The year started with the removal of the large tree which has caused so many problems on lawn 4 for many years.
In February Ian Lines received an Outstanding Achievement in Coaching award.
March saw the first real competitive croquet with a one-ball tournament on Pink Wednesday (for breast cancer charities). The competition was won by Kay Martin.
The Wednesday Competition got underway with Andrew Kenyon the first winner of the season. Other winners in March to May were:
Kay Martin, David Holland, Joan Spilsbury, Andrew Kenyon again, Barry Keen, Steve Lewis and a joint win for Steve Reynolds and Barry McKenzie.
Two taster days, mini versions of the beginners' course, were held attracting 14 and 16 interested participants.
The Lancashire International Golf competition was held at Heaton Park and there were wins for Ian Lines (singles) and Ros Pimlott (doubles).
The Hot Pot supper was as popular as ever.
A CA Silver Course was run by Ken Cooper and Bury's Paul Rigge and attended by 15 players from all over the north-west.
David Walters won the Millennium Cup at Heaton Park.
Barry Keen won the club's first CA event of the season, the May Weekend Handicap with Ros Pimlott runner-up and Janet Davies
of Chester the winner of the Egyptian.
The Beginners Course started in May with only 9 people braving the atrocious weather on the first night although later lessons were better attended.
Neil Thompson was runner-up in the NW Millennium competition at Fylde.
New Zealander Paddy Chapman won the June Advanced tournament for the second year running.
The NW Federation League matches started with Firs beating St. Mary's 4-3 in the all Bowdon clash in the Handicap league. St. Mary's earnt their first points of the season with a 4-3 home win over Bury Peelers.
In the Advanced league Canons got off to a great start beating Fylde 7-2 whilst Saints also started well with a 5-4 away win at Bury
In the Midweek league Griffins trounced Earls 7-0 in the local derby and also won away 4-3 at Southport. Earls lost 5-2 away at Fylde.
The Golf team beat Fylde and Chester, both close matches finishing 10-8 and drew 9-9 with Bury North..
In the first round of the national knockout competition, the Mary Rose, Bowdon went down 4-3 at home to Middlesbrough.
In early June Bowdon staged its own Jubilee Funday.
Colin Irwin turned on his cooking skills again for the annual social event - the BBQ.
Wednesday winners were Rupert Webb, Sheila Sandham, John Wastell, Ros Pimlott and Steve Reynolds.
The Festival of Croquet was held, as usual, at Southport with Bowdon putting teams in the Handicap and the Short Croquet competitions.
The Croquet Association match against Switzerland was held at Bowdon with members, Barry Keen and Francois Garcia, playing for the CA in a 13-8 win.
The Alternative Counties, Bowdon's own version of the Inter-Counties event, was held and won by Cheshire.
The CA Northern Week attracted several players from across the country. The 'A' Class was won by David Walters, the 'B' by Mike Steer and the 'C' and Handicap both went to Barry McKenzie. Barry also won the Handicap Doubles alongside Martin Granger Brown whilst Phil Eardley and Mike Steer won the Advanced Doubles.
Two Swinging Sundays were held with Steve Moores winning both.
In the NW Federation Short Croquet league Bowdon, on their way to being eventual league champions, beat Bury 10-6 at home and Fylde 11-5 away.
In the Midweek league Griffins lost 4-3 to Fylde, Chester and Pendle & Craven. Earls won 4-3 at home to Pendle & Craven but lost 6-1 after a long trip to Westmorland.
Saints won again in the Advanced league beating Pendle & Craven 6-3. Canons also had good 5-4 wins against Southport and Chester.
Firs beat Crake Valley 4-3 in the Handicap league.
In the Golf league there were more close matches losing 10-8 to both Westmorland and Pendle & Craven.
The national handical knock-out competition, the Longman Cup, started brilliantly with a 7-0 win against Fylde. Bowdon were knocked-out of the advanced national competition, the Inter-Club, when they went down to Bristol 6-1.
The last Wednesday winners of
the year were Lorna Frost, John Saxby, Chris Lewis (in his only
appearance of the season), Steve Lewis (twice), Valerie Hughes, Jean
Teare, Kay Martin, Peter Hallett, Sylvia Steer and Andrew Kenyon. Barry
Keen won the Wednesday seasonal award and for good measure he also won
Wild Wednesday
Barry Keen winner of Wild Wednesday with runner-up Richard Ellis and third Ian Bell
Barry Keen winner of Wild Wednesday with runner-up Richard Ellis and third Ian Bell
In the Advanced league Bowdon
Saints beat
Canons 5-4 in the big local derby, Chester 5-4 , Fylde
5-4 and became champions.
In the Short league Brian Rust's Bowdon team also clinched the title with a 9-7 win against Chester, a 10-6 win at home to Pendle & Craven and an 8-8 draw with Llanfairfechan.
Ken Cooper and Brian Rust received the NW Federation Advanced and Short championship trophies at the NW Federation AGM.
St. Mary's finished their season in the Handicap league with four away games, losing two (Crake Valley 3-4 and Pendle 3-4) and winning two, a 7-0 win at Southport and a 4-3 win at Pendle. At home Firs lost to Bury Peelers 4-3, Bury Caesars 5-2 and beat Fylde 6-1. and away they beat Southport 4-3 and lost to Fylde 5-2.
In the Midweek league Earls lost 6-1 at Chester and 4-3 at home to Southport. Griffins lost 6-1 at home to Westmorland and beat Bury 4-3.
The Golf Croquet team drew 9-9 with Bury South and lost 9-7 at Culceth but won 14-4 at Southport.
Steve Moores won the Fotiadi Novices Silver Challenge Bowl..
Omied Hallam from Nottingham won the Black Salver, Bowdon's 'B' level tournament
The Winter One-ball got underway with Neil Thompson, Joan Spilsbury, Alan Mayne (twice), Barry Keen and Colin Irwin the first Mars Bars winners.
The AGM was held.
The Annual Dinner moved to a new venue, the Bowdon Rooms, and was a great success.
David Walters led the Welsh national team to Cairo where they won Divison 2 of the World Golf Championship.
Francois Garcia was awarded the Steel Memorial Bowl by the CA as the most improved Association Croquet player in the country during 2012.
In the Short league Brian Rust's Bowdon team also clinched the title with a 9-7 win against Chester, a 10-6 win at home to Pendle & Craven and an 8-8 draw with Llanfairfechan.
Ken Cooper and Brian Rust received the NW Federation Advanced and Short championship trophies at the NW Federation AGM.
St. Mary's finished their season in the Handicap league with four away games, losing two (Crake Valley 3-4 and Pendle 3-4) and winning two, a 7-0 win at Southport and a 4-3 win at Pendle. At home Firs lost to Bury Peelers 4-3, Bury Caesars 5-2 and beat Fylde 6-1. and away they beat Southport 4-3 and lost to Fylde 5-2.
In the Midweek league Earls lost 6-1 at Chester and 4-3 at home to Southport. Griffins lost 6-1 at home to Westmorland and beat Bury 4-3.
The Golf Croquet team drew 9-9 with Bury South and lost 9-7 at Culceth but won 14-4 at Southport.
Steve Moores won the Fotiadi Novices Silver Challenge Bowl..
Omied Hallam from Nottingham won the Black Salver, Bowdon's 'B' level tournament
The Winter One-ball got underway with Neil Thompson, Joan Spilsbury, Alan Mayne (twice), Barry Keen and Colin Irwin the first Mars Bars winners.
The AGM was held.
The Annual Dinner moved to a new venue, the Bowdon Rooms, and was a great success.
David Walters led the Welsh national team to Cairo where they won Divison 2 of the World Golf Championship.
Francois Garcia was awarded the Steel Memorial Bowl by the CA as the most improved Association Croquet player in the country during 2012.