Denbigh and Flint Show (and bowls)

THURSDAY 

A lovely sunny and dry day for the Denbigh and Flint Show. We treated ourselves to a VP ticket, which meant advance parking, an exclusive ringside enclosure, posh toilets, a drinks reception, and the VP lunch package.

The show was very busy - we spent six hours there and only saw a fraction of events. The highlights for me included the stunt motorcycles, the birds of prey display, the vintage tractors, and the classic cars. 

With around a hundred tractors and classic vehicles running, there was no shortage of fumes – I had my fill of particulates for one day!

There was just too much to see and with several rings operating at the same time, i’s simply impossible to see everything in one visit.

The  main photo is the rare IVEL agricultural tractor, which was billed as the oldest working tractor in the world. Built in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire in 1903, it was powered by a lightweight petrol engine and was far more practical than the steam traction engines that dominated the fields at the time.  An  IVEL tractor was auctioned in 2019 and sold for £328,600 so the one pictured is in the same league as a brand-new Rolls-Royce Spectre.

After a brief stop at home, I was out again for the penultimate Thursday evening bowls match of the season against promotion rivals Dyserth, who were just one point ahead of us after last week's fiasco. I arrived late, so there was no chance for a pre-game practice.

 Despite having the home advantage, things didn’t start brilliantly: after the first six games we had only three winners and were 15 points down on the aggregate. But the last four players, including myself, clawed back a massive 31 points, so we finished with six winners out of ten and crucially, two points for the aggregate.

I played Ian, who had thrashed me 7–21 when we played them away earlier in the season, so I was out for revenge. The green was running fast, which suited me and I turned the tables, winning 21–6.

The result puts us in second place, three points ahead of Dyserth who are third.  However, the odds are against us next week: Dyserth play the team rooted to the foot of the table, while we face the team just above us at the top. It’s going to be  right to the wire.

The extra is one of the stunt motorcyclists defying gravity. And yes, the photo is the right way up!”