Nottingham won Murphy Shield

A Nottingham team of Omied Hallam (2), Chris Jackson (3), Cathy Turski (3) and Bob Thompson (4) won the final of the Murphy Shield (the 2nd tier Golf Croquet Inter-Club Competition) 5-2, against Phyllis Court: Frances Colman (2), Roger Goldring (3), Raymond Wood (4) and Mary Gaynor (4).  Congratulations to the team and its organiser, Patricia Duke-Cox.  Cathy reports as follows:

Results : Omied & Chris beat Frances and Roger 7-5, 3-7, 7-3
               Cathy beat Mary 7-2, 5-7, 7-5
               Bob lost to Roger 4-7, 7-3, 4-7
               Omied beat Frances 7-3, 7-6
               Chris beat Roger 7-3, 7-4
               Bob beat Mary 7-4, 7-2
               Cathy lost to Raymond 1-7, 4-7

The mornings play was closely contested with all three matches going the full distance – Nottingham edged ahead by 2 wins to 1.  So to round 2 and the afternoons play – Omied , Chris and Bob all kept their heads down and their mallets straight and won their matches with a game to spare.  With the trophy already secured for Nottingham, Cathy managed to turn a 4-1 lead in her second game to a 4-7 loss!  Our thanks to Cheltenham for providing
the venue and some lovely autumnal sunshine and to Phyllis Court for providing some excellent opposition and particularly for their great sportsmanship in providing bubbly for everyone – a lovely way to end a great day!
 

Cathy being presented with the Murphy Shield by John Bowcott, Chairman of the CA GC Tournaments Committee.

Ningbo Lions

At 14:30 on Monday, 21st September, the two stone lions now installed on the apron of the lake were presented to the City by the Vice Mayor of Ningbo,  a city in China which Nottingham has a sister-city relationship with, due to the presence of a University of Nottingham campus there.  Sadly, the weather didn't reflect the warm sentiments expressed during the ceremony:

 

It was follwed by a display of Chinese Tai Chi dancing:

The lions are rather less formal than those outside the Council House, and are a matched pair, both with cubs.  This is the male one, taken before the unveiling: