PARIBC Potters trip report and pictures – May 2023, (Fri 12/05/23 – Fri 19/05/23).
The tour party, comprised 49 people, 39 bowlers, (see below) and 10 guests; June Cook, Christopher Day, Julia Edwards, Marion Elven, Bernie Mercer, John Mercer, Vera Murr, Janet Small, Gloria Smith and Fran Sutherland. 15 of the 49 people went for a 7 night break and the remaining 34 went for a 4 night break. All seemed to enjoy themselves, both on and perhaps more importantly off, the green and once again it seems that the good name of PARIBC was represented and promoted all week in a good light, which counts for a lot, to show off the Club in the right way. The holiday was all – inclusive, so all the food and drink, (few exceptions), were covered in the price, meaning you could eat, drink and be merry, to your heart’s content. Now perhaps we all probably imbibed alcoholically, a bit more than usual, but what the hell, we certainly didn’t go for it, big time and to be honest, there is no need to anyway. The choices at the 4 meals a day, are still more than enough to keep all happy and there can’t have been too many complaints, well certainly none from me! Dealing with the bowling itself, PARIBC had 10 teams of 4’s, entered into the 40 team competition:-
(Unfortunately, we were one player short, for Team H, so Potters kindly allocated another holidaying bowler, to play in this team).
Team A = Roy Baston, Christine Heward, Tom Heward, Jean Lacey => P4, W1, D0, L3. = 1 pt.
Team B = Elaine Beard, Ray Ecclestone, Margaret King, Mavis Randall => P4, W1, D0, L3. = 1 pt.
Team C = John Clayton, June Clayton, Linda Searle, Patricia Wells => P4, W4, D0, L0. = 4 pts.
Team D = Sheila Collins, Bruce Robinson, Jan Robinson, Colin Talbot => P4, W1, D0, L3. = 1 pt.
Team E = Dave Cook, Val Cook, Mick Smith, Dave Sutherland => P4, W4, D0, L0. = 4 pts.
Team F = Phil Cook, Diane Horsington, John Hunt, Tony Murr => P4, W2, D0, L2. = 2 pts.
Team G = Sylvia Day, Katie Hilder, Deidre Williams, Mike Williams => P4, W1, D1, L2. = 1.5 pts.
Team H = Peter Edwards, Dennis Elven, Derrick Small, Mr X => P4, W0, D0, L4. = 0 pts.
Team I = Tim Fletcher, Gunnar Hreinsson, Shelia Matthews, Shirley Milton => P4, W0, D0, L4. = 0 pts.
Team J = Brian Gee, Dot Gee, Ian Lucas, Suzanne Lucas => P4, W1, D0, L3. = 1 pt.
From the guaranteed 4 matches, in the first round of the tournament, PARIBC manged to get 2 teams into the last 16 round, namely teams C and E, with Team F just missing out on going through, on shots difference count back. As it was, Team C lost in the last 16 round and Team E lost in the quarter finals, both defeated by the same team from Tye Green IBC, (Essex), who would go on to be the eventual tournament runners up, overall. Well done also to Team C, who managed the special feat of getting a hot shot, during one of their first round matches and were duly handed their Potters hot shot badges, at the end. However, all 39 bowlers and the additional “Mr X”, making up the PARIBC 10 teams, all bowled well and gave a good account of themselves, with their woods and their social attitude towards each Oppo they played, making all the games very friendly affairs indeed. Other Clubs with a strong representation present for the week, were from Clacton IBC, (Essex), Dunholme IBC, (Lincs) and Luton IBC, (Beds). Away from the green, the more important aspects of the holiday and enjoyment, took place. Each day and night, there were numerous other activities to participate in, or alternatively, plenty of spaces to soak up the good weather, (we were lucky on that front) and relax, with a bit of peace and quiet. Having said that, over the weekend it was a bit more busier, but throughout the week, the late night PARIBC drinking crew, namely Ms Hilder, Ms Searle, Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Fletcher, managed to make it through till about 1.30 a.m. most mornings, with a few Irish coffees, wee drams, red wines and martini’s being sunk, as the world was put to rights, in many a conversation and then up in time for breakfast at 8 a.m. Some other notable mentions, (in no particular order), are as follows………
We soon learnt not to ask Margaret King and Mavis Randall, if they’d had a good journey up. I think their male speaking sat – nav, was soon turned off, (just as they went past Gravesend) and never to be turned back on! Enough said! On arrival, Patricia Wells found that her shower was set and fixed, in a too high position. When I went to sort this out for her, I found it was set at about my waist level, so I lowered it to my knee height and Patricia, said this was now, just about the right height for her to get under. I offered my services with the loofa, but for some reason I was shown the door. Can’t think why?! Dot and Brian Gee certainly partied many a night away, thus getting in practise for Dot’s many upcoming parties and tour, in her role as Kent County Ladies Prez next season! Ian and Suzanne Lucas had to leave early on the Thurs, to travel down to Hampshire, for their daughter’s wedding, so trust all went well with that?! Katie Hilder, (now changing her name by deed poll, to Katie Carafe), certainly enjoyed herself making lots of new friends amongst all the other holiday makers and staff. I think she managed over 400 selfies with the entertainment staff, citing young Henry as her favourite. Not sure her boyfriend Gus, back home, knows about this, but don’t worry your secret is safe with us. Although her comments to one barman, (being a bar maid herself) and his “look”, will live long in the memory! She said she preferred the midnight meal, to the bowling! Don’t we all?!
