Hesketh Arms Bowling Club

PRESIDENT’S CUP

Congratulations to Alan Hatton on winning the President’s Cup. This is Alan’s first win in a Hesketh Arms club singles competition.

The runner-up was Phil Richards and the losing semi-finalists were Alex Rimmer and Derek Wignall.

A plate competition was held and this was won by Andy Draper, who defeated Mal Green in the final.

BOWLS FOR FUN

Following a successful Open Day at the end of July, when over 40 people attended, it has been decided to run weekly sessions for potential new bowlers on Wednesday afternoons, commencing on Wednesday 13th August. The sessions will run between 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm and if anyone is able to come down to help, it would be greatly appreciated. For further details, please speak to George Hitchmough.

BURSCOUGH LEAGUE

Our two Burscough League teams played their final league matches of the season on Friday evening. The Vultures went into the last game needing a 6-2 win against Bretherton ‘A’ to clinch the 1st Division title for the second time. Sadly, it wasn’t to be as they lost 5-3 and ended the season level on points with Banks St. Stephen’s, just nine points behind the champions. Special mention must be made of Andy Draper, who won the 1st Division Merit with an outstanding record of 14 wins out of 16 games played.In the 2nd Division, the Ospreys had a new captain in Jim Halsall and they had a good season, finishing in 5th position. Jim had another excellent season, winning 13 games to finish in 4th place in the divisional merit.

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

Southport’s final fixture of the season in the Federation National League will take place this Sunday 10th August when they take on Flintshire. The home leg is being held at Fleetwood Hesketh and the away team will travel to Argoed Bowling Club in North Wales. Both legs will start at 2.00 pm and spectators will be very welcome.

CLUB COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

The next club competition will take place on Sunday 17th August, when we will be staging the Chairman’s Shield. This is a non-random doubles and will start at 12 noon. To enter, please register at the green by 11.45 am on the day, to ensure that the draw can be made in time to allow for a prompt start.

Sunday 17th August   Chairman’s Shield (Non-random doubles – enter as a pair, no plate) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 14th Sept.      Championship Cup (Men’s singles – played off scratch, no plate)12.00pm start

Sunday 21st Sept.        Last Chance Cup (Random doubles with plate – pairings to be drawn on the day) 12.00 pm start

TBC        Floodlit Trophy (date and format to be decided)

     

OPEN DAY – SATURDAY 26th JULY

The Club is holding an Open Day on Saturday 26th July from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. The aim of this event is to introduce new bowlers to the game. Any help with hosting this event would be greatly appreciated. For further details, please speak to George Hitchmough or Chris Harding.

PRESIDENT’S CUP

The next internal club competition will take place on Sunday 3rd August, when we will be playing for the President’s Cup. This is a handicap singles with a plate for those losing in their first game. The event will start at the earlier than normal time of 11.00 am. To enter, please register at the green by 10.45 am on the day.

LADIES’ DOUBLES

Many thanks to Debbie Barnes and the Buzzards players who helped to organise the Ladies’ Doubles competition held in June. The sale of refreshments and a raffle helped to raise £155 towards club funds.

BURSCOUGH LEAGUE PRESIDENT’S DAY

Congratulations to Darren Edgerley, who has won the Burscough League President’s Day for the second year running, narrowly defeating Alec Everton of Croston Black Horse in the final. The event was held at the Longton VM in honour of the 2025 President, Duncan Crabtree.

OPEN SINGLES – SATURDAY 30th AUGUST

Our Open Singles competition, sponsored by Birkdale Insurance Group, has a full entry with a reserve list. The first session will start at 10.00 am and spectators will be very welcome for what is always a great day of quality bowling. We would also appreciate help with marking cards and measuring. Finally, if anyone is able to assist with serving drinks and selling pre-prepared sandwiches, please speak to Mike Milne or Chris Harding.

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

Southport’s July fixture in the Federation National League resulted in a 22 points to 10 defeat against neighbours Preston. The home leg took place at Scarisbrick NSC, where the team had six winners and won the aggregate by 18 chalks. Amongst the winners was Andy Draper, with a superb 21-2 win. The away team travelled to Freckleton, where they had two winners.

Southport’s final fixture of the season will take place on Sunday 10th August when they take on Flintshire.

