25th October 2011

Blackhall Bowling Club announce the new bowling tops for season 2012 . As previously mentioned these will be for all members to purchase and will be worn in league and representative matches.

Please click here to see the new top.

6th October 2011

***BREAKING NEWS***

The Blackhall Bowling Club Committee last night agreed to introduce new bowling tops for season 2012. These will be for all members to purchase and will be worn in league and representative matches. More details coming soon.

3rd September 2011

Blackhall Bowling Club was represented in two of the Edinburgh Bowling League knockout finals today at Mayfield but sadly it was not to be a double success. George Kirk contested the singles final against Graeme McIntosh from Tanfield and emerged victorious 21-14 to add to the 4 junior singles titles he won. In a tight match played out over 25 ends George kicked on from 14-12 up with a 1,2,2 purple patch to stand 19-12. 3 ends later George secured the 2 shots required for victory and the Blackhall supporters could cheer. The senior four featuring David Hawthorn, Allan Black, Bill Cunningham and David Bisset at skip slipped to a 13-6 defeat to a strong Queensberry rink. The critical point came when 8-3 down they lay 3 shots but the Queensberry skip drew first shot and eventually their challenge tailed off towards the end.

10th August 2011

Blackhall Bowling Club will be playing in division 2 of the Edinburgh Bowling League next season after a fantastic 7-2 victory at rain-soaked London Road Foundry on the last night of the season. Blackhall knew they needed 5 points or better to be guaranteed promotion along with local rivals Maitland but selector Andrew Lomax resisted the urge to mix the personnel in order to guarantee 2 rink wins. Instead he made 1 enforced change as Graeme Walker missed out through holidays. In came Bob Brady to play 3rd with David McCulloch going up to skip. There was some doubt during the day whether the game would even get played but despite the heavy downpours London Road Foundry was in fine condition and the match began with the LRF captain reminding the players what was at stake. Blackhall made a solid start with Grant Ramsay, Andrew Lomax, Paul McGovern and David Venters involved in a tight first few ends against LRF's champion Scott Mackintosh. Next door Brian Lockhart, Grant Walker, Norman Davidson and Ian McGhie had made a slow start to trail 7-2 but this was compensated by Jim Melles, George Kirk, Peter Brodie and Willie Deas who had stormed into a 10-0 lead. David McCulloch was also keeping things tight and Blackhall knew they had escaped the nightmare start everyone had feared. Jim Melles continued to trade on his fine start and as the match approached the closing stages looked to be heading for the first victory of the evening. Everything seemed to be going to plan as they stood 16-10 up with 2 ends to play but Jim faced 4 shots against playing his last bowl of the penultimate end. Cometh the hour cometh the Melles as he drew 3rd shot through the rain to give a 4 shot advantage playing the last end. Amazingly they found themselves in trouble again as this time George faced 4 shots against playing his last bowl. Much to Melles' relief George drew the 1st shot and with the victory secured Jim managed to draw a second shot for a 18-12 victory. At almost exactly the same time David McCulloch was finishing off his match. It was nailbiting tension as they stood 13-12 up playing the last end but secured 2 shots at the last end to finish victorious 15-12. With 4 points secured Blackhall now just needed the aggregate point to secure promotion but with only 9 shots accumulated from the 2 wins it was not an unassailable lead. Thankfully Grant 'The Bunnet' Ramsay was in incredible form as he had burst away from a tight start to lead 15-7 entering the final stages of his match. With the light failing and the rain hammering down promotion was sealed with an 18-8 victory. Unfortunately Brian Lockhart slipped to a 16-13 defeat but can be very satisfied with an exceptional second half comeback when at one stage he trailed 12-2. In must also be noted that the last end was played in complete darkness and Brian actually couldn't see due to a combination of rain and steam on his glasses. Nevertheless, this did not stop Grant Walker reminding him that his last bowl was about 16 yards short with 1 shot against.

The second sixteen suffered a 9-0 defeat at home to Brunstane in the last game of the season. Unfortunately the green at Blackhall did not hold up quite so well as LRF with the rain ending the match after 11 ends. Unfortunately Ian McFarlane just slipped to a 2 shot defeat and David Bisset suffered a 3 shot defeat but the early abandonment may have come as a blessing in disguise for the rinks skipped by Ian Boettcher and Ian Parker as they were both losing heavily when play ceased.

The 3rd team also did not get a full match in against Goldenacre but again 11 ends had been played and Roy Reid comfortably won 17-4. The away leg was completed with Jim Torrance signing off with a 3 at the last to edge a 14-12 victory and preserve Blackhall's status in the league.

3rd August 2011

Blackhall's first sixteen suffered a home defeat tonight which has left promotion to division 2 up in the air. After a week off it was middle of the table Tramways who were visiting keen to build on the 5-4 victory they achieved earlier in the season. They were to go one better as they came away with a 6-3 victory that all but secures their safety in the league but leaves Blackhall requiring a victory of 5-4 or better at London Road Foundry next week to secure promotion. The solitary winning rink of the evening was skipped by Jim Melles but it was a nerve-wracking 11-9 victory courtesy of 2 shots at the last end. Brian Lockhart will be furious that his rink let slip a 14-1 lead but will ultimately be relieved that he secured a 19-19 draw courtesy of 3 shots at the last end. Graeme Walker will also be annoyed at his final scoreline. Leading 13-7 with 3 ends to play his rink slumped to a 16-13 defeat. Grant Ramsay fell to a narrow 19-15 loss.

The second sixteen have had a woeful season and they slipped to bottom of the league courtesy of a 5-4 defeat at Tramways. Both teams only have pride to play for now as they will be in division 4 next season but Roy Reid can be very pleased with a 5 shot victory after skipping a rink featuring Bob Souter,  Colin Forsyth and Ian Dobson with the latter two making their debuts in the second sixteen. A 2 shot victory for Ian Boettcher gave Blackhall their 4 points but a 5 shot defeat for Ian McFarlane and a 9 shot defeat for David Bisset meant the aggregate point was staying at Tramways.

25th July 2011

MORE NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The President's final was played on Thursday 21st July and it was Peter Brodie who prevailed with a 21-13 victory over Paul McGovern.

Also on Thursday the Edinburgh Bowling League Knock Out Championships began. George Kirk had a 21-10 victory in the singles at Tanfield against Darren Prentice from Northern but it was not a double success as the four featuring George MacDonald, Norman Nicholson, Jim McGhie and Ian McGhie slipped to a 13-11 loss. At Ferranti Graeme Walker along with Norman Davidson and Willie Deas were involved in a tight match in the triples but managed to get through 11-8. Jim Melles and Grant Walker fell to a 3 shot defeat at Goldenacre against Willowbrae. There are no games next Thursday due to Scottish Championships so matches resume on Thursday 4th August. George will be playing at Wardie and the triple will be playing at Parkside.

Last night Blackhall were in Top 5 action again at home against Brunstane hoping to get through to the quarter final. All did not go to plan however as we were knocked out 3-2 by our visitors. It looked so promising as George Kirk and Grant Walker burst into comfortable leads. Although Grant was pegged back late on he secured a 21-15 triumph and George quickly made it 2-0 with a 21-10 victory. Brunstane however fought back and secured two victories of their own with Andrew Lomax going down 21-5 and Graeme Walker losing 21-13. It meant it was up to Brian Lockhart to save us but at 19-13 down it appeared we would need a miracle. Despite saving the match twice Lockhart eventually fell to a 21-15 defeat. Good luck to Brunstane in the rest of the competition.

The Gents Championship has now reached the quarter final stage and there are sure to be 4 fine matches in store. In the top half of the draw there is a repeat of last year's semi final as former runner up Willie Deas looks for revenge against 3 time champion George Kirk. Another 3 time champion Brian Lockhart takes on another former finalist in Norman Nicholson. In the bottom half Vice President and runner up in 1997 Bob Brady takes on Colin Forsyth who is appearing in his first quarter final. 2003 champion Jim Melles has been rolling back the years with victories over Grant Walker and David McCulloch but another tough match is likely as he takes on David Hawthorn who was victorious in 1997.

21st July 2011

OTHER NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first final was completed on Monday 19th July with the fours championship being won by Brian Lockhart, George Kirk, Jim Melles and Grant Walker. They were convincing winners in the final against Ian Parker, David Venters, Willie Deas and David Hawthorn.

The President's final is being played tonight and it is a battle of the 1st 16 seconds as Paul McGovern and Peter Brodie contest the final at 6:30pm.

Also tonight sees the start of the Edinburgh Bowling League Knock Out Championships for the Blackhall representatives. George Kirk begins his campaign in the singles at Tanfield and will be joined there by the four which consists of George MacDonald, Norman Nicholson, Jim McGhie and Ian McGhie. Next door at Ferranti Graeme Walker along with Norman Davidson and Willie Deas will contest the triples and the pair of Jim Melles and Grant Walker who had such a good run in the ELBA pairs earlier in the season travel to Goldenacre. All games commence at 6:45pm.

A reminder that on Saturday 23rd July there is the Blackhall Bowling BBQ taking place from 2pm.

On Sunday 24th July at 6:30pm Blackhall will be in Top 5 action again. We have a home tie against Brunstane and it will be the same 5 competing that disposed of Stenhouse in the previous round - George Kirk, Andrew Lomax, Brian Lockhart, Grant Walker and Graeme Walker. At stake is a place in the quarter final which would be Blackhall's best performance since the competition began in 2000.

