The Book of Enitharmon

Kay, the skipper of my bowls team, phone this morning with the sad news of the death of fellow bowler Jean "Hippo" Hipson. While few if any reading this knew her in life, I'd like to introduce her here.

The world of women's crown-green bowls can be a fiercely competitive place (I'm not even going to try to comment on the men's world, which can be vicious) and there's certainly a lot of bitchiness flying about sometimes, but Jean never had a bad word for anybody. She was gentle in personality and ruthless with the woods; I never knew her in her prime but I know she was a fine player by any standards. She was free with encouragement and economical with criticism, which was always constructive anyway. As a friend she was supportive and warm. In her last two seasons following a heart attack she slowed down a lot and towards the end needed to take the full amount of rest the rules allowed in her games, but even in her final illness she never gave up and never gave less than the best she could. For quite a while last year she topped the team rankings ahead of younger and fitter players.

The world is a poorer place for being without her, but a better one for her having been in it. Hippo, wherever you are now, may the greens be lush, fast and true!

Bowls versus Hawcoat Park (still commonly known as Vickers Sports Club) is off tonight, on account of the waterlogged Barrow Island green complete with large puddle in the south-west corner.

I can't say I'm exactly dismayed. I have things to do and, although I really enjoy playing bowls, I'm pissed off with some of my teammates. Maybe it's a horrible thing to say but Barrow Island is a very working-class district and I have to say that I get given a hard time sometimes by these people, who seem to have me marked out as "not one of us". Even this afternoon, our vice-captain managed to get in the kind of sly insolence that I have to put up with now and then. (Years ago when living in Bristol I was given a much harder time in working-class St Werburghs than I was in more well-heeled Redland.)

Don't get me wrong; I'm not feeling angry or upset, just disappointed. I think this season, my first playing for Barrow Island, will also be the last. Next year I plan to play my bowls with West Mount, the club where I began. Even if it is a bus ride (or a walk up a very long hill) away. Apart from anything else, fuchsia and white suits my colouring much better than bottle-green and beige!

Today's run wasn't quite enough then.

Tonight was the return match against Glaxo. In the home tie back at the beginning of June, on a parched green in bright sunshine but a chilly wind (was that really only June?), we whitewashed Glaxo and I gained my first win in only my second appearance.

Tonight was a different proposition. We were on their well-kept but tiny green for starters, and although it was a fine evening the ground was heavy from almost incessant rain. It could have done with a cut too. And I was faced with an opponent who knew how to play! It was a good game which could have gone either way right up to the last end, but I went down 21-18 with my dignity intact. The games were tied 6-6 at the end and the match was decided on aggregate. That 18, which was the highest losing score on either side, might have settled the match but it was not to be and we went down 6-7.

On to the next match then.

I meant to go running today but I didn't. Bad girl!

Partly this was because I had an Inbiz meeting this morning. Then this afternoon I felt I needed some bowls practice (good for the glutes as much as anything) so went up to West Mount to work on my line and length for a couple of hours.

At first I was pretty wayward but by then end I was placing the woods thereabouts each time. Let's hope I can maintain that tomorrow night.

Thanks to everybody who passed on good luck messages for tomorrow by the way.