Hastings tournament ready to roll for 100th time

The Hastings Annual Mixed Open Bowls Tournament will take place for the 100th time at White Rock Gardens throughout this week.
2016 Hastings Open Bowls Tournament men's singles winner Trevor Logan with tournament president Gordon Leggatt. Picture courtesy Bob Bogie2016 Hastings Open Bowls Tournament men's singles winner Trevor Logan with tournament president Gordon Leggatt. Picture courtesy Bob Bogie
2016 Hastings Open Bowls Tournament men's singles winner Trevor Logan with tournament president Gordon Leggatt. Picture courtesy Bob Bogie

The historic event, which celebrated 100 years since its formation in 2011 but wasn’t played for six years during the two world wars, will get underway this morning (Monday) and continue throughout the week until concluding with the finals on Saturday.

Five titles will be up for grabs - Kiley’s Karpets Ladies’ Singles, Brickwall Hotel Ladies’ Pairs, Croft Glass Men’s Singles, Don Softley Men’s Pairs and Gibbons Mannington Open Triples.

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The action will get underway with the preliminary round of the triples this morning, and the ladies’ singles, men’s singles and men’s pairs will start up during the afternoon.

The ladies’ pairs will begin tomorrow morning and the final is scheduled for 11am on Friday. The open triples final is due to be played at 4pm on Friday, while the ladies’ singles, men’s singles and men’s pairs finals will take place the following day.

The bulk of the competitors are from local clubs, but some players will be travelling from places such as Houghton Regis, Wimbledon, Biggin Hill, Poole, Bury St Edmonds and even Morpeth.

Last year there were local winners in all five events, with White Rock BC players winning four of them. Trevor Logan took the men’s singles, Maxine Clarkson the ladies’ singles, Colin Nutton and Alec Martin the men’s pairs, and Lorraine Milburn and Clarkson the ladies’ pairs. The open triples was won by the Hastings BC trio of John Sallows, Harold Startup and Dave Ward.

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Total prize-money is £2,150, with £400 going to the men’s singles winner, £200 to the ladies’ singles winner, £100 each to the men’s pairs winners, £60 each to the ladies’ pairs winners and £70 each to the open triples winners.

The tournament committee is desperately seeking a secretary, and help is also needed with obtaining adverts for the programme, its production and other general duties which are not complicated and for which help will be given.

Basic computer knowledge, such as sending emails, is essential so if you are interested in helping (even addressing envelopes), please contact a committee member via the contacts page on the tournament website or call Mike Grigg on 01424 443357 or Gordon Leggatt on 01424 461803.

Returning to the historical aspect of the tournament, the hallowed Cumberland turf was laid at White Rock Gardens in 1916, beating the tournament “played years” by one.

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