On Tuesday 26th July at 6:30pm Blackhall take on Dean in the Edinburgh Top 10. The single and four travel to Dean and the pairs and triples will be at home. All support appreciated. 

All club competition draws now updated on the website as at today's date and league results by rink can be found by clicking below:

1st Sixteen Results

2nd Sixteen Results

3rd Team Results

20th July 2011

The first sixteen travelled to Postal tonight sitting in second place in division 3 and despite a 5-4 defeat hopes are high that the promotion bid is still on track. Postal is a notoriously difficult venue to collect points from and there is a massive feeling of underachievement this year as they currently sit just above the relegation zone. On tonight's showing they should have no relegation fears at all as it was a very satisfactory 4 points for Blackhall. Brian Lockhart's rink made it 3 victories in a row by bolting into a 12-0 lead then comfortably holding on for an 18-10 win. Jim Melles was involved in a very tight affair coming off a 6-7 pace to lead 14-9 playing the last end. Jim  is not a man who tolerates short bowls but he will possibly wish to rethink his strong views after last end drama tonight. With Blackhall lying 3 shots Jim threw a bowl which came to rest closer to him than the head he was attempting to reach. Incredibly though the Postal skip drove and saw the jack bounce back towards Jim's bowl which turned out to be Blackhall's only bowl within 10 yards of the jack. Cometh the hour, cometh the Melles yet again. Some are suggesting Andrew Lomax is in need of another holiday as he fell to a third successive defeat. It looked as though a tight finish was in store as they trailed 10-8 with 7 ends left but a massive collapse saw them finish 29-9 down and when Graeme Walker slipped to a 25-10 defeat a heavy aggregate loss was suffered.

The second sixteen only have pride to play for now but could only manage a 5-4 defeat at home to Liberton. David Bisset along with Rab Smith, Bill Cunningham and Allan Black have hit a good run of form and they secured the aggregate point for Blackhall with a resounding 24-10 victory. Ian Boettcher was 11-5 down with 5 ends left but managed to scramble an 11-11 draw but there were 5 shot and 2 shot defeats for Ian McFarlane and Ian Parker respectively.

It was a narrow defeat for the 3rd team tonight against Whitehouse & Grange as Jim Torrance's 5 shot away defeat could only be compensated with a 2 shot victory for Roy Reid.

Next week there are no league games due to the Scottish Championships being held in Ayr. The first sixteen return in two weeks time at home to Tramways in a must win game. Maitland currently top the table 4 points ahead of Blackhall and London Road Foundry. The second sixteen travel to Tramways in a battle to see who will avoid finishing bottom of the league and the 3rd team have the next two weeks off. The matches in 2 weeks time commence at 6:30pm.

13th July 2011

The first sixteen took on bottom of the table Seafield this evening keen to get back on the winning trail and resurrect a flagging promotion bid. Blackhall had won 8-1 earlier in the season at Seafield but it was a very tight game which could have gone either way so a fine performance was going to be required in order to achieve something similar. With the second sixteen getting a week off from the league a sizeable crowd had gathered and they were treated to an excellent start on 2 of the rinks. Brian Lockhart's rink appear to be peaking at exactly the right time and after a strong start they dominated their opponents in a 21-7 win. Jim Melles, George Kirk, Peter Brodie and Willie Deas  capitalised on a 17-3 lead to finish convincing 28-17 victors. Andrew Lomax, Grant Ramsay, Paul McGovern and David Venters have hit a bit of a shaky spell however and from peels at 6 they failed to win another end until the very last end and finished 18-9 losers. With the aggregate safely secured it was left to Graeme Walker to add the final 2 points. He loooked home and dry at 18-13 up playing the last end however amazingly found himself with 5 shots against playing his last bowl. After much deliberation GS decided to just draw to save at least one of the counting shots. As the bowl came hurtling down we wondered if he had decided to drive instead. Luckily he stopped dead on the 3rd shot and finished 18-15 to secure a 7-2 victory.

Victories have been few and far between for the 3rd team this season but tonight they scored a fantastic 5-0 win over Braid. Jim Torrance made it 3 wins in a row with a narrow 14-11 victory and Roy Reid scored a 6 shot victory at Braid. After a fairly dismal season the result tonight has sparked optimism that Blackhall can survive relegation in this league.

