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Bowls festival set to stay on sporting calendar

30/ 6/2004

Bowls

STOCKPORT'S first bowls festival is taking shape and seems certain to feature a number of the top bowlers' in the area when play gets underway in August.

The latest sponsor to get involved are Specsavers Opticians in Stockport, who have agreed to back the visually impaired team event.

Entries have already been received from Blackpool, Sheffield, Rotherham, Northwich, Mold, Poynton and Brighouse.

And the card for the main competition - the DC Satellite Trophy - is looking good.

Qualifiers so far are father and son David and Mark Gwilliam (Stockport), current bowls number one GI Wilson (Oldham), Roy Nicholson (Halifax), Glyn Cookson (Winsford) and Matt Gilmore (Liverpool).

The trophy final day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 25 with a Junior competition also planned for the same day.

For further details - and an application form - contact Lynn Stoker at Stockport Community Services on 0161 474 4512.

Local leagues are currently playing their merit competitions to find the qualifiers for the ladies, gents and veteran's festival events.

A champion of champions final will then be held on Saturday, August 28 at Alexandra Park in Stockport.

A coaching programme, organised by the Cheshire CBA coaching team, will be run alongside the competitions and will involve using greens in Brinnington, North and South Reddish, Shaw Heath, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor.

The programme has been aided by the Stockport Sports Council and Stockport Bowls Development Group with sessions taking place daily from 11am-1pm at all venues.

To book a place on the coaching sessions, contact Tony or Sheila Bryning on 01625 874044.

The festival will also include demonstrations of bowls for the less able bodied, the deaf, wheelchair-bound and visually impaired on August 23 and 24.