Bare Foot Bowls - mufti...?

(Something went a bit funny with blogger this morning as I posted this and it disappeared.

Hopefully it's where it should be now)

Thank you for the comments and messages regarding the citizenship issue. It's been somewhat reassuring to get positive thoughts from my family and friends...I even got a text late last night with the message "Do it!"and a link to the website.

It's on the cards. So let me share with you one of the reasons that living here is pretty good....

Now things could have changed in the last few years, but from memory, if someone back in the UK had suggested a school class get together at the local crown green bowls club I would have thought that it was a joke!



It's a place that I would associate with retirees (bit of a generalisation I know). It makes me think of hushed tones with the occasional clunk of the bowls, everyone dressed in white and immaculate lawns . However, out here in Australia it's quite the thing for all ages. Bowling appears to be a family pastime.

I was intrigued by the signs that promoted "mufti barefoot bowls" and have to admit that I thought it sounded pretty suspect! When we were invited to an evening of Barefoot Bowl  - mufti, I was more than intrigued and became almost a little concerned!

No need to worry - it means bowling in ordinary dress....phew.

So that's where we found ourselves early Friday evening just as the sun was setting.



impromptu soccer before bowls

 

Yes the kids are playing soccer....on a bowls lawn! A ball appeared from no-where and next thing they were away. Do you know what? - the bowls club officials didn't bat an eyelid. The kids were having a good time so they were happy enough. ...It's very relaxed out here!

The adults helped to organise some teams and gave instructions to try and not throw the bowls quite so much, but apart from that we left the children to get on with it. They got the hang of the curve and encouraged their team mates with much whopping and high fives. (Definitely not the hushed tones of my memories...) They played on until the light faded and they couldn't see anymore.





Then it was time to gather everything up with lots of cries of  "where's my shoes?" (kids) and "I can't carry everything!" (parents) and head into the bowl club. Inside we all sat down to a Chinese banquet to round off the evening.



the all important measuring to work out the winner



Happy kids, happy parents, lovely Friday evening.

I'm off to my yoga class this morning -

so that I can come back all relaxed to face the mountain of ironing that's been breeding in my laundry!