6th July 2011

The first sixteen slipped to their second defeat in a row tonight at Edinburgh West End and it could be a very damaging blow in the bid for promotion to division 2. Brian Lockhart along with Grant Walker, Norman Davidson and Ian McGhie were in fine form to score a 22-17 win despite the loss of a 7 at one end but it was the only bright note in a 7-2 loss. Jim Melles was level at 12-12 playing the last end and when he drew the shot with his first bowl it seemed certain Blackhall were going to score a precious 2 points but the West End skip played a great bowl to turn Jim's bowl away and with it a 13-12 defeat was confirmed. Graeme Walker was involed in a tight battle but a crucial 5 cost him and his rink dearly as they fell to a 17-10 defeat. Andrew Lomax had a fine start but couldn't maintain the momentum and eventually slumped to a 20-13 defeat.

The second sixteen's misery contrinued as a home defeat to Mayfield all but confirms relegation back to division 4 . A 15-15 peel for Ian McFarlane was supported by a comfortable 23-13 victory for David Bisset but 8 and 9 shot defeats for Ian Boettcher and Ian Parker respectively meant the aggregate was lost and a 6-3 final score was confirmed.

After the first home victory of the season last week the 3rd team secured a 3-2 victory this evening against Mayfield. Unfortunately Bill Wood along with Bob Brown, Duncan Baillie and David Pammenter couldn't make it 2 consecutive home wins in a row as they were pipped 16-14 at the last end. Confidence must be soaring however in Jim Torrance's rink. Fresh from securing the first home victory of the season last week Jim along with Cameron Pammenter, Ian Dobson and Derek Fairbairn travelled to Mayfield and returned with an excellent 19-9 win which secured the bonus aggregate point.

1st July 2011

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS UPDATE!!!!

Blackhall comfortably made it through the first round of the Ian McFarlane Top 5 Singles on Tuesday 28th June at home to Stenhouse. Andrew Lomax, George Kirk, Brian Lockhart, Grant Walker and Graeme Walker were the men selected to respresent the club and it was a clean sweep as they all managed to win their matches. It takes more than a reputation to put off Graeme Walker and going on to rink 5 aka 'The Graveyard' may have got lesser men panicking but GS was in blistering form to win 21-2. Brian was not far behind as he dealt a 21-4 defeat to his opponent and George sealed the victory when he returned a 21-5 win. Although the match was technically over the other 2 matches were completed in front of a large crowd with Grant completing a 21-10 victory and Andrew scoring a 21-15 win in front of by that time a boystrous crowd.

There was disappointment however in the Edinburgh Cup on Friday 24th June as Blackhall made a first round exit to Craigentinny. We couldn't have wished for a harder draw as Craigy are currently running away with the Edinburgh Bowling League 1st division and their strength and depth makes them worthy favourites for the competition. Ian McFarlane produced Blackhall's solitary victory out of the 6 rink matches and it was a deserved victory for our opponents. Best of luck to Craigentinny for the rest of the competition.

29th June 2011

The first sixteen made the short trip to Maitland for our local derby and came away with a 5-4 defeat which helps the promotion bid enormously. Blackhall fall to 3rd in the league as a result due to London Road Foundry's 7-2 win at Seafield but with only a point between LRF and shot difference between Maitland and Blackhall it's looking like being an exciting finale to the season in division 3. Maitland were keen to avenge the 9-0 defeat they suffered in the second week of the season and for most of the night it appeared they were going to manage it but two priceless victories for Jim Melles and Andrew Lomax saw Blackhall leave the happier side. Graeme Walker introduced Bill Batten and Jim McGhie into the team in the absence of Bob Brady and David McCulloch but they came up against an inspired display from the Maitland rink against them and fell to a 28-9 defeat. Brian Lockhart's rink had a disastrous start and at 21-8 down it looked like damage limitation was the best form of attack. They did produce a fine comeback with Lockhart and The Dark Horse playing out of their skins to leave with a 25-18 defeat. Jim Melles was involved in a very tight encounter and the loss of 4 shots when standing peels at 9 looked to have killed them off but a fine response meant it was 14-14 going into the last end. Cometh the hour, cometh the Melles was the inspirational, Braveheart style declaration by Brian Lockhart after as with match against Jim played a cracker to trail the jack back to Willie Deas carefully placed bowls that had begun the end just the 4 yards past the jack. Andrew Lomax kicked on from 10-7 down to lead 18-11 playing the last end again in near darkness and held on comfortably to win 18-13.

The second sixteen needed a massive victory at home to Dean tonight but instead suffered a massive defeat which almost certainly now means division 4 beckons next season. A 16-16 peel for David Bisset saved some face but 7 shot defeats for the other three rinks skipped by Ian Parker, Ian Boettcher and Ian McFarlane meant it was a sombre atmosphere when the first sixteen returned.

Finally after 7 weeks of misery the third team have a home victory to shout about. Jim Torrance, Colin Forsyth, Derek Fairbairn and yes you guessed it…..Cameron Pammenter turned themselves from men into heroes as they scored a 20-14 victory over Maitland A. It was however not enough to compensate the 21-4 defeat Roy Reid suffered at Maitland so it was a 3-2 defeat for them.

