June 2026

June 3rd 2026

On a wet, miserable Wednesday evening we played Twyford in a Home Friendly match, reduced to 4 rinks by Twyford. The overall result was close, with Twyford gaining a narrow victory by 61-52. The Rink score was 2-2.

The best performance of the night was by Neil Warley, Sue Pitcher and Pete Leverett. There was not much in it for most of the game: 3-3 after 4 ends, 4-4 after six. A three on end 8 finally gave Shiplake a two shot advantage, but by end 12 it was level again at 9-9. Shiplake then had a run of 4 winning ends and put themselves 18-9 ahead. Twyford rallied to win the final 2 ends with a single and a pair, but Shiplake were the winners by  18-12.

Success also for Roger Horton, David Lloyd and Wendy Cross. They got off to a flying start and led 6-1 after 4 ends. Twyford hit back with a pair on ends 5 and 6, to cut the gap to 1 shot. Shiplake scored 5 shots to one from Twyford over the following 4 ends and  established an 11-6 lead. This was soon cancelled by Twyford, with a 2 and a 3,

and we were all square again at 11-11. A single by Shiplake on end 13 was surpassed by 4 shots from Twyford on end 14 and Shiplake were now trailing by 12-15. A late rally, winning the final 4 ends 1,2,1,1 secured the victory for Shiplake by 19-15.

The other two Shiplake rinks had a tough time, but contributed shots to the overall score.

June 6th 

A disappointing day today. Continual rain and no sign of a let up resulted in the cancellation of the fixture with Harwell, which had already been reduced to only 3 rinks.

June 7th

A break in the spell of wet weather meant that the Friendly fixture with Maidenhead Thicket was able to go ahead and Shiplake made the most of it, with a good win, by 88-56. Wins on 3 out of 4 rinks made the day a resounding success.

Top scorers for Shiplake were Rink 2. Dave Bullock, Jane Ward and Jeff Harris won the first 5 ends, to lead 8-0, before Maidenhead scored singles on the next 2 ends. Shiplake were quickly back into their stride with scores of 2 and 4. Another single from Maidenhead left Shiplake ahead by 14-3. The next 4 ends went to Shiplake (3,1,2,1) and it was 21-3, with 4 ends to play. Maidenhead had the better of these and scored 3 singles to one from Shiplake, but the end result was a resounding 22-6 to Shiplake.

There was another good win on Rink 4. David Lloyd, Jean Buckett and Pete Leverett started slowly and were 0-5 down after 4 ends, but took the lead with a 4 and a 2 in the next two. The next 6 ends were dominated by Shiplake, scoring 13 shots to Maidenhead's one. Shiplake now held a very comfortable 19-6 lead. Maidenhead were not yet beaten and scored 1, 1 and 4 over the succeeding 3 ends, to narrow the gap to 12-19. Shiplake rallied once more and ended the game with 1,2, 2 for a 24-12 win.

Rink 5 had a narrower win, but a win nonetheless. Margaret Bullock, Keith Walters and Sylvia Blackmore scored three on end 1, but conceded 4, 1, 4 and 2 on the next four, to go behind by 3-11. A reversal of fortunes on end 6 saw the start of a 5 end winning run from Shiplake; scoring 1, 3, 2, 3 and 2. They now had the lead at 14-11. Four shots from Maidenhead took them into the lead 15-11, but 3, 4 and 2 from Shiplake redressed the balance and they had a healthy 23-15 lead. Another 4 and a single from Maidenhead beat the single and pair from Shiplake on the final 4 ends, with Shiplake victorious at 24-20 after a "Thrills and Spills" game. 

The only defeat for Shiplake was a narrow one on Rink 3. Martin Hedges made his team debut at lead, ably supported by Lorraine Walters and Wendy Cross. After losing the first 2 ends by a single, they scored 2 on end 3 to level. Two more singles were conceded, before a run of 3 winning ends (2,2,3) stretched the lead to 9-4. There followed an exchange of singles, before Maidenhead scored 5 and 2 to take the lead. A three and a single from Shiplake were matched by 4 shots from Maidenhead, leaving Shiplake trailing by 14-16. Two shots apiece on the final 3 ends and it finished 18-16 in Maidenhead's favour.

June 9th

Update to Used Clothing Section on the website. Badges sewn on and prices for sale items

June 10th

This was not a night we wish to remember. In a match reduced from 5 to 4 triples by Suttons, Shiplake loaned Suttons 3 good players, so that the match would not be reduced to only 3 Triples. Ironically, all 3 loan players played well, contributing to a heavy defeat for Shiplake. The overall result was a win for Suttons by 99-42 and 4 rinks to nil. The uncertain weather and light meant that we played one on the first 2 ends, with no trial ends.

Two of Shiplake's Triples avoided heavy defeat, but were not good enough to win.

On Rink 4 David Lloyd, Marilyn Mowatt and Alan Gough won the first 2 ends (maximum 1), but had a nightmare on end 3, conceding 5. They recovered quickly, winning 4 of the succeeding 5 ends, to level the score at 7-7. Another poor end by Shiplake resulted in a concession of 4 shots and a run of 7 winning ends from Suttons. By end 15 Shiplake trailed by 7-18. A spirited fight back added 5 shots to their score and, with Suttons winning the final end with a single, a loss by 12-19.

Rink 5 was the Triple of Chris Emmett, Ruth Copp and Jim Bland. They were always struggling against the Suttons team, winning only 3 of the first 11 ends, with one tied end, and trailed 3-11. A good run of ends, winning with 2, 3, 2 brought them within reach at 10-11. However, Suttons finished strongly, winning 3 of the final 4 ends to win 18-11.

June 13th

Maiden Erlegh were the visitors today in an OTL match. We had beaten them on their home green, so they were set on reversing the result. This resulted in a very tight match, with Shiplake winning 3 rinks and losing 2. Maiden Erlegh scored 81 shots to 75 from Shiplake, giving them 8 OTL points, with Shiplake scoring 6 points.

The highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 3, with Margaret Bullock, Lorraine Walters and John Townley winning by the narrow margin of 17-13. A slow start from Shiplake left them 0-5 behind after 4 ends. Both teams scored two singles on the next 4 ends and M.E. led by 7-2. Shiplake reduced the deficit to 4 shots, with 2 singles to M.E's 1 over the following three ends. Two shots from M.E. increased their lead to 10-4, but Shiplake dominated the next 3 ends, with 2,1,4 and took the lead for the first time at 11-10. Three shots from M.E and they were once again in the lead. Shiplake were not ready to concede and scored 2 and 4 on the final 2 ends to win 17-13.

An even narrower victory went to Mick Lovejoy, Jean Buckett and Janet Townley on Rink 6. In a very evenly matched game, Shiplake scored 2 shots on end 1, matched by M.E on end 2. Two singles from Shiplake were surpassed by two singles and a pair from M.E, then Shiplake scored 1,2,1 to lead 8-6 after 10 ends.  More than half the match played and nothing in it.  A three and a single from M.E and they now held the lead 10-8. Again Shiplake came back, with 2,1,1,1 and regained the lead at 13-10. M.E were not yet out of it and scored two shots on end 17, to get within one shot. Shiplake finally put the game to bed with a single on the final end. Final score Shiplake 14, Maiden Erlegh 12.

There was an even closer game on Rink 5. Sandra Gough, David Lloyd and Jane Ward started very well, winning the first 5 ends and establishing an 8-0 lead. M.E hit back with 1,2,1, then Shiplake scored a single and the score was 9-4 in Shiplake's favour. This lead was reduced to one, when M.E scored 4 shots on end 10. A two and a three restored a healthy lead for Shiplake, at 14-8. Maiden Erlegh then launched a strong reply, with 3,3,2,2  and put themselves in front 18-14, with 2 ends to play. Victory was looking to be on the cards, But they were rocked back by a score of 6 shots for Shiplake on end 17. Now 18-20 behind, M.E could score only one shot on the final end. leaving Shiplake winners by 20-19.

Beaten, but not disgraced, were Laurie Mowatt, Keith Walters and Sylvia Blackmore on Rink 2. They lost the first two ends, to trail 0-4, but came back with a single and a pair on the next two ends. The teams swapped singles on the next 2 ends, before Maiden Erlegh won 4 ends in a row (2,1,2,2), to forge ahead by 12-4. Three shots on end 11 narrowed the gap, but M.E replied with a pair on end 12. Shiplake got the better of the remainder of the game, winning 4 of the 6 ends played and scoring six shots to M.E's three and losing by 13-17.

The final rink was Rink 1. Marilyn Mowatt, Dave Bullock and Alan Gough were under a lot of pressure in the first half of the match, winning only 3 of the first 9 ends and trailing 5-13. They held their own in the second half, scoring 6 shots to 7 from Maiden Erlegh and winning 4 ends to M.E's five. The final score was 20-11 in Maiden Erlegh's favour.

June 14th

The Friendly match against Wargrave today was, disappointingly, reduced to 3 Triples, as Wargrave were unable to find enough players. However, we had a good afternoon, playing in sunny weather against a very friendly Wargrave team. Despite the fact that we beat them, they provided us with sandwiches made by Norah, Captain on the day.  The overall result was a win for Shiplake by 2 rinks to 1 and  50 shots to 42.

Highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 4, with Neil Warley, Marilyn Mowatt and Alan Gough dominating the game, winning 11 of the 16 ends played. The game on this rink was reduced by 2 ends, owing to a medical problem with one of the Wargrave players, who had to be substituted. Wargrave won end 1 with a single, then Shiplake scored a single and a pair. A single on end 4 from Wargrave preceded a 5 end run of success for Shiplake, including 5 shots on end 7, to lead by 12-2 after 9 ends. The next 4 ends were shared, 2 singles apiece, before scores of 1,3,2 made it 19-4 in Shiplake's favour. The final end was won by Wargrave, with a single. Final score 19-5 to Shiplake.

There was a very much narrower Shiplake win on Rink 2. Chris Emmett, Sandra Gough and Jane Ward started well, with a single and a pair. The next 3 ends saw Shiplake score a pair, which was matched by two singles from Wargrave. End 6 saw a change in momentum, as Shiplake won 4 successive ends, scoring 7 shots, to lead 12-2. The momentum now shifted again as Wargrave recorded a string of 6 winning ends, adding 11 shots and edging ahead by 13-12. A pair from Shiplake gave them back the lead by one shot and set up a nail biting finish. End 17 went to Wargrave by 3 shots and Shiplake now had to show real character, as they were 2 shots down. They held their nerve, scoring 3 shots on the final end, to win by a very close 17 shots to 16. Well done! Many thanks to Sandra Gough, who travelled to the match with Alan, as a spectator. Thanks to a "Plan for all eventualities" attitude, she was able to step in when one of the Shiplake players failed to materialise.

The triple on Rink 3 did not have the best of times. Laurie Mowatt, Ali Uygur and Wendy Cross started well enough, scoring 5 shots on end 3 and leading 6-2. Wargrave came back at them and won 3 of the next 4 ends, to take the lead 8-7. Shiplake levelled the scores with a single, but Wargrave scored 5 shots on end 9 and added 3 more winning ends and 6 more shots, to establish a good lead at 19-8. A five end run of success from Shjiplake narrowed the gap to 14-19, with one end to play. However, the 6 shots required were not forthcoming and Wargrave won the final end with a pair, to win 21-14.

