The Canowindra Women’s Bowls ladies enjoyed a morning under the trees at Drayshed Nursery on a day out in Blayney.
Nineteen members of Canowindra Women’s Bowling Club made their way out to Blayney last week in a rare social outing. They enjoyed spending the “stinking hot day” under the trees at Drayshed Nursery with a cup of tea or coffee and delicious biscuits.
“It was lovely,” said longtime member Jill Messenger. “We were all able to sit under the trees, we had a look around at all the beautiful plants then many of the girls went dress shopping before a good pub meal at the Royal Hotel Blayney. It was absolutely beautiful.”
The ladies especially enjoyed the outing after COVID put a pause on matches earlier in the year. Jill recalled, “On the 17th of March we were pulled off the bowling greens along with everyone in NSW. We were in Canowindra playing the district senior fours. We played in the morning, finished lunch and the chairman of match for the district came and said ‘I just got this email from Sydney and you are all to go home’ and we were not allowed to play bowls until July.”
When asked how the experience affected the group Jill thought carefully before saying, “It was a long time not to play bowls. It was okay for those of us that have our husband’s company but for the widows and those who aren’t married it was quite devastating not to have that Tuesday outing but on the whole, I think we’ve coped with it very well.”
As the year wraps up the ladies are relieved to have longtime member Shirley Robson back home after sustaining a fall in October and spending over a month at Dudley Private Hospital in Orange. At 90 years old, Shirley is a pillar of the group and the ladies think she is remarkable to continue playing bowls.