Bowlers really are made of tough stuff! As flood warnings are being issued and gales and rain storm in, the Sidmouth bowlers have been snatching any dry weather to play re-arranged games - or just muddling along and playing in the rain, writes Susie Bonnell.

In terms of the most recent action, we begin with last Friday’s Blues latest match in the Ladies’ Over-50s League which took them to East Devon neighbors Honiton. It proved a good afternoon for the Blues as they bagged another full six points, winning by a large margin thanks to a superb 36-2 success for the trio of Lynda Hargrave, Jane Painter and Eileen Hewett.

The previous Friday Jane Painter and another member of the Blues squad had played and won the Section Three final of the Over-70s Ladies Pairs, held at Seaton – this represents a terrific achievement. Well done, ladies, and the pair now go on to play a pair from Section Five in the Devon County quarter-final.

Needless to say, all at Sidmouth Bowls Club wish them lots of luck and good bowling for their next round match.

That same day Sidmouth Yellows hosted Morchard Bishop ladies in the league, but, sadly, did not fare so well, securing just two points out of the six that were available.

On Saturday Sidmouth sent a mixed team to play in a friendly match at Bovey Tracey.

With a dry day, it was lovely to enjoy good bowling and good company.

The winning rink for Sidmouth was fielded by skip Eileen Hewett and her team of Roy Eglon, Derek Mountford and Ron Cook.

Earlier this week there was a friendly encounter against visiting Topsham.

Friendly the fixture might well have been, but the weather was anything but!

However, the hardy bowlers battled it out in the rain for 16 ends before deciding enough was enough for all to seek sanctuary in the dry – and very welcoming – clubhouse!

Topsham did win overall with an aggregate score of 92-73 - Sidmouth securing the highest scoring rink, skipped by John Chew who was supported by Derek Mountford and Bert Hague.

Meanwhile, having had to catch up with matches rearranged because of earlier bad weather, the Yellows had to play another game, this time away at Budleigh.

With huge black skies and rain clouds rolling past, the ladies managed to play the match to the end, only getting a soaking in the closing stages of the contest!

The Yellows came away with four points, thanks mainly to our winning rink skipped by Zena Johnson, with her team, Janet Smith and Jean Green.

One things for sure, the weather did not stop the Sidmouth bowlers from enjoying their weekly Mixed Umbrella game - it was on with the waterproofs and carry on bowling this Tuesday!

Well, all we can hope, and wish for, is that the summer will return very soon and as we watch some of the cold bedraggled Folk Festival visitors go past, we are grateful we go home to warm dry beds - not tents!