June 17th

We staged a MiniMax competition tonight, as there was a space on the fixture calendar. This competition has become very popular, helping members to cope with the switch from maximum length to minimum length jacks. There were 16 members in attendance, allowing us to draw randomly two Triples and a pair. The weather was pleasantly cool and dry and we played 16 ends. Some members went home to watch the football, others to do other things. With the bar open, a number of us stayed behind for a drink and a chat. All in all, a fun, sociable evening.

June 20th

A friendly, away at Harwell, was the match for today. It was reduced to 3 Triples, as Harwell were unable to find enough players. This would be our only fixture against Harwell, as the game at Shiplake was cancelled by Harwell.  Alan Gough stepped in as Captain for the day. Once again, we were blessed with reasonable weather and Harwell made us feel very welcome. The result went in Shiplake's favour, winning all 3 rinks and scoring 54 shots to Harwell's 40.

Highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 3 with Marilyn Mowatt, Chris Emmett and Alan Gough leading the charge. It was a very close game for the first 8 ends, with Shiplake always keeping slightly ahead. Three shots on end 9 gave Harwell a 7-5 lead.  By end 13, Harwell had stretched their lead to 11-7 and it didn't look great for Shiplake. However, they shifted up a gear and won the final 5 ends, adding 13 shots and winning the rink by 20-11.

On Rink 4 Neil Warley, Sandra Gough and Dave Bullock traded shots and it was 5-5 after 8 ends. They then piled on the pressure, winning 5 of the next 7 ends (2,2,3,1,2) and conceding only 2 shots. Now, on end 15, they had a very healthy 15-7 lead. A loose end nearly capsized the ship, when Harwell scored 6 shots and reduced the lead to two. The Shiplake triple held their nerve and scored singles on the last 2 ends, to win 17-13.

Things were even more tense on Rink 2. Laurie Mowatt, Margaret Bullock and Jeff Harris won 2 of the first 5 ends and were 3-3. A score of 7 shots on end 6 launched them into a clear lead, but Harwell chipped away, winning the next 4 ends with singles. A single from Shiplake on end 11 interrupted the flow, but Harwell scored 4.2.2.1 to lead 16-11, with 3 ends to play. A rally from Shiplake, scoring 6 shots and winning the last 3 ends, secured the win at 17-16.

June 21st

On a very hot sunny day, we played the first Plomer Cup match of the season. As it was so hot, their were no trial ends and a maximum of one shot on the first 2 ends. It was a very good day for Shiplake. We won 4 of the 5 Rinks, gained 10 Points to Didcot's 2 and won the shot count 93-69.

Highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 6. Dave Bullock, Lorraine Walters and Jane Ward won 12 of the 18 ends, for a clear victory. Singles on the first 2 ends were interrupted by a single from Didcot, before Shiplake won the next 4 ends, adding another 8 shots to their total. Two shots from Didcot on end 8 did little to stem the tide. Shiplake scored 3 shots on end 9 and, at the halfway point, they were 13-3 ahead. Didcot scored another 2 shots on end 10, but Shiplake added 5 shots on the next 2 ends, increasing the lead to 18-5. The rest of the game followed the same pattern, with Shiplake adding 6 shots and Didcot three, as they shared the spoils, as far as ends went. A win for Shiplake by 24-8.

Next door, on Rink 5, Sandra Gough, Janet Townley and Jim Bland had a very evenly matched first half to their game.They had started well, winning 5 of the first 6 ends and leading 6-1, but Didcot scored a two and a three on ends 7 and 8 to make it 6-6. The Shiplake machine got started again and added 8 shots over the next 4 ends, to lead 14-6 after 12 ends. Didcot hit back, with a 3 and a single and it was 14-10. Two singles from Shiplake were matched by a pair from Didcot, then Shiplake put the cherry on top of the cake, with 5 shots on the final end. A good 21-12 win.

