Update 7^th May 2013.

It was a very successful day for the club on Sunday in our annual battle with Paraparaumu.

As you probably have heard, Northern once again comprehensively won the challenge.

Great weather, good company and well catered. What more could you ask?

Well done to all involved. Players, Markers, Catering, Bar Staff and our hard working Green Keeper.

Here are a couple of pictures of the occasion.  

Don’t forget the last day for play this year will be on Sunday the 12^th which is Closing day.

The AGM is 10am Sunday the 16^th of June.  See you there!

Have a great winter!

Update 3^rd April 2013.

Bowling On

April usually sees champion of champion events each week but with these events having been run off earlier there is little else other than club open tournaments for the rest of the season.

The exception is the Centre Open pairs to be played from 13-15 April but I gather there are not a large number of entries. With club news non existent or not being passed on I am making this my final column for the season. I am not going to trundle through an almanack of the season but will share a few highlights as I saw it or personally enjoyed.

• First in the order of highlights was the sight of two Northern women Anna Davis and Mere Freyer contesting semi-finals of the National singles at Paritutu in New Plymouth. Both contested admirably and an ounce of luck here and a slide there could have seen them both in the final.

• Not far behind were the efforts of Palmerston North and Northern in winning the National Second Division Interclub for men and women respectively. The second Division is far more strongly contested than first division as many clubs see themselves as only cannon fodder in the higher echelon. Palmerston North is arguably the oldest team to win a National title with Trevor Butcher, Colin Cherri, Rex Stokes, Brian Grammer and John Pene all long serving members of the National Superannuation club and Paul Rowe starting to knock on the door. The only relative youngster is singles player Dean Gilshnan who marked his coming of age as an outdoor bowler winning his five matches. John Pene at 81 would be right up there amongst the oldest to win a national title.

• The performance of Manawatu's mens team in finishing second at the national intercentre was very meritorious and they were but one shot from possible victory. They proved to themselves that Auckland greens need hold no fears for them.

• Two champion of champion victories that gave me delight were the tiny Shannon club's Women's triple and of course Lyn Jensen of Johnston Park (and the other half of my bed) in the singles.

• With the absence of centre open events I found myself playing a lot more open tournaments. The more I play the more I enjoy them and the one that gave me particular delight was my first foray into Palmerston North's Golden Oldies.

So those are some season highlights as I saw them.

Easter saw Northern's very popular three day triples held and it proved to be yet another highly organised and hotly contested event. It is a very good format with 20 of the 32 teams taking home prizemoney. In the top division final Terry Curtis skipped the two Rossiters Terry and Liz to victory over Neil Gordon, Brian Henn and Lynlea Rogers. "Scruff" Gordon showed his legendary toughness by dragging his team out of a 13-3 grave to get back to 15-16 only for Curtis to kill the end after the final bell.

One of the real features was the number of local bowlers who took the opportunity to play a tournament with players from other clubs and there were at least a dozen such combinations. Mike Hodge from Terrace End had his parents from Whangarei join him for the tournament which must be pretty special for those involved.

And my bowler of the season? A deadheat between Reg Webb from Te Kawau and Dennis Richards from Masterton. It's not for their on green performances but the phenomenal way they support the game by entering tournaments. I see more of Dennis than most of my clubmates and Reg's name seem to be in every tournament. Those types are the real ones who keep the game healthy.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony. Enjoy your winter break!

Here are a couple of candid shots taken during our Easter Tournament.

Click on them to view a larger version.

Bill has a long hard look! Ray concentrates on his delivery!

Interested spectators!

Scruff and Terry in the Final

Ray looking out over his old stomping ground!

More of the tournament spectators!

Update 25^th Mar 2013.

Northern’s women’s team wins the Division 2 Interclub Title.

Congratulations to Julianne Mills, Carol Davidson, Lynlea Rogers, Sue Meyer, Jacinta Cousins, Julie Palmer, Christina Bryan, Pat Baker (Manager) and Noeleen Elston (Coach).

You can see the full results  here http://www.bowlsnz.co.nz/events/bowls-nz-national-interclub-championships/interclub-results/

Well done!

