Thornton Club

Our St Patrick's Themed Night was a big success with everyone getting in the spirit.

There was singing, dancing, and great food. Special thanks to Duncan & Ann for their wonderful Carrot & Muffin cakes.

The entertainer was from Liverpool and sang all the favourites.

Congratulations to our best-dressed winners - Scottie, Julie, and Shane.

https://www.cambridgenews.nz/2024/02/the-carnival-is-over/?fbclid=IwAR3i-LH4vQcDdL35ketmrnAMS6L-hIK_-xMW2QHY5LnTPD5NXPRKV_3xBuo

Check out the wonderful coverage given to us by The Cambridge News. In the words of the "Seekers", the Carnival is Over, but not the great spirit and camaraderie of our club.

Get on down to 37 Thornton Road for great social and bowls events!

Click on the picture to see the report and check out the "Cambridge Bowling Club" page for extra news about our club. Our annual Business House Bowls is a great drawcard and brings so many of our wonderful towns-folk together in a super fun, but oft-times competitive event.

The carnival is over… - Cambridge News And just like that, the 125th birthday party is over. The ‘Summer of Celebration’ for Cambridge Bowling Club started in November last year with afternoon tea for dignitaries and life members and ended on Sunday...

The finale of our 125th Anniversary celebrations is on Sunday 11 Feb. This will take place on the grounds of our club, when everyone is invited to listen to music from the bandstand (11am-3pm) and watch the annual local bowling derby between our club and Central Cambridge Bowling Club.

We are calling this event "Picnic in the Park" to simulate the wonderful photo from our archives and also on display at ONYX restaurant. All members, their families, friends and neighbours are invited to be part of this occasion. Do mark you diary, and spend some time chilling out, as did our forebears in this wonderful photo from 1916.

For wonderful photos of the event, check out the Cambridge Bowling Club Facebook site. Here is a taste of what's on there!

“SPORTS THROUGH THE AGES”

The third of four 125th Anniversary events took place at the Cambridge Bowling Club on Wednesday 22nd November. This one was geared to celebrate with our members.

So many came along in sporting gear and brought items of memorabilia to adorn our “Achievement/Brag Board”. It was a great talking point, as we learned of past achievements and sporting prowess. It’s such a pleasure when people get into the spirit of an occasion.

As for the past 125 years, a game of bowls was of course on offer, but we added Pétanque, golf putting, snooker, darts, Jenga, and all manner of board games.

The event was sponsored by Ryman Healthcare Cambridge – with David de Veth, our friendly sales executive from “Patrick Hogan Retirement Village”, on site to present ‘goodie bags’ and help judge the fun prizes. Thank you!

There were some lucky raffle winners, and the following went home with sweet treats as judged by David and Club President, Peter Hand.
• Best Dressed Male: Les Walsh
• Best Dressed Female: Dorothy Stubbins
• Most Traditional: Don Wilson
• Most impressive achievement: Jeff and Margaret Stott
• Medal/trophy won at the youngest age: Phil Muncaster
• Judges’ choice: Robyn Smith

Special thanks to Club member Bruce Hancock, for taking the bulk of the photos (to follow), such a great pictorial for our archives, along with the wonderful slide show he has created.

Enjoy the wonderful coverage given to us by Mary Anne Gill, Cambridge News. Our formal afternoon tea on 4th November 2023, to celebrate the 125th birthday of the club, was a great success.

Birthday roll up - Cambridge News It will be a long summer of celebration for members of the Cambridge Bowling Club which is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Mary Anne Gill was there on Saturday with her camera and notebook for the...

Swanning Around

Further delving into the archives and unearthing this intriguing photo, makes it ironic that our scribe has recently quoted that the Cambridge Bowling Club 125th Anniversary Committee is looking calm and poised, but paddling frantically underwater to keep the momentum until our first celebratory event on 2nd November.

Inside a box of dusty photographs and files, the self-appointed archivist rubbed her eyes and declared, “there are swans on the bowling green in this old photo, and one of them is enormous!” What do our readers think?

Our club opening day is Saturday 2nd September, so now is a great time to join up and take advantage of a full year of bowling. People of all ages are very welcome to give bowls a go - hopefully without a giant swan in sight!

Successful Floodlight Trial and lucky night for Bill Robinson!

Last week revered Club Patron, Ian Rogers, officially flicked the switch to turn on the new Cambridge Bowling Club floodlights. The green looked a picture, and our bowlers were excited to have a go. So it was, at 6 pm on Friday 4th August, a group of well wrapped up bowlers lined up at dusk on a chilly winter’s evening, all ready to roll.

Six ends of informal triples were enjoyed, before members repaired to the cosy clubrooms where, over warming refreshments, they all concluded that the lights were a great success. Comments included - “it was very easy to see the ends of the green", and "there was no glare as often happens in bright sunlight during the day”, and “won’t this be great on summer evenings”.

And as luck would have it, the photographer of our happy group, had a good night too. Not only did his name come up in one of the raffles, he scooped the pool in the membership draw. Well done Bill!