Rink 2 was the triple of Keith Walters, Jean Buckett and John Townley. Always in front, they steadily added to their shot count, winning 10 of the 18 ends. They scored 5 shots on end 6, three on end 9, pairs on ends 4 and 14 and the ends they lost were by singles and one pair. This was a very steady result at 18-9.

It was a very different story on Rink 1. David Lloyd, Alan Gough and Elaine Robinson struggled with the conditions and trailed Didcot after the first end. They won only 2 of the first 9 ends and were 3-12 behind. This was the epitomy of a "Game of Two Halves," as they lost only one of the remaining 9 ends to a single, while scoring 14 shots and emerging as worthy winners by 17-13.

The only losing rink for Shiplake was Rink 4 (Margaret Bullock, Pete Leverett and Wendy Cross). In a close game, they took an early lead and were 4-1 ahead after 5 ends. A Didcot revival added 5 shots to their total in 2 ends and Didcot jumped ahead by 6-4. Shiplake scored a single on end 8, but then it was all Didcot again, with 5 winning ends adding 8 shots to their tally. At 5-14 down, with only 7 ends to play, Shiplake needed to buckle down. They did their best, scoring 1, 2 and 5, but a single and a pair from Didcot was enough for them to hang on 17-13.

June 27th

Today, we hosted 4 Triples from Great Hollands, in a Friendly match. It was fiercely hot, so there were no trial ends and the game was stopped after 16 ends, owing to the effects of the heat on the Great Hollands players. The result was a 3 rinks to 1 victory for Shiplake and a winning score of 60-53.

Results on all of the rinks were close, but the highest winning rink for Shiplake was Rink 1. Laurie Mowatt, Ruth Copp and Jim Bland lost the first 2 ends, but a score of 6 on end 4, coupled with a pair, gave them an 8-3 lead. GH won 3 of the next 4 ends, scoring 7 shots to Shiplake's 3, and Shiplake were only one shot ahead at 11-10. Three winning ends (2,1,2) took Shiplake into a clear lead by 16 shots to 10. The two sides scored two singles apiece on the last 4 ends and it finished with an 18-12 win for Shiplake.

On Rink 2, Neil Warley, Marilyn Mowatt and Alan Gough managed to sneak a very narrow win. They lost two of the first three ends and trailed 1-3. A pair on end 2 brought them clcloser and two singles to GH's one gave Shiplake the lead after 7 ends, by 5-4. The scores remained close for the next 3 ends, with Shiplake retaining a one shot lead. Three shots on end 11 put GH in the lead again (9-7), but Shiplake then had a run of 4 winning ends and led 14-9 after end 15. With only one end to play, a sloppy performance by Shiplake on end 16 gifted 4 shots to Great Hollands; not quite enough to win and Shiplake were 14-13 winners.

There was another very close result on Rink 6. Chris Emmett, Sue Pitcher and Keith Walters won only one of the first 5 ends and were 1-4 down, but then won 4 ends in a row, to lead 9-4 after 9 ends. GH won the next 3 ends and reduced the deficit to one shot. Shiplake won 2 ends (1,2) and GH did the same, thus making a final score of Shiplake 12, Great Hollands 11.

The only loss for Shiplake was again very close. On Rink 5, Mick Lovejoy, Sandra Gough and Lorraine Walters lost the first 2 ends, but scored 1 and 5 on the next 2, giving them a 6-2 lead. Two shots from GH were outmatched by 8 shots over 4 winning ends from Shiplake and Shiplake held a commanding lead:- 14-4. Now the tide started to turn, as GH scored two 3's and a single to reduce the gap to 3 shots. Two shots on end 13 gave Shiplake a 5 shot cushion, but it wasn't enough. GH finished strongly, scoring 2,3,1 to win 17-16.

It was a lovely afternoon, played in a great spirit, and it gave Lorraine and Keith the chance to Skip a rink in a match for the first time. Thanks to both of them for stepping up.