22nd June 2011

The first sixteen knew that they had to respond to last week's disaster against London Road Foundry with an improved performance against Niddrie at home. Blackhall suffered a 7-2 defeat in the opening game of the season but produced a great display to comfortably win 9-0 and return to the top of the league. George Kirk was drafted back in and along with Jim Melles, Peter Brodie and Willie Deas and they set the tone with a 24-8 victory. Graeme Walker returned to winning ways with a 25-11 triumph and Brian Lockhart also found his form in a 24-8 victory. Grant Ramsay returned after his holiday and it was a second 25-11 scoreline of the night as he along with Andrew Lomax, David Venters and Paul McGovern produced a fine display. There was some controversy as Lomax whilst trying to draw a 3rd shot accidentally produced a near impossible 2 bowl takeout which scored 7 shots. Grant Ramsay described it as one of the worst/best shots he's ever seen, Lomax couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the game and the Niddrie skip did very well to restrain himself from punching Lomax in the face.

Relegation is now looking increasingly likely for the second sixteen as they fell to a potentially devastating 9-0 defeat at Summerside. It could have been so much better but narrow defeats on 3 rinks has left Blackhall needing a miracle to escape the drop. David Bisset was defeated 23-21 and Ian Boettcher suffered a similar 2 shot defeat. Ian McFarlane produced a stirring late comeback but just fell short in a 21-18 loss and Ian Parker's 13 shot defeat summed up a miserable night for the team.

The 3rd team fell to a second consecutive 5-0 loss and it was Craigentinny B who inflicted the loss. It was yet another home defeat as Roy Reid finished on the wrong end of a 16-12 scoreline and Jim Torrance fell to a 7 shot loss.

15th June 2011

The first sixteen went into tonight's match top of the league at home to an in form London Road Foundry but slumped to a 9-0 defeat. The sorry tale began when this reporter walked in to see Blackhall with a total of 11 shots from the first 7 ends of each match. It was a disastrous start that they were never likely to recover from however Graeme Walker did produce a stirring fightback to trail 13-14 with 2 ends to play. Unfortunately a disastrous 16th end saw LRF score 5 shots and eventually win 21-13. Brian Lockhart's poor start saw him 16-2 down but a decent fightback saw him finish 11-18 down. Jim Melles brought Peter Brodie up to 3rd and Jim McGhie into his rink in the absence of George Kirk but they finished 23-10 down. Andrew Lomax was involved in a tight game but a mid match slump saw his rink defeated 19-10.

The second sixteen continue to slide towards a return to division 4 with a 7-2 defeat at Brunstane. Cameron Pammenter was brought in to skip in place of Ian Boettcher but a 16-8 defeat was a sign of things to come on the other rinks. A 7 shot defeat for Ian Parker and a 13 shot defeat for David Bisset ensured Brunstane their 7 points despite a comfortable 10 shot victory for Ian McFarlane. The third team's struggles continue as another 5-0 defeat was suffered tonight. Jim Torrance lost the home game to Goldenacre 21-15 and Bill Wood lost at last end 16-14 in the away match.

10th June 2011

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS UPDATE!!!!

Grant Walker just missed out on the District 11 singles championship tonight as he was defeated 21-18 by Andrew Sneddon of Tanfield at Wardie. The media dubbed him the Blackhall dark horse after impressive victories in the run up to the final but he was slow out of the stalls as Sneddon played sensational bowls to open up an 8-1 lead. At this point the Blackhall contingent led by Brian Lockhart's inappropriate encouragement feared the worst but Grant dug deep to share the next 14 shots to trail 15-8. It appeared certain though that he would need a miracle as Sneddon saw the finishing line in sight at 19-11 up. Still, he fought on to close to 19-16 and with match against him at 20-16 he produced possibly bowl of the night to chap and lie Andrew's front toucher which pushed the jack through to Grant's 2 waiting bowls. At 20-18 the crowd suddenly saw the possibility of a 21-20 epic being played out. Huge applause from the packed crowd around rink 1 and yet another shout of 'Come on the dark horse' by Lockhart saw end 29 of the match begin with Grant throwing a full length jack. His first 3 bowls were perfect for grass but just fell short and when Sneddon played a bowl a foot past the jack Grant was left with match against him again. He looked to have played another match saver but agonisingly just ran past Andrew's bowl. Blackhall would like to wish Andrew all the best at the National Championships in Ayr in July and also thank and congratulate Grant for his fantastic displays and the great achievement of getting to the final. He did the club and more importantly himself very proud.

