Unley Park Bowling Club

30/10/2026

WEEK 4 - THE GREAT LADDER LEAP
Hi Night Owlers
Once again, the weather gods smiled upon us, and in near-perfect conditions we rattled into battle, no holds barred! The bowls were rolling, the competition was heating up, and a few teams clearly decided that standing still on the ladder was for the birds!

Match Report
Wasn’t it Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander and the first man to walk on the Moon, who famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”?

Well, what on earth (or perhaps on the Moon) has that got to do with Night Owls, you might ask?

Everything! For those lucky enough to witness it, Week 4 produced not one, but TWO giant leaps up the Night Owls ladder. NASA would have been proud!

First into orbit were The Three B’s (Bob, Barry & Roger), who produced a magnificent score of 12, leaping from 7th to 3rd place. In the process, they nudged Bowleroos (Malcolm, Bima & Tom) out of the top four. No doubt the Bowleroos will be checking their navigation equipment before next week!

Not to be outdone, The Nickle-Nackles (Dan, Xin & Peter) also scored a brilliant 12, rocketing from 8th to 4th place and pushing Fun Owls (John, Robin & Siew) down a spot. Two giant leaps in one evening! At this rate, we may need air traffic control at the bowling green.

Other teams making their presence felt were Unbelievabowls (Peter, Ella & Margot) and The Kookaburras (Cong, Emma & Shannon), both recording very respectable scores of 9 in what continues to be a closely contested competition.

At the top of the ladder, Unbelievabowls remain firmly in pole position and have even managed to stretch their lead slightly. Clearly, the pressure of being chased is doing them no harm at all!

At the other end, however, the battle for the prestigious Wooden Spoon is becoming rather interesting. Bluey (Nick, Jodie & Gary) currently have a firm grip on the coveted prize, but Rolling Rovers (Rob, Trish & Gaby) are beginning to sniff an opportunity. Remember, teams, the Wooden Spoon is not won by accident — it takes dedication, perseverance and, apparently, a certain lack of points!

A Special Visitor
It was great to see our Club Patron, Darren Thomas of Thomas Foods, make his first appearance of the season, joining No More Tennis — and, to make matters even better, helping them to a win!

We appreciate you are a very busy man, Darren, but we would love to see you whenever you can spare the time. Word has reached us that you are also a pretty fair bowler. Naturally, we will need to see the evidence before accepting such claims!

Thank you for your ongoing contribution and support of the Club.

Supper Fit for Royalty!
Another wonderful evening of bowls was rounded off with a superb supper from our Super Chefs, Stuart and Jane.

This week’s culinary delights featured a choice of Beef or Mushroom Ragu, both accompanied by Polenta fingers. Absolutely delicious!

How long before Stuart and Jane are awarded that coveted Michelin Star? At this rate, the Night Owls may soon be competing for restaurant bookings as well as bowling points.

Absolument magnifique!

The Competition Is Wide Open
With four weeks behind us, it is still far too early to predict an overall winner. The field remains tightly packed, fortunes can change in a single evening, and as we discovered this week, a score of 12 can send a team soaring up the ladder faster than a rocket with a fresh supply of fuel.

So keep practising, keep smiling, and remember: it's not how you start the season, but how well you can keep those bowls on the right side of the jack!

Raffle Prize
Next week it will be Fun Owls' turn to provide the raffle prize and help keep the wolf from the door.

A big thank you in advance. We look forward to seeing what treasures you have in store!

💭 Thought for the Week
“Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.” — Frank Tyger

Sound advice for life — and possibly for those hoping to escape the bottom of the Night Owls ladder!

See Scoreboard below, photos of the night's fun:- menu, the two winning teams and 1st Jack scorers Roger and Margot.

Happy Bowling, everyone. See you next week for another round of friendly rivalry, questionable tactics and, hopefully, more magnificent supper.

Malcolm
Editor-in-Chief, Night Owls News Desk 🦉

22/10/2026

🏆 Night Owls Bowls – Week 3 Report
UNBELIEVABOWLS TAKE OUT TOP HONOURS
The competition is heating up, the new boys are making their presence felt, and the weather Gods are still smiling on us!
Another perfect night for bowls greeted our players this week, with warm conditions and just a gentle breeze. You couldn’t ask for better! It was also a great introduction for our two new teams joining the competition.
A big Night Owls welcome to No More Tennis (Joe, Clint & Eddie) and Clean Bowled (Dave, Darryl & Paul). If you were looking for a bit of competition, you’ve certainly come to the right place! Good luck to both teams. To help you find your feet, we’ve even supplied you with the average team scores from the first two weeks. There’s no excuse now — the rest is up to you!
🥇 Unbelievabowls Live Up to Their Name
The standout performance this week came from Unbelievabowls (Peter, Ella & Margot), who lived up to their name with an excellent score of 11 points, moving a couple of points clear at the top of the table. Well played!
The Bowling Stones (Horris, Victoria & Graham) are showing impressive early consistency, recording their second weekly score of 10 and moving into second place. Clearly, they’re not just another rolling stone!
Our early leaders, Bowleroos (Malcolm, Bima & Tom), have slipped back to third place, now sharing that position with Fun Owls (John, Robyn & Siew), who maintained their standing with a respectable score of 8. The competition is certainly beginning to take shape — although it’s still far too early to start polishing the trophy!
🎾 No More Tennis — No More Easy Games!
One result worth noting was Bowleroos’ opening encounter against newcomers No More Tennis, which ended in a 2–5 defeat for the early leaders. Could this be a warning to the rest of the competition? The new boys have arrived, and they clearly haven’t come just to make up the numbers!
To underline the point, No More Tennis went on to defeat our beloved Fun Owls 3–2 in their second game. Two games, two wins — not a bad way to introduce yourselves! The question now is whether they can keep it going. Time will tell, but the established teams have been warned.
Our other newcomers, Clean Bowled, also made a gallant start, although sadly they lived up to the name a little too literally, being cleaned bowled in both games. Their first win remains elusive, but there were encouraging signs, and we suspect it won’t be long before they turn things around.
Chin up, Clean Bowled! We did tell you it wouldn’t be easy!
🥄 The Wooden Spoon Watch
At the other end of the table, the real challenge currently belongs to Bluey (Nick, Jodie & Gary) sitting on the rather unlucky score of 13.
Now, we all know that luck can change in bowls — sometimes from one end to the next! So there’s absolutely no need to panic about the dreaded wooden spoon just yet.
As tennis great Lleyton Hewitt would say: “C’mon!” Bluey, there’s plenty of time to get back into the game. And remember, someone has to keep the competition interesting!
👏 Another Great Night
Overall, it was another thoroughly enjoyable evening, with 10 of our 14 teams celebrating at least one winning game. That’s a healthy sign of a closely fought competition, with plenty of surprises still to come.
A big thank you in advance to Three B’s, who will be providing next week’s raffle prize. Your generosity is much appreciated — and it certainly helps keep our Treasurer, Alf, in good spirits!
Our super chefs, Stuart and Jane, once again produced a wonderful supper. Thank you both for keeping us so well fed. At this rate, some of us may be getting more exercise walking to the supper table than we do on the green!

💭 Thought for the Week
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
— Colin Powell
A good thought for bowls, life, and perhaps especially for those teams still searching for that elusive first win!
Until next week, keep practising, keep smiling, and remember — it’s only a game… until you miss that last bowl!
See Scoreboard below, together with photos of the Night including happy winners Unbelievabowls with their winner certificates, raffle prizes, and the evening supper.
Happy Bowling, everyone!
Malcolm
Editor-in-Chief 🦉

18/10/2026

Well, Editor-in-Chief Malcolm has done another first class editorial below of second week's competition. He notes even the Jack is feeling the pressure! Thanks to Yesterday's Heroes for providing a first class raffle and chefs Jane and Stuart cooked up another exotic treat with a superb fish curry, so so warming on a cold evening