CLUB COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

Sunday 3rd August     President’s Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 11.00 am start

Sunday 17th August   Chairman’s Shield (Non-random doubles – enter as a pair, no plate) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 14th Sept.      Championship Cup (Men’s singles – played off scratch, no plate)

12.00pm start

Sunday 21st Sept.       Last Chance Cup (Random doubles with plate – pairings to be drawn on the day) 12.00 pm start

TBC                                 Floodlit Trophy (date and format to be decided)

GREEN BOOKINGS

Please note the following date when an outside event will be taking place at the club. The green will therefore be unavailable for use by members :-

Sunday 10th August – Private Booking

AWAY DAY TO THE BLACK HORSE, CROSTON

VICE-PRESIDENTS PAIRS TROPHY 2025

On Saturday 28^th June, 22 members and guests attended the Club’s first Away Day at the Black Horse, Croston. The weather was warm and sunny as everyone arrived at the venue for an 11.00am start. The bowling took the form of a random doubles, with the pairs divided into two groups of four. The early stages of the competition saw each pair play the other three pairs in their group in 11 up games. The top two in each group progressed to the main competition semi-final, whilst the 3^rd and 4^th placed pairs went into the plate. This ensured that everyone taking part played a minimum of four games. 

Following the group stages, the main competition semi-finals saw Alan Hatton and Fergal Wright defeat Alan Lloyd and Chrissy McManus 15-8 and favourites Darren Edgerley and Chris Porter reach the final by overcoming Jill Lloyd and John McCabe 15-10.

The Plate semi-finals produced wins for Jim Halsall and Jon Roberts and Chris Harding and Peter Smith. Jim and Jon clinched victory in the final with a 21-12 win.

The main final for the Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy was between Darren Edgerley and Chris Porter and Alan Hatton and Fergal Wright and it was Darren and Chris who justified their status as competition favourites by running out comfortable 21-8 winners. 

Many thanks to Bill Bloor, who organised our Away Day, which included sandwiches and chips at lunchtime and an evening meal and quiz once the bowling competition had been completed. We hope everyone enjoyed the day and look forward to holding another day out in 2026. 

Croston Black Horse Away Day – Saturday 28th June 2025

There are 22 members attending the first “Away Day’ trip to the Black Horse pub in Croston. Unfortunately no further applications can be taken due to having to inform the venue in advance of meal choices.
Players will be competing for the Vice Presidents Cup and there will also be a plate competition.

It is requested that all those attending should arrive by 10.45am for a prompt 11.00 am start.

To allow for everyone to participate throughout the day, the competition will comprise of an initial round robin format, followed by semi finals and finals in both the Cup and Plate competitions.
Thank you for your support.
Bill Bloor

COMPETITION NEWS – JUNE 2025

HESKETH ARMS SUMMER PAIRS COMPETITION

On Thursday 19th June the Club was pleased to host a Summer Pairs Competition for bowlers from the Southport Ladies’ League. This has become a regular and popular fixture on the local bowling scene. On behalf of the Committee, many thanks to everyone who helped out to make this event a success. Below is a report on the day from Noreen and Sue.

20 pairs entered the Hesketh Arms Summer Pairs Competition, we welcomed members from Ainsdale,  Botanic, Crossens,  Hesketh Arms, Mere Brow and Victoria Park. Once again, we were so lucky to have fabulous weather, the sun was out and some very competitive bowling took place.

The Hesketh Arms is a challenging green and there was some excellent bowling all day.  Some games were nearly 2 hours long.  Our semi-finalists were Irene Kermode & Pat Lough v Sue Andersen and Pam Allen and Lorna Simpson v Pat McArthur and Sue Davies.

However, due to the heat and the length of the games one match was not played so the final was between Pam & Lorna v Pat & Sue. 

Some very competitive bowling in the final but Pat & Sue won through 21-17.

Congratulations to our 2025 Summer Pairs Winners Pat McArthur and Sue Davies.

We would like to thank all the ladies who supported this event and the Hesketh Arms who once again put on a very enjoyable and well-run competition. They look forward to seeing you all next year.                        

Noreen and Sue

OPEN SINGLES 2025 – SPONSORED BY BIRKDALE INSURANCE GROUP

The Club’s annual Open Singles competition will take place on Saturday 30th August, with the first session starting at 10.00 am. There is total prize money of £570.00, with the winner taking home £220.00. We are grateful for the generous sponsorship of Birkdale Insurance Group.

Although all the places in the competition have been filled in record time, we have started a reserve list in case we have players dropping out. For further information, please contact Mike Milne (07752352065) or Chris Harding (07761733024).

Spectators will be very welcome on the day, for what should be a great day of bowling and any help with card marking, measuring or assisting with refreshments would be greatly appreciated.

