Dear friends
It is a great honour and privilege to be elected as Suffolk County Women`s Bowls Association President.
I am fully aware of the responsibilities of the position and I will do everything to promote and enhance the sportsmanship and friendship for which Suffolk federation and its members are known for
I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can throughout my year as President and I wish you all good health and bowling and good luck.
Kind regards
Donna Mills
SCWBA President 2025
By WebsiteCoordinator 08/09/25 0 comments
The draw for the indoor competition has been done and is available under `Competitions`.
By WebsiteCoordinator 11/09/25 0 comments
The menu for the Ladies Luncheon may be found Here.
The luncheon is on 18th October, 12:00 for 12:30, At Best Western Claydon Hotel, 16/18 Ipswich Road, Claydon, IP6 0AR.
By WebsiteCoordinator 23/08/25 0 comments
Once again, bowlers from the 13 counties met up in Skegness for the National Finals. In the EWBF Women’s Pairs competition, Jackie Whitlock and Elaine Felgate made confident progress to the final with wins over North Essex (21-11) and Huntingdonshire (20-11). They maintained their excellent form against Cleveland in the Final on Saturday 23rd resulting in an exciting win by 20 shots to 11.
Very many congratulations to the ladies from Otley BC - National Champions!
Sadly, there was disappointment for Gillian Lamprey, who did so well to qualify for three competitions at Skegness. Although going out in the 2 Bowl Singles and the Secretaries Singles, Gill secured a place in the Senior Singles final, but lost out to her North Essex opponent.
JP, Daphne Fane, PE, Lesley Dyer, President Donna Mills and Sue Bryenton-Rochard with SCBA President, Andrew Burch
By WebsiteCoordinator 01/08/25 0 comments
County President, Donna Mills` club Stone Lodge hosted the County finals this year. A full programme of semi-finals was played on Saturday, but the finals on Sunday were disrupted by the onset of heavy rain in the middle of proceedings. Unfortunately, when the rain eventually cleared the green was unfit to use. Not to be daunted, County Finals Co-Ordinator, Sue Bryenton-Rochard, hastily arranged with Stone Lodge for the remaining finals to be played in the following fortnight. The SCWBA are greatly indebted to the club for facilitating these additions to their busy schedule of bowls.
The Championships provided a mix of familiar faces and newer bowlers. Click here for the gallery of County Champions. Gillian Lamprey from Lowestoft Railway was successful in three singles competitions, the 2 Bowl, the Senior and the Secretaries Singles. Young players, Kylie Smith (4 Bowl Singles), Jemimah Andrew-Smith (Champion of Champions) and Chelsea Turner (Under 25`s) all played confidently to win their competitions. All our winners are wished the best of luck for the National Championships in Skegness.
By WebsiteCoordinator 30/06/25 0 comments
Stone Lodge Bowls Club.
Completed finals results are available under 'Competitions'/'County Finals'.
Unfortunately the finals had to be abandoned due to weather. The remaining matches have been arranged over the next few days at Stone Lodge Bowls Club.
Tuesday 8th July Senior Singles at 11:00
Andrea Dickinson v Gillian Lamprey
Tuesday 8th July 2 Bowls Singles at approx. 13:30
Gillian Lamprey v Ann Lilley
Wednesday 9th July Senior Pairs at 18:30
Pauls Gooch, Lesley Alexander v Angela Mondon, Suzanne Deeves
Friday 11th July 2 Bowl Rinks at 18:30
S Lilley, V Holt, M Gillam v S Plummer, C Saunders, A Felgate at 18:30
Thursday 17th July 3 Bowl Rinks at 18:30
G Lamprey, M Beck, P Anderson v H Brooks, M Brooks, D Allum
Your support is always welcome; the players would enjoy a bit of atmosphere.
By WebsiteCoordinator 03/07/25 0 comments
President`s Day held at Donna Mills` club, Stone Lodge, was great fun for all. A pleasant game of triples on all six rinks was enjoyed in (mostly) dry warm weather. The outcome, never in doubt, was a win for the President`s team.
After play concluded a very well supported raffle was held, which raised 231 pounds for Donna`s charity, the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Our final pleasure was sharing the delicious buffet meal in the Social Club. Donna was presented with a bouquet and dish by Lesley Dyer, President Elect, in recognition of her year as our President.
By WebsiteCoordinator 22/06/25 0 comments
Below are the programs that we have for the area finals.
By Sally Smith 25/05/25 0 comments
The Suffolk Donald Steward (DS) and Silver Jubilee Vase (SJV) teams got into action for their first matches of the season on 21st May. Northants were the visitors to Ixworth BC for the DS and Haughley BC for the SJV. Early showers gave way to a warm, bright afternoon, appreciated by the bowlers.
Both matches were closely contested and played in a friendly spirit. Suffolk`s DS team had a runaway rink, with the thimbles going to Helen Sharpe, Pauline Anderson and Tracey Johnson. Northants won just one rink and that was by a single shot. The excellent result overall was 137 shots to 91.
At Haughley, two rinks were dropped by our SJV team, although one of them by just one shot, but the overall result was a win with a large shot difference of 141 to 89. The thimbles were awarded to SS Cole, Lesley Dyer and Sue Rochard, who won their rink 41-14.
Amy Finch, 4 Bowl Singles
Jan Truin, 4 Bowl Senior Singles
Sandi Steed, Ladies Pairs
Pauline Wright competing in the Ladies Pairs
Jane and Kevin in the Mixed pairs first round.
Jane Skillings in action.
Jane Skillings and Kevin Rolfe, National Mixed Pairs Champions
By Sally Smith 20/05/25 0 comments
The combined EBF/EWBF National indoor finals 2025, held again in Lincoln, will be a year remembered for the success our mixed pair, Jane Skillings and Kevin Rolfe. Although close games were played in the other competitions involving ladies, none progressed beyond their first match.
Ladies 4 Bowl Singles
As last year, Suffolk was represented by Amy Finch. Initially the match against the Lincolnshire competitor progressed very evenly, with Amy ahead 11-8 when she unfortunately dropped a three. This gave her opponent the impetus she needed, along with her experience of the green and local support, to pull gradually ahead. At 12-16 down Amy converted three down to one in her favour with a super shot, although this was to prove her final point of the match and she went out 13-21.
Ladies 4 Bowl Senior Singles
Jan Truin made a confident start to her match against J. Ashmore of Norfolk, although struggling initially to find the weight of the green. The early ends took her to a 9-4 lead, but Jan selected to play a long jack and was not able to bowl to it, going down 4. For the rest of the game the players were evenly matched and it was Jan’s misfortune to lose the match 21-20 on a final end measure.
Ladies Pairs
Suffolk was represented this year by the new pairing of Sandi Steed and Pauline Wright, playing against very experienced competitors from Nottinghamshire. The match proved to be a close, skilful, encounter which could have gone either way. The Suffolk ladies went briefly ahead by a couple of shots through a measure on the 7th end, but Nottinghamshire came back at them. By the 17th end, Sandi and Pauline were 7 shots down, but they fought back, winning one shot on each of the last four ends, finishing the match just 3 shots behind at 13-16. They were complimented on their play by the Nottinghamshire ladies and encouraged to continue to develop their strong pairing.
Ladies 2 Bowl Rinks
Your reporter was not present for the round 1 match of the Ladies 2 Bowl Rinks, but understands from our competitors, Sandi Steed, Pauline Wright and Amy Finch, that the match was a struggle throughout. Sadly, changing positions did not improve the progress of the match and out ladies went out to Humberside by 8 shots to 21.
Mixed Rinks
Our young bowler, Chelsea Turner, playing with father Adam and Rob Kerry came up against eventual finalists, Northants in a round 2 match. The match did not go their way and they lost 23 shots to 10. Unfortunately, this was another competition missed by your reporter, so no details or photograph available.
Mixed Pairs
The new pairing of Jane Skillings and Kevin Rolfe proved that experience is not everything as they progressed through the Mixed pairs competition. Jane is a recent bowler, totally inexperienced with competition at this level, but she played strongly in their first-round match against North Essex and the pair were rewarded with a 19-12 win.
In their second-round match Kevin’s skilful play took them to a 5-0 lead before Cleveland got into the game and by the ninth end Suffolk were 10-3 ahead. Cleveland changed round, but to no avail and quickly changed back after Jane and Kevin gained a further two. With the score 15-8 at sixteen ends, Cleveland had progressed as far as they could go, with Suffolk finishing comfortable winners 20-8.
