Bowls Club Saved - Queensland Floods

[IrishBowls]

Here is a heartwarming story that shows the Aussie spirit.

Good on you Goodna and best wishes for the future.

Click Here For News Report (http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/20/3116904.htm)

IrishBowler
Australia

[Del]

Great story, we forget the damage that has been caused once it's out of the headlines!

Hope everything is getting back to some sort of normality, bowling greens & grass recovers very quick here in the U K.

A club near here gets partially flooded every year, only half of the green gets damaged but come the bowling season everything bowls well, unless we have a wet summer!

Main thing is hope everyone is O.K.

[Surfer]

Hi Irishbowls

You don't realize the damage floods can do, looks like it will take a long time to sort out the Club house but getting the green back to normal after the damage done is great, it means you can carry on Bowling over your season,
Great Community Spirit comes out when something like this happens
and people rally round,

Good luck getting your Club House Sorted

Surfer from a Cold Cornwall

[Swordfish]

Hi Irishbowls

What a fantastic story, it really does show how much people pull together in a crisis.

My outdoor club is built on a flood plain, and has been flooded a couple of times over the last few years so i know a bit how they feel. The only bonus was that the green played wonderfully once the silt had cleared!

My thoughts go out to the members of Goodna and i hope they get their club house repaired as soon as possible. I'm sure they will be back to normal in no time.

[Oldie]

God bless to you all, shows the true Aussie spirit!!

Hope all is well.

[Possum]

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!
The whole country's with you!

[Skippy]

G'Day all, Well said Possum, great country!!

Been busy bowling have been away from the old computer, just got one of these I pads, Brilliant even with my big fingers...

Well done the Poms in the cricket but not so good in the 1 day'ers..

Hope all you bowling is going well where ever you are.

Few more post soon.

[kiwi bowler]

Hi Skippy

It's good to hear you are ok, :grin: I had thought that maybe the floods were the reason we hadn't heard from you for a while.

[Skippy]

Thanks Kiwi Bowler,

Not been directly affected but lots of friends have been caught up in the mess.

Having a steady season, trouble is lots of pressure at work to earn a crust so not so easy to get time off!!!!

Have a couple weeks hols coming up so have entered couple money tournaments, so looking forward to them.

Hope alls well with you!

[kiwi bowler]

Thanks Kiwi Bowler,

Not been directly affected but lots of friends have been caught up in the mess.

Having a steady season, trouble is lots of pressure at work to earn a crust so not so easy to get time off!!!!

Have a couple weeks hols coming up so have entered couple money tournaments, so looking forward to them.

Hope alls well with you!

Hi Skippy

We have had a lot of bad weather here in NZ too, lately, but not as bad as one's going on over there.

I'm well and doing ok on the bowls seen, but not so good on the work front. I'm applying for lots of jobs, (evening or graveyard hours) but not getting any - my age seems to be my major problem?

I'm also still home schooling my son and he's doing well. This year he is year 9 (third form) and he's already started off the year well.

[Skippy]

G'Day Kiwi Bowler,

Pleased to hear things are going well, apart from the jobs front. Things are not any easier over hear, too many chasing ever decreasing jobs and even tighter deadlines at work. Has had an impact on my free time having now to work every third Saturday, nightmare!!!

Only a few years off retiring so can't wait, never thought I'd say that!

Expect you still have a few years to go with a 9 year old, cousin of mine doe's home schooling works fine for him as well.

Bowling is going well with lots of big money comps coming up, always attracts good opposition!8-)

[kiwi bowler]

Hi Skippy,

My son is 13 years young, He's Year 9 as far as School is concerned. Year 9 is what we used to call Third Form.

Yes, I have another 12 years to go before I can retire at 65, but the Govt here is talking about putting the age up to 68?:(

I can understand it being a real pain to have to work every third sat, especially if you are playing in a club championship, some of my Champs take 3 weekends to complete.

[Skippy]

G'Day Kiwi Bowler,

Sorry got the age wrong, shows I wasn't that bright at school!!

Yes working every 3rd Saturday, a right pain!

O.Z. is moving the pension age up, think fortunately for me it will still be 65,
below is a chart e-mailed to me!

Age pension age
From 1 July 2017, the qualifying age for Age Pension will increase from 65 to 65.5 years. The qualifying age for Age Pension will then rise by 6 months every 2 years, reaching 67 by 1 July 2023.

These changes will be introduced 4 years after women's qualifying age for Age Pension has reached 65, under existing rules.

The table below shows the gradual increase in women's qualifying age for Age Pension over the period leading up to 1 July 2013, and then the increase in qualifying age for both men and women from 1 July 2017.

[E T]

Hi Skippy,

What do you think of this news Skippy on the front page of WorldBowler,

Maleny, Australia Paves the Way with Artificial Greens
The Maleny Lawn Bowls Club in Australia has been the first club in Australia to install artificial greens;...

I don't mind these greens indoors but hate them Outdoors, we have 1 in our leagues play on Grass all of the time then on artificial, takes all the game to get the hang of it!!!!

The only good thing is that the bowlers who play at the artificial club ain't very good, if they were we would really struggle!!

[Surfer]

Down here in Cornwall we have three artificial greens outdoors, it causes all sorts of problems and moaning among the Bowlers if they have the semi finals and finals on these greens that are artificial.
it has led to a lot of heated discussion about what is fair for all players concerned its still under debate.


Surfer:cool:

[Swordfish]

There's only one artificial green near where i live and luckily ive only had the pleasure of playing on it once. It was the least competitive match ive ever played in - there were more bowls on the bank than on the green! I always dread being drawn to play there in the counties as you are almost certain to lose, because they are used to it.

Personally i don't think they should be allowed outdoors - the grass surface is what makes it interesting!

[kiwi bowler]

The reason quite a few clubs here in NZ have changed to Artificial Greens is that is a cheaper option, with member numbers decreasing.

[John]

Hi Kiwi Bowler & Swordfish, Looks as if its things to come!!!

My club in Somerset is looking at putting an artificial down in the year 2012!
it's the maintenance that looks attractive!!

Think the costing over 15 years are similar but grass takes so much voluntee time!!

I would prefer grass and not keen on artificail might just have to get use to it!
and finish later in the evernings!:(

[Swordfish]

Hi Kiwi Bowler and John

I can understand that it makes sense financially for most clubs as the grass greens take a lot of hard work to maintain. The problem at the moment is that because there is a mixture of grass and artificial, it makes it really awkward having to adjust to the different surfaces. If every surface was artificial then i suppose you would eventually get used to it. :(

John, is your club definitely laying an artificial surface or is it just talk at the moment?

[Barbie]

I hate playing on artificial in the summer it really draws the feet not good and takes ages to play a game its so much longer,
I really dread playing our league games in these clubs alway up against it and these artificial greens do have runs which their members know like the back of their hand,
On grass the green changes as you play depending on the weather I like the challenge of playing on grass.