This weekend. Starting on Friday.

NORTHERN Bowling Club

SILVESTER/CLARK

2013 EASTER TRIPLES   

Well worth coming down to the Club to see some top bowlers in action.

Update 19^th Mar 2013.

Congratulations to all involved with the annual Hospice tournament and fund raising. A marvellous effort all round and a great day on the greens as a bonus.

Wanganui East paid a return visit to our club on Sunday. For those who don’t know, Northern managed to scrape home winners overall by 1 game. Very close, and a lot of enjoyment for all those involved.

A great day of bowls played with our good friends from the River City.

Bowling On - 19^th March 2013.

Bowls can provide some great sporting moments on the green but for those gathered at the Northern Club last Saturday the feel good generated by the annual Hospice tournament would be hard to match.

It brings the entire Manawatu bowling fraternity (with other centre support)  together for a common cause and this year there was an additional sense of poignancy with the loss of Fran Frith, one of Manawatu's very best women bowlers, two day beforehand at Arohanui Hospice.

While the three greens had a capacity field of 48 teams the bowls seemed of little consequence as the crowd set about raising what looks like a final figure of over $10000 to go to the Hospice. One of the highlights is always the auction and this year was no different with that aspect of the day raising $6500 by itself, with a lot of spirited competition and good banter. The Gush family with "Dadio" Barry and son Craig with his partner Erin are the principal organisers of the day but all the Northern members and many others bend their backs and open their hearts and wallets to make the day the success it is.

• Regional Club Championships were held last week and the Palmerston North men's triple (Chris Barrett, Steve Toms and Graeme Cooley)  and Northern women's four (Feona Sayles, Anna Davis, Jacinta Cousins and Julianne Mills) were the the only teams to win and thus qualify for the National finals at Invercargill in June. It is a surprisingly small success for Manawatu Clubs against the other centres in the region, Wairarapa, Gisborne/East Coast and Hawkes Bay. Perhaps it was the Napier greens that tripped our bowlers up or dare I suggest that using champion of champion winners rather than an open tournament meant we sent less capable bowlers to the event? I look forward to the howls of protest on that one!

It is a big financial impost on players to have to head to Invercargill for the second year running and I frankly believe Bowls New Zealand executives must have rocks in their heads to go back to a venue so close to the Antarctic  in mid-winter, even if it is indoors. Travel costs to such an outpost are ridiculously high.

Last year Terrace End and Palmerston North had teams travel there and got together to organise a fundraising tournament to raise funds which was most successful so hopefully a similar event will take place.

• The centre is light on for open tournaments this coming weekend and a mixed triple at Himatangi on Sunday is the only option. That should ensure they have a full field. I found a two day fours at Manakau in the Kapiti area and am looking forward a tournament on a green I've never been on.

 Terrace End tell me there are still a few vacancies in their 2-4-2 mens pairs on 20 and 21 April. It is usually a top weekend. Unfortunately I'll miss it this year as I'll be performing in "Joseph" at the Regent.

• One of the reasons for the lack of tournaments in the Manawatu this weekend is Palmerston North are hosting the National Inter club finals. Good luck to Palmerston North men and Northern women in the second Division.

• The loss of Frances Frith on the day the first Pope Francis was appointed was someway fitting. If there is a bowls sainthood she would be right up there awaiting canonization or at least beatification. Fran was a very, very good bowler winning 21 Manawatu titles to add to the six she won beforehand in Kapiti. On top of that she had a myriad of successes in Interclub, Representative teams and other tournaments. It was as a skip I remember Fran best - no pressure was ever too much and she could bail any team out of trouble.

• Palmerston North RSA won the national RSA tournament last week for the second consecutive year. Brian Looker, Paul Tregoweth and Graham Gosnell were the successful bowlers on both occasions.

A good club member at Terrace End Fran did her share in administration, coaching and umpiring and she had not long become an internationally accredited umpire when she became ill. We have lost a few bowlers this season but no one could have anticipated we would in the one season lose three such quality younger bowlers and people as Fran Frith, Laurie Gordon and Bob Williams. A huge lose to us all but first and foremost to their families.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.