August 2026

August 1st

John Townley stepped up as Captain today in a friendly match against Wargrave. This match was reduced from 5 rinks to 4, as Wargrave did not have the numbers. As it was so hot, there were no trial ends and only 1 shot on the first 2 ends.It was a good result for Shiplake, winning 3-1 on rinks and 88-48 on score.

The highest winning rink  for Shiplake was Rink 6. Neil Warley, Laurie Mowatt and Sue Pitcher started well, with singles on the first 3 ends. Wargrave responded well with a pair and a four count, to lead 6-3. Shiplake then galloped into a comfortable lead, scoring 1,3,3,2,4,and 1, with only a single from Wargrave in response. With 12 of the 18 ends played, Shiplake held a 17-7 lead. Wargrave scored a single on end 13, but Shiplake were flying and scored a pair, an amazing 8 count and a single. They were now 28-8 ahead with 2 ends to play. The final 2 ends were shared, a single apiece, and it was all over. Shiplake were runaway winners by 29-9.

Next best for Shiplake were Barrie Jones, Sue Reid and Damien Cleary on Rink 1. They won the first 2 ends for a 2-0 lead, then lost the next two to singles and it was level pegging. A run of 4 winning ends, scoring 7 shots, pushed them ahead. Wargrave interrupted the flow with a single, but Shiplake were soon back in motion, with another winning run (3,2,2,3,4,1) and it was 24-3 in their favour, with only 3 ends to play. A single and a three restored a little Wargrave pride, but Shiplake had the last laugh with a single on the final end and a 25-7 success.

Rink 5 was another success story for Shiplake. Chris Emmett, David Lloyd and Ruth Copp lost the first end to a single, but scored singles on the next three. The pattern repeated itself over the next 4 ends, before Wargrave scored a pair and a single, to make it close at 6-5 in Shiplake's favour after 10 ends. End 11 gained Shiplake 4 shots, followed by a single on end 12. The response from Wargrave was a pair and a three, leaving them still just one shot behind. Shiplake rallied and finished well, scoring two 4's and a single against a single from Wargrave. At the end of the game, Shiplake were winners by 20-11.

The only loss for Shiplake was on Rink 2. Wendy Cross skipped Dave Ward and Marilyn Mowatt against tough opposition, losing the first three ends to singles. A single and a 3 put them in the lead, but Wargrave restored their advantage with their own single and 3. Shiplake scored a single on end 8, but Wargrave scored 2 and 4 on the next 2 ends. After 10 ends Shiplake trailed 5-13. Three shots on end 11 and 2 on end 13, split by a single from Wargrave, brought the score closer at 10-14. Ends 14 and 15 put the game beyond Shiplake's reach, with Wargrave scoring 3 and 4 to lead 21-10. A brave finish from Shiplake, with 2,1,1 was not enough and they went down 14-21.

August 5th

Tonight, we had a return visit from Watlington. We had suffered a heavy defeat on our visit to their green, so we were keen to redress the balance. This we managed to do, winning 3 of the 5 Rinks and securing 8 Plomer Cup points. The overall shot count was 81-70 in Shiplake's favour.

It was a close match and all of the rinks were hard fought. The best result for Shiplake was on Rink 5. Jean Buckett, Alan Gough and Damien Cleary started well, winning 5 of the first 6 ends and leading 6-1. Watlington then scored two singles, but Shiplake were soon back in the driving seat. Three pairs and a single established a clear 13-3 lead, but Watlington were not beaten yet. They won 5 of the remaining 6 ends, scoring 6 shots to put themselves in with a chance at 9-13. Shiplake made sure of success, with 3 shots on the final end; one from each of the players in the triple. Shiplake 16, Watlington 9 and 2 points for Shiplake.

Next door, on Rink 4, Ruth Copp, Mike Lovejoy and John Townley were 1-2 behind after 3 ends, but soon stormed ahead, scoring 3,2,3,3,1 to lead 13-2. Watlington then got in on the act, scoring 2,1 and 5 to get within 3 shots. A single and a pair opened a 6 shot gap in Shiplake's favour. Two pairs from Watlington beat Shiplake's solitary single and the score was poised at Shiplake 17, Watlington 14 with 2 ends to play. Shiplake held their nerve, scoring a single and a pair, for a 20-14 win and 2 more PC points.

Shiplake's third winning rink was Rink 1. Wendy Cross, having a break from Skip, Pete Leverett and Jane Ward started with 3 shots and added another single, to lead 4-0 after 2 ends. Watlington hit back with a pair and a single, then Shiplake scored 2 singles and it was 6-3 to Shiplake with 6 ends played. A run of two singles and a 4 from Watlington pushed them into a 9-6 lead, but Shiplake then took over the running. Two pairs, a single and a 4 put them in the lead 15-9. Watlington then scored a couple of singles, which Shiplake cancelled with a pair. With a 6 shot lead and only 2 ends to play, Shiplake looked comfortable, but Watlington finished well with two pairs and failed by only 2 shots. 17-15 and 2 PC points for Shiplake.

There was a very close result on Rink 2. Janet Townley, Keith Walters and David Challis swapped singles on the first 2 ends, then scored 6 shots in 3 ends to lead 7-1. A single apiece and 4 shots from Watlington and Shiplake held an 8-6 lead after 8 ends. Two more singles were cancelled by a pair from Watlington, then a single from Shiplake was hammered by a single and a 5 from Watlington. With 13 ends played, Shiolake now trailed 11-13. They won 3 of the final 5 ends with singles, but 2 singles from Watlington saw them home by 15-14.

The final rink was also close. Sue Pitcher, Elaine Robinson and Jim Bland won the first 2 ends with singles, then conceded a single and a 3. A single on end 5 was beaten by a pair and a single from Watlington. Four shots and a single put Shiplake narrowly ahead 8-7 at the halfway stage. Watlington scored a pair on ends 10 and 12 and Shiplake scored three and a single on ends 13 and 15 and the gap remained the same. Watlington then set off on a 4 end run of wins: 1,2,1,2 and Shiplake were in trouble; 12-17 behind with one end to play. A pair on the final end was not enough and they lost 14-17.

August 9th

This was the day for our annual long haul to Long Crendon. We took 5 triples. Linda and Scott Jennings made their inter-club debuts  This was a real baptism of fire for them, with Shiplake losing on all 5 rinks and scoring only 57 shots, while conceding 113.

The best performance was on Rink 1, which was low scoring. Neil Warley, Lorraine Walters and Damien Cleary battled gamely to win 6 of the 18 ends, but succumbed 7-16.

On Rink 4, Linda Jennings, Dave Bullock and Pete Leverett did little better. They also won 6 ends and lost 12-21.

Rink 5 managed 7 winning ends. Scott Jennings, Margaret Bullock and David Challis lost 13-24.

Also winning 7 ends, Wendy Cross, Keith Walters and Sue Pitcher went down by 14-25 on Rink 2.

Finally, we had Rink 3. I will not name the players, as they know who they are! Defeated 11-27, they have suffered enough.

This was not a good day, but it was a chance to blood new players for the future.

August 12th

Tonight's match was a 5 Triple Friendly against Woodley. This was a good result for Shiplake; winning 3-2 on rinks and 97-70 on shots. There were no trial ends, as it was very hot.

The biggest winners for Shiplake were David Lloyd, Lorraine Walters and Damien Cleary on Rink 5. Aftr scoring a single on the first end, they lost the next 2 ends to singles. However, a run of wins, with 3 singles 2 pairs and a 5, took them 13-2 ahead. Woodley had a short run of success, with 3 successive singles, before Shiplake re-established their dominance. Two pairs and a three put them 20-5 in front, before Woodley scored 2 shots on end 16. Shiplake rounded off the evening with two pairs and the final score was 24-7. A resounding victory!

On Rink 3, Neil Warley, Mike Lovejoy and Wendy Cross had a good win. A single on the first end was matched by a Woodley single on end 2, then Shiplake scored 4,2,1 to lead 8-1. Woodley responded well, with 1,2,3 and there was only a single shot in it. Two singles by Shiplake were matched by a pair from Woodley, then Shiplake scored a pair and a 3 to lead 15-9. Woodley made their final contribution to the scoreboard with two shots on end 14. Shiplake saw out the match with 1,2,4,1 for a 23-11 win.

