Bromsgrove Lions ‘Clean Sweep’

Bromsgrove Lions Club, for the first time, entered the District Golf Tournament. Played on 20th August at Brails Golf Club near Banbury, on the windiest Thursday in 2009, I believe the weather was especially ordered by organiser Lion John Frieth in the vain hope that it would give the home team an advantage. This proved to have been a gross miscalculation, for after 18 gruelling holes Bromsgrove’s newest member Terry Ward, an expert in wind, managed to keep his ball on the very wide fairways more successfully than the rest and won the Tournament.

It was a close call though as another Lion, whose name my every effort has failed to uncover, came equal first but lost on the count back over the last 9 holes. He was graceful in defeat and did not begrudge Terry the winners ‘T’ Shirt. Lion John Frieth could not resist a bit of revenge though as he cordially presented Lion Terry with a Large in stead of medium ‘T’ Shirt. Luckily Lion Terry spotted this ruse and asked for a medium one. He was duly presented with a new one on a suitably marked ‘medium’ hanger. You know what’s’ coming don’t you? That’s right. When Lion Terry got home and proudly unfurled his prize to equally proud wife Lion Angela he discovered that the ‘T’ Shirt on the medium hanger was actually an EXTRA LARGE one, which hung down to below his knees. The picture you see of Lion Terry is with him wearing his prize, two thirds of which have been tucked into his trousers. Oh are we not a merry lot, us Lions?

You would have thought that Bromsgrove Lions would have been satisfied with this HUMUNGUS victory, but no. the following night Bromsgrove Lions were of to yet another District Tournament. This time it was the District Skittles competition, held, after many a postponement, at the Jaguar Car Social Club. The three Clubs competing for the trophy were Bushby, Knowle & Dorridge and Bromsgrove. The Bushby Club nearly did not make it thanks to the navigational skills of Lion Josh but in the end all three Clubs did battle. Not so much with each other as with the tricky rubber balls and very slender skittles. There was so much laughing that it made throwing the balls, which had no intention of going anywhere near the direction in which they were thrown, even more difficult. To give you some idea of what I mean, the highest individual score with three balls was SEVEN skittles down.

In the end the highest score of the low scoring evening went to Bromsgrove Lions.

Many thanks to Lion Martin Bye who’s persistence eventually brought about the conclusion of this event which was due to be completed before District Handover.

Grateful thanks too, to Lion President Tony and Lion Phil White of Castle Bromwich & District Lions Club for arranging the venue, doing the scoring, organising and for supplying those Damned balls.

The Victorious Bromsgrove Lions Team pictured, included Lion Terry Ward again, [mascot?] Lion President Helen White, Lion Terry White, New Lion Phil Ganner, Lion Pat Proudfoot and last minute ‘blood substitute’ Sheila Proudfoot. Competitions officer Lynda Cross [supplied by Lion Ron cross] was on hand to make the presentation of the shield to Bromsgrove Lion President Helen White