Author Archives: Pat Lenton

Ladies Ramsey Town Cup 2024

Bailey McMullan in top form all afternoon.

A particularly good entry of 29 competitors played on Sunday afternoon 9th June at Mooragh Park in conditions that started dry but ended in light rain for the final stages.


This year’s competition was sponsored Peter Slinger of Safetynet in Onchan.
The juniors, from several clubs across the Island, showed in round two that they were a
force to be reckoned with taking excellent players like Caroline Parker, Lil Smith and Rose
Waterworth out of contention and themselves into the next round.


In the quarter finals juniors Katie Jacobs beat Allison Stockham 21-9, Bailey McMullan beat
Louise Tebay 21-12 and Lacey McMullan beat visitor Elaine Slack 21-19 which gave three juniors in the semi-final. The last quarter final was between Fiona Kennish and Grayse
Blencoe and although Grayse put up a good fight she just couldn’t match Fiona and the
game ended 21-11 to Fiona.

Into the semi-finals and Katie and Bailey’s game saw Katie pull ahead in the early stages but Bailey fought back winning the last 6 ends and ending the match to win 21-18. In the
other game Fiona and Lacey both played well but Fiona found a good mark for her, which
challenged Lacey on pace and therefore length ending the game 21-13.

A North versus South derby for the final and both players came out determined to their very best, but it was Bailey who took command of the game, from the start, and despite Fiona playing some great shots she just couldn’t get close enough to the jack in some very tight ends. The final score Bailey (North Ramsey) 21 Fiona (South Ramsey) 4.

The prizes were presented by Paul Slinger, who was representing his brother Peter of
Safetynet, who had sponsored the competition and stand in competition secretary Pat Lenton. Thanks were given by Pat to the sponsors, everyone who had entered the competition and all of the North Ramsey members who had worked hard to make the day a success.

Dunn & Withers Win Lilian Slinger Trophy

The competition, an any combination doubles format is sponsored by Lilian’s family and took place at Mooragh Park on Sunday 26th May.

An excellent entry of 31 pairs played some tremendous games in a very friendly atmosphere. The games started at 12 noon. The weather was overcast to start with but stayed dry until light rain started to fall before finally clearing up before the quarter finals. These changing conditions challenged the players on length as the running pace of the green changed throughout the afternoon.

Losing out in the quarter finals were Kevin Quirk and Steve Parker (Onchan) 15-21 to Rob Monk (North Ramsey) and Matthew Quirk (Onchan). Home greeners Steve Waters and Paul Allison 20-21 to clubmates Allan Callow and Ray Skelly. Patrick Grant and Maria Dinsdale (Ballaugh) 16-21 to Bryan Corner and Caroline Parker (North Ramsey/Mooragh Park) and Janet Monk and Madison McMullan (Mooragh Park) 13-21 to Paul Dunn and Neil Withers (Marown).

In the semi-finals Dunn and Withers controlled their game from the start, displaying the high standard of bowls they had shown all afternoon to beat Callow and Skelly 21-8 and in the other game Monk and Quirk also played exceptionally well to beat Corner and Parker 21-6.

And so, into the final and what a match it was. After eight ends they were 10-11 and end 16 saw them 16 across. Monk and Quirk picked up three points in the next two ends, but Dunn and Withers got the jack back gaining two then three singles over the last three ends. The match finished 21-19 to Dunn and Withers.

Paul Slinger presented the prizes following a lovely tribute to Lilian from Helen Martin. Neil Withers said the green was in excellent condition and a pleasure to play on and thanked everyone at North Ramsey for a well organised competition.

North Ramsey Bowling club are most grateful to Lilian’s family for their sponsorship and to everyone who entered the competition.

Whitehead wins George Hawkins over 60’s singles

Caroline Whitehead Wins at North Ramsey Bowling Club.

The George Hawkins Memorial Trophy Over 60’s competition was played in cloudy conditions to start with but finished in beautiful warm sunshine . Entry numbers were high with 40 bowlers taking part and also a good number of supporters.

The prelims and opening rounds had some exciting games with lots of them ending 21/19 .

The quarter finals had 4 close games. Brian Lindsey beat Steve Parker 21/18.Ray Skelly beat Andy Kennish21/17. Caroline Whitehead beat Janet Monk 21/15 and Brian Colquitt beat Dave McCabe21/18.

The semi-final between Brian Lindsay and Ray Skelly saw Brian pull ahead with four 2’s on four consecutive ends but Ray fought back and only just lost out 21/18. In the other semi Caroline and Brian Colquitt were nip and tuck from the start but Caroline surged ahead ,after they were 15 across, to finish the game 21/16.

In the final Caroline controlled the game from the start leaving Brian playing catch up throughout but Brian Lindsey is not one for giving up and fought back valiantly from being 12/19 down to finish the game on 15 points giving Caroline the win.

The trophies were presented by George Hawkins daughters and thanks were given by the club to Beryl Hawkins for her sponsorship and generous prize money. Caroline Whiteheadthanked everyone involved in making the competition such a success especially North Ramsey Bowling Club and helpers.

Tebay Triumps at Town Cup

The Ladies Ramsey Town Cup was held on Sunday 11th June at North Ramsey bowling club in glorious sunshine, after the Rheuben Thomas Memorial Trophy, which is a junior competition and took place in the morning.

A good entry of 29 bowlers enjoyed a lovely, relaxed setting in the beautiful Mooragh park. Most bowlers playing off 6.

Through to the quarter finals were Caroline Corlett and Maddison McMullan. After 13 ends Caroline was 17/13 up but Maddison managed to win the next 6 ends to finish 17/21.

The other winning quarter finalists were Sue Gawne against Caroline Parker 21/14. Tina Hampson against Joy Morris 21/20 and Louise Tebay against Janet Monk 21/17.

The semi-finals saw a convincing win for Louise Tebay against Tina Hampson 21/8 and Sue Gawne sealed her place in the final with a 21/19 win against Maddison McMullan in an exciting game that was to and fro from the start.

The final between Louise and Sue was always going to be a tough match for both of these talented players. Sue got off to a good start and established an early lead, but Louise took command of the green in the final stages, finding a mark across the crown and the game ended Louise 21 Sue 13.

The prizes were presented by Gary Merrill from North Ramsey. Louise thanked Sue for a great game and all the other competitors, along with the helpers from North Ramsey, who had made the competition such a success.

Stars of the Future Shine at Mooragh Park

The Rheuben Thomas Memorial Junior Trophy was played for on Saturday in very hot conditions at North Ramsey Bowling Club. This is its second year of competition and attracted 28 junior bowlers.

The competitors were divided into seniors and juniors dependent on age. The juniors were then divided into two groups, A and B, who then played a round robin format of seven ends. The winner of Group A was Bailey McMullan and the winner of Group B was Olivia Johnson. Both girls then played a seven end final which was very close with Bailey McMullan just finishing in front to claim the under 11 round robin title.

The senior group of 17 bowlers played a knockout competition of 11 ends with some excellent bowling on display for the large number of spectators to watch. The early rounds left eight bowlers in the quarter finals. Grace Gawne beat Clark Kelly 10-6, Madison McMullan beat Shannon McMullan 13-3, Ryan Hargraves beat Alex Hampson 8-6, while Aalish Moore beat Alex Colquitt 7-6.

The semi-final between Ryan and Aalish was very close with Aalish winning 9-7 but a more convincing win in the other semi between Madison and Grace 13-3 took Madison through to the final.

The final was played over 13 ends and Madison managed to maintain the quality of bowling she had shown all morning winning 17-2 however the score does not reflect how well Aalish had played all morning in tough matches to reach the final.

At the end of the competition Rheubens wife Heidi presented the prizes along with a bronze medallion for each competitor to mark the occasion. Her daughter, Milli, thanked North Ramsey Club for running the event and all the competitors for taking part.

Kelly Wins Centennial Ramsey Town Cup

There were 58 entrants at the Mooragh Park in Ramsey for the Centennial Ramsey Town Cup competition hosted by North Ramsey Bowling Club on Saturday. With the green looking better than it has in years and with it running well the scene was set for some good bowling. 

There was a good quality field with many of the islands top players entered. All games were 15 up off scratch. Some early round close games saw home greeners Geoff Porter & Robert Monk losing out by the odd chalk to Edward Carlyle (South Ramsey) & Tony Smart (North Ramsey) respectively. Steve Parker (Onchan) also beat Rob Middleton (Peel) by a single point. Last years winner Steven ’Geordie’ Waters dreams of retaining the cup evaporated with 10–15 defeat to South Ramsey club mate and Island Champion David Bradford.

In round three Bryan Corner (South Ramsey) played well to see off club mate Stefan Kelly 15-10, Peel man Peter Greeenlees was also playing well, putting an end to Edward Carlyle’s day. Former home greener Steve Parker inched past Brian Kelly from Marown 15-13 to make it to the quarter final stages.

In the quarter finals Bryan Corner quickly saw off Adrian Skinner (North Ramsey) 15-5. Paul Quirk (Peel) came back from 6-11 & 9-12 down to run out 15-12 to beat Peter Greenlees. Steve Parker’s 15 single points were enough to get him past Port St Mary’s Trevor Quayle 15-10. The last quarter final saw David Bradford & Colin Kelly (Marown) battling out a close encounter with Kelly eventually edging it 15-13.

In the first semi-final between Bryan Corner & Paul Quirk it was even at 6-6 until Paul put a run of seven together to eventually win 15-7. The second semi-final saw Parker with a 7-2 lead, however with Kelly getting six doubles, this was enough to end Parker’s run in the competition.

In the final Kelly got off to a good start with three doubles, before Quirk pulled it back to 7-6 by playing along the bottom edge in front of the pavilion. However it was the Marown man who won six of the next seven ends, eventually winning 15-8 to claim his first Ramsey Town Cup title in the centennial year.

The presentation was made by North Ramsey Club President & Competition Secretary Gary Merrill who thanked the competition sponsors Corkhill & Callow Ltd and Strix Ltd for supporting the competition. As well as thanking all who had entered and made the Centennial Town Cup such a special day.

Following the presentation Colin thanked all who helped in the running of the competition on the day and his opponents.

Dunn and Withers Win Lilian Slinger Pairs

In glorious sunshine and on a much-improved green 31 any combination doubles bowlers played in the Lilian Slinger competition at Mooragh Park. It was lovely to see so many coming from so many clubs and getting to the green before the roads closed for a 12noon start. The competition was watched by members of Lillian’s family for most of the afternoon and they were able to witness some great games taking place.

The opening rounds saw some close games. Lilian’s daughter Janet Monk and Shannon McMullan (Mooragh Park) very nearly knocked out Marown Pair Neil Withers and Paul Dunn being 18-11 up at one point but just losing out 20-21. Last year’s winners Trevor Quayle and Wayne Roberts (Port St Mary) were seen off by Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly (Marown) 15-21. 

In the quarter finals a South Ramsey squad of Billy Blair and Bryan Corner played Sue Collier and Judy Kelly winning 21-15. Home greeners Brian Colquitt and Ray Skelly were seen off by Eddie Carlyle and James Teare (South Ramsey) 6-21. Home team Gary Merrill and Allan Callow ended Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly’s run 21-14 and Dunn and Withers won convincingly against Steve Waters (South Ramsey) and Steve Walmsley (North Ramsey) 21-7.

In the first semi-final we saw a very close game between the Corner and Blair pair who were pipped at the post by Carlyle and Teare 19-21, but the second semi-final was not so close with Merrill and Callow being seen off by Dunn and Withers 10-21.

With the sun still shining and a good crowd remaining the final was played. Dunn and Withers continued with their good form taking an early lead ahead of Carlyle and Teare who played very well but just could not retain the jack and lost 21-13.

The prizes were presented by Lilian’s daughter Janet who was thanked by one of the competition organisers, Mike Skelly, for sponsoring the event and providing the winners and runner ups with individual trophies to keep. Neil thanked the club for organising the event and his partner for a great competition and congratulated North Ramsey for the improvement of the green and everyone who had taken part in the competition.

