Gallow take bowls to Wells school

CARPET BOWLS: Over the past five weeks the Gallow Indoor Bowls Club junior coaching team, with help from a couple of members has, visited Wells Primary School.

At the invitation of the head teacher, Rob Hothersall, the Fakenham players have been providing instruction in carpet bowls.

The techniques have been explained to the 24 children of Year 6 in five one-hour sessions.

They had been divided into four teams and each week played a mini-round robin tournament. Cumulative scores were gathered for each pupil.

As they gained experience the improving skill levels were plain to see, as was the burgeoning competitiveness.

At the last session the Gallow contingent was presented with thank you letters from the pupils. These contained some interesting insights into a 10-year-olds’ perspective on bowls.

“When I get old, I shall play bowls,” said Bailey. “I realised that to play bowls I needed to concentrate,” said Charley. Other comments included: “I never thought I would enjoy it so much,” — Abigail, “I told my family how much fun it is,” — Jordan.

None of the children expressed any reluctance to join in and all looked forward to the weekly games.

To round off the experience, Gallow IBC invited the children and their parents to visit the club and try their new-found skills on the full-sized rinks.

They attended just after the second round of the club’s under-18s singles tournament concluded, and some of the junior members stayed on to assist.

Hannah and Anni-May, two six-year-old junior members, were present demonstrating to the Year 6 10 and 11-year-olds that they are not too young to play.

Danny Cawthorne and Curtis Walters, having finished their singles matches earlier, helped out by pairing up with young visitors Joshua and Hayden for a match.

The children stayed on the rink for over two hours enjoying a chance to try out something new to most of them. Even Shane, the class teacher, tried his hand.

Keen interest was obvious, and several pupils plan to join the regular junior sessions at 4.15pm Fridays when newcomers are always welcome.

The lower years at the school regularly asked when they would get their chance to play.

It could be possible next year when they become the new Year 6.

Congratulations went to Danny, the most recent player to be selected in the Norfolk EIBA under-25 team to play in National and Eastern Counties Leagues, travelling to Northampton last Saturday for a match against a team from Dorset.