18/10/2026

🎯 NIGHT OWLS BOWLS REPORT-Week 2
COLD WEATHER, HOT BOWLING AND A CROWDED LEADER BOARD
Well, it was one of those nights when the weather seemed to have a personal grudge against us! Cold, with a lazy wind that went right through you rather than around you. But did that stop the Night Owls? Not a chance! We braved the elements, warmed up our bowling arms and produced another great night of competitive bowls. Clearly, a bit of frost on the outside doesn’t mean a shortage of fire on the green!
🏆 THREE TEAMS SHARE TOP HONOURS!
Three teams finished the night in top spot with magnificent scores of 10 points each. A terrific effort all round!
The Bowleroos – Malcolm, Bima and Simon
The Bowling Stones – Horris, Vic and Graham
The Wiggles – Janna, Trevor and John
Congratulations to all three teams! The competition is getting so tight that even the jack is feeling the pressure!
🦘 THE BOWLEROOS LEAP TO THE TOP!
The big news is that the Bowleroos have now joined the Unbelievabowls at the top of the ladder, with both teams sitting pretty on 17 points.
And there's more to this story than just great bowls. Tom has spent the past two weeks directing his first full-length South Australian movie, Static Drift, a suspense thriller. Congratulations, Tom! We can't wait to see the finished product. Hopefully, directing a thriller is easier than trying to draw a bowl within millimetres of the jack!
Tom will return to the Bowleroos next week, following his brief stint in the movie business. In the meantime, Simon stepped in and did a magnificent job filling Tom's shoes. Not only did Simon help keep the team rolling, but the Bowleroos are now equal top on the table!
No pressure, Tom, but Simon has set the standard rather high. Welcome back to the green!
📈 THE LADDER IS HEATING UP!
Other teams making impressive moves up the ladder were The Bowling Stones, The Wiggles and Yesterday's Heroes, (Janice, Erich and Neil ) putting in a strong performance.
Well done to all these teams for making their presence felt. The Bowling Stones certainly weren't just rolling along, The Wiggles had plenty to dance about, and Yesterday's Heroes proved there's still plenty of life left in the old champions!
🔥 A COMPETITION THAT'S RED HOT!
Here's the remarkable thing: we have 12 teams sharing just five spots on the ladder!
The competition is already red hot, despite the weather doing its best to turn us all into icicles. Every point counts, every end matters, and a single good or bad night could make a big difference to the standings.
With the Bowleroos joining the Unbelievabowls at the summit, the chasing pack will be looking to nudge them off their perch. Nobody can afford to relax, and nobody should start practising their victory speech just yet!
🎁 RAFFLE REMINDER — NEXT WEEK
Next week it's the Bowleroos' turn to provide the raffle prizes.
So, Malcolm, Bima and Tom, the spotlight is on you! After your fantastic performance on the green, the pressure is now on to produce the goods off it as well.
Let's hope the prizes are as well delivered as your bowls!
🎳 LOOKING AHEAD
Next week promises more excitement, more competition and, no doubt, a few surprises. Tom returns to the Bowleroos, the other teams will be plotting their climb up the ladder, and the Unbelievabowls will be keen to remind everyone that they haven't reached the top by accident.
So wrap up warm, polish those bowls and keep your eye on the jack.
Remember, Night Owls: the weather might be cold, but the competition is hot, the ladder is crowded, and the only thing that should be drifting is your opponent's bowl away from the jack!
See you all next week. May your bowls draw close, your opponents' bowls finish wide, and your raffle tickets be the lucky ones!
💭 THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
— Walt Disney
A fitting thought for the Night Owls: whether you're chasing the top of the ladder, pursuing a movie-making dream or simply trying to get that bowl closer to the jack, it all starts with having a go!
See Scoresheet attached

Happy Bowling,
Malcolm
(Editor-in-Chief)

12/10/2026

Great roll up on Saturday for Burger and Bowls free 4 week program Saturdays 10-12noon. For further information contact Derek Sullens 0419559005. Proudly sponsored by . Special thanks to kiwi chef Richard Poole on BBQ duties.

10/10/2026

UNBELIEVABOWLS TAKE FIRST WEEK HONOURS
Hi Night Owlers,
Well, what a way to kick off another season of Night Owls Lawn Bowls!
The weather gods were certainly on our side, providing a perfect evening to get the season underway. All the familiar teams were back, raring to go, along with a few new faces — and even a couple of teams have decided that a name change was in order!
Nickel-Nackles have now become The Kookaburras, while Semi-Delectables have reinvented themselves as The Bowling Stones. Whether the new names bring better bowling remains to be seen, but they certainly sound impressive!

🏆 The Unbelievabows lived up to their name, taking the honours in Week 1. They produced an outstanding score of 11.
Congratulations to Peter, Ella and Margot on getting the season off to such a flying start. Clearly, somebody had been practising!
Hot on their heels were Fun Owls and Vinnie the Wobbler, both scoring an excellent 10. It looks like we will be in for a very competitive season.

Interestingly, only three teams failed to record a winning game — and two of those teams finished in the top four last season! So, if you happen to be a member of The Kookaburras, Yesterday's Heroes or The Wiggles, don't panic just yet. There's a long way to go, and revenge is only one Wednesday night away....