All prepared for the semi-final, the Suffolk pair were disappointed that a health problem, led their semi-final opponents to withdraw. In the final, Jane and Kevin came up against the Derbyshire pairing skipped by very experienced bowler Ru Robinson. It was to be a match of two halves, with Suffolks strong start gradually broken down by Derbyshire. Level at 16 all going into the last end, Derbyshire were holding championship, with Kevin having just a foot to pull into with his last wood. Rising to the challenge, Kevin’s bowl finished on the jack to take the Northumberland Trophy.
SCWBA 4 Bowl Singles Champion, Amy Finch
SCWBA Senior Singles Champion, Jan Truin
SCWBA 2 Bowl Pairs Champions, Sandi Steed and Pauline Wright
SCWBA 2 Wood Triples Champions, Sandi Steed, Pauline Wright and Amy Finch
SCBA Mixed Pairs Champions, Jane Skillings and Kevin Rolfe
By Sally Smith 22/03/25 0 comments
SCWBA President, Donna Mills, with President Elect Lesley Dyer, Junior President Daphne Fane, and Sue Rochard introduce the Semi-finals session alongside SCBA President Andrew Burch and President Elect David Cattermole.
The combined SCBA and SCWBA indoor semis and finals were played at Ipswich and District Indoor Bowlimg Club, with all semi-finals completed on Saturday and the majority of finals played on Sunday. Unavailable players delayed the final of the Mixed Triples, which was played later. Once again, Sue Rochard and Kim Dyer worked together to ensure smooth organisation. The raffle raised 254 pounds, divided equally between the two organisations. Full results can be seen on the competitions page of this website.
Click here for a photo gallery from the finals on Sunday 2nd March.
Saturday saw some very good bowling from all the competitors hoping to reach the finals on Sunday. The ladies’ pairs competition got off to a quick start for T Johnson and J Frohawk getting ahead of S Smith and G Saunders by 10 shots to 1, however as very often can be the case it was a game of two halves whereby Sally and Gill started to gain shots and the battle began. The result being T Johnson and J Frohawk winning by a small margin of just 3 shots taking them into the final on Sunday. The second semi-final between A Finch and L Dyer and P Wright and S Steed was also very thrilling. This game was a battle throughout with a very exciting finale at 21 ends it was an 18 all draw so who was going to see it through. The cliff hanger was that P Wright and S Steed managed to draw in their last bowl to win 19 -18, sending them through to the final on Sunday. When it came to the final of the ladies’ pairs P Wright and S Steed were on fire confirming their place at the National Finals in April.
In the 4 bowl singles match P Black made headway after trailing 12 shots to 2 against T Johnson gaining more of the second half of the game, but T Johnson forged ahead and confirmed her place in the final. There she was up against A Finch who went on to win her place at the National Finals in April. J Truin made it through in the semi-final of the senior singles after a valiant effort by S Rochard to creep up from 10-1 down, with Jan eventually winning 21-14. Jan then had to face P Wright in the final in which she did not hold back and was successful in winning 22-14.
The triples final was between P Wright, A Finch, S Steed and G Lamprey, M Thorpe, S Rochard. It was an early game on Sunday morning and after a very frosty morning it was a little cool in the bowls club. Gill, Margaret and Sue got off to a slow start trailing 11 shots to 1 on 6 ends. A change round was needed and for a short while made a difference to the results achieved, however Pauline, Amy and Sandi were in charge and went on to win and secure their place at Lincoln.
The remaining final, the Mixed Triples, was played on 18th March. After an even start to the match (3 all at 4 ends), A Turner, C Turner and R Kerry started to pull away from S Steed, K Rolfe and M Rumball, aided by an unfortunate conversion by Martin from one up to two shots down in the sixth end. As play progressed Rob Kerry steered his triple towards a win, ably supported by Adam and Chelsea, with the final score 23-10 in their favour.
Our Suffolk Ladies Indoor Champions played extremely well and they are all wished the very best of luck in the finals at Lincoln.
SCBA Mixed Triples Champions, Chelsea Turner, Adam Turner and Rob Kerry