DENTON Park Social Bowling Club launched the start of the new season with the annual Albert Scholes Memorial Trophy.
MP Andrew Gwynne, the bowling club president, and Denton North East councillor Denise Ward presented the trophies.
Winners of the mixed pairs event were June Bickerdyke and John Pyne with Freda Moors and John Clark the runners-up.
Club secretary Tony Moran said: “It was a great success and well supported by members who turned out despite the dark clouds and intermittent showers.
“It is fair to say after the 12 months of Covid lockdown and self-isolation, members were keen to play in the true spirit of the game meeting up with friends and enjoying the benefits of being allowed to gather outdoors in Denton’s Victoria Park.
“While in lockdown, the club had taken the opportunity to put measures in place to comply with the Covid guidelines to protect our members and visiting guests a strict hygiene procedure with track and trace register plus two outdoor sanitising stations are now in place. along with the added security measure of the club’s newly installed perimeter fencing for members to feel safe and at the same time protecting the bowling green and clubhouse from any criminal damage.
“This new era in the club’s history allows us to complete our two community projects working in partnership with Mike Barlow ‘The Shed’ Lockley House Dukinfield and Marion Coleman Tameside Dementia Carer Group. They join us every Thursday for our alfresco bowling session and enjoy that outdoor experience.”
Denton Park Social Bowling Club has begun its campaign in the Tameside League which runs from May 19 to September 22.
The club’s midsummer open invitation competition will be held on a Sunday after the final lockdown restrictions are lifted on Monday, June 21.
A first for the club, it has launched a community bowling programme aimed at engaging with groups who are interested in join them each Thursday for social fun bowling at 1pm.
Tony added the session has proved popular and the club has received many enquiries and has set aside each Thursday for the new event.