Hesketh Arms Bowling Club

HESKETH HOBBIES – SOUTHPORT & DISTRICT VETERANS’ LEAGUE

Congratulations to the Hesketh Hobbies on winning the league and cup double in the 3rd Division of the Southport and District Veterans’ League.

Captained by John Hughes, the team only lost two aggregates out of the 22 games played in the season, to finish top of the division by a clear nineteen points.

They completed the double on Monday by overcoming a handicap of fifty chalks to defeat Victoria Park ‘B’ in the final of the Joe Bond Knockout Trophy. They retained this trophy by just 8 chalks in an exciting finale to the season.

Well done to all the players who have contributed to the Hobbies’ success this season but special mention must go to Alan Lloyd for winning the divisional merit. Alan won 21 games and lost just one of the 22 games played to win the award for the best player in the division.

The Hobbies will now look forward to playing Division 2 bowls in 2027.

THE JACK HUGHES MEMORIAL TROPHY

On Sunday 20th September, the club hosted the Jack Hughes Memorial Trophy, organised by John Hughes in memory of his late father. Following a round robin stage, the players with the best aggregate scores went through to a singles knockout competition, which was won by Steve McManus (pictured below with John).

John organised a grand raffle on the day, which raised the magnificent sum of £200. John has very kindly donated this towards club funds.

Awards and Social Evening — Saturday, 7 November 2026

Join fellow bowling club members for a social evening and celebrate this year’s award winners.

The ticket price includes a quiz, bingo, a raffle, and a buffet.

Please let me (07977500131) (george@hitchmough.co.uk) or any captain or committee member know if you will attend so we can plan the buffet. Payment is due on the night.

We look forward to seeing you there.

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL THE GREEN WILL HAVE TO CLOSE AT 6.00pm on WEDNESDAY 30^th of SEPTEMBER.

WINTER MAINTENECE WILL COMMENCE ON THURSDAY 1^st of OCTOBER

THERE WILL BE NO FRIDAY ROUND ROBIN !!ER

THE LAST CHANCE CUP

The final club competition of the season took place at the weekend, when we played for The Last Chance Cup. This is a random doubles competition, with pairings drawn on the day. We invited Churchtown Conservative Club members to join us for this event, and it was good to see some new people taking part. We are hoping to organise more joint ventures in 2027. 

In the top half of the draw, Steve McManus and Gareth Taylor reached the final with comfortable wins against Alan and Jill Lloyd (21-11), Gary Trewhitt and Janet Warham (21-14) and Mike Milne and Keren Nelson 21-13). Their opponents in the final turned out to be Des Marum and Mike Stevens, who had survived a scare in their first game to win 21-20 against Dave Nelson and John Unsworth. They then defeated Gary Johnson and Paul Richardson 21-15 in their semi-final.

The final saw Steve and Gareth get off to a flying start, winning the first six ends to establish a 10-chalk advantage. Although Des and Mike scored a couple of singles to narrow the gap, Steve and Gareth continued the form they had shown all day to run out 21-7 winners.

A plate competition was held, and this was won by Mike Burrill and Derek Liddle with an 11-6 victory against Paul Harrison and Alex Rimmer. 

The final club competition of the season will take place this coming Sunday, 27^th September, when we will be staging The Last Chance Cup. This will be a random doubles, with pairings drawn on the day. For this competition, we have invited members of the Churchtown Conservative Club to take part, as we did for the Random Doubles earlier in the season. Every effort will be made to pair newer bowlers with a more experienced player. 

To enter, please register at the green by 11.45 am, to enable the draw to be made in time for a prompt start at 12 noon. 

As this is our last competition before the green closes for the end of season maintenance work to be carried out, it would be good to see a sizable turnout to end the season off in style. 

Race Night

The Race Night was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who, attended the event, purchased the racehorses, donated the raffle prizes, bought raffle tickets.

Around 50 people attended the event, including some conservative club members who were most welcome.

The evening commenced at 7.45, unusually on time for us. Hosted by the 3 stooges, Your Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

Head stooge “Chris Harding” was the compare for the evening and hosted in his own exceptional and unique style with numerous jokes and observations during the evening.

Our treasurer stooge “Mike Milne” managed the tote desk, selling betting tickets with volunteers Dave Weston and Des Marum.

Our secretary stooge “George Hitchmough” oversaw the race DVDs and working out the winning racehorses’ payouts.

After the format was explained, the racing began. Racehorse owners and bettors enthusiastically cheered on their chosen horses.

The first four races finished quickly, after which attendees enjoyed the buffet prepared by Gill Barton.

During the interval, the head stooge and his assistant, Kevin Leddy, sold raffle tickets.

The final four races then took place. Race 8 was an auction race, allowing attendees to bid for a horse. The auction, conducted by the head stooge, received fantastic support and sparked fierce competition, perhaps fuelled by the consumption of alcohol. It raised a prize pot of £110, and Dave Weston won the auction race.

The raffle was extremely well supported, with attendees winning more than 20 donated prizes, including chocolates, gin, wine and prosecco.