The other winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 4. A poor start, including a 5 from Woodley, left them trailing 0-7 after 3 ends. A quick recovery saw Shiplake score 6 shots on end 4 and 2 shots on end 5 and they were 8-7 ahead. Four Shiplake shots on end 7 were bracketed by two singles from Woodley, then Shiplake scored a pair and a single, to lead 15-9. Woodley now set off on a winning run, with 4 of the next 5 ends (2,2,2,1), interrupted by 2 shots from Shiplake on end 12. After 15 ends, Shiplake held a slender one shot advantage. They scored a pair and a single, making Woodley's single on the final end insufficient, and Shiplake were 20-17 winners.

The Shiplake triple on Rink 6 were narrowly defeated. Martin Hedges, Marilyn Mowatt and Pete Leverett lost the first 4 ends and trailed 0-6. Three shots on end 5 were outmatched by two pairs from Woodley and Shiplake were 7 shots behind. Shiplake managed a couple of singles, before Woodley added 6 shots with a 4 end winning run. Shiplake finally managed to gain some traction with a run of 3,4,1, but were still 3 shots behind. A single from Woodley put the game just beyond Shiplake's reach and, despite scoring 3 shots on the final end, they went down 16-17. 

Shiplake's fifth rink also lost by a small margin. On Rink 2 Heather Fay, Keith Walters and Jim Bland won the first 2 ends, but lost the following 2 and trailed by 2-4. A single and a 3 took them into the lead 6-4, but Woodley responded with 2,1,1 and 2, interrupted by a single from Shiplake. After 11 ends Woodley led 10-7. Shiplake levelled the score with 3 shots on end 12, but Woodley scored two shots on end 13 to take the lead once more. A single from Shiplake was followed by a single and a 5 from Woodley. With two ends to play, Shiplake had their backs to the wall, 7 shots behind. A pair and a single were not enough and they succumbed 14-18.

August 15th

We had a very important OTL match against Palmer Park today. Only half a point behind them, a win would have done us the power of good. Unfortunately, it was not to be and the match ended with Shiplake losing on 4 rinks and drawing the other one. This gave us only 1 OTL point and Palmer Park gained 13, increasing the gap substantially. The overall shot count was 85-59 in Palmer Park's favour.

The point scoring rink for Shiplake was Rink 3. Ruth Copp, Dave Bullock and John Townley were 2-4 behind after 5 ends, but levelled the scores at 5-5 by end 8. It was 6-6 two ends later and three ends after that, a three from Shiplake had matched a single and a pair from Palmer Park and the scores were once again level at 9-9, with 5 ends to play. Two shots from Shiplake were followed by 2 shots from Palmer Park and the score was 11-11. Palmer Park won ends 16 and 17 with singles and Shiplake scored 2 shots on the final end, for a draw.

On Rink 2 Janet Townley, Mike Lovejoy and Damien Cleary won the first 2 ends, but lost the next two and it was 2-2. They then scored 4 shots, but  Palmer Park scored 5 shots over the next 4 ends to lead 7-6. Shiplake replied with a pair and two singles, to lead 10-7, but a 3 from Palmer Park levelled the scores. A single from Shiplake on end 14 was topped by two singles and a 3 from Palmer Park, leaving Shiplake a target of 5 shots on the final end to win. They scored two, but it was not enough and they lost 13-15.

Margaret Bullock, Chris Emmett and David Challis fought hard on Rink 5, before succumbing 14-16. The score was 4-4 after 6 ends, then Shiplake scored 4 shots to take the lead. A three and a pair from Palmer Park edged them into the lead, but Shiplake scored a single to level the scores once more. There followed two singles from each team and the score was 11-11 after 14 ends. Palmer Park had the better of the final 4 ends, winning 3 and scoring a single and two pairs. In reply Shiplake scored 3 shots on end 16, but the game went to Plamer Park.

An unfortunate result on Rink 4. The score after 15 ends was level at 10-10, then a disastrous last 3 ends were won by Palmer Park 13-1 and Shiplake went down to an 11-23 defeat.

The triple on Rink 1 were outgunned from the start and were beatem 8-18.

August 16th

A trip to Maidenhead Thicket today, for a friendly match, did not go particularly well. The weather was good and the company was pleasant. Not so the result, losing on 3 of the 5 rinks and on shots by 61-96.

Best of the day for Shiplake was Rink 3. Sandra Gough, Barrie Jones (playing his first match at 2) and Jane Ward started slowly and trailed 1-3 after 4 ends. A run of 5 winning ends (1,2,3,1,1) gave them a 9-3 lead, before Maidenhead pulled one back. Shiplake then scored 3 successive singles, before conceding another shot. With 4 ends to play, Shiplake were leading 12-4. Four shots on end 15 and a pair on end 17 were more than enough, with Maidenhead scoring singles on the other two. 18-7 to Shiplake and a good day's work.

