Twenty One Years Ago.
7 – 3 – 05
The name changed from St. Albans Bowling Club to St. Albans-Merivale. This was made to more clearly show our location in the heart of Merivale. Over the years the boundaries of many suburbs had become blurred as new housing areas had grown. The confusion with St. Albans Shirley Bowling Club and the Edgeware Club in St. Albans Park has led to many players arriving at the wrong venue to play their games. Hopefully this change helped to stop some of the confusion.
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Eighteen Years Ago.
1 – 3 – 08
A wet day. Play in the morning was fine, a little rain but no reason to stop play even if all were wearing wet weather gear. Billy Connolly says there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.
The games had all concluded two hours before afternoon matches were to begin. The showers become rain.
Confusion at the club, the one telephone working overtime. Would there be play or not? ???????
Some greens open, some closed. One even closed, then opened and closed again. What was happening? Tempers beginning to fray and opinions being stated with considerable conviction.
How could this farcical situation be avoided?
All cricketers and softballers know when their games were cancelled. Why? They have a central body that makes a decision.
Great to see in later seasons that Bowls Canterbury had their info line [351 2225] and the cancelled round of 23 – 1 – 10 caused no problems at all.
14 – 3 – 09
Seventeen Years Ago.
9 – 3 – 09
The Oakey Kitty is an aggregate game and this year it was won by Elmwood, 123 – 
120 reversing 
the 2008 result. It was a bad day for the St. Albans-Merivale Club with James Kirkbride’s four the only team to win.
This was an all men’s event but it became a mixed event in 2010.
Only Mick Tarling remains a member of our club from this photo.
Cairns Pairs won by E. Sweeney and Julia Hall
Fifteen Years Ago.
4 – 3 – 11
The Bernie Bigg Trophy has been cancelled. This season’s presentation will be held at the beginning of the 2011 – 12 season at Barrington United, the host club for 2011 – 12.
The Edwards Cup has been cancelled for March 7 but a meeting is to be held mid week to ascertain the future of the competition.
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From the centre: Adapted from circular 2011 3 – 4
All Saturday competitions are cancelled. There will be no winners.
All champion of champion events will be played as per the Centre calendar.
March 5 & 6 Colts and 1st & 2nd year
March 12 & 13 Junior singles
March 19 & 20 Fours
March 26 & 27 Men’ singles Ladies’ singles rescheduled to April 16 & 17
April 2 & 3 Pairs
April 9 & 10 Triples
Bowls NZ interclub sevens playoffs transferred to Nelson
Over 65 Town v Country cancelled March 16
Women’s Rosebowl cancelled March 21 – 23
All players advised to take their own water bottles to these competitions
Thirteen Years Ago.
4 – 3 – 13
Well done to the St. Albans-Merivale ladies for winning the Bernie Bigg Trophy for the first time.
J. Hall 10 – 13
L. Brown 15 – 6
M. McLennan 6 – 14
SAM 22½ Fen 22 BU 20½ Elm 19
Only one woman is still involved with Elmwood Park; Shirley Herd.
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Twelve Years Ago
3 – 3 – 14
The aim is to try and provide competitions for all ages and all abilities within the bowling fraternity and also to introduce new exciting initiatives to complement the more traditional leagues and competitions that we all play at the present – whether you love or hate them – we are basically trying to introduce choice.
We have introduced a number of new competitions and leagues that are played at weekends and also during the week with morning, afternoon and evening start times. The hope is that we can capture people (more members) by offering a mid week alternative if their weekends are not free owing to work or family commitments. Most competition and league entries are down on previous years – so we are endeavouring to introduce something new.
Here are some of the new events proposed in a a draft document sent to clubs to be used as a discussion point for changes that may be introduced next year.
fast fives vets 2x3s vets 7s
Introduction of evening alternatives.
MuzzaWeb believes they are worthy of serious consideration and Bowls Canterbury are to be congratulated for perhaps “thinking outside the square.”
5 – 3 – 14
The heaviest rain to fall in Christchurch since forever, serious flooding occurred in many areas, including St. Albans, and added to the many people still feeling the effects of the earthquakes. No twilight bowls obviously as the water on Hartmont Green almost reached the top of the rink.
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Nine Years Ago.
4 – 3 – 17
Some interesting facts from the recent delegates’ meeting. There are 29 clubs with less than 50 members, last year there was 26.
A further seven (9 last year) have between 50-60 members
19 clubs have reported increased memberships with Woodend at 13 and West Melton at 9 as the largest increase.
