New Gail

TUESDAY

I dropped off some laundry at the ironing shop in St Asaph, then headed to Penrhyn (near Llandudno) for this afternoon’s bowls match.

It was scorching hot — the car thermometer read 25ºC — so a generous layer of suncream was essential.

I arrived with some trepidation. Penrhyn is a notoriously tricky green, full of irregular undulations that give the home team a real edge. I still remember last year’s match here, which ended in my worst-ever defeat in the seniors' league: a 13–21 loss. Today looked even more challenging — the green had just been watered, and by the time I played at number 9, it was drying unevenly. Some areas were drying faster than others, which made judging the pace quite difficult.

In the end, each team had five winners, but we suffered a few heavy losses that tipped the aggregate score in Penrhyn’s favour, earning them an extra two points. Thankfully, I managed to win my own game against Ian, 21–10.

On the way home, I stopped off in nearby Rhos-on-Sea and snapped this photo of the harbour at 5:00 p.m. 

A late evening walk around the village at 8:45 pm. It was still light!