Although we all imagined that this was the first time that one of our Club greens had been illuminated, Ian Rogers relayed a snippet of Club history which proved otherwise. 89 years ago, strings of electric lights were suspended over the top green - where the nearby sunken garden is now situated. Tickets were printed, and night bowling began on 24 November 1934. It was very popular, and the activity brought in £38-0-0 for the season. After expenses there was a profit of £7-17-7d. Night bowling went on twice a week until World War II, when it probably became a casualty of the 1939 blackouts. These bowls had a considerable following of onlookers.

Here's hoping our new, economical LED lighting is just as successful and enjoyed by many bowlers, new bowlers, and spectators alike for years to come.

We are Illuminated!

The Cambridge Bowling Club - Thornton Club, 37 Thornton Road, is excited to announce that at last we have flood lights to illuminate our clubhouse green! Not without the odd setback from idea to completed product, we are now ready to roll.

Our Match Committee is busy scheduling early evening tournaments throughout the Summer months, so all our members, prospective members and guests can enjoy pleasant evenings bowling.

If our Summer emulates the Northern Hemisphere, it will indeed be a boon to be able to avoid the sun’s rays, and won’t it be wonderful to encourage new bowlers and youth who are presently at work during the day. As we prepare for our big 125th Anniversary Celebrations in November - bring it on!

If you popped into the Club on Friday night, you would have been forgiven for believing you were indeed gracing the halls of Buckingham Palace!

Dubbed as "A Right Royal Do", members "attended" the Coronation of King Charles III. Flags, finery, tiaras and crowns abounded in the Clubrooms. Delicious food, fitting the grand occasion, was served, speeches were made and everyone agreed it was a fantastic night.

A big thank you to all those who worked so hard to make this a great event.

Enjoy the photo pictorial (supplied by one of the be-jewelled palace staff of course). See if you can spy a little princess, a royal wave, some elfish ears, and of course a myriad of diamond, pearls, gold and precious gems - along with the odd kilt!

It’s been a busy two months at the club with 6 weeks of Business House Bowls being hosted every Tuesday evening - except for Cyclone Gabrielle week of course! The Club was buzzing with fun competitors, along with a plethora of members who each used their many and varied talents to host this fantastic event. Check out our Bowls FB page for some amazing photos and a weekly commentary of the event.

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦!
We are on the lookout for someone wanting to work part-time as a bar hand.
Casual hours, Wednesday and Friday evenings, and very occasional weekend work.

Perfect for a retiree or student looking for a little extra income. Must be over 18.

Please contact Kerrin if you are interested:
P: 021 683 933
E: [email protected]

Our year is well underway, with Wednesday evening sports' night. Speed bowls, snooker and social activities take place before Quiz 2023 begins. On Friday evening you could take out that big jackpot or win some amazing meat-pack raffles, along with enjoying the company of your clubmates.

For the next 5 Tuesday evenings, our fully subscribed Business House Bowls will continue. The first night was amazing, with both greens full, and a great deal of laughter and fun shared by all ages. Check out the Cambridge Bowling Club page for some more fun photos.

It's been a busy weekend at the Club!

Saturday, we hosted 6 teams of 5 Waikato players, including one of our own, in the 2022 Interclub tournament. Our home team came away with 4 wins, a draw and a loss, which put them in a top grading for Sunday's rounds. Another of our teams also did well, with 5 wins and one loss. We await the results of the rain interrupted second day.

Sunday, the local FBG walking group booked our club for bowls, prizegiving and high tea. It was a fantastic event, and our club looked fabulous after the artistic FBG ladies added their touches. A short stint of bowls - rain stopped play - was followed by an amazing shared afternoon tea. The theme of "dress for High Tea", made for a feast of colour on the green. Thank you FBGs for choosing our club.

Many thanks to Simon (and Christine) and Simon's band of merry Quiz Masters who gave us entertainment, education, fun and laughter every night over the months from March till October And the winners of the Lifetime Shield goes to Stars.

BIG SHOES TO FILL

With our annual Singles Veteran's Tournament being held tomorrow, (weather permitting) a peek into the archives uncovered this wonderful photo of Cambridge Bowling Club octogenarians taken on 23 January 1915! Each bearing a well-known Cambridge name, these are indeed big, and shiny, shoes to fill.

All members of our club, and visitors, are welcome to come along and support your own compatriots as they enjoy a day on the green, as did these venerable men 107 years ago! Such is the rich history of our club.

Don't Miss Our First Theme Night.
Friday 30th September.
🎩🥼Come Dressed in Black, White, or Both!
Small prize for best dressed.

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦!
We are on the lookout for someone wanting to work part-time as a bar & kitchen hand.
2-8 hours available, Wednesday - Friday, and very occasional weekend work.

Perfect for a retiree or student looking for a little extra income. Must be over 18.

Please contact Kerrin if you are interested:
P: 021 683 933
E: [email protected]

Last weekend we had the mid year Christmas dinner. The meal was fabulous. Opera Singer Nathan Stone gave us some classical music, Elvis, Frank Sinatra & rock. Everyone was singing and dancing. There was also prizes galore. Thank you to everyone who supported this event.

