Monkstone Pétanque Club

Under cloudy skies and a not very promising forecast, 24 members, including 3 Juniors, assembled for the annual Club triples on Sunday 9 November 2025. In the event, despite a few showers, the weather was much better than expected.

The competition was organised in the usual format of a 3 round melee with partners being selected at random with the help of a little seeding to try to get evenly balanced teams as far as possible.

Being Remembrance Sunday, before play got underway, 1 minute’s silence was observed by the teams as a tribute to those who laid down their lives in WW1, and the many conflicts since, in order that we may enjoy our freedom.

Phil Roberts/Paul Hawkins/Vanessa Jones took an early lead in Round 1 with +9 closely followed by Vickie Adshead/Andrew Jones/ Stephen Haynes on +8.

In Round 2 Phil/Paul/Vanessa and Ash Seath/Keith Miller/Kitty Johnson were the only teams on 2 wins with Phil & co holding a clear lead on +10 while Ash’s team were on +3.

So it was all to play for in Round 3, with a possibility of one of the other teams coming through, if they both faltered. Could they hold their nerve or would there be yet another Golden End finish to decide matters. When the dust settled, Phil & co had come up with another win to be the only team with 3 wins +21 but they were run close by Vickie’s team on 2 wins +20 and Roger Green/Colin Burfoot/Jon Giddy on 2 wins +17.

The Best Junior award went to Kitty Johnson as part of Ash’s team.

Congratulations to Phil/Paul/Vanessa on becoming the 2025 Club Triples champions and to Kitty for her Best Junior award.

RESULTS

WINNERS

Best Junior Award

Organiser Bernard presents the trophy to Kitty

Club Doubles Champions

Organiser Bernard presents the trophy to Paul/Vanessa and Phil

The Annual Club Doubles were held on 26 October 2025 in the usual format of a 3 round melee with partners being selected at random with the help of a little seeding to try to get evenly balanced teams as far as possible. 28 Members entered making up 14 teams

After the first round, among the winners Alex Skibinski/Stephen Haynes took an early lead with +11 followed by Robin Ralph/Stephen Haynes on +9 and Tony Smith/Lloyd Kinsey on +7

Could these 3 pairs sustain their lead in Round 2? When the dust settled, we had only 3 pairs on 2 wins with Alex/Stephen and Robin/Stephen having fallen at the second hurdle. Now the leaders were Tony/Lloyd +15, Len Christian/Francis Ryan on +14, Mike Jones/John Griffiths on +11.

So onto the final round with all to play for. One of the teams on 1 win could still come through if the 3 leaders failed to win in Round 3. But it proved not to be with all 3 winning to finish as the only teams on 3 wins. But for the second competition running, 2 teams were tied on +23  and were even tied on “points for” at 38. So it was onto the Golden End.

Tony/Lloyd won the toss and Lloyd put in a good opening boule around 30-40cms from the cosh. Inexplicably, Len/Francis chose to try and outpoint it and after all 6 boules, Lloyd’s boule was still holding and Tony/Lloyd were declared the winners.

Congratulations to Tony/Lloyd, commiserations to Len/Francis and thanks to all the members who took part.

For the second year running, Maddie Bartlett won the Best Junior Award. Well done Maddie!

The big question is, will the Club Triples on 9 November produce yet another tie with a Golden End?

RESULTS

THE WINNERS

After the disappointing postponements due to the weather which ended in the 2024 President’s Cup not being contested, the competition was back at the Club today for the 2025 edition. 28 members entered the fray to have the honour of winning the trophy on a blustery but fine day.

After Round 1 there was no clear leader with 4 players on +9 and 2 players on +11.

Things were a bit clearer after Round 2 with 5 players on 2 wins but 2 of them were well out in the lead, Carol Maroney on +20  and Roger Green on +21. Was the Cup destined to go to one of these 2?

Round 3 produced a few surprises – Carol & Roger both lost to fall out of contention while Alex Skibinski & Elijah Jeffers with their partners both pulled off huge wins to finish on +23. So here it was, the first tie ever in the President’s Cup with an extra end of singles being called by the Organiser to decide the winner.

The crowd gathered round to watch the encounter – Alex began and put his boule around 40cm from the coche whereupon Elijah moved the coche back and was holding. Alex was short with his second boule but, with his third, he clipped his own boule, pushed it forward and knocked Elijah’s boule away from the coche to finish again about 40cm from the coche but nicely in front. This left Elijah with 2 boules to either outpoint Alex or shoot him out. The adrenalin got to him and he pointed his second boule far too long. The crowd held their breath, Elijah collected himself and, under great pressure, put his last boule about 15cm from the coche to take the prize.

Well done to Elijah, commiserations to Alex and a big thank you to all those who fought their way through the half-marathon road blocks and traffic jams to get the club this morning.

RESULTS

WINNER

Winner Elijah (r), Runner Up Alex (l)

and President Mike Jones (c)