Blooming frosty and cold this morning so wrapped up warmly to go and play boules only to find the pitch area was quite mild and sheltered between the library and the hedges.  Some coats were soon dispensed with. 

With eight of us raring to play we divided into two teams of four - 4 ladies and 3 gents plus a lady as an honorary gent.

Gents winning the chance to go first put the boot in by scoring 4 points in the first 3 ends but the ladies, nonplussed, retaliated with a point in each of the next two.    Elation was short- lived however with the gents managing a 1 and then a SIX by some sort of fluke. 

Battling on for a further four ends in which the ladies gained 3 points before the gents collected one point in each of the final two ends to reach the winning score of 13 against the ladies’ hard won 5.      There was some very good play from both sides and the scores should have been closer but it was that killer 6 that proved insurmountable.     

A good start to the season and we enjoyed being out in the fresh air.    Next match set for Monday fortnight (17th), same time and same place.    Join us if you will.    Ken. 

 Not being able to play our game of boules a fortnight ago due to pouring rain we were pleased to see a drier, though overcast, morning today.      5 of us appeared on the pitch so teams were made up of three ladies and 2 laddies with the latter having 3 boules each against the ladies’ two.  

Ladies pitched first and won the first two ends with a 2 and a 1 but the Laddies retaliated with two 2s.   Scoring continued relatively evenly and by the end of 9 ends we were 7 points each.     

By this time we were playing in a light drizzle so decided to play just one more end to decide the winner.    The Laddies gained the winning one point on the very last boule after a nail-biting end.   

So that’s it until 2025.   Thanks to all who have turned up to play when able.    We’ve had some very happy mornings.     It’s such a simple game played to our own rules so whether two or twelve players gather on the day we can accommodate them.    Give it a try when we restart next year.  

If the weather looks promising during November we may call a last minute game so keep a look out in your emails.    

Ken.  

 As our word smith is on holiday it has fallen to me to report on today's game.

Unfortunately with some on holiday and others on the sick list we were down to 4 players today.

So we split into two teams. The first match start well as the side that I was on scored one on the first round,

and thought we were off to a good start but then we were white washed and the other side reach 13 before we scored another point.

As this was a short game we decided to go again - and this time we gave them a good run for their money, they scored in the first

two rounds, we scored in the next four, then they got another one point, we got three rounds. in the end they beat us 13 to 11,

we had nothing to be ashamed of we had put up a good fight and had plenty of banter and laughs along the way.

Do think about joining us - we meet every other Monday morning on the pitch behind the library. Next game will be at 10-15 on Monday

30 September. Everyone is welcome

Ingrid

A very fine drizzle faced us this morning so not expecting to play.    However, one plucky lady joined us and as the precipitation had ceased we decided to give it a go but only play up to 9 points.

There being only 3 of us we decided to play individually against each other.    Four ends later the scores stood at 1 point each for the two ladies and two for team K when another  lady member passed by who decided to join us.   

A swift rearrangement of teams with the original two ladies making a merged  team (Team C) carrying forward a combined score of 2 whilst the new player joined Team K also on 2 points, so even- Stevens.    I told you our rules were flexible!

Team K took the next two ends with 1 point each matched by Team C with a 2 and then followed with a one in each of ends 8 and 9.    Team K then managed to win two 1s before Team C grabbed another point.   

By this time Team C was leading 7 - 6 but Team K came back with a 2 and then a 1 which gave them the winning score of the agreed 9.    Well done to all in this close match.    Though the sun only peeked through at times at least there was no more rain, in fact, it was a very muggy and humid morning and a couple of jackets were discarded during play.

Next game is due in two weeks on the 16th at 10.15am at the pitch behind the library so join in then.    K & C won’t be there so someone, perhaps, will need to arm themselves with a rake.    It will also be that I’ll be offline so be unable to remind you nearest the time so put this date in your diaries NOW!

Ken

 We’re due on the boules pitch again on Monday (19th) so hope to see many of you there at 10.15am behind the library.    Open to all to give it a try.

As an aside, may I say thank you to all those who were able to respond to my plea for help to set up and put away tables at the last meeting.    It was a great help.    If you can continue to do so for future meetings it would be most welcome.

Ken

A cool morning, just right for a game of boules and seven of us thought so too.   A few minutes late in starting as players straggled in.   

There were just a couple of us of the masculine gender so we decided on mixed teams - A and B.     A team started the first end but with so many close calls only managed one point.  Team B then equalised and then won 3 more ends by one point each.   By the end of game 6 the score was 2 - 4 in B’s favour.

A team bounced back with a couple of 2s before B crept ahead in a whole series of single points and then a 2 but by the 18th end the As had taken the lead by one point, being 12 - 11, so all to play for.

But it was B team that triumphed by next scoring that all important 2 points making them today’s worthy winners.      One of the longest games we’ve  played. 

Low scoring on each individual end as opponent’s  boules landed so close to each other so many times causing much measuring throughout.     Skill or luck? You decide. 

More fun to be had in two weeks time (19th) so why not join us then?

Ken

 Although a very damp and unpromising morning today it still didn’t deter 7 enthusiastic people from their fortnightly fix of petanque.    Two teams, consisting of 4 ladies and 3 gents, were soon underway chasing the cochon (jack). 

Ladies took the first end by one point which the gents equalised on the next but couldn’t rest on their laurels as the ladies roared back by scoring 9 points over the following 6 ends.    There were several times when very close measuring came into play and the boules were bouncing and smashing all over the place.    There were some amazingly placed boules but whether by luck or judgment we can’t determine but I expect the individuals concerned would plump for the former.

Anyway, by the close of the 16th end we were on 12 points each.    A nail-biting situation with all to play for and concentration took over from general chatter.    Leadership of the final end changed several times but it was the gents who won that all important single point making them the over-all winners.    AND , by this time, the sun was shining brightly causing some discarding of coats and jackets.

Thanks again to those who played today.    Join us for the next scheduled game in two weeks ( 5th August) at 10.15am on the pitch behind the library.  It’s all very light-hearted.    Make a note of the date NOW as I may not be able to send a reminder as usual. 

Ken