IN HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 867, 16 February 1917, Page 25

IN HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND.

. and the fortitude with, which he bore - up against "ill-health endeared him to his friends. His only brother. has served with the,; forces in Gallipoli and France, was seriously wounded, and is now in Brockenhurst Hospital, in England. '■' «■ ' - ■ *. : .- • #. ..,' *•-.'. Newtown is sending four rinks to Otaki to-morrow to fulfil; an engagement that is being looked . forward to with pleasant anticipations. Sid tinder the energetic. secre-tary'of-the Newtown Club returned on Thursday after a 500-miles motor tour around the Manawatu, Rangiiikei, and Wanganui districts. In ; spits of bad luck with tyres, he looked as jolly as a sand-boy as he sped along.under sum- ' mer skies smoking a fragrantrHavana: or pulling up at sonie country 7 bowling green .for an occasional game. In such cases Sid. was very much "on the wood." On Wednesday there was a very keen and enjoyable match on the Wellington /Club's upper green between, teams ' (three rinks a-side) representing the Central Club and the Commercial Travellers' Club. The former woEj by the narrowest margin: a single point. Moult was chief performer for the Central, finishing 9-up againstWillie Marquis, for the Central, was 8 down against Hox - ner, while in the third game McArthur and Fauvel finished in a dead heat. ..■'-. A. J. Benzie, formerly of Te Hiwi Club, -Wellington, is shaping well this season in the Champion Pairs contest of the Christchurch Club. He beat G. Wright the other day, and. is now matched against Gurney,, who is a for- \ midable opponent. _^ .. -- The. United Club, of Christchurch, gave a warm.welcome home to.Spiller's rink, who were ruriners-up for the Rink Championship at ,the recent Dominion - Tournament. In responding to the principal toast of the evening, the President of the Club, Mr. Isaac Woolf,

\ who played as lead in" Spiller's rink was in a happy mood, and recounted some of his experiences in the .Empire City. He told a. good story of a No. 3 who asked his skip to come up a "yard gone" and move the jack two inches. It would take an exceptional man to do that. Another No. 3-got rather flustered over a measure,' and instead of measuring from the bowl to the jack, measured from' bowl to bowl. A wag standing beside him on the green asked' him what he made it, and the reply was: "A very tight go." This reminds me of a story told of the late C. N. Crombie, one of the early skips of the Wellington Club. One day at the critical stage of a match in which he was skip on one side Ins No. 3 touched, the jack and got the s £°£' Crombie, sin his excitement, chalked the jack instead of the bowl and raised a hearty peal of laughter in •which he himself joined. The Mosman'-Club, according to Mr. M'Clintock, now a member, and formerly of Te Hiwi Club, Wellington, is held in higher respect than any other New South Wales bowling club. When the club was battling along in limited quarters, and on a six rinks green, its membership roll fluctuated between 80 and 100- The addition of another green, and the building of the best bowling pavilion in Australia ajid an energetic canvass among bowlers, has led to the roll being increased to 180. The new pavilion cost about £3000. The Ashfield Club (N.S.W.) has also erected an up-to-date pavilion at a cost of £1500, while the establishment of a green at "Rose Bay cost the better part of £1000. Bowlers pay well for their amusement.