8th June 2011

Blackhall's first sixteen suffered their first defeat since the opening game of the season but have a great opportunity of sitting top of the league at the halfway stage of the season. Tramways is never an easy place to get a victory so the 5-4 defeat suffered will be a satisfactory scorline for the team. Graeme Walker's rink featuring David Hawthorn, David McCulloch and Bob Brady were defeated for the first time this season by an inspired performance from the Tramways skip. It finished 10-18 and when Brian Lockhart also came up against an inspired skip on his rink to fall to a 17-10 defeat it appeared Blackhall were doomed. Jim Melles's rink was adrift 12-4 after 9 ends but a resurgence in the last 8 ends saw them 16-15 up playing the last end. They lay the shot with one bowl to come but the Tramways skip came up trumps to alter the head and score the one shot required for a 16-16 peel. Grant Ramsay moved up to skip in place of selector Andrew Lomax who after 4 wins on the trot felt it was time for a little holiday/scouting mission to Morroco. They found themselves playing against a Tramways triple and with a quarter being deducted from their final score it was likely Blackhall would pick up a victory. Grant didn't disappoint as they hammered the opposition 24-6.75. This comprehensive victory covered the defeats for Lockhart and Walker resulting in the bonus aggregate point going to Blackhall. Next up is a home match against London Road Foundry who sit menacingly in 3rd position in the table - a good performance will be required to get back to winning ways. The second sixteen knew that they needed a victory against bottom of the league Tramways and managed to sneak a 1 shot 5-4 victory. After a fantastic victory last week David Bisset had a nightmare to fall to a 15 shot defeat. Thankfully Ian Parker was on his game to skip Andrew Hepburn, Jim McGhie and Steve Charlesworth to a 26-11 victory. Last end drama saw Ian McFarlane slip to a 15-13 defeat but a 3 shot win for Ian Boettcher earned Blackhall the aggregate point. 

7th June 2011

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS UPDATE!!!!

Blackhall champion Grant Walker is now just one match away from qualifying for the Scottish National Championships in August. In the quarter final stage he disposed of the Dudley representative at Leith and followed that up tonight with a sensational display at Tanfield to knock out Jim Hutchison of Goldenacre 21-8. He got off to a flying start to lead 11-1 and when the inevitable fightback began to materialise at 15-8 Grant showed great quality to score 6 shots from the next 5 ends and secure his spot in the final. Grant now goes into the district final this Friday at Wardie to face Andrew Sneddon of Tanfield. The match will begin at 6:45pm and as much support as possible will be required. Grant was also involved in the ELBA Championships along with Jim Melles in the pairs but they made an unfortunate quarter final exit to Hillside by 6 shots last Thursday.

1st June 2011

After 3 comprehensive victories in a row Blackhall's first sixteen entered tonight's league match against Postal sitting top of division 3. Postal however were in second place just 4 points behind and came expecting to cut that gap substantially. The fact that Blackhall now sit 9 points clear of second place in the league tells you all you need to know about how the match went. A fantastic 7-2 victory was the result and with points being shared in the other 3 fixtures a 9 point lead is more than Blackhall could have dreamed of at the start of the season. Graeme Walker remains unbeaten after an excellent 17-13 win. It was looking like being a comfortable victory until the loss of 9 shots over the last 2 ends. Any doubt that Brian Lockhart would be recalled after his mysterious exclusion from the Seafield match were dismissed by selector Andrew Lomax who reinstated him at skip along with Grant Walker, Norman Davidson and Ian McGhie. They found the going tough early on but soon kicked on and finished comprehensive 27-15 victors. Andrew Lomax took the opportunity to put Grant Ramsay into his rink at lead and it paid dividends as he cantered to a 20-10 victory in almost pitch darkness. Jim Melles fell to an 18-10 defeat however the loss of a 4 on the last end made the scoreline look worse in what was a very tight game. Blackhall travel to Tramways next week and it is top versus second again as they are one of three teams sitting joint second on 24 points. The second sixteen need victories fast as they slumped to another defeat at Liberton tonight. They will however be heartened by the 5-4 reverse and 1 shot aggregate defeat at a tough venue. A heavy 11 shot defeat for Ian Parker was compensated with a 11 shot victory for David Bisset however Ian Boettcher's 5 shot defeat couldn't quite be matched as Ian McFarlane only managed a 4 shot victory. The second sixteen sit second bottom of the league only just ahead of Tramways meaning that next week's home match against the bottom team is a must win. Some good news for the 3rd team this week as after 4 defeats in a row they finally managed a win. It will come as no surprise to readers of this website that Cameron Pammenter was a central figure in this victory as he along with Ian Dobson, Derek Fairbairn and ably skipped by Jim Torrance returned from Whitehouse and Grange with a 24-5 win that more than compensated for Bill Wood's 4 shot home defeat. Unfortunately the 3rd team now have a week off so don't have the chance to continue this upturn in form.