Cashmere reported the biggest drop – losing 31
The club merger of St Albans and Canterbury has a net drop of 30
Overall memberships are down by 140; men -88 and women -52, students -6.
Currently reported casual participations are over 10,200 with 17 clubs reporting no casual participations at all. Congratulations to all the clubs going the extra mile to accommodate the social bowlers.
Seven Years Ago.
2 – 3 – 19
30 members turned up for a roll up. What a pleasant day, warm and no wind. A good time was had by all.
There was no interclub today.
Apparently a directive from Bowls New Zealand decreed that no interclub was to be played on this day.
MuzzaWeb wonders how many bowlers from Christchurch will be involved in the nationals being held in Wellington.
This decision means that over 1100 bowlers will not have interclub this weekend. Will there be any of these who will take the opportunity to be spectators at the nationals??????
This is a bewildering decision in MuzzaWeb’s opinion.
Elmwood Park members wish Gary Lawson, skipping a composite team, Shannon McIlroy, Jamie Hill and Toy Grantham, Bev Morel, Sheree Cottle, Chris Kibblewhite with Kim Rowlands the best of luck in the nationals.
Well done to both teams as they have qualified for post section play.
In post section play Gary Lawson went out on the first round while Bev Morel went out in the second round.
4 – 3 – 19
Edwards Cup
EP Blue 3 v EP Gold 0
Prouting 16 Sandrey 11 Wear 18 Lowe 11 Milner 16 Greenland 14
Barrington United 2 Fendalton 1
Final Points: EP Blue 65 BU 47 EP Gold 38 Fen 30 
Winners of the Edwards Cup for 2018-19 season Elmwood Park Blue.
There were more weeks to go but Fen and BU didn’t want to play any more. The two EP teams decided to go for another two weeks and have a tournament themselves so the bowling season was extended a little longer.
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Six Years Ago.
10 – 3 – 20
Thank you to everyone who made the Brunch and Bowls event successful on Sunday. We had a great turn out and was awesome to see so many members supporting the club.
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Five Years Ago.
9 – 3 – 21
After a time line that seemed to go on forever President Pete announced that resource consent had been granted for our new building. This was indeed good news but there is to be time allowed for submissions from interested parties.
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Three Years Ago.
2 – 3 – 23
The planned annual game EP v Rangiora delayed as neither club could find 18 players. Interesting!
5 – 3 – 24
Well done to Emily Belton, a finalist for the Sport Canterbury, Sport and Recreation awards for the Coach of the Year – High Performance Award!
Two Years Ago.
2 – 3 – 25
Can you believe it? Five titles.
What a day. Eight sets of Elmwood Park players participated, and we came home with five titles.
Well done teams, you have done EP proud.
And tucked away in the midst of all that was the information that Paul McKinnel won his 5th Canterbury title, with his pairs win, and Mary Ann Johnstone gained her 15th Canterbury title. Congratulations to those two.
Kelvin Scott, Tony Marshall, Ray Hooper and Ian Rule are in the final of the O60 fours. Date and venue to be decided.
Kim Rowlands, Fiona Frew, Nylla Tamati and Jude Main are in the Centre women’s fours. Saturday March 22, venue tbc.
Programme.
J. Flint O60 singles v B. Shorter [Darfield] 21 – 18
Men’s pairs. P. McKinnel v C. Waldron P. McKinnel and Liam Eathorne 13 – 12 Back to back titles.
O60 pairs. C. Buchanan and R. Hooper v Belfast 19 – 9
Men’s fours. v Parklands Lance Pascoe, Gary Lawson, Lance Main, and Nathan Glasson. 18 – 5
Women’s singles. K. Rowlands v T. Bruce 5 – 21
Mixed fours v Burnside Paul McKinnel, Mary Ann Johnstone, Pam Phair and Neil Johnstone. 17 – 10
Click on the icon to view the full results.
At Bowls Papanui. Blue shirts everywhere.
6 – 3 – 25
Congratulations to Christine Buchanan, Fiona Frew, Tania Woodham, Lance Pascoe and Kelvin Scott who have been selected for the Canterbury intercentre team to play in Wellington on March 13 – 16.
8 – 3 – 25
3×3 Div. 3 EP2 v Barrington United
Just got started and the rain came. P. Trevella & M. Brownie retired when the rain came.
B. Lyttle soldiered on 15 – 15, they were behind on every end but quietly got up close. Last end had 3 shots to win but the BU skip took one out. A good result and the last few ends were played in fine weather, made a joke of the two teams who retired early!!!!!
