Reprot 2008

Team Australia - the Beavers

Good Friday came early this year 21st March (*see note) The earliest it has been before was in 1951when the championships were on 23rd March. The record shows that, that year it was ‘very cold’. The local newspaper the Crawley Observer said “ it was among the coldest on record and that the players called it the ‘Hand Blowing Year”.

Zachary and I got to the Greyhound at about 7.15am and began setting out the office, we would normally have been arranging the chairs around the ring but they had not yet arrived. They were coming with the guy who sets up the bouncy castle (he later told me that it was so windy the day before that he would not set up as he had planned). So it goes to show just how windy the weather was. The forecast was windy with showers and sleet at times.

Julia arrived and at 7.40 had a live interview with BBC 6 Music breakfast show and the day had just started. All the players were asked to arrive by 10 o’clock. This was so that we had a good crowd around at 10.30 when the Mayor of Crawley Councillor Sally Blake, unveiled a blue heritage plaque from Crawley Arts Council, marking the Greyhound and the Marbles continuing importance to local history.

Mayor of Crawley Councillor
 Sally Blake, unveiled a blue heritage plaque

There was a spot or two of early rain and our old ring cover was brought into play, but was removed to the sidelines for most of the day. Two rings were used and the day went very well. As we came to the later part of the day the rain that had threatened arrived, the ring was covered and the match continued unabated.

The ring was uncovered for the final games of the day. The Individuals was first, followed by the Team Final. By this time it was getting a bit dark, but was soon over with last years champions scoring only two marbles.

Team Championship

Brother and sister Individual winner Halim Tata, Best Lady Leila Kara

Team Winners the Yorkshire Meds