🍽️ SUPERCHEFS STRIKE AGAIN!
A huge thank you to our Super Chefs, Stuart & Jane, who provided a wonderful supper to round off the evening.
The menu featured Chicken Tagine with Couscous, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Judging by the empty plates, there were certainly no complaints from hungry bowlers!

🎟️ RAFFLE
Next week's raffle is being supplied by Yesterday's Heroes.
A big thank you in advance — and let's hope their generosity at the raffle table is greater than their generosity with winning bowls!

🦉 A GREAT START
All in all, it was a fantastic start to the new Night Owls season. Great weather, good company, plenty of laughs, some excellent bowls and a few early surprises on the scoreboard.

If Week 1 is anything to go by, we're in for another very competitive — and hopefully very entertaining — season.
So see you all next week, and remember…
The bowls may be serious, but Night Owls definitely isn't! 🦉🎳

Refer Scorecard below.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
Examine what is said, not him who speaks - Arabian Proverb

Happy Bowling,

Malcolm
Editor-in-Chief

27/09/2026

30/03/2026

2026 ARCH GROSVENOR ROTATING PAIRS WON BY "RUSTY" IAN
Although the morning was chilly and overcast, twelve players participated in Saturday’s Arch Grosvenor Rotating Pairs tournament. The competition was closely contested, with Graham Silvy and Ian Russell tied after five rounds, each winning 13 ends. According to tournament rules, a roll-off took place, and a measure determined Ian as the winner by the narrowest margin. Congratulations to Ian, and commiserations to Graham for his valiant performance. After President Trevor presented the trophy, participants enjoyed a BBQ brunch. Congratulations to Ian and many thanks to Alf and Derek for organising the event. It turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable day for everyone.

14/03/2026

WEATHER GODS STAY TRUE AND STANDARD STAYS HIGH

Hi Night Owlers,
The good folk at the Bureau of Meteorology have been taking a fair bit of flak lately about their forecasting wizardry, but credit where it’s due — last night they absolutely nailed it. A cool, pleasant evening with barely a whisper of wind… just about perfect for rolling a few bowls. Three cheers for the weather gods (and the radar)!

As for the competition, it must go down as one of the most evenly fought nights of the season. The scores were so close you could almost measure them with a toothpick:

Only three teams failed to win a round

Five teams finished with scores of seven points

And, with the exception of Unbelievabowls ( Peter, Ella & Margot) every team managed to shuffle either up or down the ladder — proving that nothing in this competition stays still for long.

We had two winners on the night, with Eight Balls (Mark, Cong & Chris) and The Nickel-Nackles ( Dan, Xin & Peter) both rolling their way to impressive scores of 11. Well done to both teams!

The Nickel-Nackles have used that effort to leap back to the top of the table, a perch they haven’t occupied since Round One, while Eight Balls have bounced back into the top four after a brief holiday outside it last week.

Meanwhile, down the other end of the ladder the race for the wooden spoon is becoming just as intense. At present Unbelievabowls are holding a narrow lead (or perhaps that should be deficit) over Rolling Rovers (Rob, Trish & Gaby), while the surprise packet of the night, Three B’s (Bob, Barry & Roger), produced a terrific score of 10 to climb one spot — though they are by no means out of the spoon discussion just yet.

With only three weeks left in the season, the signs point to a thrilling finish — both for those chasing glory at the top and those doing their best to avoid unwanted kitchenware at the bottom.

We also can’t let the report pass without another huge thank-you to our Super Chefs, Jane and Stuart, who once again proved that bowls isn’t the only thing being served up in style. This week’s supper was a beauty:
Fish Tacos with Pineapple Salsa, and for the vegetarians Falafel with Salad. Frankly, if the bowling doesn’t improve, at least the catering keeps getting better!

Next Week’s Raffle Donor: The Club.
Things must really be looking up — either that or the committee found a few spare dollars down the back of the clubhouse couch.

Thought for the Week - “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” — Helen Keller

(See scoreboard below)

Happy Bowling,

Malcolm
Editor in Chief 🎳

11/03/2026

Can't wait for week 7 Night Owls where the competition is getting fiercer...what an awesome atmosphere last week with three super talented cooks for Supper Club - Beth, Stuart, and Jane. The Raffle was pretty amazing The Club being the generous donors. Love the grins of Gary and Derek having a blast as spectators this week