At the Annual Weekend Cinque Ports Bowls Tournament held this year at Margate, Winchelsea Bowls Club were runners-up to Margate. 

After the first day’s play, our team – captain, Paul Trigg, Keith Sellens, Chris Waters and Jo Melvin – were top of the board and, on the second day had two drawn matches.  That difference dropped them to second place by the end of the second day’s play.

The tournament organiser, Kenneth Neame, of the Confederation of Cinque Ports was pleased and delighted that, on his retirement this year as organiser, Winchelsea finished in second place – when you compare the size of Winchelsea Bowls Club to all the other Cinque Ports Towns clubs and the facilities they can all upon.  Mayor Cynthia Feast and Richard Feast attended on Sunday and enjoyed the competitive play and the friendship of all the players, buy most of all the presentation on Sunday of the silver plate and Cinque Ports medals presented to the  Winchelsea  Bowls Club players as runners up.

Next year the tournament will be held at Sandwich and, on the retirement of Ken Neame this year, it was announced that Jurat Mike Melvin will be taking over as chairman of the Cinque Ports Bowls Tournament.  In all, a very special and successful weekend for Winchelsea town.

The previous best result came in 2004 when the Winchelsea team – Ken Chetwood ,Jack Parker, Ian Mackey and Kevin Pope were also runners-up.