****** LATEST NEWS 2025 ******
Welcome to the Latest News Page 2025. Here you will find up to date news of forthcoming events and anything of note that has happened recently. Previous years' LATEST NEWS pages have been archived for posterity and can be browsed HERE Enjoy!
****** RACE NIGHT 2025 ******
Around 80 people bought tickets for our annual Race Night and there was a great atmosphere on the evening. The event raised just over £1,290 for the club - a fantastic effort.
There was a good spread of winning owners and trainers among members and club ‘friends’. However, with a late surge, the Cooper family stole the show by winning race 8 with their horse ‘Saint’s Surprise’ (owned by Sean Cooper and trained by Lee Jones). They then went on to win the final ‘winners’ race, collecting two bottles of champagne and two boxes of chocolates. Sean Cooper also won the big prize last year and so we will see if he can make it a hat trick next year!
Many thanks to Ruth and Andrew Davies for running the Race Night brilliantly once again. Thanks also go to Leanne and her staff for the food and drink; to Lynne, Wendy, Gareth and Peter for working on the Tote for over three hours; to those who helped to organise and run the evening; to Ranjith who was busy taking photos/videos; and to all those who attended and supported the successful evening.
Brian Ilbery
There was a good spread of winning owners and trainers among members and club ‘friends’. However, with a late surge, the Cooper family stole the show by winning race 8 with their horse ‘Saint’s Surprise’ (owned by Sean Cooper and trained by Lee Jones). They then went on to win the final ‘winners’ race, collecting two bottles of champagne and two boxes of chocolates. Sean Cooper also won the big prize last year and so we will see if he can make it a hat trick next year!
Many thanks to Ruth and Andrew Davies for running the Race Night brilliantly once again. Thanks also go to Leanne and her staff for the food and drink; to Lynne, Wendy, Gareth and Peter for working on the Tote for over three hours; to those who helped to organise and run the evening; to Ranjith who was busy taking photos/videos; and to all those who attended and supported the successful evening.
Brian Ilbery
****** Kenya Tourists Thursday 12th June 2025 ******
Pentyrch B.C. versus Kenyan Bowlers Tourist Team
Pentyrch’s six-rink mixed team gave a warm Welsh welcome to the Kenyan tourists at Parc y Dwrlyn on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully, the earlier rain had ceased, and we were even treated to a little sunshine at times during the match. Unfortunately, due to their heavy schedule of engagements during their tour, and a few verylate withdrawals, our visitors arrived with a depleted team but were able to field two full rinksand four rinks with three players. The two captains agreed to play fifteen ends, with one shot on the first two ends.
The match was played in a spirit of great friendship and camaraderie, with plenty of
interesting chat between members of the rinks, and even a fair amount of laughter from time to time. Mementos of the match were exchanged between players on the six rinks. Pentyrch came out overall winners 90-65, with the visitors winning one rink and drawing another, and despite some spirited fightbacks on some of the other rinks.
The individual rink scores were as follows:
Anne Lowndes, Barrie Lewis, Irene Dow, Paul Cooper 10-10
Chris Locke, Nicola Olsen, Jan Ryan-Mapstone, Chris O’Leary 18-6
Colin Howson, Kaye Locke, Tony Pontin, Martin Hopkins 22-7
Eileen Bodington, Denzil Thomas, Kathy Taylor, Gavin Davidson 8-21
Gordon Tucker, Adrian Bevan, Ranjith Dodangoda, Liz Cugly 15-9
Iain Russell, Andy Butler, Erica Beddows, Ajit Singh 17-12
With the match completed, our guests were invited to join us for a buffet meal and liquid refreshment at the Rugby Club, including a raffle (with plentiful prizes!). After post-match words from our Ladies’ Captain, Anne Lowndes, we were entertained with two informative speeches by the visitors’ Captain, Andrew, and their Tour Organiser, Peter. Interestingly, we learned that there were only a handful of bowling clubs in the whole of Kenya, mostly based in exclusive country clubs, and that the combined membership of clubs in Kenya was numerically inferior to that of some individual clubs in the Cardiff area! The Pentyrch Captains were also presented with a souvenir gift and the Club itself with a model of Kenya’s favourite wild animal, the cheetah.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable event for all concerned and an opportunity to meet, talk and exchange ideas with bowlers from a different culture from our own here in Wales.
May I express my sincere thanks to Eileen for her role in arranging this ‘international’ event, to Iain and Anne for their preparatory work and team selection in my absence abroad prior to the match, to the bowlers of Kenya who were a delight to be with on and off the green, to the twenty-four bowlers from Pentyrch, men and women, who were able to sign up for the match and contribute to the cost of the buffet, to Ranjith for his customary, splendid photographic record of the event, and to the Rugby Club for providing us with an excellent buffet.
Gordon Tucker (Men’s Vice-Captain, standing in as Captain for the day)
Pentyrch’s six-rink mixed team gave a warm Welsh welcome to the Kenyan tourists at Parc y Dwrlyn on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully, the earlier rain had ceased, and we were even treated to a little sunshine at times during the match. Unfortunately, due to their heavy schedule of engagements during their tour, and a few verylate withdrawals, our visitors arrived with a depleted team but were able to field two full rinksand four rinks with three players. The two captains agreed to play fifteen ends, with one shot on the first two ends.