Thank you Anne Spelchan for sharing these photos of our club! Yes, looking a tad damp all right.

On a recent sunny Autumn day, our club looked a picture peeking out from Lake Te Koutu.

Yesterday, our club hosted the annual Elite Building Compliance Ltd Bowling Tournament. Thanks to club members Don and Audrey Harris, who donated this trophy to the bowlers of Cambridge in 2008. A great day was had by all, with Central Cambridge claiming back the trophy after losing it in both 2019 & 2021 (with the 2020 contest being cancelled due to Covid.) As always, Don and Audrey were generous in their sponsorship - thank you both!

Members happily enjoying each other's company as they await a recent big Friday jackpot draw!

Patron’s Day – All Smiles

Our annual Patron’s Day Bowls Tournament took place under clear blue skies on Saturday 30 April 2022. Ian Rogers, valued club Patron and Coach, came along and supported our efforts, as 8 teams of pairs vied for the top prizes in four games of 2-4-2.

It was great to see two of our newest players, Amber, and Roslyn, playing in their first ever club tournament. Both did exceptionally well, and we know they will go from strength to strength. During the later presentations, Ian welcomed and commented on their skillful participation.

A light afternoon tea was served before the prizegiving when Bill announced the first three places:

1st : Marie and Bill
2nd : David S and Brian Walton
3rd : Don H and Margaret

True to his tradition, Ian generously donated Mitre 10 vouchers to all the place-getters, plus a further voucher to his signature “fun winner” – this time designated to the first person who bowled a wrong bias during the contest! Delightedly embarrassed, Margaret was the recipient of this treat.

A fount of knowledge on the history of the Club, Ian enthralled us with some stories of earlier years. The massive Easter tournament had been an icon in the town since 1909 with bowls being played across four greens on Thornton Road. The format changed over the years with a more “relaxed” day being two games of 25 ends! However, the games were often more than 25 ends, as if the ‘jack’ was killed it was required to replay the end. Ian said that often happened as there were some big “drivers” in those days. For years there had been a dint in the top balcony railing, where a driven ‘jack’ had hit with mighty force! Ian reminded us that our club is the oldest in the Waikato and we follow in some great bowling footsteps. Thank you Ian!

PART TIME OPPORTUNITY - CAMBRIDGE BOWLING/THORNTON CLUB

We are recruiting for a part-time bar/kitchen worker to work between 3 and 6 hours a week. The usual shifts are on Wednesdays and Fridays when the Thornton Club has regular social events. There may be other shifts available when we open the bar for bowling events and building hires.

Duties include: - serving behind the bar, collecting and washing glasses, preparing light meals such as burgers and hot chips, tidying up and light cleaning in the bar and kitchen area at the end of a shift.

Experience is preferred, but training will be given. You will be expected to complete the online training in Host Responsibility.

Interested? Please respond via message, or email Graeme Henshaw: [email protected]

With quiz nights well under way our club is in good heart. It is a pity that the present prevalence of Covid has precluded us from proceeding with our planned St Patrick's night social tomorrow night.

However, the Friday evening get-togethers and jackpot draws give us the opportunity to mix and mingle - albeit under our strict Covid rules. Keep well everyone and enjoy this little Irish saying.

It's already been a big week at the club with the final night of Business House Bowls 2022 finishing on Tuesday and the Club Quiz series starting on Wednesday.

Business House was a great success and special thanks to all our contestants and helpers, and to New World Cambridge, who sponsored the event. After six Tuesdays in the sunshine, the weather gods flexed their muscles at the start of the evening and reminded us they are boss! However, it was only 10 minutes of torrential rain so the first game was slightly shortened. The unassailable winners were the "All Hacks", with "Rotary 1" second and "Desperate Housewives" third.

A contestant vote for the most popular team came up with a very worthy "Gutter Girls" who took away the Cambridge Real Estate Prize. Our youngest contestant was given a special prize for showing the pathway of bowls to other youth. As the photos attest, a good time was had by all!

Day one of Quiz night saw 9 teams testing their brains after the long break. The aptly named "The Stars", shone through on the first night, so are sure to have some other teams vying for their top position in the months to come.

The club is in full swing at the moment with the doors opening at 5:45 pm on Wednesday and Friday nights to fully vaccinated members. Come along and enjoy each other's company. Check out the club newsletter for more club updates.

Night 2 of Business House Bowls was great fun. Already the Leader Board is showing some potential winners, but with 4 weeks to go there is still time to make a come-back. This week the "spider" made an appearance, with new club member Sandy winning the prize for getting through all that mayhem to stop her bowl right under it. A few bowlers chose to watch - could arachnophobia be the reason?!

Well, the threatened rain didn't eventuate and the first night of the Club Business House Bowls took place last evening. Check out the Cambridge Bowling Club page for a more comprehensive write up and photos. The evening was a great success with 26 teams of 3 competing. Fingers crossed that the next five Tuesday nights will be as much fun.

Club speed bowls commences this evening, but even if you are not entered in a team, you are welcome to come along for the usual club social evening. The speed bowlers will be sure to welcome your cheerleading!