On Thursday 3rd August we held our Centenary Gala, one of the many highlights of this year's celebrations.
With prize money of £1000 at stake, the event was very well attended indeed. In all, 22 teams took part, from in and around our area including Buntingford, Sawbridgeworth, Bishop's Stortford, Hoddesdon and Rye Park, The Hertfordshire President, Shire Park, Whithern, Northaw and Cuffley, Hertford, Abbotts Langley, Royston, Cheshunt, Shire Park, Wanstead Central, as well as a team entered by our sponsor for the day, GPFM from Hertford.
The format for the day was mixed rinks of 4, two men and 2 ladies, with each team playing 4 other teams, decided by draw. Each game was for 8 ends, or a maximum of 55 minutes, with winners being awarded 10 points, as well as additional points for each end won. Throughout the day there were 44 matches in total, starting at 10am and finishing around 6pm.
Bacon rolls and teas and coffee, were available upon arrival for registration. There were lunch breaks, the bar was open throughout for suitable refreshments, and then there were tea breaks later in the afternoon. And that was when an array of beautiful cakes, baked by the Rosedale Ladies, were put on display, to tempt the awaiting crowd. Luckily, they were not disappointed ! There were also over 30 raffle prizes for participants to win, as the day drew to an end.
And what a day it was. One to remember as they say. In an otherwise disappointing mid-summer, the sun finally shone and the rain stayed away. There was well over one hundred people in attendance, some great bowls to watch and admire, and everyone enjoyed themselves and had some fun. And that's what it's all about.
Of course, there were winners, and very worthy winners indeed. John Bishop, our club president closed the occasion by congratulating the winners who were Rick Helm's Bishop's Stortford team, and awarding their cash prize of £500. A second team from Bishop Stortford were runners up winning £240, third was Wanstead Central with a prize of £120, fourth Abbotts Langley winning £80 and fifth Royston winning £60.
Finally, John thanked our sponsors, GPFM of Hertford, and the sterling effort of the Rosedale Club Members who had helped make the day so enjoyable and such a success. The team who prepared the green and set out the furniture, the team making teas and coffees, bacon rolls and lunch; Also the raffle ticket sellers, the bar team, the sandwich makers and the cake makers. A special thankyou went to Dave Hayes, who stepped in manfully to replace a member of the Hertford President's team who was called away. Despite his best efforts, the introduction of fresh blood failed to move the team away from the foot of the table. Better luck next time Dave!
One final thank you came from Club Captain, Malcolm Thomas who quite rightly pointed out the effort that John himself had put in. It was his vision in the first place to include this event in the programme, he organised it and despite a few setbacks along the way, made sure it was delivered. A great day for Rosedale Bowls Club and one that will be remembered by all involved.
Rosedale Bowls club is sponsored by:
