Newsletter No 13 - November 21st 2010

QUESTION: An end is killed and one skip wants the bowls taken back to the end that has just been played but the other does not. What happens? Does the team that placed the mat have the choice? Does the team that killed the end have the choice? Is there another solution? Do you know the law relating to dead ends? 

Law 31        Dead End 
A dead end should be replayed in the same direction unless the skips or opponents in Singles agree to play it in the opposite direction.  If the jack and bowls need to be transferred to the opposite end of the rink before the end is replayed, they should be CARRIED up the rink.

GENTLE THOUGHTS FOR TODAY
Birds of a feather flock together. . .  and then mess on your car.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
 

AFTER AN END IS KILLED
Carry the bowls when returning them after a killed end. 
Do not kick them up the green.

Merdeka gets closer as athletes get ready - Mandy Boyd and Matt Gallop
(Bowls NZ website)
With the start of the 5th Asia Pacific Merdeka Indoor Bowls Championships only a few days away our two athletes, Mandy Boyd and Matt Gallop, are heading to Malaysia to take on some of the worlds best. The two were selected for the invitation only event after they proved themselves on the world stage earlier in the year playing in the U25 Trans Tasman Team. National coach, Dave Edwards believes “this will be a fantastic event for Mandy and Matt in helping to develop their game further. The standard of competition at the tournament is very high and will really enhance their appreciation of the standard required at the international level”. The Indoor Bowls Championships will be running from the 20th to the 26th of November as Mandy and Matt compete in both the singles event and the mixed pairs.
 

Asked to stand, for Braw Lad in 1959, was picked as one of the four attendants, was given about 15 riding lessons. then rode over the hills to many border historical places, border towns and different ceremonies with around a hundred supporters on horseback. A small example, rode across the river Tweed to Sir Walter Scott's house, and received a whiskey from the butler, then back across the Tweed to Lord Scott's house and another whisky and so on, nearly drunk in charge of my horse Mussolini.

At the time I was a keen badminton player and downed a few of the Scottish players, took an all-England Junior Champ to 3 sets. I entered the Border Counties badminton champs senior and junior and I got through to six finals, winning 4 of them lost the senior gents doubles and had to default the junior mixed because I knotted up with cramp.

At 20 got a job with a Carpet firm at Durban South Africa. Flew out on the Comet 4. London, Rome, Khartoum, Nairobi, Salisbury, Joberg, and finally Durban. I worked days one week and nights one week. On nights I was the only white person in charge of around a 100 Zulu and the same amount of Indians. The guy who I replaced used to walk around with a 38 pistol - I had a big torch. At night I used to go to work by train at Reunion station. I got off the train and crossed the bridge with about 500 Zulu, who lived in huts near the station. I used to run with my torch looking for snakes about half a mile to the factory. I am sure I hold the unofficial world record for that distance.

When the Zulu half hour break came, they used to bury themselves in the wool, at the top of these bins which where about 50 feet high. I used have to climb the ladder of all 4 bins, go in the man hole, walk across the wool and black arms and legs would appear. I would chase them back to work. One cold night I went to lay down at my break and suddenly this black arm shot up, one I had missed, I nearly crapped myself. Anyway too much to tell.

Went back UK by boat. The Pendenis Castle at Cape town went up Table mountain and climbed down the front. The boat a week in front had an explosion killing 9 engineers so we sped up to Las Palmas to take most of the passengers.

A few years later went to Yorkshire to run a mill, met Valerie and got married in March 1965. We have 3 kids, Paul, Mark and Samantha, and 8 grandkids. The reason we came to New Zealand started with the miners strike in 1973 which went on for months. Factories could only get electricity at allocated times. We would fix machines in freezing cold, go home in snow, no tea, TV water off, etc. So through the trade I was offered a 3 year contract as production manager at UEB, got up to General manager in one takeover, in charge of marketing and production. I retired as manager for Cavalier, about 7 years ago having survived numerous takeovers. When heads roll, I learned to duck the sword twice or it would get you on the way back. Anyway I guess I could write a book on trouble at the mill. Badminton - member of HB team who won NZ 2nd Division in 1977, never won by HB since.
All the best, Lawrie