At the start of the lockdown 4 weeks ago it was decided to cancel the Summer League that was about to start, the South Alicante knock-outs and the Champion of Champions. This was followed last week by the National Championships due to be held in mid-May.
We are hopeful that perhaps by the beginning of June the sporting ban may be relaxed to allow clubs to play internal club roll-ups, but competitive bowling is not scheduled to start until the second half of September.
It has also been a difficult time for the owners of clubs who have lost a lot of income because of the lack of bowling, so much so that La Siesta owners have decided that it is time for them to retire.
Hopefully a solution may be found so that bowling can continue there in the future as it would be quite a loss to lose one of the oldest established clubs in the area.
Of course the bowlers are also suffering but many are trying inventive ways to keep themselves occupied, but unfortunately I know that San Miguel have lost Cyril Medley to the virus and another player is self isolating, so we wish her the best of luck for a full recovery.
Meanwhile, although club members are still hopeful that a solution can be found, the first possible casualty of the pandemic could likely be La Siesta Bowls Club who’s owners, Lynn and Jim, have indicated that they will not be reopening at the end of the state of alarm. In a letter to club members the popular couple wrote:
“It is great sadness and regret that it will not be re-opening after lockdown. As it has now become over the last couple of years not really viable for us as a business to carry on. We were going to give it a go for another year but the virus is the straw that broke the camel’s back.La Siesta Bowls Club, News, Bowling in Spain
There being no competition bowling till at least beginning or middle of October, we still have to pay all the bills and we cannot keep this going till October and see out another year.
This is so sad for us as we have made some very good friends, and hope that once this is all over we can still meet up somewhere for a drink or a meal at fish and chips.”
However, club scribe Alan Carr told the Leader that there will be a meeting of all club members immediately after the ‘lockdown’ is lifted with a possibility the situation could change, “so until that meeting is held we will continue to do what we can.”
