Don’t forget the club AGM on Monday, 11th November. We meet at 7:30 in the Village Hall’s Library, as there are some noisy events in the Village Club.

Do come along, vote on resolutions, and hear what your committee has to say.

See you there!

On Saturday, 26th October, we held our second Jumble Sale of the year at Merrow Village Hall. As usual, we had a tremendous amount of clothes, fabrics, books, shoes, bric-a-brac, and electricals donated.

Late on Friday evening, a band of volunteers got together to prepare for the sale. We were putting out tables, carrying jumble in from both of our stores, and then sorting and  loading onto the relevant tables. A big thank you to everyone for their help.

In contrast, we had a very early start on Saturday, the morning of the sale. More jumble had arrived, and that had to be checked and distributed. Dealers get an early entry (at a price), and they arrived early, eager to see what we had on offer. One couple had travelled from East Sussex, an hour and a half’s drive, because we have “such a lovely Jumble Sale”!

At 10am, the general public were admitted. We still had tons of great items for sale, so they were not disappointed or short-changed in any way. I always enjoy the interaction and banter of the sale, and it’s a pleasure to see young children with their parents.

We finally closed our doors at about noon, when we had the task of moving everything that remained into our store, and tidying the Village Hall ready for the next occupants. A tiring day but most satisfying. Once again, a really big thank-you to all who helped during the sale, and those who came along to help clear away. We really appreciate your help.

Our next sale will be in Spring 2020, when we will have even more bargains. Watch this space for information on dates. The event will also be publicised on the websites of Eagle Radio and Guildford Dragon, and on the Merrow noticeboards, about a month beforehand.

On Sunday, 20th October, Merrow’s Presentation Lunch took place at the Masonic Centre in Guildford. As usual, there was a good turn out of members, ready to enjoy the afternoon. Pre-lunch drinks gave us all the opportunity to catch-up with all our friends.

The event began with a tasty lunch, preceded by a quiz kindly prepared by Tony Cekys, which had us all wracking our brains. Our meal was a welcome distraction from the quiz, and we all enjoyed the lovely food.

Following our meal, it was time for the prizegiving.  There was a lot of applause and good-natured banter from the attendees, as Richard and David M made each presentation. Following the awards, a small gift was given to David and Debbie for their work on improving the green, to which club members had contributed. Then it was on to the raffle! We had all brought along a raffle prize, and agin there was a lot of laughter for the winners.

We look forward to next year, and another fun-packed afternoon.

Note: should anyone like a copy of their photo, please contact David R.

 

A group of members got together a couple of weeks ago to help David prepare the green for Winter.

On a busy Saturday, we spread top dressing, seeded, fertilised, and top dressed again, before Ken brushed everything in. The best part was finishing before the heavens opened!

Thanks to all who turned out, and here are a few photos.

In a storming year, Merrow finished third in our section of the Thursday Knaphill Triples. We were generally up against strong opposition, as witnessed by the scores for the two clubs that finished above us in the league. You can see the results on the League Tables section of the website. In previous years, we have not done as well, so this season’s result is a great credit to captain John and his merry band.

Compared to the other leagues that Merrow compete in, the Knaphill Triples is a fairly new competition for us. We take part as it is the only league that permits a mixed team to play, thus giving our very talented ladies a chance to shine.

We plan to continue in the league next season, so be sure to put your names down when we get underway in 2020. Onwards and upwards!

Our second jumble sale of 2019 is coming on 26th October!

If you have any jumble to donate, please bring it to the club ahead of the sale.

If you can spare some time to help, we need volunteers on Friday 25th from 10pm to set up, and from 8:30 onwards until midday on Saturday 26th.

Spread the word among your friends and family.

Over the weekend of 21-22 September, Merrow played our last two matches of the outdoor season: Seale and Sands at home, and Castle Green away.

Seale and Sands

On Saturday, 21st September, Merrow hosted our annual match with Seale and Sands. This was only our second match, so still an unknown quantity. On an autumnal day, we played three rinks of triples. In a close match, Merrow were victorious on one rink but narrowly lost on the other two, with a final score of 38-44. Well done to Mark, Joan, and Bob, who won 17-9.

Castle Green

For our final outdoor match of the season, Merrow visited Castle Green for a match of four triples. Heavy rain in the morning stopped in time for the match and held off until the finish. Each side won on two of the rinks but Merrow came out on top overall with a score of 68-63. Our top rink was Lesley, Joan, and Bob with a tremendous score of 23-9. A great result. Close behind were Judy, Lewis (playing in his first match), and Ken with a score of 16-12. Again, well done. Commiserations to the other two rinks.

No photos of either match I’m afraid, as I was still on holiday. As a result, this report is derived from the score sheets!

Coming up next…

…is our indoor match against Mole Valley at Leatherhead on Wednesday, 27th November.  Do put your name down to play. The team sheet is in the hut, or you can email merrowbowls@gmail.com and I’ll add you to the list.

How lucky were we with the weather! Our club Finals Day on Sunday, 8th September, was played in glorious sunshine.

Starting at 10am, the first few of the finals got under way, high levels of concentration being the order of the day. We had a really good turnout of spectators, and we all did our best to put on a good show for them.

First up were: 3 Sets, Ladies’ Drawn Pairs, and Novices followed at 11:30 by the 3 Wood Singles. After a short break for some lunch, at 2pm the Men’s Drawn Pairs, Junior Championship, Men’s Championship, and Ladies’ Championship began, followed at 4:30pm by the Mixed Pairs. Due to match times, the 2 Wood Singles, and Handicap Singles were deferred to a later date.

This year saw several new players in the finals: Jackie, Jarek, and Lewis. Jackie and Lewis were successful, while Jarek was unfortunate with a narrow loss. Well done to each of them!

A big thank you to all the club members who undertook marking duties; we couldn’t have done it without you.

Compared to last year, there are only a few photos, as your correspondent was involved in the Men’s Drawn Pairs, which took most the afternoon.

For the full results, please see the website here.

It’s Finals Day for our club competitions on Sunday. Come along and see the action from 10am.

On Saturday, 31st August, Merrow played host to Ripley for a friendly of four triples.

Both sides started well, and a good match was in prospect. Merrow soon moved ahead, and managed to win on three rinks. The final result was a win for Merrow, 84-59. A tremendous performance by Allen, Richard, and John saw them win 32-10; a great result.

Well done everyone.