Wallerawang - perhaps we'll come back for a game when we play at Lithgow next year.

After our lovely time at Bathurst yesterday we decided to go to the tiny town of Millthorpe for a game. Jean's been in touch via Messenger and put our names down. The guys were all sitting on the verandah with their beers when we arrived. We met Barry at the table and paid our $5. The club has two grass greens. We played on the front green. It's a bit worse for wear. Ray told us they've killed it off to get rid of the moss. There are owls to protect the green. All the seats are donated. Jean played lead with Ray for skip Col the Greenkeeper. (Ray, Jean and Col) Mal was opposing lead with Grahame and skip Peter. (Mal, Peter and Grahame) There were three games of three-bowl triples. Jean and seventeen blokes. Mal started off really well on the fast grassless green. Jean got three on end three and Ray put in a fourth. We had none at the back though. Went down one. Col's team was one to 7 then got six to even the score. Jean and Ray did the deed then Col came in to score the team another five to be up by four. On end twelve Jean finally worked the weight out with help from Ray for four. Ray told us we came on a good day. Apparently they put in a bit of money over the year to pay for a twice yearly lunch. Today was the day. A cook comes to prepare it. We stopped half way. We tried to offer some money for lunch but were asked "Did you pay money for bowls? Then you've paid!" The boys told Mal the footy legend Mortimer family lives in Millthorpe. He was stoked. Jean was doing ok. Grahame said "Good bowling Jean." Jean said "Not good enough!" Mal had it - again! Col's team won 24 to 14 after two fives and a six. We came inside. Jean wondered, since their Pennants stickers are red, if they had red shirts (for Jean to wear on Tuesday - red day}. They did so she bought one. So we played $5 each and got a great game of bowls, a decent lunch and, to top it all, everyone got a meat tray. Millthorpe - bloody good deal for $5.

We've been in Bathurst a couple of days. We arrived on Monday so no bowls and had a day off yesterday (Mal's still not 100%) . Jean went to visit The Greens on William in Bathurst and got the juice. Mal rang this morning to get our names down. We walked the ten minutes to the club. It's a beautiful old-fashioned club. With verandah all around. Very unusually it has four greens. Two out front And two out the back. Green 3 is being renovated. We came inside and met Ray (Shorty) at the table. Neville and Mal chatted and Mal asked about club shirts. Norman and Ian sorted Mal out with yet another shirt with Parramatta colours. They are The Grizzly Bears. We played on Green 4. So did the ducks. They have volunteer greenkeepers. It's three-bowl triples. Jean was lead with Ian and skip Dennis (Dennis, Jean and Ian) Against Allan, Bruce and Paul. Mal played with Neville and skip Alby. (Alby, Mal and Neville) Against Jack, Bob and Ian. Jean was doing her best but Paul kept coming inside her bowls. Mal was doing much better. He worked out the weight. And again. Jean finally got in there with lots of help from Ian's red bowls. They ended up with one in the end. Jean started to work out the weight. She got a toucher. Mal was killing it! Jean wasn't counting but Paul told her she'd had four touchers in the game. Jean lost 12 to 23. Mal won 27 to 20. We came inside for drinks with the boys. Jean asked Neville about badges. He searched and he found one for her. Bathurst City Bowling Club - a friendly bunch of blokes!

We arrived at Katoomba Tourist Park yesterday after our lovely game at Hazelbrook. Last night Mal rang John at Springwood club to find out the game is at 9:30. We. Left at 7:45 to get us there around 8:30. Then we met Maureen who was setting up the rinks. Saturday is run by the ladies. Maureen told us the club doesn't open until 9am and we have to pay our $10 at reception. We hung out in the car. The club has two nice-looking grass greens and a paid greenkeeper. It's a pretty big club. It was just 5° so the bowlers all sat inside in the warm beforehand. We played on the top green. It's the Bob Russell Green. Jean remarked that in our whole trip we've never seen a club name a green after a woman. We met Lyn at the front door. She came and introduced us to Anne at the table. (Mal, Anne and Lyn) It was Nancy, Jean and Heather (Jean, Heather and Nancy) Against Anne, Ken and Barbara. (Anne, Barbara and Ken) Mal is very bad at remembering the names of people he played with and against. Here is his team. Here is his opposition. He thinks the skips name is Michael and maybe Steve. He said the lady's name started with a 'K'. There were six games of two-bowl triples. Twenty ends. Jean started off well. Then, on a long end and, unusually, Jean put two on it. On the other hand, Mal struggled. He called Jean over "I got one!" They won 21 to 14. Mal said "I feel like one of the boys here. It would be a good club to join!" He did ok! Jean's team had a big win.30 to 12. Jean felt she played very well. She came inside and sat and chatted with all the ladies. Jean got $30 for the winning Second. The ladies found Jean a badge for her hat. The Lyrebird is their mascot. Norman Lindsay designed it. Springwood - a nice club to join

