It was a real celebration of sport on Saturday, as 23 members of Budleigh Tennis Club joined 25 of their colleagues from the Bowls Club to play a bowls competition, writes Tony Mackness.

Each of the 12 teams of 4 players was made-up with a combination of experienced bowlers and tennis players, and for many of the tennis players this was the first time they had picked-up a Wood, let alone play a competitive game.

The 12 teams played each other on a Round Robin basis and, at the end of the afternoon, the winners by a narrow margin were the team of Evelyn Crook, Russell Manoy, and Liz Williams (Bowls Club members) and Mandy Beck from the Tennis Club.

After the match, Mandy commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and before today I had never picked-up a Bowling Wood, or appreciated the skill required to deliver it at the correct speed and direction to allow for the inbuilt bias.”

The prizes were presented by Fiona Bolt of Cameron Jones Financial Management, a major sponsor of the Bowls Club.

Following the competition, the players and guests enjoyed a meal organised by Jennie Stogdon and her colleagues from The Pop-Up Dining Room and the climax of the day was a live performance by a new local band Ocean Soul, with vocalist Deirdre Mackness.

Tony Mackness, Bowls Club Captain, commented: “It was most enjoyable to play with our colleagues from the Tennis Club, and we will certainly be looking at further inter-club events, although I am not sure if some of our bowlers have the energy to play several sets of tennis!”

Budleigh Salterton Bowls Club is a sub-section of Budleigh Salterton Games Club which also has Tennis and Bridge sections. It is one of the oldest bowls clubs in Devon, formed in 1903.

The Club holds regular Roll-ups, which are a great way to not only learn the rules but also to meet other club members. Pop down to the Club for a warm welcome and see if bowls, or tennis, is your new sport.