As reported last week, Sidmouth Bowling Club is back in action for another season outdoors, writes Susie Bonnell.

Now, you might have walked past the greens and thought there was a ski school in training - bobble hats, gloves, scarves, layers of thermals and jackets..... But no, it was just the usual cold snap at the beginning of the summer season that kept us on our toes! In other words, it was freezing!!

The ladies had their first challenge on Thursday, with the Over-50s League teams - the Blues and the Yellows - playing Crediton and Seaton Reds.

It was a disappointing result for the Yellows, losing on both rinks to Seaton but the good news was that the Blues lost on one rink, won on the other and had enough of a winning margin to secure four of the six available points. Well done, to skip, Jill Bishop, and her team, Ann Capon and Jane Painter - the winning rink - who all had a super game.

Thankfully, the next day, Friday, didn’t have quite as bad a wind chill going on, so one less layer of thermals was called for when the ladies met their old friends and rivals, Honiton Ladies, for a friendly match. And friendly it was - with Sidmouth ladies conceding to Honiton on all three rinks.

However, if the game was judged on friendship and fun, then everyone was a winner!

Sidmouth ladies’ best rink (can’t really call it a winning rink) was led by skip, Jane Painter and her team, Susie Bonnell and Oudoor Ladies’s Captain, Karen Hollingdale.

While the ladies were playing their friendly at home, the men sent four teams of triples over to Chardstock for a friendly match.

The bowlers at Chardstock always make us feel very welcome. Chardstock’s greens are situated at quite a high elevation with great views of rolling countryside so are always a pleasure to visit and the bowling is often accompanied by the lowing of cows in the nearby field. What bowling stories they could tell if only they could talk! The Sidmouth bowlers won on two rinks, drew on one and lost on one, securing an overall win on aggregate with a total score of 76/53. The winning rink for Sidmouth was led by skip, John Mason, and his team, David Fairclough and Peter Bates.

Saturday saw our first touring side of the season arrive. The large group of players from Worcestershire go on tour under the club banner of St Dunstans. There were six rinks, so 24 players for each side, with probably 20 St Dunstans’ supporters who had come to lunch and shop in Sidmouth, enjoy our club facilities and cheer on their teammates.

We were blessed with great bowling weather - but that did not help Sidmouth players much!

St Dunstans out bowled us all on every rink, but one - where skip, John Mason, narrowly secured a win by one shot, with his team, Wendy Cox, Barry Curwen and outdoor ladies’ captain, Karen Hollingdale. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed their good company and wished them all the very best for the remainder of their tour.