Two rinks down, on Rink 5, Dave Ward, Lorraine Walters and Alan Gough won 3 of the first 4 ends and led 6-1. They then conceded a single and a 4 and the scores were level. The momentum swung back to Shiplake, with a single and a 3, for a 10-6 lead. Two singles to one over the next three ends put Maidenhead back in the hunt at 8-11, but Shiplake scored a 5 and a single, to lead 17-8 with 5 ends to play. Maidenhead won 3 of the 5 ends, scoring a three and two singles. Shiplake replied with a single and a pair, for a 20-13 victory.

On Rink 6 Marilyn Mowatt, Keith Walters and Jean Buckett (playing at Skip for a change), won the first 5 ends and built up a 9-0 lead. Maidenhead replied with 3 singles, then Shiplake added a single of their own. Maidenhead now took over. Six winning ends and 12 shots put them 15-10 ahead, with 3 ends to play. Shiplake hung on gallantly, scoring 4 shots to one from Maidenhead, but the game was lost 14-20.

The other two Shiplake rinks would have preferred to stay at home and watch TV.

August 19th

As there was no fixture this evening, Wendy organised a "Yardstick" competition. This is a fun event, which we have held once before this season. The format was the same as Points, with teams drawn at random. In a Yardstick, all the woods are bowled as normal and points are judged by using a stick one yard in length. One end of the stick is placed against the jack and the stick is rotated 360 degrees. All woods with any part inside that circle score a point, with the nearest to the jack getting the mat on the next end.

There was no entry fee and no prize. 16 players took part and we all had a fun time, followed by a drink for those who wanted to stay. This event will become a regular feature of our in-house fun events.

August 22nd

We played Hagbourne in a Plomer Cup match today. It was not one of our finest performances and resulted in a heavy defeat, by 4 rinks to one. This gave us 2 points in the Plomer Cup, which was far fewer than we wanted. The only winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 5. Sandra Gough, Keith Walters and Damien Cleary snatched a 16-14 win in a very tight contest. A slow start left them 0-6 down after 4 ends, but two pairs and a single closed the gap to a single shot by end 7. Hagbourne scored two shots, then Shiplake replied with two pairs and were finally ahead after 10 ends:- 9-8. The next three ends brought a pair and a single from Hagbourne and two singles from Shiplake and it was all square again at 11-11. Four ends to play and it was still neck and neck. First blood went to Shiplake, with a single and a pair, but Hagbourne responded with 3 shots on end 17. At 14-14, we now had a last end shoot out, which Shiplake duly won by 2 shots, to claim the victory.

August 23rd

Our in-house Drawn Fours event today was well attended, with 20 entrants. Those involved were allocated to a team by a random draw. The 5 teams all played each other on a Round Robin basis and the two highest scoring teams played in the Final.

The finalists were: John Townley, Lorraine Walters, Dave Bullock and Chris Emmett v Pete Leverett, Heather Fay, Keith Walters and Martin Hedges.

The winning team was that led by John Townley. Well done to them and commiserations to their opponents.

August 26th

We travelled to Pangbourne today, for our delayed OTL fixture against Pangbourne. Unfortunately, this match did not reverse the run of poor results we have had recently. We lost on 4 rinks and drew one, thus gaining only 1 OTL point and losing 57-95 on shots. 

The drawn rink was David Lloyd, Dave Bullock and Elaine Robinson, who started with a flourish and led 7-0 after 5 ends. Three shots from Pangbourne set them back a bit, but a single and a pair against Pangbourne's solitary single gave them a 10-4 lead at the halfway point. Pangbourne then won 3 ends (1,3,1) and Shiplake's lead was reduced to a single shot. Shiplake scored a single on end 13, but 3 successive singles and a pair gave the lead to Pangbourne by 3 shots, with one end to play. Shiplake responded magnificently and snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat with 3 shots on the final end. 14-14 and one point.

