Nineteen bowlers travelled to Torquay last week to take part in the Torbay Short Mat Bowls Festival. They included two from 'Phoenix' Haverfordwest, four from New Hedges, one from Penally and the rest from East Williamston.

The weather was beautiful and there was plenty of time to enjoy the amenities of the resort.

The matches began on Monday with a bowls drive, so that everyone could meet and get to know each other; this ended with Eileen Hodgson showing her expertise in coming second.

Clubs from Cornwall, Devon, Derby, Essex, Gloucester and many smaller ones took part, making for a very competitive event.

The rinks saw Eileen in action again when with husband Les and two friends they reached the final, only to be pipped at the post by a team from Gloucester.

The pairs also saw the 'home' team in action when Mack and Mary Williams got through to the quarter-finals, only to come up against team-mates Nev and Val Ruff.

And, it was Nev and Val who won and went into the semi-finals, only to lose to a pair from Derby.

It was in the triples that the Pembrokeshire team really showed their merit, with Mack, Mary and Hazel Wadey forging their way through match after match, until the final, to win by a comfortable margin.

In the 'Plate' pairs competition, Hazel Wadey and Hazel Poole knocked out team-mates Eileen and Les Hodgson, but were themselves knocked out in the quarter-finals by a team from Devon, while the Phoenix pair, Hywel and Maureen Lavis, had a good innings, but were also knocked out at this stage.

In the 'Plate' triples, the Pembrokeshire team of Margaret Haines (New Hedges), Clarice Upham (Penally) and Charles Proctor (East Williamston) outplayed their opponents in fine style, beating teams from Derby, Devon, and finally Essex with a complete whitewash of 18-0.

Along the way, this trio had gained a 'hot shot', much to the delight of Joan, Jane and Queenie from the New Hedges club, who were attending their first festival, and knew that Margaret, their team-mate, had always dreamed of winning a 'hot shot' badge.

Congratulations Margaret, and many thanks to Mack Williams for a very well organised trip.