TAVISTOCK Sir Francis Drake Bowling Club began the week with a vote of thanks to local rivals Bere Alston who came to their rescue with the loan of their groundkeeper and spiking machine, when Tavistock's green had become contaminated with algae, making it unplayable.
It was a successful week for Tavistock club captain, Mike Allen and his wife Marion, the ladies' section secretary.
Mike, and club member Rob Bowhay were awarded their Plymouth and District League badges after representing the league in three matches. Marion went one better, winning her way into the Devon county singles final, where both she and her opponent for the Devon title, will progress to the All England National Finals to be held in Leamington in August.
Tuesday saw the visit of a mixed team from Okehampton for a match which Tavistock won 79-70 with wins from rinks skipped by Mike Allen (22-15), Colin Tremaine (18-14), and Der Saunders (27-17).
On Wednesday the men's County Trophy team faced Devonport Park at home and won the match 107-42, winning all four rinks, skipped by John Smith (27-10), Eric Stevens (35-10), Ron Cooper (18-14) and Mike Allen (27-8).
On Thursday, Tavistock men visited Yealmpton for a league match and saw their first defeat of the season in a league match, going down 89-78, winning only the rink being skipped by Eric Stevens (25-19) with some accurate bowling from both Eric and his number three, Pat Sykes.
Friday saw the men facing a Plymouth and District League representative team in a match that Tavistock would normally expect to lose, but which on this occasion they won 106-96, with wins from rinks skipped by Rob Bowhay, (16-15), Eric Stevens, (17-16) and John Smith, (22-16).
On Saturday a mixed team travelled to Launceston to face Dunheved Bowling Club. Tavistock lost the match 54-79, with only one rink skipped by John Smith, and his team of Joan Northey, Albert Townsend and Wallace Northey winning (20-9).
Yelverton ladies' section celebrated last week by putting up balloons after beating the Tavistock ladies section (61-32) for the first time in a number of years. Tavistock lost all three rinks with skip Betty Browse losing 14-18, Iris McEwen 12-17 and Joan Northey 6-21.
The ladies' section faced the Civil Service Reds in a home league fixture on Tuesday and lost 25-40, a reversal of the away match played in June, when Tavistock won by one shot.
Thursday saw the ladies face Bere Alston away in a friendly match which Tavistock lost 46-76 with only one Tavistock rink skipped by Hazel Lovell winning, when picking up five shots on the last end to take the game 21-20.