Shiplake were narrowly defeated on Rink 1. Neil Warley, Janet Townley and Damien Cleary were 0-5 behind after 3 ends, then scored two shots on end 4. Pangbourne responded with a pair and a single, to lead 8-2. A single from Shiplake was followed by 3 shots from Pangbourne and there was an 8 shot gap. Shiplake reduced it to two with 3,2,1, but Pangbourne scored 2 shots on end 12, to lead 13-9. Shiplake won 4 of the remaining 6 ends, but scored only 6 shots, against 5 from Pangbourne. The result was a narrow defeat: 15-18.

On Rink 3 Margaret Bullock, Alan Gough and Jane Ward had a very tough game. Despite building up some good heads, Pangbourne managed to get the vital scoring shots and led 6-1 after 6 ends. Shiplake scored a single and a three, but Pangbourne scored two pairs and the situation had not changed by by end 10. Four of the next 5 ends went to Pangbourne and Shiplake were 7-15 behind, with 3 ends to play. Despite scoring a three and a single, they conceded a single on the final end and went down by 11-16.

August 29th

We hosted Hagbourne today in a Plomer Cup match. We were hoping to reverse the result we achieved when we visited them earlier in the season. That had been a loss, by 4 rinks to 1 and 10 PC points to 2. Happily, we managed to reverse the result exactly, winning by 4 rinks to 1 and scoring 10 PC points.

Highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 3. Chris Emmett, Lorraine Walters and Jim Bland were 1-3 behind after 3 ends, but levelled the scores by end 5. Five shots on end 6 and two on end 7 gave them a 10-3 lead, before Hagbourne replied with two singles. A four and two singles from Shiplake was more than a match for the single from Hagbourne and it was 16-6. Three successive singles from Hagbourne took their score to 9, but they scored no more and Shiplake saw out the game with 1,2,3 for a 22-9 win and two PC points.

On Rink 2, Neil Warley, Keith Walters and Jane Ward started with two singles, to which Hagbourne replied in equal measure. A run of 1,1,3,3 gave Shiplake a 10-2 lead, then Hagbourne scored a pair and a single to close the gap to 5 shots. Two singles from each team left the score at 12-7 in Shiplake's favour, before Shiplake rounded off the match with two 5 counts, against a single and a pair from Hagbourne. Two more PC points gained, in a 22-10 victory.

Next door, on Rink 1, Sandra Gough, Elaine Robinson and David Challis started extremely well, with 4 shots  on the first end. They added a single, then Hagbourne scored 3 shots on end 3. Four winning ends, including another 4, gave Shiplake a commanding 12-3 lead after 7 ends.  Hagbourne pulled back a couple of singles, then Shiplake scored 2 shots, to restore the balance. Hagbourne then found a run of form, winning 5 ends and adding 8 shots to their total. With 3 ends to play, the game was delicately balanced at Shiplake 14, Hagbourne 13. Two shots from Shiplake eased their nerves, but Hagbourne scored a single on end 17. Shipake could not afford to slip up. They held their nerves and scored a single on the final end, for a 17-14 victory and two more precious PC points.

Further down the green, there was a close match on Rink 4. Margaret Bullock, Alan Gough and Pete Leverett conceded 3 shots on the first end, but won the next 4 ends, all with singles, to take the lead. Hagbourne scored a single, but Shiplake matched it and added a 4 and a single, to establish a 10-4 lead. Hagbourne came back with a pair, but Shiplake responded with 3 shots, to increase their lead still further. On end 12, Hagbourne scored 4 shots and Shiplake's lead was not so comfortable, but they responded with a 4 of their own. With 5 ends to play, Shiplake held a 7 shot lead. Three shots from Hagbourne, followed by 2 from Shiplake, reduced the lead then Hagbourne scored two 3's and it was 19-19, with one end to play. Hagbourne were in a commanding position, when they knocked the jack back to Alan Gough's wood, which was waiting at the back. A very close 20-19 win and 2 more PC points for Shiplake.

Shiplake's remaining rink was Sue Pitcher, Dave Bullock and Wendy Cross. A slow start saw them lose the first 4 ends and trail 0-6. They scored a single on end 5, but lost the next 4 ends (2,1,1,2). Now 1-12 behind, Shiplake won 4 successive ends (1,2,1,1), to narrow the gap to 6 shots. Hagbourne scored two shots on end 14, but the final 4 ends belonged to Shiplake. Scoring 2,1,1,1 was not enough, however, and they lost by 11-14 and the clean sweep did not materialise.