So we had information that today is Men's at Hazelbrook Bowling Club. Jean rang to confirm and got Mal's name down. Simon rang us back later in the day yesterday to apologise and say he's trying to get more people on the green. He added Jean's name for nominated pairs. The club is really pretty. There are nice flower beds. It's surrounded by bushland. In front And behind. The boys told Jean "It's a hidden gem!" They were right. We got there at 11 and parked the caravan for a stopover. We met Greenkeeper Nick who's a Canberra boy. He told us the club opens at 12 so we hung out in the caravan and watched Star TrekVoyager. There are two greens but Nick told us the lower one is used for Croquet. We came back at 12 and met Todd, Horatio and Andrew. Lots of other blokes turned up and Jean chatted with them and told them about our trip. They had a sign out today to say today's prize was for highest score. It was Jean and fifteen blokes. Us... Against ian and Terry. There were four pairs games with great Aussie and British Rock music playing in the background. Jean took shot then Terry put in a beauty. Mal was bowling really, really well. So was Jean. At one stage we had them 18 to two. We were in there for the overall highest score. At one point we had five then Terry cut us back to one. Even though it was horrendously windy we all managed a caterpillar with our grass. Todd called the results. Though we won 23 to 13, we were pipped by 1 shot for the winning meat tray - still, Jean won a raffle prize. Hazelbrook Club - all the boys made us feel so welcome!

Penrith Bowling and Recreation Club is the third on our Blue Mountains run. We rang yesterday to put our names down and got up early to miss peak hour traffic. We arrived super early and it was all locked up. We found Craig the Greenkeeper who asked his workmate David to open the gates for us. The club has three nice-looking grass greens. W met Greg and club President Anne in the office. It's the 'Don Davis Memorial Mayhem Room' Barbara, Sandra and Sherylyn set up the morning tea. It's a nice little clubhouse. Mal chatted with Alec about Pennants and shirts! Jean sat with the ladies. They gave us nice bookmarks. They have lots of people turn up. They fill two greens. Dizzy who's the Men’s organiser went looking for some souvenirs for us. He gave us scorecards, pens, cloths and badges. Jean skipped for Tania (though it was 2-4-2). Against skip Sherylyn and partner (Jean forgot her name) Mal played with Mick Against John and he thinks it was Aldo but knew him as Grasshopper. Jean played some cracker bowls but because it was pairs was too distracted to take photos of the best ones. Mal said his opponent Grasshopper had the same bowls as him. Same colour and everything. He said " Every time he put one on the kitty, I had to try to take it off!" Jean and Tania had a great game. Tania's only been bowling a couple of years but when she needed to put one of her Fruit Tingle bowls in she did! Jean and Tania won (Jean forgot the margin) it was like 20 to 14. Mal also won, by five. He said "Talk about a battle and a half!" He really liked the blokes he played with. We came inside for drinks and had a pleasant chat. Penrith - we talked, we joked and we laughed.

We're off to Windsor Bowling and Sports Club today on the second day of our Blue Mountains sojourn. Mal rang yesterday and put our names down for 9am. When we arrived we met 90 year old Kevin at the table and paid our money. Kevin introduced us to the group. Then we met vice-chairman Bill. There are two grass greens. There's a bowls sculpture. And bowlers on the tennis court. It seems the club has been around since 1931. The green was nice. Slowish to start with the dew then got faster. It's the Jack Prince OAM Green. We played pairs together. Against Kay and Max There were six pairs games in all. First end Kay put the kitty in the ditch. We did our best. Second end Jean put three on it. Mal put in a fourth. Mal took the kitty for three. Max said he is the only one who will play with Kay. She was pretty cranky. Max is a good man. Jean loved leading with him. We lost by a lot. We came inside and met David and Arthur who are setting up for 'Dad's Army' the afternoon game. Arthur told us Dad's Army has been around since 1947 when the guys came back from the war. We won the raffle. Mal chose bacon and sausages. Windsor Bowling Club. Beaten by a witch and a Prince.

We came to Richmond Club to park our caravan for four nights to do some of the Blue Mountains clubs. Today it's Richmond Bowling Club. The bowlers have a little area adjacent to the main club entrance where they can congregate or bowls before the club opens. We came in and met Nancy and Anne at the table. The club has one and a half greens. A three-rink green And the main green. The J.A.Smith green. It's an RSL so there's a nice memorial garden under the flagpole. We drew sticks for teams. Jean played lead with, Carmen and Ron. (Carmen, Ron and Jean) Against Etta, George and Anne. Mal played second with Kel and Nancy. (Nancy, Kel and Mal) Against Farren, Mary and Chris. (Mary, Chris and Farren) It was three rinks of three-bowl triples. Sixteen ends. Jean nailed it first end. The green was slow. Carmen, a new bowler, came in and consolidated. We kept one shot. Then on end three so did Mal. Jean had a lot of fun joking around with the ladies. Mal's team was up. He kept putting in good bowls. Mal won and Jean got creamed! Roger the Bowls Organiser went on a hunt for a badge for Jean's hat. He found one. It's very nice. We came in to the coffee shop afterwards for more chatter. Richmond Club - bowls and banter!

