Welcome to Warwickshire Women's Bowling Association 

Annual General Meeting

Before Mary Wheildon stepped down as President and handed over the Chain of Officer to Debbie Bloxham (Stratford upon Avon) she thanked everyone for their support, positivity and flexibility during two very challenging years. She then went on to say:

"I appreciate physically standing here before you, last year having been a Virtual AGM. 

Thanks to our resilient Officers, we were ready with plans laid out for a full season; we were able to get going as soon as Covid restrictions allowed. With your positivity & flexibility we played every match where we had willing opposition. Some Counties, unlike ours, were very slow to begin but not your good selves, you were out there on the green keen to put all behind you. You didn’t flinch but kicked on – whatever the weather, the catering offered or the distance. Well done every one of you as it has been, as you know, not a walk in the park.

The County Competitions were another challenge caused by both restrictions and the forthcoming Commonwealth Games plus our inability to use the usual greens at Leamington at the last minute. Thanks go to Rosemarie for all her efforts to sort new venues, to those clubs who offered their greens & to all the competitors who were forced to ‘home & away’ as well.

The result was a splendid weekend at Stratford on Avon B.C. Where we saw some well fought matches & worthy trophy winners. Congratulations to each & everyone who reached the green over that weekend.

I would like also, to take this opportunity to thank my Warwick Boat Club bowlers for all their input into that weekend & also for the help they have given me during my Gala days & throughout my Presidency. They have been an enormous support.

The Nationals, not the same – dumbed down by covid & new management with seemingly eyes on the Commonwealth Games, even Bowls England lost their marquee. Sadly, the weather was cold which didn’t help either; BUT through it all you came up trumps & those competitors, happily 2 from each competition went out there to enjoy & give of their best. My experience in the triples was the greatest fun.

Our Match results were good. We had some great wins, a few seconds but to be out playing again was the best result. We did, however, look, oh so good in our new strip which brought most positive comments from so many Counties!

Winning the Middle England League proved your determination & resilience, well done everyone. The League Table can now be viewed under Fixtures.

Losing Liz last year was an enormous sadness and became difficult forwarding our coaching programme (covid included). Mal gave us some excellent coaching sessions where progress was made by many, but we all know that we have more to learn & give. Your Officers have had a long meeting with Mal regarding our way forward, hopefully the next sessions will be highly satisfactory, well supported & our progress in the National Competitions next season will be most successful. Jenny Corn will liaise with Mal regarding the selections.

I would like to thank all the Officers so much for all their time & effort over these 2 years, which has included a lot of heart ache, wasted time & very much dedication to fulfil what we have been able to accomplish. They have most certainly kept me on the straight & narrow; kept me half sane & hopefully you will consider that between us we have won through these strange times satisfactorily.

These years culminated in a most satisfactory Presentation Lunch at Tally Ho! Thank you to all who came & well done to all who received those well-earned trophies.  As with most matches Carol Norton has been on duty with the camera & afterwards produced amazing memories for us all on the website. Thank you, Carol, for all you have done for the Association and for me over the last 2 years.

Finally, I would like to thank each & everyone of you who have supported my President’s Charity Mary’s Meals. I have been sending the money off all the time as their need is so enormous – especially during the lockdown as the schools, like ours, were closed, but still they managed to feed those poor children at home. The bottom line now reads: £8697.25 feeding 547 children at school each day. I still have a car boot sale to do when I have the strength and will hope to top the £10K.

I thank my Officers again; Thank you to Rosemarie and Elaine as they retire - enjoy the rest!  

I thank you all and I wish Debbie the very best for her 2022 year & I do hope & pray she gets a smooth passage.

 Thank you. MW                                          

Annual Luncheon 2021

This year President, Mary Wheildon, was delighted to welcome Bowls England Junior Vice President Deepak Tanna and his wife Shobna to the Annual Luncheon and Prize Giving at Tally Ho! Conference Centre together with the Men’s County President, Peter Vale-Humphreys and his wife, Edith.

Mary proposed the toast to Bowls England and thanked Deepak and his wife for joining us as she appreciated the work and travel involved by all the Bowls England Officers. She expressed her disappointment with some of the changes which had taken place at the Nationals including the discarding of the badges which had previously been a highlight for the successful competitors. 

It has been a busy year for Deepak who has travelled more than 6,000 miles visiting branches and counties from Essex to Cornwall and everywhere in between and still had more to visit before the end of the year but he felt it a great privilege and and honour. He went on to talk about the work which had been carried out on the greens in Leamington in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and highlighted the need to look at different options of green availability within the clubs in order to accommodate and encourage a greater variety of people able to enjoy the sport. 

Senior Vice President, Debbie Bloxham, proposed the toast to the County President and Guests, highlighting the County’s many achievements during the year which had culminated in winning the Middle England League. 

Mary responded with many thanks for the 'positivity and flexibility' which had been shown by all the County players and for the support she had received during a difficult two years, especially for her Charity, Mary's Meals which had now raised £8,607.00 which would feed 554 of the world's poorest children for a year. 

100+ CLUB

Congratulations go to the winners of the final 100+ Club for 2021:

October 1st prize - Gill Maund

October 2nd prize - Wendy Mills

October 3rd prize -Sue Hornsby