Helen claims women's singles crown as finals heat-up

THE RAILWAY EXPRESS On the greens and around the club It’s been another fantastic week around the Railway, with plenty happening both on and off the greens. There was a great atmosphere around the club throughout the week, with plenty of competitive bowls, good company, and plenty of support from members and visitors alike. A big thank you to everyone who continues to get involved and help make the Railway such a great place to be, both on and off the greens. Social bowls Wednesday 7-10-26 On Wednesday afternoon, we had 26 social bowlers take the green on an enjoyable afternoon with plenty of competitive action and good company throughout the day. Winners: Henry Kross and Bill Dodd with 16+10. Runner up: Zara Baker, Myra Townsend and Ben MacNaughton with 15+22. Wednesday bowls jackpot: Marble 12 was drawn and we had a winner Mick Furney, Peter Scott, Marianne Watson, Kevi Hynds, Junior Thorne and Bob Freeman taking the jackpot. Jackpot starts at $50 this week. Saturday 10-10-26 On Saturday afternoon, we had 16 social bowlers and 2 Major singles finals take the green enjoying an afternoon of competitive bowls, great company and plenty of laughs along the way. Winners: Jo Simpson, Gene Rapp and Paul Townsend with 17+17. Runner up: Lisa Strudwick, George Greenhalgh and Dave Littlewood with13+14. We are now open from 11.30am on our social bowls days, Wednesday and Saturday. Names in by 12.30pm for a 1pm start, and everyone is welcome. Whether you're completely new to bowls, haven't played for years or are simply looking for something new to try, come down and give it a go. The Railway is a friendly place to meet people, have a roll-up and enjoy a bit of camaraderie along the way. We also have loan bowls available. No experience needed, just come along and have a bowl. Don't forget our fantastic Friday night meat tray raffles, joker draw and members badge draw, along with our awesome bistro serving home-cooked meals from 6pm every Friday night. We also have some great sponsorship opportunities available around the club, with scoreboard sponsorship and drink holder sponsorship now available. It’s a great way for local businesses to get their name in front of our members, visitors and bowlers throughout the season while supporting the Railway. If your business would like to get involved, get in touch with us for more information. Steve Clegg held his nerve in a tight contest to win 25–22 against Phil Barnard in the Open Major Singles quarter finals. PHOTO: Jenny Kingham Championship track What a week of championship bowls at the Railway! Three outstanding games and some cracking performances across both the Open and Women's Major Singles. In the Open Major Singles quarter finals, Phil Barnard and Steve Clegg served up a real battle, with Steve holding his nerve in a tight contest to come away with a hard-fought 25–22 victory. A fantastic game of bowls from both players! The second quarter-final saw Ben McNaughton take on Jake Brown. Ben produced a strong performance to claim a convincing 25–14 win and book his place in the semi-final against Steve Clegg. The highlight of the week was the Women's Major Singles Final, with Ash Kirwan taking on Helen Clarke for the championship title. Helen was in outstanding form, producing a superb performance to win 25–8 and be crowned our 2026 Women's Major Singles Champion. Congratulations, Helen, on a fantastic achievement, and well done to Ash for making it all the way to the final. Three cracking games and some brilliant bowls from everyone involved. Well played to all the players, and a big thank you to our markers for helping keep the Championship rolling. Draws and play by dates are available on the board at the club and on BowlsLink. Next stop Major Singles Finals. Champagne Triples – 31 October / 1 November. Full at 50 teams! Please contact us for sponsorship opportunities. Until the next stop... Bowl well and see you at the Railway!