Diane Horsington and John Hunt, have now got their paperwork through, which means that Spain will be their permanent base all year round. It has been a pleasure to have got to know them over the last couple of years and all at the Club wish them all the best. Our gain, is Spain’s loss…or something like that?! And don’t forget to pop in and see us when back in the UK, on your tax breaks, (mainly paying the tax on all those Potters gold medals, you won!). And things you learn on hols. We now know why Dennis Elven is always humming Rod Stewart tunes. Apparently his lovely wife Marion is a big fan, but no Dennis, when you have just bowled a bad wood, then definitely no, I don’t think you are sexy! There was only one wrong bias bowled all week and that by one of the Club’s star bowlers, namely Mick T Smith. However his fine remains unpaid, to this day, as every time we tried to collect it and get him to pay up, he started talking about whisky and as you know, when this happens, the room empties, as you have just got to get away. Yet he did manage to purchase a top of the range pair of the latest fashion bowling shoes, made by Jimmy Choo, so this now means we will never see the colour of his money and that fine will never be paid. Oh well, some you win, some you lose! And speaking of fashion, all our ladies looked lovely each night, in their best attire, (not that they don’t look too bad, throughout the rest of the day!), with perhaps Elaine Beard leading the way in outfits. She told me she had 30 different outfits, for the 5 days and her good man Ray Ecclestone backed this up and said for himself, he only had room in the car, (let alone the case), for 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of trousers and 1 shirt. Luckily his Royal Marines training kicked in and he looked very smart every night, in aforementioned single items. Having said all that, Elaine did keep losing items of clothing, around the resort, (don’t ask!), so was the receptionists best friend each day, enquiring if anything had been handed in! The rest of the gents also scrubbed up well, with surely Phil Cook, our best dressed man about town. Very smart indeed, showing off his summer collection to the full.
On the bingo front, the Club got lucky once again. Firstly our Icelandic Nordic strong man, Gunnar Hreinsson, (who had never played bingo before), was asking his other half, Shirley Milton, that to win a line, was it the numbers vertically, or horizontally, on the book, to be crossed off? No wonder he was dancing in the aisles when he won. Veteran bingo player Roy Baston weighed in with his usual holiday win, (actual money this time and not a tin of beans!), whilst biggest winner of the week was Sylvia Day, winning large, twice, on two full houses and pocketing a combined substantial, large 3 figure sum. And, Sylvia’s two winning and so lucky, numbers, from now on, are numbers either side of my true age, 33 and 36, so how lucky is that?! Meanwhile at the other bingo, the “Tony & Val” bingo, (Hoy, Hoy), the big winners here were Dave Sutherland and Gloria Smith. Well done to all, but please remember, my commission is 10%, so if you could get that to me asap, I would be obliged! In memory of the late Eric Clive and thanks to the ingenuity of Fran Sutherland, we had a nightly monetary draw and this managed to produce 20 different winners throughout the week, so well done to all those people. By Thursday, things had come to a bit of a head, when the organizer, being polite as ever, said “Good morning”, 4, yes 4, times to Julia Edwards, only to be ignored by the good lady out on her morning walk. There was no one else about, but she had to walk past him, to continue on her route and yet she totally blanked him, as she trundled on her way, ear pods in and phone in hand? What does a man have to do? Meanwhile the eagerly anticipated, masterclass in ten pin bowling, by her husband Peter Edwards, never materialised, so perhaps this had something to do with Julia’s actions? Well done to Linda Searle for proving that she can outplay and hammer, the organizer, at bowls, pool and drinking, whilst both Deidre Williams and Patricia Wells ran, aforementioned light weight, absolutely ragged, at pickle ball! Our team of relative newbie bowlers, Sheila Collins, Bruce Robinson, Jan Robinson, Colin Talbot, kept their powder dry, till their last match, when they gained their first win of the week, with a convincing victory, against a team of established bowlers and their smiles, at the evening meal table, said it all. Happy days then, for all the PARIBC tourists! So for the eleventh time, another successful trip was had and the efforts of the organizer were very kindly recognized by the tour party, with a presentation to him, of his clubs annual subs being paid for next season. This was certainly something very much undeserved, but very much appreciated. I just wonder how they knew he was joining Sevenoaks IBC and what the pricing structure was at his new Club, but never mind?! Thanks also to the gifts from 2 other couples, the puzzles of each, are still trying to be worked out, whilst the sweets soon went! Thanks also to Mick Smith and Jean Lacey, who were the unofficial tour photographers, (see attached pics) and many thanks are also due to all those who drove and gave lifts to others, to / from, Norfolk.
Thus looking ahead, hopefully next year’s twelfth trip will be just as enjoyable, rewarding and eventful, as the previous eleven, so look out for the notices that will soon appear on the noticeboards. And if you are interested in going, or just want to know any more information, then please speak with any of the people that have been in the previous years. They will tell it, as it is, so it won’t be all good and hopefully won’t be all bad, but will give you a more balanced view of the trip, (both good and bad points) , rather than all of the above. Everybody seems to mix and gel on the trips, you are not left on your own and we are a friendly bunch, even the miserable and grumpy old organizer, believe it or not! In terms of numbers taken each year, the figures are as follows:- In 2011 we took 35 people, in 2012 we took 52, in 2013 we took 57, in 2014 we took 64, in 2015 we took 67, in 2016 we took 68, in 2017 we took 79, in 2018 we took 58, in 2019 we took 28, in 2022 we took 36 and this year we took 49. So roll on 2024, when we hopefully do it all over again.
Kind regards, your correspondent, The Thin Man.
Pictures
Page Last Updated on 24th May 2023