Upsall, McKenna, Sir Cliff Richard and the Queen...more bowls news

South Shields’ Ann Upsall and Jaxon McKenna enjoyed another cracking win at Durham in the local stages of the national mixed pairs competition.

Upsall and McKenna beat Brian Brown 20-5, while Mark Higgins of Durham beat West Denton’s Lee Lowdon 218.

In the Warner’s Leisuresponsored Champion of Champions competition, last year’s Hartlepool club champion was Paul Hartley.

He has since moved clubs to Shields.

However, as he was drawn at home, he had to rejoin Hartlepool to fore-fill his tie against the Redcar champion, Vinnie O’Neill, who is now playing his nationals out of... Hartlepool!

And it turned out well on his old stamping ground for Hartley, as he ran out a 21-18 winner.

West Denton’s Clive Knott beat Stanley’s Brett Arkley 2111 and will head to Durham next to face Gary Smith.

In the women’s competition, South Shields’ Nina Riches had a cracking 21-6 win at Gateshead against Madeline Mohon.

The Grindon League AGM takes place on Thursday October 31 at Grangetown Community Centre (6.45pm).

In national bowls news, Bowls England chief executive Tony Allcock – who is due to retire imminently – has received his OBE from Queen Elizabeth II during an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

The award was for services to lawn bowls, granted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours earlier this year, and it was fitting that the Queen presented the award, given her role as Patron of Bowls England.

Tony said: “It was a wonderful day and a privilege to receive the OBE from Her Majesty, especially as I understand that it is now rare for her to undertake such duties.

“After I had been called forward, Her Majesty asked me about the sport of bowls and my most recent award, which of course is in recognition of the work that has been undertaken by all involved with Bowls England.”

Finally, on a lighter note, one of the more bizarre bowls stories to emerge this week came out of Kent, when a touring bowls team returning from Portugal decided to uplift a lifesize cut-out of Sir Cliff Richard from a duty free shop at Faro airport.

Flights were stopped until the cut-out was returned.

No more ‘Summer Holidays’ for them!