Four days of celebrations to mark Cheltenham Whaddon Bowling Club’s 90th anniversary got off to a flying start - and they kept on getting better and better.

The party began on Thursday evening with a six-rink showpiece occasion against North Gloucestershire League invitation teams which ended in thrilling style with Whaddon snatching a one-shot victory.

“It was unbelievable,” said club secretary Jane Hawkes. “Dave Hopkins was the winning skip. He’s just joined us from Pineholt and was really pleased.

“Mind you, he got fined in the end for bragging about it too much!”

More than £80 was raised in ‘fun fines’ that evening and that sum will go towards the club’s chosen charity this year - the Roy Castle Lung Foundation - with the rest of the weekend donations swelling the coffers to about £200.

Day two was all about the players’ costumes in an inter-club match between the men and the ladies.

In the end they decided to play two mixed teams but it didn’t prevent some of the ladies playing as flappers, which is a 1920s-style dress.

Some of the men also got in on the act, dressing up in men’s attire from the 1920s.

Jane, too, showed that she was game for a laugh as she wore a costume that would have been worn by a male club official 90 years ago.

The open day on the Saturday was equally successful with Jane estimating that 90 people came through the door.

“There were also at least 20 non-members who signed up to have a go on the green as well,” said Jane.

One of those who was happy to take part was the Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Klara Sudbury, who was the club’s special guest on their big day.

She had been asked to bring a pair of slippers so as not to damage the green but in the end she was allowed to play in her own shoes which, Jane said, were “fairly flat”.

The mayor showed she may have some potential as a bowler, said Jane, before adding with a laugh: “She did get a look from the greenkeeper when she dropped the bowl from quite high up when she played. She didn’t do any damage though!”

The final day saw Whaddon play Gloucestershire in another showpiece match.

It was even more special for Jane because she made her county debut in a match that Gloucestershire won 140-104.

Her husband Keith was also in the county team and Jane, who hopes it will be the first of a number of Gloucestershire call-ups this season, said: “I was in a winning rink so that was nice.

“It was good to play against so many people I know although Whaddon president Ray Hawkins kept calling me a turncoat!”

The next really big date on the club’s calendar is, of course, their centenary and Jane added: “It’s probably a bit early to start thinking about that but I’d love to be involved in 10 years’ time.”

More immediately there is the annual Jubilee Trophy fixture between Whaddon, Cheltenham Town and Cheltenham Spa which takes place on Bank Holiday Monday.

Matches are played at all three clubs but this year it is Whaddon’s turn to organise the post-match catering.

Fortunately for Whaddon, and bowls in general, Jill Whistler, Brenda Miller, ‘the Ladies’, Ray Hawkins, Steve Gilman, Mike Newman, Colin Bassett and other committee members have an appetite for hard work.