13th January 2017

Last year, Beckenham’s 150th Anniversary, was a joyous affair with singles matches and a glorious exhibition match with some old stalwarts turning out some for the first time (and last!) in years, perhaps decades. Such was the occasion that the result didn’t really matter but the memory reminds that Beckenham turned out winners…just.

So with revenge in the blood expectations were high. Mandy Akin took on her regular opponent Cathy Ruffel in a thrilling high quality match which at 2/2 could have gone either way. Unfortunately for the GB Vets Mandy lost the 5th 10/15. (Yes, we have at last succumbed to playing PARS, for this match to 15!)

Karen Hume, recently crowned the World’s O55 champion, took on the youthful Simon Joyce. In a tight, closely fought match, Karen eventually lost 14/16 in the fourth.

So at 0/2 down Peter Young took on Geoff McMullen, who confessed not to have played for months and who never takes his tracksuit bottom off. So the omens were good but Peter, so often in the driving seat, kept giving the ball back to a tired but very grateful Geoff! So another lost game, this time 18/20 in the third.

Surely Andy Bonner would come to the GB Vets rescue? But it was not to be as Robin Grant won a close match 3/1.

It was left to Nigel Belle at No.5 to save a whitewash. With both he and fellow GB Vet, Ian Smith, suffering shoulder injuries the match could have ended with both retiring soon after the first point! But no Nigel survived better than Ian and ran out an unlikely winner 3/0 after, what must be said, a most enjoyable, crowd-pleasing match helped by some masterful marking by the GB Vets non-playing Captain, Robert Smith.

So Beckenham 4, GB Vets 1.

The post match meals provided by Beckenham are legendary and are definitely one of the best of all GB Vets matches. Mixed hors d’oeuvres, Chicken Cacciotore, Apple & Blackberry Crumble with ample varieties of liquid prove the point!

A few ‘thank you’ words from Ian and Robert finished off a great evening and the GB Vets vowing to seek revenge next year.

Individual results: