There was a welcome return of
Swinging Sunday with Fiona Howard winning the first competition of the
year.
June & July
The June Advanced Weekend was won by New Zealander Paddy
Chapman, the first overseas player to win the
trophy.
It was 100 years ago that the
club moved to its present location and much fun was had by all at the Centenary Day celebrations.
The Home Internationals were
held with David Maugham and Ian Lines representing the winners England
and David Walters playing for Wales.
At the Pendle Midweek
tournament Barry Keen won the Pennine Trophy (and fastest game
competition in 25 minutes) and Peter Hallett (partnered with David
Turner) won the doubles.
Ian Lines won the East Midlands
Championship beating Robin Brown +1 in the final game of three.
Another win for Ian Lines at
Wrest Park and one for Alan Mayne in the Pendle Advanced weekend.
David Walters was
runner-up in the Welsh Open.
Ten Bowdon members took part in
the NW Federation
Croquet Jamboree, played at
Southport.
Another Swinging Sunday was
held with Fiona Howard winning again.
The social highlight of the
season, the Barbecue, was superbly run, as usual, by
Colin and Chris Irwin.
The club's own Counties championship was won by Cheshire
(SE).
Alan Mayne, Alison Court,
Margaret Russell and Patrick Cheyne
In the Northern week there was
another win for Ken Cooper in the A-Class, beating Robert Wilkinson in
the final. Other winners were Mike Sandler (B-class), Steve Reynolds (C), Charles Harding
(Handicap), Phil Eardley/Mike Steer (Advanced Doubles) and Phil
Eardley/Sylvia Steer (Handicap Doubles).
The Golf World Championships were held with Ian Lines and David
Walters taking part.
Wednesday Competition winners
in June/July were Sheila Sandham, Barry Keen (twice), David Holland,
Janet Guthrie, Joan Spilsbury and a Margaret Russell/John Saxby dead
heat.
The Longman Cup team went out in the first round to Fylde
(5-2).
In the NW Advanced league there
were three wins for Saints (on their way to the league title) including
a very impressive 9-0 win against Southport. Canons also had a win, 5-4
at Fylde.
Bowdon Firs had a busy time
with 5 games in June and July, winning three (Southport at home and
Pendle away - both 4-3 and a 6-1 win over Chester at home) and losing
two (Pendle away 4-3 and Bury Peelers 6-1). St. Mary's also lost at
Coronation Park to the Peelers (4-3) and beat Chester 4-3.
The Earls went to the top of
the Midweek league with home wins against Chester and Fylde (both 4-3)
but then came a 6-1 loss at Pendle. Meanwhile, Griffins lost away at
Bury and beat Pendle at home (both 5-2) and also had a 6-1 defeat by
Fylde.
Earls v Fylde
The Short team went through
June and July unbeaten with a 15-1 beating of Llanfairfechan, an 8-8
draw at Southport and a 10-6 home win against Fylde.
The Golf team had home wins
against Bury North and Culceth (both 10-8) and an 11-7 defeat at
Chester.
August - December
The Northern
Championships were held at Bowdon and the Faulkner Cup was won by
David Maugham for the sixth time. Runner-up and winner of the Bowdon
Cup was Keith Aiton and the Tollemache Plate was won by Colin Irwin.
Another win for Fiona Howard in
Swinging Sunday and one for Andrew Kenyon.
Barry Keen travelled to Geneva
to play for the CA against the Swiss CA who won the match 12-6.
Andrew Kenyon followed up his
Swinging Sunday victory by winning the Novices trophy.
Ian Lines won the Southport
Salver.
Jim Potter, from Newport, won
the last Bowdon CA event of the season, the Sheila Black Salver, beating Tony Hudson in the final.
In the Midweek league Earls won
one match at home to Westmorland (4-3) and lost one (5-1) in the rain
at Southport. Griffins beat Southport 5-2 at home and lost 4-3 to
Westmorland.
In the Handicap league Firs won
the local derby agaist St. Mary's and also beat Bury Caesars. St.
Mary's had a busy time with 6 matches resulting in wins against Crake
Valley and Pendle and defeats against the Caesars, Fylde, Southport and
Firs.
Saints continued their good run
with a 7-2 win against Crake Valley but lost 5-4 at home to Fylde their
only defeat of the season. However, 5-4 wins against Pendle and Bury
ensured they were the champions. Meanwhile, Canons finished with three
defeats but beat Liverpool 8-1 to finish 3rd in the league.
The Short team beat Chester
10-6 and finished as runners-up, 1 point behind winners Pendle.
The Golf croquet team finished
their season with a with a 10-8 defeat at Fylde an 8-8 draw with
Llanfairfechan (in their first ever match at Bowdon) and a 13-5 win
against Bury South. They finished in 5th position.
Bowdon and Llanfairfechan Golf
Croquet teams
In the Wednesday Competition
there were wins for Barry Keen (twice including Wild Wednesday), Barry McKenzie, Louise Cheyne
(twice), Lorna Frost, Joan Spilsbury and Sue Cooper.
Unusually, the Hot Pot supper was held late in the season as the
clubhouse was still undergoing its refubishment in April.
The year ended with the AGM, the Annual Dinner and the start of the Winter Oneball competition.
