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(Last week….) “It was the best of times,” (and this week…) “It was the worst of times,” as the bowlers of Parwich failed to capitalise on recent successes and, despite having “Great Expectations,” finished up returning from both Matlock Park and Wirksworth feeling “Ever so ‘umble.”  

Matlock and Wirksworth; in sooth two particularly pleasant places, around which we had, of course, wished to have re-written our own “Tale of Two Cities” (later filmed as A Tale of Two Settees, starring Sofa Loren and Peter Cushion) with a better outcome, but ’twas not to be. “Our Mutual Friend”s at Matlock are a well-drilled and highly-skilled outfit, and thus a difficult team to beat at the best of times, and I’ll concede were worth their 71-51 victory on the night. Certainly the pair I came up against hardly put a wood out of place all evening and sidled in like the Artful Dodger and Marley’s Ghost on just about every end.

In the fair town of Wirksworth, with its wonderfully quirky alehouses, cosy cinema,13th Century church and “Old Curiosity Shop”s, we strived to put an end to the “Hard Times” that we have endured so far in the Thursday league. Nonetheless we were to come up short again, this time to the tune of 139 to 97, leaving us 2^nd to bottom in the table. Wirksworth is a great place to play bowls, with a green surface so true and a fine new pavilion; one can enter the field of play feeling that “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done,” but believe me, on being defeated it looks a “Bleak House” indeed.

Yet a pint on the way home in one of the Town’s hostelries (just the one, mind, no need to be “Oliver Twist,”) restored the feeling that next week brings chances anew, and that, like the great Mr Wilkins Micawber, we are in a state of “Expecting something to turn up.”

Therefore by the time we sing “A Christmas Carol” on Parwich Green this year with “The Chimes” ringing from the School clock, I’ve no doubt we’ll have done the Village proud!   …Mark J.

The area around Parson’s Croft has certainly seen much action over the past week. With Her Majesty saying we should make memories the good people of Parwich played their part stoically in the wind and rain to enjoy the Jubilee Party, then a mere two days afterwards took to the bowling green next door to put on arguably the best performance so far this season to humble a spirited Youlgrave side and continue our march to glory in the Tuesday League. What a match it was as we romped to a 78-56 victory to bring our unbeaten run in this competition to four weeks. Doubtlessly had our Royal Family been given the choice between the Party at the Palace or watching Parwich at home the result would have been inevitable, however I’m sure logistics and a packed schedule rendered them without the option. As good as they were on the night, Rod Stewart would surely not have matched the excitement of Harry and Penny’s opening victory; George Ezra wouldn’t have held the crowd as John and Fran’s epic battle; Andrew Lloyd Weber’s sequence did little to match Keith’s and my own comeback; and only Bocelli himself would have diverted the crowd from Edith and Rick’s final triumph. What a smashing bunch of players Youlgrave are though, always a pleasure to lock horns with them.

A stiff test though awaits us tomorrow as we travel to second-placed Matlock Park; always stern opponents and a difficult place to come away with a positive result, although a most encouraging practice session on Sunday indicated that we are match-fit and ready for what ever is thrown at us.

Thursday last week saw us with a bye and therefore no action, so it’s a return this week to our old friends at Wirksworth – always a pleasure – and the site of our compelling success of a couple of Tuesdays ago. They will be out for revenge, that’s for sure, and we will be pulling out all the stops to gain our first (proper) win in this particular tournament since the acclaimed promotion of last summer.

You too, Good People, could be a part of all this: why not come along and give it a go?  …Mark J