The evening concluded around 11.00pm

The total funds raised for the event was £835 and will be used for the over winter green renovation, new boards surrounding the green and new fencing.

The race winners were 

Race 1     “Sharky”                                                  Owner     Paul Richarson

Race 2     “Irish Wristwatch”                               Owner     Jim Hallsall

Race 3     “Mad Mike”                                           Owner     Dave Weston

Race 4     “All But”                                                  Owner     Mike Burrill

Race 5     “Norman Never Had Enough”       Owner     Sue Andersen

Race 6     “Vera-Rose”                                          Owner     Vera Johnson

Race 7     “Half Pint”                                             Owner     John Unsworth

Race 8     “Cerebus”                                              Owner     Keith Howard

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated raffle prizes, bought a racehorse, or purchased tote and raffle tickets. It was wonderful to receive such strong support, including from our friends at Churchtown Conservative Club.

GREEN CLOSURE

The green will be closed for Winter Maitanence and renovation from 8.00am on Saturday the 3^rd of October.

We would request no items are left in the clubhouse as we will be clearing and cleaning clubhouse.

OPEN SINGLES 2026 – SPONSORED BY BIRKDALE INSURNACE GROUP

The eighth staging of the Club’s Open Singles Championship took place on Sunday when players from throughout the area fought it out for a prize fund of £570. The winner of this competition now receives the Bernard O’Malley Memorial Trophy, re-named this year in honour of our late Honorary Vice-President, who did so much to support our club over a number of years. 

In the top half of the draw, the 2019 champion, Andy Draper reach the final with wins against Dave Clivery (21-12), 2024 winner Fergal Wright (21-17), Brian Sutton (21-5) and in the semi-final, Jake Danvers from Freshfield Bowling Club, 21-10. Jake had done well to reach the semi-finals with wins against Stuart Birch (21-6), Cayl Buckland (21-19) and Tom Wright (21-9).

The bottom half of the draw saw a late entry to the competition, Matty Greenwood, progress to the final with wins against the 2016 champion John Hughes (21-10), Andy Howie (21-12), Colin Moore (21-18) and Joe Illidge (21-17). Joe, from Northwich, had reached the last four with wins against Darren Vincent (21-6), Jim Walker (21-4) and Ian Grady (21-13).

The final was expected to be close but it was Matty who got off to a flying start, winning the first seven ends to establish a 10-0 lead. Andy fought back and matched Matty for the rest of the game, with the block regularly changing hands but Matty was able to maintain his early advantage to eventually run out a 21-13 winner. Congratulations to both players on reaching the final and especially to Matty on winning this competition for the first time. 

The Hesketh Arms Bowling Club would like to thank all those who supported this competition by taking part or coming along to watch. The weather was a little wet early on but brightened up as the day went on. We would also like to thank the following : –

• BIRKDALE INSURANCE GROUP for their continued sponsorship of this competition.
• Everyone who helped out with marking cards and measuring.
• Our referee for the day, Keith Andrews, who helped to keep the competition running smoothly.
• Gill, from the Conservative Club for preparing the sandwiches.
• Lynne and Peter Smith for their help serving refreshments.
• Andy Bate for preparing the green.

We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2027 for our open competitions. 

RACE NIGHT

We need to know numbers attending by this coming Friday 11^th of September to be able to inform our caterer.

If you haven’t already bought your ticket please contact team captains, at the Round Robin, or by contacting George Hitchmough 07977500131 or any committee member.

There will also be a raffle and donations of prizes will be gratefully received on the night.

We look forward to your support.

NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2026

BERNARD O’MALLEY MEMORIAL TROPHY – OPEN SINGLES 2026

SPONSORED BY BIRKDALE INSURANCE GROUP

The Club’s Open Singles competition, now named the Bernard O’Malley Memorial Trophy in honour of our late Honorary Vice-President, will take place this Sunday 6th September. We have received entries from Formby, Crosby, Skelmersdale, Liverpool, Wirral, Preston and Wigan, as well as a number of local bowlers. Play will commence at 10.00 am as the players battle it out for the £570 prize fund, boosted by the generous sponsorship of Birkdale Insurance Group.

At the time of writing, there are still a couple of vacancies in the competition at the 10.00 am start time. There is an entry fee of £10 and anyone interested in taking one of these places should contact Mike Milne (07752352065) or Chris Harding (07761733024).

Spectators on the day will be very welcome for what should be a day of quality bowling and any help with marking cards and measuring would be appreciated, especially for the first couple of sessions. If any members could spare an hour or so to assist with this, the organisers would be very grateful.

RACE NIGHT

Members are reminded that the club is holding a Race Night on Saturday, 19th September at Churchtown Conservative. The first race starts at 7:45pm.

We would encourage all members to support this event as the costs of running the club and maintaining the green are increasing year on year.

Tickets are on sale at £5.00 each and the evening will include a buffet.

