03 Jul OVER 90’s ACHIEVEMENTS

For many years our Association has awarded certificates of achievement to bowlers who have reached their 90th birthday and are still active. I have already awarded two this year to two bowlers who are very active bowlers and both winning most of their matches and essential members of their teams.

My first ‘victim’ (I feel very much like Eamon Andrews turning up for This is Your Life) was Jim Sykes, my Thongsbridge teammate who several months ago asked for no fuss for his birthday. Jim was 90 on 16 June and his teammates gave him a card and Jim turned up with a birthday cake for all the bowlers there that unfortunately I missed! I’ve known Jim for probably 25 years and know that he’s fiercely competitive and is still striving to be a better bowler.

The second bowler to be presented was Norman Hall of Brockholes Bowling Club who turned 90 on 18 May. Normans teammates had gathered before the 10-man team match with Huddersfield RUBC but Norman was blissfully unaware and had to be coaxed out of the club to be confronted by photographer Paul English and myself for the presentation. On researching his records on Bowlsnet I was aware of his prowess as a bowler but his records only went back to 2021 and with a ST prefix to his BCGBA number. He explained that he had only recently moved to this area from Staffordshire, their loss and Brockholes’ gain.

If any clubs have members 90 years of age and still bowling drop us a line and we’ll make sure their achievements are duly celebrated.