How have I spent the last few days? Housework? Dusting? Washing? Oh, no! Feet up, a mug of tea, choccy biscuits and the TV tuned in to the World Indoor Bowls Championships.
It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable few days, but it did get me thinking that perhaps I should hang up my Club shirt and donate my woods to the nearest charity shop.
The standard of the bowling was amazing – all those woods nestling cosily up to the jack, all those fired shots bang on target – and it was brilliant to see so many young players in there giving the old hands a run for their money.
But where does that leave me? I don’t play indoors on a nice smooth rink. I play outdoors where there are, even on the best of greens, lumps and bumps, lots of rain and when there isn’t a lot of rain, dried-out bare patches where your wood will suddenly speed up.
Then, of course, not often it’s true, but it gets very hot and the sun shines in your eyes. All this and I haven’t even mentioned the birds and the bees, wasps, ants and numerous other forms of insect life with which the outdoor bowler has to contend.
So, with only about eleven weeks until the start of the 2018 season, will I be moving indoors or even hanging up my whites? I don’t think so. I’d miss the excitement of never knowing what the next game will throw at me, and I’d miss the great outdoors and the hardy, down-to-earth friends who also enjoy the challenge that is outdoor bowls.
It doesn’t matter if I don’t get on the jack too often, what matters is that I enjoy it. But maybe, just maybe, it might be nice this year if we could have just a little less rain!
NH