Braving torrential rain, 48 members of Potters Bar Bowls Club left on a bowling tour of the Isle of Wight.

Strict guidelines were in place throughout the tour both on the journey and at the hotel in Bembridge.

The tour had been two years in the planning because of Covid, and was organised by club president Jan Southwell.

In the first game against Ryde Marine BC the Bar won overall, playing on 9 rinks. Against Plessley BC in East Cowes on the following day fortunes were reversed.

However in the last match of the tour against Shanklin BC Potters Bar returned to winning ways and were overall winners on seven rinks. The president presented all three host clubs with a Potters Bar Shield as a momento of their visits.

Ken Huntley and Maggie Openshaw were named the top players on the tour with Chris Gregory and Sue Powers runners up.

Elsewhere, it was a mixed week for Shire Park Bowls Club.

In a friendly at home to Hatfield, Shire Park lost by 51 shots to 66, with the top rink being that of Bill Griffiths, Bernard Kleiser and skip Bill Draycott who won by 19 shots to 11.

At the weekend in an away friendly to Potters Bar, Shire Park came out the winners by 83 shots to 75, with the top rink being Ray Adams, Dave Warner and skip Martin Reeve.

In the Ranson cup against Rye Park, although the home rink of Gus Edwards, Bill Draycott, Mike Howe and skip John Hastings won by one shot, 20 shots to 19, the away ring lost by 11 shots, 24 shots to 13, which meant that Rye Park went through to the next round.

In the East Herts fours Shire Park lost to a strong Welwyn Garden City team, but in the Welwyn Hatfield Jock Hunter competition, Gus Edwards beat John Matthews of Knebworth by 21 shots to7.