Page 28 - SMI Winter 2016 - 2017

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28 Bangers and Mash
Bangers and Mash

Stanford in the Vale Short Mat Bowls Club de-
cided they would like a fun afternoon. We
started with mixed pairs, 16 members taking
part in the competition. We all took a number,
one lady and one gent, you had no idea who
your partner would be.
We had 1 honorary lady because we
had too many gents, 2 leagues were played
the final was the winner from each league.
Pat Broad and Vera Smith were the win-
Winners Matthew Edwards & Brian ners of league 1 having won all their games.
Channer being presented by Les Grey the League 2 was much tighter, with one team on
Stanford Club Chairman 2 points 2 teams with 3 points the winners
Matthew Edwards and Brian Channer (who was the honorary lady) 4 points. The final was a
runaway success for Matthew and Brian, winning 11
shots to 2.
We then got down to the main business, Bangers
and Mash, Tom Gardener, Gill Iles and Jenny Church
prepared and produced the main meal followed by
treacle tart, fruit and meringues and rhubarb crumble
with custard and cream, we finished with tea or coffee.
A beautiful raffle was given by Pat Mildenhall and
won by Pat Broad. Les Gray, Chairman, presented the
Anne Leighfield Shield to Matthew and Brian, everyone
went home very tired but very happy after a very enjoyable afternoon.
Mary Wyatt

Most of us are very lucky!
Most of us are very lucky!
I have hit 70 and I may have Diabetes, high blood pressure,
Osteoporosis, arthritis in my bowling shoulder and an Aortic
Stenosis (you’ll have to look that one up) and other aches and
pains but I am lucky!
I buy the Big Issue every time I can as it is being sold by
people who want to work and for one reason or another things
in life didn’t work out for them. I read the story of one lady who
was training to be an Accountant but at 20, with her life before
her, she was involved in a motorbike accident and lost an arm
and had a lot of follow up operations. Some time after this she
contracted MRSA and lost a leg. Hard times followed and she
slept wherever she could, sitting in her wheelchair. She now
has a pitch in Wimbledon selling the Big Issue.
Jane’s story is one of the hardest I’ve read in the “My Pitch” section of the magazine and
I have read many others but selling the Big Issue has helped her and many other people who
found themselves at the bottom of the pile and then some and not all disabilities are visible.
So the next time you might look the other way and pass a Big Issue seller, remember
they are in employment and trying hard in their lives, don’t look the other way but help them up
the ladder a bit, don’t just give them the price of a magazine without taking it, they are sellers
not beggars, as the magazine says, it’s a hand up not a hand out - and after reading many
of the “my pitch” stories - I know I am lucky!