CHURCHTOWN CONSERVATIVE CLUB – B.J.P.O’MALLEY PRESIDENT’S TROPHY

Congratulations to Alan Lloyd and Alex Rimmer on winning the Conservative Club’s B.J.P.O’Malley President’s Trophy, hosted by our club on Saturday.

This trophy was presented to the Conservative Club by our late Honorary Vice-President, Mr. Bernard O’Malley and this was the first time the trophy had been played for since his passing last year.

Bernard’s successor as Conservative Club President, George Hitchmough, was on hand to present the trophy at the end of the competition. It is good to see the close links between the two clubs continuing.

LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP AND FORTHCOMING CLUB COMPETITIONS

The next internal club competition will be the Ladies’ Championship, which will be held on Sunday 13th July, starting at 12 noon.

Dates for other club events are listed below :-

CLUB COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

Sunday 3rd August          President’s Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 11.00 am start

Sunday 17th August        Chairman’s Shield (Non-random doubles – enter as a pair, no plate) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 14th Sept.           Championship Cup (Men’s singles – played off scratch, no plate)

     12.00 pm start

Sunday 21st Sept.            Last Chance Cup (Random doubles with plate – pairings to be drawn on the day) 12.00 pm start

TBC                                      Floodlit Trophy (date and format to be decided)

Coronation Cup Saturday 7^th June.

Five hardy bowlers turned up on a wet Saturday morning, Colin Edge, Jim Hallsall, Mal Green, Steve MacManus, and Fergal Wright.

In the top half of the draw the preliminary match was between Mal Green and Fergal which Fergal won.

The first Semi Final was between Jim and Fergal who were similar handicap, Fergal took an early lead to 8: 5. Jim caught up and got to 13 across but Fergal with the jack extended his lead finally winning 21:15

In the lower half of the draw the semi-final was between Steve and Colin. Steves Handicap was minus 3 but he managed to get back to 12:11 at the mid stage of the game. Having the jack was crucial in the wet conditions and Steve managed to bowl out to a 21:19 win against Colin who was playing in his first Hesketh Competition.

The Final Was a great game of bowls with the weather having finally passed and was played on an increasingly drying green. Steve managed to get to 9:10 at the mid stage but Fergal with the advantage of leading the ends managed a 21:11 win.

Thank you to the players who played through some very wet weather.

Fergal was a worthy winner adding to his 2021 victory

BCGBA PRESENTATION TO LOCAL CLUBS ON WEDNESDAY 11th JUNE 7pm AT AINSDALE CLUB LIVERPOOL ROAD AINSDALE.

If you wish to find out more about the BCGBA the above meeting is free to attend.
We have a great opportunity to hear all about the exciting new British Crown Green Bowling Association vision, structure and proposals to grow our game in the years ahead. Collectively we can develop Crown Green Bowling in the Southport and Formby/Crosby areas.

Join us at the Ainsdale Club, on Wednesday 11th June (7pm), for an inspiring evening dedicated to the development of your Bowls Club and the game in our area. Whether you’re looking to raise funds, apply for grants, grow or strengthen ties with your local community, this event has something for everyone. Steve Clamp, BCGBA Board Member and Ian Gill, Lancashire Development Officer will be on hand to share invaluable advice on these topics and more, including coaching and Club governance.
You also can take part in a Q&A session covering the National Development Strategy, the new BCGBA website, and all things crown green bowls. Steve and Ian will be joined by a fantastic panel of experts from across both the County and the BCGBA, ensuring you leave with fresh insights and actionable ideas.

Please do not miss this chance to connect, learn, and strengthen your Club’s future. We can’t wait to see you there—come along and be part of the conversation. Plenty of car parking space and the bar will be open for ongoing chats after the formal meeting.

Sunday 15th June – LV pairs – Finals Day

The LV Pairs finals will be played at the Hesketh Green on Sunday the 15^th of June commencing at 1pm.

Come along and see some good competitive bowling from bowlers around our local area who are in the Southport LV League.

BLOWICK CUP – CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS

The Blowick Cup was held on Sunday and in an extremely close final, Mike Milne won the title for the second time, with a 21-20 win against Steve McManus.

CORONATION CUP

The next club competition will be the Coronation Cup, which will take place on Saturday 7th June. This is a singles handicap with plate. 

To enter, please report to the green on the day by 11.45 am, to ensure a prompt start at 12 noon.

AWAY DAY TO THE BLACK HORSE, CROSTON – SATURDAY 28th JUNE

Names are still being taken for the Club’s Away Day at the Black Horse, Croston on Saturday 28th June. Please see attached for details and notify Mike Milne (michaelmilne66@outlook.com / 07752352065) or speak to Bill Bloor if interested. A good number of members have already registered for this trip but we will need to  know numbers well in advance in order to help with the catering arrangements.

This is the first time the Club has organised an away day for members and it should be a great day out at a superb venue. All are welcome, bowlers and supporters alike.

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

Southport’s May fixture in Division 5 of the Federation National League resulted in a 19-13 defeat against Cheshire Parks.

In the home leg, held at Hesketh Bank Bowling Club, Southport won 8-4, with wins for Ray Atkinson (21-15), Kez Adams (21-8) and Andy Draper (21-20). The away team had three winners at Poynton Working Men’s Club, with Fergal Wright winning 21-16.

The next fixture will be in July, when Southport will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Preston in a local “derby”. Details of the selection and venues will be published nearer the time.

CLUB COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

Saturday 7th June       Coronation Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 12.00 pm start

Saturday 28th June     Club trip to the Black Horse, Croston – details posted on website or request the e-mail to be sent if not already received.

Sunday 13th July          Ladies’ Championship (Ladies’ singles) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 3rd August      President’s Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 11.00 am start

Sunday 17th August    Chairman’s Shield (Non-random doubles – enter as a pair, no plate) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 14th Sept.        Championship Cup (Men’s singles – played off scratch, no plate)

 12.00pm start

Sunday 21st Sept.        Last Chance Cup (Random doubles with plate – pairings to be drawn on the day) 12.00 pm start

TBC                                  Floodlit Trophy (date and format to be decided)

GREEN BOOKINGS

Please note the following dates when outside events will be taking place at the club. The green will therefore be unavailable for use by members :-

Sunday 15th June – LV pairs – Finals Day (afternoon) – spectators welcome.

Thursday 19th June – Ladies’ Pairs (morning and afternoon)

Saturday 21st June –Churchtown Conservative Club – B.J.P.O’Malley President’s Trophy(afternoon) – any bowling club member who is also a member of the Conservative Club is eligible to take part in this event.

Sunday 10th August – Private Booking

COMPETITION NEWS

ROSE BOWL

The first club singles competition of the season took place on Saturday and was won by Mike Milne, with a 21-14 win against Andy Draper in the final.

A plate competition was also held and this was won by Mal Green, who overcame Laurie Townson 21-13 in the decider.

BLOWICK CUP – CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS

The next event at the Club will be the Blowick Cup Champions of Champions which will take place this coming Sunday, 1st June, starting at 12 noon.

The Champion of Champions is an annual singles competition held at the Club for winners of club competitions and team merits during the previous season. The players listed below have qualified to play in this year’s event. The trophy presented to the winner is the “BLOWICK CUP” which originated at the old Blowick Hotel Bowling Club, which was situated on Norwood Road, Southport.

KEZ ADAMS                                       Vice-Presidents Trophy

TERRY CORFIELD                              Hawks Merit

ANDY DRAPER                                  Championship Cup ; Coronation Cup ; Owls & Vultures Merits 

PAULINE DUNCAN                           Spring Pairs

DARREN EDGERLEY                         Last Chance Cup

LOUIS FAZAKERLEY                          Vice-Presidents Trophy

JIM HALSALL                                     Spring Pairs ; Ospreys Merit ; Merlins Merit ; Kestrels Merit

CHRIS HARDING                               Floodlit Trophy

ALAN HATTON                                  Sparrowhawks Merit

KEVIN LEDDY                                     Kites Merit

NOREEN LEWIS                                 Buzzards Merit

CHRISTINE McMANUS                     Chairman’s Shield

STEVE McMANUS                             Rose Bowl ; President’s Cup ; Chairman’s Shield

MIKE MILNE                                       Floodlit Trophy ; Eagles Merit

ALEX RIMMER                                   Hobbies Merit

BRIAN SUTTON                                 Blowick Cup

GARETH TAYLOR                               Last Chance Cup

Received from our Green Keeper Andy Bate

Green Update – Coping with the Dry Spring at Hesketh Arms

Dear Members,

I hope you’re all keeping well and enjoying the bowling season so far.

I wanted to share an update on the condition of the green, especially in light of the exceptionally dry spring we’ve been experiencing. Across the UK, greenkeepers have been grappling with one of the driest springs since records began.

According to the Met Office, some regions have recorded their second driest March on record, with rainfall levels well below average. Unsurprisingly, this has had a noticeable effect on grass surfaces nationwide – and our green is no exception.

Without the benefit of an irrigation system, we are relying entirely on natural rainfall to maintain soil moisture. Unfortunately, current soil moisture levels are down to around 3–4%, compared to the optimal range of 10–15% needed for healthy turf.

This is causing visible stress to the surface, including dry patches and thinning in some areas.

To help the green cope with these challenging conditions, we are taking the following steps:

• Raising the Mower Height and Reducing Frequency: Cutting slightly higher and less often than usual to reduce stress and encourage stronger root growth.

• Limiting Wear: Monitoring foot traffic and adjusting maintenance schedules to protect the most vulnerable areas. • Looking Ahead: We’re considering longer-term solutions such as introducing more drought-tolerant grass species, which have been recommended by greenkeeping professionals across the UK in response to increasingly dry conditions.

We are also looking at ways to get more water onto the green in a time efficient manner.

Despite the weather, the green remains in playable condition thanks to careful management and the hard work of the maintenance team.

We appreciate your continued patience and understanding while we do our best to preserve the playing surface through this dry spell. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out

Andy

https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/uk-greenkeepers-on-lack-of-rainfall-this-spring.html

NEWSLETTER – MAY 2025

ROSE BOWL

The next club competition will be the Rose Bowl, which will take place on Saturday 24th May. This is a singles handicap with plate. To enter, please report to the green on the day by 11.45 am, to ensure a prompt start at 12 noon.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Now that the bowling season is well underway, anyone who has yet to do so should pay their 2025 subscriptions as soon as possible. Many thanks to those who have paid so far. Please see below for details and methods of payment.

Standard membership subscription – £30.00

Team players’ subscription – £50.00

Payment can be made online directly to the Club’s bank account :

Sort Code : 30 97 88    Account number : 01007849

If paying by bank transfer, please notify Mike Milne by text (07752352065) or email (michaelmilne66@outlook.com)

Alternatively, subscriptions can be sent to Mike Milne (Treasurer) at the following address :-

Mike Milne, 20 Coudray Road, Southport PR9 9NL

If paying by bank transfer, please notify Mike Milne by text (07752352065) or email (michaelmilne66@outlook.com)

Alternatively, subscriptions can be sent to Mike Milne (Treasurer) at the following address :-

Mike Milne, 20 Coudray Road, Southport PR9 9NL

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

Southport’s next game in Division 5 of the Federation National League will take place on Sunday 11th March, when they take on familiar opposition in Cheshire Parks.

The home leg will be held at Hesketh Bank Bowling Club, starting at 2.00 pm. Included in the home line-up are Kez Adams, Ray Atkinson, Andy Draper, Darren Edgerley, Mike Milne, Chris Porter and Mark Wilde. The away leg will take place at Poynton Working Men’s Club in Stockport and Colin Edge and Fergal Wright have been selected to play.

Supporters on the day will be very welcome for this crucial fixture.

CLUB COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

Saturday 24th May    Rose Bowl (Handicap singles with plate) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 1st June         Blowick Cup Champion of Champions (Invitation singles for club competition and merit winners from 2024) 12.00 pm start

Saturday 7th June      Coronation Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 12.00 pm start

Saturday 28th June    Club trip to the Black Horse, Croston – details posted on website or request the e-mail to be sent if not already received.

Sunday 13th July        Ladies’ Championship (Ladies’ singles) 12.00 pm start

Sunday 3rd August     President’s Cup (Handicap singles with plate) 11.00 am start

Sunday 17th August   Chairman’s Shield (Non-random doubles – enter as a pair, no plate) 12.00 pm start

Sun 14th Sept              Championship Cup (Men’s singles – played off scratch, no plate)

12.00pm start

Sun 21st Sept               Last Chance Cup (Random doubles with plate – pairings to be drawn on the day) 12.00 pm start

TBC                                 Floodlit Trophy (date and format to be decided)

GREEN BOOKINGS

Please note the following dates when outside events will be taking place at the club. The green will therefore be unavailable for use by members :-

Thursday 15th May – Southport Ladies’ League Knockout Cup match (afternoon)

Wednesday 21st May – Private Booking (evening)

Sunday 15th June – LV pairs – Finals Day (afternoon) – spectators welcome.

Thursday 19th June – Ladies’ Pairs (morning and afternoon)

Saturday 21st June –Churchtown Conservative Club – B.J.P.O’Malley President’s Trophy(afternoon) – any bowling club member who is also a member of the Conservative Club is eligible to take part in this event.

Sunday 10th August – Private Booking