26th May 2011

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS UPDATE!!!!

Blackhall are still fighting in the Bowls Scotland District 11 championships courtesy of 2 fantastic victories for Grant Walker in the singles competition. Having received the draw everybody would have wanted to avoid Grant disposed of Craigentinny 21-13 at Dudley but even tougher was to follow in the shape of Scott Mackintosh from London Road Foundry who had been district singles winner for the past 2 years. Grant however dealt him a 21-11 exit at Hillside and moves on to Leith this Tuesday for his quarter final tie. Unfortunately the pair, triple, four and senior four have already exited and will not be qualifying for Ayr in August this year. The ELBA Championships are in full swing also and Blackhall continues to be represented in the pairs and triples competitions entering the last 16 tonight. Grant Walker has partnered up with Jim Melles and two fine victories at Stenhouse and Colinton see them visit Tanfield tonight aiming to get through to the quarter finals. The triple featuring Willie Deas, Brian Lockhart and George Kirk won through at Currie last week after receiving a first round bye and play at Bainfield tonight. The four skipped by Graeme Walker made an unfortunate first round exit by one shot and all the senior representatives have been knocked out already. David Venters, Peter Brodie and Rab Smith in the triple got to the last 16 but were dealt a 1 shot defeat at Seafield.

25th May 2011

Blackhall's first sixteen entered tonight's match away to Seafield in one of the 2 promotion spots in division 3 and reinforced that position with a fantastic 8-1 victory. 26 points from 4 games has exceeded all expectations and provided great belief that Blackhall can not only survive in division 3 but compete comfortably. Graeme Walker kept his unbeaten run going scoring 1 shot at the last end to earn a hard-fought 12-12 draw. On returning to the club Bob Brady commented that Graeme played one of the best bowls he's ever seen - GS played it down of course describing it as nothing more than a 'nice nestler'. Grant Ramsay stepped in for Brian Lockhart to skip Grant Walker, Norman Davidson and Ian McGhie to a comprehensive 22-14 victory. Confusion surrounded Lockhart's exclusion when murmours were heard that he had been ordered 'not to travel' - was this demand coming from Edinburgh Airport or was Andrew 'Romanov' Lomax controversially resting one of his senior skips? Jim Melles looked to be coasting to victory at 19-8 up but came under pressure leading only 19-17 playing the last end. An untypically poor end from Willie Deas and Peter Brodie meant George Kirk faced 4 shots against him but drew the first shot then when he added the second shot as well the pressure was lifted and a whistling Jim Melles confidently drew a 3rd shot to complete a 22-17 win. Andrew Lomax has been involved in 3 very tight matches already this season and tonight was no different as he sneaked a 14-13 victory. With the experienced Jim McGhie subbing for junior champion Ross Grieve they fought back from a poor start to take a 2 shot lead into the last end. Lomax was relieved when it became clear Seafield could score no better than one shot and decided to not play his last bowl as the 8-1 victory had been secured. The 3rd team were in action against Braid tonight and fell to a 3-2 defeat. Despite the inclusion of Ian Boettcher the home match was lost by 7 shots and a battling 2 shot victory at Braid for Roy Reid meant it was another loss for Blackhall.

18th May 2011

Blackhall's first sixteen followed up from the derby day hammering dished out to Maitland with a fine 7-2 victory in blustery conditions at home to Edinburgh West End. It could have been an incredible second consecutive 9-0 victory but for last bowl drama on Andrew Lomax's rink. Andrew along with David Venters, Paul McGovern and Ross Grieve looked to have left themselves too big a mountain to climb again as they trailed by 6 shots with 2 ends to play but a 5 at the 16th end meant it was all to play for on the last. They could do no more than lie 5 shots but the West End skip with his last bowl fired into the head and when the jack eventually came to rest it was closest to one of West End's bowls resulting in a 2 shot defeat.  Jim Melles led from start to finish to win 25-7. and Graeme Walker made it 3 wins out of 3 courtesy of a late comeback which included a 5,4 finish to win 21-17. Brian Lockhart returned an 18-15 victory which was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests and the first sixteen travel to Seafield next week in high spirits. The second sixteen made it 3 defeats out of 3 with a disastrous 9-0 loss away to Mayfield. A 4 shot defeat was the closest Blackhall came to recording 2 points and it was Ian Parker's rink who unfortunately finished 17-13 losers. After his fine comeback the previous week Grant Ramsay saw no such repeat tonight as his rink featuring Rab Smith, Bill Cunningham and Allan Black finished 21-7 down. 6 and 9 shot defeats for Jimmy Murray and Ian McFarlane respectively consigned Blackhall to the 9-0 loss and with no game next week it seems certain Blackhall will be bottom of the league when they return to action in 2 weeks time. The 3rd team were also playing Mayfield and slipped to a second 5-0 defeat of the season. Despite fielding strong line ups that included George Elliot and Bob Souter a 4 shot home defeat for Roy Reid and a 7 shot away defeat for Colin Forsyth meant it was a bad night all round against Mayfield.