We've both been sick as dogs for a couple of weeks with a bad cold so we are itching to get back on our trip. We've restarted at Robertson Bowling Club. We left Shellharbour on Friday and arrived to park our van in the back carpark - free camping. Jean popped in to the club to check it out. She saw historical photos of the club which has been around since 1949. She met the Manager Damian who told her some of the history. The club used to be up the road a bit. They moved here in 1983. The first green was grass but they got a new synthetic in 2010. The green is Jean's favourite synthetic surface but looks a bit worn and faded. Damian said it will be resurfaced soon. We dropped in again on Saturday night. Mal wanted to know if the Hindmarsh brothers who are on the wall are from Robbo. Jean asked the boys (who said yes) and met club President Robert. On Sunday, ready for our game, we met Ian at the table. Jean met Noel and Gary outside. They were having a preparatory beer. Mal played pairs with Phil. Against Frosty and Gary. Jean played with Gunter and Guido (Gunter, Jean and Guido) Against Brian Sue (club Secretary) and Eric Brian told Jean they are the Robertson Robins. There were three games in all - one pairs, one triples and a championship Singles game. End three Jean finally worked the grass out. She got shot then Gunter consolidated with three more. Mal and Phil were down lots. They were worried they'd have to do a nudie run. Then Mal put in two beauties. At one point Guido stood right on the line Jean had to take so she just bowled at him for two. Guido won 21 to 12. Mal lost 17 to 12 after an abysmal start. We all sat together inside afterwards. Brian went looking for bowls cloths for us with the Robin on them. He couldn't find them but did one better - he got two bucket hats and two badges. Jean challenged Mal to a game of pool. Given he was South Pacific Snooker Champion in his 20s, of course he won - then sunk all Jean's balls! Robertson Bowling Club - one up, one down!

We're staying at Robertson Bowling Club for three nights (without power and water). We've taken the 30 minute drive to Bundanoon to watch them play Pennants and hopefully get a rollup. The only times we've been to Bundanoon before is to visit the Brigadoon Scottish festival. Jean loves the sound of bagpipes. Bundanoon Club is a pretty little club with a tartan carpet. It seems there were once two bowling greens but one has been converted for Croquet. The main green looks a little worse for wear but looks ok to roll on. Especially since it's managed by volunteers. Jean met Neville and told him about our trip. He went to ask Scott if we could have a rollup. Neville told Jean this is a small Pennants comp with just four clubs: Bundy, Austral, Taralga and Bowral. Just two teams - eight players. (Neville and Scott) When we arrived the boys were ready to play Pennants. Against Taralga. Neville and Keith decided to roll up with us. (Keith, Jean, Mal and Neville) We didn't score but we started out well with three shots on a very slow green. We took turns to lead. When Jean Got the mat she made it short (of course) then she nailed it. Jean showed Neville the badges on her hat. He said "We've got heaps of those in the shed!" He gave her one. After a while we had to come in. Our illness left us buggered! Bundanoon Club - we went home happy and tired.

We came to Canberra Bowling Club (Forrest, Dunrootin') for a game today. We've played there many times before - though not on our trip. Jean remembers her games there for the ACT Novice Singles a decade ago. When we arrived we met Dave at the table. The Lois tried to convince us to break our one club one visit rule to stay and play in the sports day on Thursday as they are one team short. She succeeded. We'll come back and play triples and blog about that . We've always loved Forrest. It's such a pretty club. Lois told Jean Canberra is the oldest club in The ACT. They will soon turn 100. They have a lot of history. And Pickering drawings of Gough Whitlam And John Gorton. We remember when they ripped out the grass greens and put in two synthetic greens about ten years ago. It's the second time they've been replaced. It's that plastic type that we don'tlike. Since we left they've started to call themselves 'The Cobras'. They have nearby Parliament House on their shirt. We had a practice game on Tuesday against Keith and Brian. Keith just won the club Fours and will play with us on Thursday. We came back for the Sports Day on Thursday. - Jean, Mal and Keith. We played a Spider. Jean won a bottle of wine. Our game was against Margaret, Jenny and Warwick. There were players from lots of local clubs: North's, Tuggeranong, Queanbeyan, Belco and Yowani. First end we were lost. By the second end we got it. We were three down and Mal took kitty for two then consolidated. Keith's yellow bowl came in with a perfect shot just 1cm out. Seventh end Jean finally got two. It was us 22 to 4 then they got 9 shots in two ends. It ended up we won 26 to 20. They had a really good comeback. We came inside for a ploughman's lunch. Canberra Bowling Club - played sports with the ladies (and a few blokes)