End of season for Christie Miller Indoor Bowls Club but still waiting for Wiltshire Council news on closure

Christie Miller Indoor Bowls Club has an excellent end to the indoor bowls season.

“With the men finishing fourth in the Wessex league, with a much-depleted squad, we have had a good few players move to other clubs,” reports the club’s press officer, Mick Over. “This is partly due to the inability of Wiltshire Council to tell us when Christie Miller sports centre is closing down.

“We made the third round of the over 60s double rink, beating North Wilts and Nailsea, but going out against the Cotswold.

“On the brighter side, Andy Moore won the top prize in the North Wilts singles open. This is part of the national open singles circuit, another national competition which Andy participates in, along the other younger members of the Moore clan. Andy has been playing for Christie Miller almost since the beginning 49 years ago, and this has been his best year yet on the singles circuit.

“Andy also won the men’s section club singles which takes him through to next year’s national champion of champions. Along with his son Jeff, they also won the club pairs, beating a couple of our senior players, John Crowder and Roy Hawker.

“The ladies have also had a good season, getting through to the third round of the Mason cup. They also won the newly-formed top nine for clubs in Wiltshire, beating clubs from North Wilts, Clarrie Dunbar and Five Rivers.

“On the domestic front the ladies singles was won by Bev Lilly who beat Shelia Garlick. Bev now goes into the draw for next year’s national ladies’ Champion of champions. The pairs was won by Marguerite Alexander and Rosemary Keen, beating Linda Walton and Wendy Gaisford.

“The juniors had a fantastic end of season, winning the county finals of the English Bowls Youth Development Scheme for both boys and girls juniors and seniors – all players played well enough to go through to next round. The area finals were at the Mid Glos Indoor Bowls Club. A big thank you to all the parents that give up their Saturday mornings and came to the finals and cheered on young Abbi on her first final.

“This success by our juniors has been due to the hard work put in every Saturday morning by Roger Hawkins, our club Coach.

“As the season now draws to a close and we all get ready for the outdoor season, all we need now is to find out when Councillors Thompson, Hubbard and most of the local councillors are going to at last let us know where we can build our new indoor bowls club. We are past being fobbed off with excuses. Now it’s time to wake up and get your fingers out and show us where and when we can start to build.”