Parker Wins George Hawkins Trophy

Bowling conditions could not have been better last Wednesday 18th when thirty-five bowlers competed at Mooragh Park in the 2nd George Hawkins Memorial Trophy.

Watched by George’s family throughout the opening rounds we saw some tremendous bowling with lots of games going the full distance.

The losing quarter finalists were Philippa Taylor against Brian Colquitt 13-21. Janet Monk against Steve Parker 17-21. David Callow against Mike Skelly 6-21 and Geoff Porter against Ray Skelly 15-21.

The semi-finals saw Brian Colquitt and Steve Parker playing a very close game with Steve winning 21-17 and in the other semi-Mike Skelly and Ray Skelly played well against each other but Mike won 21-14.

In the final Steve and Mike both played well but Steve managed to get in front and left too big a gap for Mike to fill.

Congratulations Steve on your win 21-14.

The prizes were presented by the sponsors Beryl Hawkins and family members in memory of George. Steve recalled his own happy memories of George and thanked everyone at North Ramsey for hosting the event and in particular he praised everyone connected with the vast improvement of the green and its preparation for this competition.

Caroline Parker Wins Ramsey Town Cup

A disappointing entry did not deter the spirit and friendliness of North Ramsey Bowling Club at this year’s Ladies Ramsey Town Cup played on Saturday 28th August at Mooragh Park. Conditions could not have been better with sunshine all afternoon.

Following great games in the opening rounds the first semi-final was played between Victoria Johnson and Anne Kean with a convincing win for Victoria 21-3. The second semi was between Caroline and Janet Monk. This was a much closer game with both players fighting for every point and lying 19 across in the final stages. On the last end Caroline secured the final point she needed to win her place in the final 21-19.

The final between Victoria and Caroline was a convincing win for Caroline who had been playing really well all day. The score does not reflect the standard of play with Victoria demonstrating her considerable talent but Caroline was so accurate and retained the jack for most of the match clinching her victory with a 21-1 win.

The prizes were presented by Peggy Freeman, who is Chair of North Ramsey, and she thanked all the members for helping on the day, especially the male members who had prepared the green and carried out all of the measuring as well as running the sheet. She also gave thanks to the anonymous local business who sponsored the event and made the considerable prize money possible.

Ken Parker Cup Goes South

Port St Mary pair Wayne Roberts and Trevor Quayle returned to North Ramsey to win another of this year’s Open pairs competitions.

Twenty-six sets of bowlers from all areas of the Island played a great afternoon of bowls at Mooragh Park.

Some good bowling took place in the opening rounds leading to the quarter finals and some very close games. Willie and Pauline Cowley (Douglas) just lost out to John Cannan and Tony Smart (North Ramsey) 17-21. Paul Dunn (Marown) and Glynn Hargraves (South Ramsey) fought hard against home greeners Ray Skelly and Brian Colquitt but were pipped at the post 20-21. Paul Cowley and Bob Callow (Douglas) played well but lost against Roberts and Quayle 16-21. Derek Allen (Port Erin) and Bernard Thackrah (Port St Mary) had a real tussle against juniors Lily Gawne (Onchan) and Alex Hampson (Noble’s) who played brilliantly but just lost out 21-19.

The first semi-final was an all-North Ramsey game between Cannan and Smart against Skelly and Colquitt with each pair playing some fantastic shots to finish 19-21 winning Skelly and Colquitt a well-deserved place in the final. In the second semi Quayle and Roberts had a convincing win against Allen and Thackrah 21-9.

A robust crowd of supporters remained around the green and were rewarded with a thrilling final. As the cloud thickened and some light drizzle fell conditions on the green changed challenging the players, especially on pace. Both pairs played well in a very close match. The south team took an early lead, but the Ramsey duo caught up leaving them neck and neck in the final end 20-20. It could not have been a closer final, but Quayle and Roberts got the final point leaving them the winners of the Ken Parker Cup 2021.

Prizes were presented by Mike Skelly, President of North Ramsey and the Club secretary Pat Lenton. Mike thanked Steve Parker and his family for their generous sponsorship and everyone who worked so hard to make the day so enjoyable. Wayne and Trevor also thanked the sponsors, helpers and everyone who took part in the competition.