11th May 2011

Blackhall's league teams were back in action tonight and were keen to make up for their disappointing results last week. At Blackhall the first sixteen took on local rivals Maitland who had scored a fine 7-2 win in their first game. The form guide suggested a comprehensive away win but Blackhall produced a magnificent display to complete an unexpected 9-0 whitewash. Graeme Walker skipped Bob Brady, David McCulloch and David Hawthorn to a whirlwind start and led 20-3 after 7 ends. They slowed down in the remaining 10 ends but held on comfortably for a 25-14 victory. Brian Lockhart's rink featuring Grant Walker, Norman Davidson and Ian McGhie bounced back from their opening day defeat to produce a comfortable 21-10 victory and with it ensured that Blackhall would take at least 5 points. Jim Melles along with George Kirk, Peter Brodie and Willie Deas found themselves 14-13 down playing the last end but Jim produced a fantastic first bowl to turn the head from 1 down to 2 shots up. When the final bowl for Maitland sailed past the head another 2 points were claimed with a 15-14 victory. Andrew Lomax skipping David Venters, Paul McGovern and Ross Grieve looked down and out at 19-14 down with 2 ends to play but staged a sensational comeback to score a 3 then a match winning 4 on the last end to complete a fantastic night. The second sixteen were defeated again but will be heartened by collecting 4 points from a tough away trip to Dean. Grant Ramsay stepped in for the unavailable David Bisset and along with Rab Smith, Bill Cunningham and Allan Black found themselves 15-8 down with 4 ends to play but produced a great finale to finish 18-15 victors. Blackhall's other victory was provided by Ian Parker, Andrew Hepburn, Cameron Pammenter and Steve Charlesworth who finished 19-13 up. In an amazing change of fortunes for Pammenter who was on the wrong end of a 31-3 scoreline last week in the 3rd team fixture it was a chance to make an astonishing statement when he returned to the club . Those who were treated to his rantings couldn't believe what they were hearing when he commented, "What a difference playing with some good players makes". 9 shot and 5 shot defeats for Ian McFarlane and Jimmy Murray respectively mean Dean scored the bonus aggregate point. The 3rd team got their first points on the board for the season with a 12 shot victory for Roy Reid, Bill Wood, Conor Cadden and Duncan Baillie against Maitland A but unfortunately it wasn't enough to cover the 14 shot defeat at Blackhall for the rink skipped by Jim Torrance.

4th May 2011

Blackhall's league teams suffered an difficult start to the EBL campaign for this season. After winning promotion from division 4 last season the first sixteen had a tough opening fixture away to relegated Niddrie and were dealt a 7-2 defeat. It could have been worse but for Graeme Walker's narrow 1 shot victory and much improvement will be required for next Wednesday's derby match at home to Maitland. Heavy defeats for Brian Lockhart and George Kirk meant the aggregate was safely secured for Niddrie and despite a fine performance by Andrew Lomax's rink they fell to a narrow 3 shot defeat.  

The second sixteen also found life tough in a higher division and fell to a 7-2 home defeat by Summerside. Jim Murray skipped the only successful Blackhall rink to a 5 shot victory but it was small consolation for the defeats of David Bisset, Ian McFarlane and Ian Parker.

The 3rd team were also in action and lost 5-0 to Craigentinny B. Roy Reid made the difficult away trip and was unfortunate to fall to a 9 shot defeat however carnage was witnessed at Blackhall as Cameron Pammenter skipped a disastrous 28 shot defeat. Usually Cameron is on hand to provide an analysis of how the game went but on this occasion he reserved the right to provide no comment.

18th April 2011

Following the first hat night of the season Match Secretary George Kirk reached for the bingo balls and along with  President  George MacDonald made the draw for the Gents 2010 Championship. The reigning champion Grant Walker begins his defence in the second round against former winner Jim Melles and last year's runner up George Kirk will look to go one better beginning with a first round tie against Peter Brodie. George MacDonald will aim to become only the third ever President and Champion in the same year but has a tricky first round tie against Steve Charlesworth to contend with. Last year's semi finalists were Brian Lockhart and Willie Deas. Both were handed first round ties where Lockhart will meet good friend Conor Cadden and Deas takes on Allan Black.There are 53 entries in the 2011 championship resulting in 21 first round ties and 11 byes into the second round. The draw can be found in the club competitions page and match reports will be included in the latest news.