The match was played in a spirit of great friendship and camaraderie, with plenty of
interesting chat between members of the rinks, and even a fair amount of laughter from time to time. Mementos of the match were exchanged between players on the six rinks. Pentyrch came out overall winners 90-65, with the visitors winning one rink and drawing another, and despite some spirited fightbacks on some of the other rinks.
The individual rink scores were as follows:
Anne Lowndes, Barrie Lewis, Irene Dow, Paul Cooper 10-10
Chris Locke, Nicola Olsen, Jan Ryan-Mapstone, Chris O’Leary 18-6
Colin Howson, Kaye Locke, Tony Pontin, Martin Hopkins 22-7
Eileen Bodington, Denzil Thomas, Kathy Taylor, Gavin Davidson 8-21
Gordon Tucker, Adrian Bevan, Ranjith Dodangoda, Liz Cugly 15-9
Iain Russell, Andy Butler, Erica Beddows, Ajit Singh 17-12
With the match completed, our guests were invited to join us for a buffet meal and liquid refreshment at the Rugby Club, including a raffle (with plentiful prizes!). After post-match words from our Ladies’ Captain, Anne Lowndes, we were entertained with two informative speeches by the visitors’ Captain, Andrew, and their Tour Organiser, Peter. Interestingly, we learned that there were only a handful of bowling clubs in the whole of Kenya, mostly based in exclusive country clubs, and that the combined membership of clubs in Kenya was numerically inferior to that of some individual clubs in the Cardiff area! The Pentyrch Captains were also presented with a souvenir gift and the Club itself with a model of Kenya’s favourite wild animal, the cheetah.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable event for all concerned and an opportunity to meet, talk and exchange ideas with bowlers from a different culture from our own here in Wales.
May I express my sincere thanks to Eileen for her role in arranging this ‘international’ event, to Iain and Anne for their preparatory work and team selection in my absence abroad prior to the match, to the bowlers of Kenya who were a delight to be with on and off the green, to the twenty-four bowlers from Pentyrch, men and women, who were able to sign up for the match and contribute to the cost of the buffet, to Ranjith for his customary, splendid photographic record of the event, and to the Rugby Club for providing us with an excellent buffet.
Gordon Tucker (Men’s Vice-Captain, standing in as Captain for the day)
****** May Coffee Morning ******
Thanks to Ranjith for the pictures.
****** April Coffee Morning ******
A cold but sunny day for April's Coffee Morning. It was a successful morning with a valuable £200 made for essential club funds. Thanks to Pat and Adrian Bevan the baristas, all the guests, bakers and donors of cakes and treats and to volunteers for making it a great success. See you in May.
****** and on... ******
Thursday 3rd April - a working party, organised by Adrian started on removing the significant materials and debris from the demolition of the old changing rooms. Everything is to be carried and manually transferred from the pavilion end to the club entrance for removal in several loads by a local contractor. Volunteers today were Adrian, Mike B , Chris L, Gavin and Mark.
****** Work goes on... ******
Sunday 16th March: A good morning’s work in the cold March sun, by Iain, Adrian, Brian, Peter, Mike, Chris, Gordon and Alan. Two main jobs done:
1. Brambles cleared away and new fence erected just before entrance to the club. All materials used were from the ditch repair work last year.
2. The leaking gutter along the front of the pavilion was repaired. B.I.
1. Brambles cleared away and new fence erected just before entrance to the club. All materials used were from the ditch repair work last year.
2. The leaking gutter along the front of the pavilion was repaired. B.I.
****** Rubbish Clearance ******
Sunday 9th March: Another day of favourable weather, and another successful morning for the volunteers clearing a lot of debris and rubbish from the old changing room and other items that have accumulated over recent years. Also, some of the slabs where the new changing rooms will be located have been turned and relaid. Thanks to Chris, Peter, Mike, Alan, Gavin, Iain, Adrian and Eileen for tea, coffee and biscuits. The new season is almost upon us but there is still a lot of work to be done. We will try to work every Sunday (weather dependent) between now and the season start. Thanks everyone, Iain.
****** Ground work done ******
Sunday 2nd March: Finally, some decent dry weather for the working party. The sunny weather provided good conditions for the the final clearance of the ground in readiness for the installation of the new changing rooms at the end of April. Thanks to Iain, Ian. Brian, Peter, Gordan and Eileen for the refreshments.
****** Hard Work ******
For the third Sunday in a row, the Maintenance Team have been hard at work - today, the difficult and laborious task of cutting up and dismantling the roof, walls and floor of the old changing rooms. This clearing up will allow Sheds Wales a more straightforward installation of the the new changing rooms in April. Thanks to: Adrian, Iain, Ian, Brian, Chris, Peter, Mike, Gordon and Ranjith.
****** Demolition Day ******
A week later, Sunday 9th, the Green and Maintenance Team were back. Today, they made significant and obvious progress with the pulling down of the roof and walls. Thanks to today's team: Brian, Ian, Adrian, Gordon, Mike, Iain, Chris, Ranjith and Eileen for the teas and coffees.
****** Back to work ******
The Green and Maintenance Team was back in action on Sunday 2nd February. The task of the day was to continue demolishing the old changing room in preparation for the installment of the new unit. Thanks to Adrian, Iain, Brian, Mike, Chris L, Ian, Peter O' and Alan.
****** Wintry Scenes at the Green ******
For the second time in four days the green has been dusted with snow. Our green and setting is beautiful at all times of the year. What a setting to play bowls at. 07.01.25