Even if you are unable to attend on the night, you can support the event by purchasing a horse in one of the eight races at £5.00 per horse. The owner of the winning horse in each race will receive a prize. Horses are selling quickly, so please get in touch quickly to avoid missing out.

We are also looking for race sponsors at £20 per race.

There will also be a raffle and donations of prizes will be gratefully received on the night.

Tickets and horses can be purchased from team captains, at the Round Robin, or by contacting George Hitchmough 07977500131 or any committee member.

SOUTHPORT VETERANS’ LEAGUE

Congratulations to our Southport Veterans’ League team, the Hobbies, on reaching the final of the Joe Bond Knockout Trophy. The final will take place on Monday, 5th October, at a venue to be announced.

BOWLING MARATHON

On Sunday 30th August, the club hosted a Bowling Marathon. This was organised by Derek Ainsworth to raise funds for the Cornerstone Library, Churchtown’s volunteer run community library. Derek bowled for 12 hours from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm and raised a significant amount of money for the popular local library. Many thanks to everyone who supported the event by playing, sponsoring Derek, buying raffle tickets, marking cards and measuring.

A look back at Derek Ainsworth’s 12-hour bowls marathon for Cornerstone Library, a memorable day of bowling and community support in Churchtown.

Details of Bowling Marathon on Sunday 30^th August

The event page is: Derek’s 12-Hour Bowls Marathon for Cornerstone Library

The direct link to the schedule is: Bowling-Programme-30-August.pdf

David Southworth

Digital & IT Trustee

digital@cornerstonelibrary.org /  cornerstonelibrary.org

North Meols Library Association is registered in England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Registered Charity No. 1162565 Registered Address: Cornerstone Library, 1C Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TL

Congratulations to Alex Rimmer and Derek Wignall on winning the Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy. The competition was played using a round robin format in the early stages and Alex and Derek were in consistently good form all day, comfortably winning all four of their group games. Their opponents in the final were the experienced pairing of John Hughes and Len Southworth but Alex and Derek continued their good form by winning the first eight ends to lead 14-0 in the 15 up decider. John and Len staged a fightback to close the gap to 7-14 but Alex and Derek were able to find the single chalk required.

The club is holding a Race Night on Saturday, 19 September at Churchtown Conservative. The first race starts at 7:45pm.

We hope you will support the event. All funds raised will go towards out-of-season work on the bowling green.

Entry will cost £5.00 and include a finger buffet.

You can also buy a horse in one of the eight races for £5.00 per horse. The owner of the winning horse in each race will receive a prize.

There will also be a raffle, and prize donations would be gratefully received.

Tickets and horses can be purchased from team captains, at the Round Robin, or by contacting George Hitchmough 07977500131 or any committee member.

We hope you can join us and support this club fundraising event, hosted on the night by your MC, Chris Harding.

NEWS UPDATE

VICE-PRESIDENTS PAIRS TROPHY – RANDOM DOUBLES

Members are reminded that the Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy will take place this coming Sunday, 16th August. This will be a random doubles competition, with pairings drawn on the day. There will be a plate competition organised for pairs losing in their first game. 

To enter, please register at the green by 11.45 am, for a 12 noon start.

THE JACK HUGHES MEMORIAL TROPHY

John Hughes is running the Jack Hughes Memorial Trophy on Sunday, 20th September, in memory of his late father. John is inviting entries from any member of the Hesketh Arms Bowling Club, but the number of entries is limited to 32. To enter, please add your name to the sheet on display at the green.

This event will start at 10.30 am and will include a round robin stage, guaranteeing all participants more than one game.

There will be a raffle on the day, with all proceeds going to the Hesketh Arms Bowling Club. The main prize in the raffle will be a new set of bowls.

For more information, please contact John Hughes (07510733668).

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

The Southport Federation team’s final National League fixture of the season resulted in a 21-11 defeat against Wakefield.

The home leg was played at Fleetwood Hesketh and the team’s 8-4 win included a 21-19 success for Darren Edgerley.

Southport have had a tough season in a difficult division and will be looking to bounce back in 2027.

DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Although our team’s league fixtures are coming to an end, there is still plenty of bowling and a variety of events planned at the Hesketh Arms between now and the end of September, when the green will close to allow essential maintenance end-of-season maintenance work to be carried out.

As well as the popular Tuesday and Friday morning Round Robins, which will continue throughout August and September, please make a note of the following dates :-

Sunday 16th August – Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy – Random Doubles – see above for more details.

Sunday 30th August – Bowling Marathon – an event organised by Derek Ainsworth to raise funds for the Cornerstone Library – see previous newsletter and website for further details.

Sunday 6th September – The Bernard O’Malley Memorial Trophy – the Club’s annual Open Singles competition. There are still places available in this event – if interested, please contact Chris Harding (07761733024) or Mike Milne (07752352065).

Sunday 13th September – Possible date for the Blowick Cup Champions of Champions – TO BE CONFIRMED

Sunday 20th September – Jack Hughes Memorial Trophy – see above for further details.

Sunday 27th September – The Last Chance Cup – the final Random Doubles of the season.