Bowling & Pool Competition with Midi, Leo & Naomi

 Bowling & Pool Competition 

Today marked the beginning of our much-anticipated bowling and pool competition holiday, and what a great start it was as the pool tournament commenced. In a series of tight matches, Morgan emerged victorious, moving into the next round. A thrilling game that went neck and neck until the black ball, where Peter edged out the victory. It was real nail biting stuff!

Next up the first round of the bowling tournament. The game kicked off with Adam taking an early lead, landing three strikes in quick succession. Peter and Akshay soon joined the party with some impressive play. The game continued with spares and strikes flying across the three lanes we occupied, keeping the energy high. Henry won the first game with a solid performance, while Adam secured the second-highest score, followed by Akshay. With everything to play for in the second game, the competition grew even more intense, and the scores kept rising. By the end of two frames, Henry and Peter had both racked up an impressive 210 points, with Nicholas close behind on 208 and Adam with 201. It was all to play for .

Then, it was time to shift focus to the pool tournament, where Morgan faced off against Ian. Unfortunately for Ian, he pocketed both the black and white balls, sending Morgan through to the semi-finals. The first semi-final saw Morgan against Adam. Adam won the first game, putting him in a strong position, but Morgan's persistence brought the match level. Adam claimed the third game, but Morgan, with her relentless positive attitude, evened things out once again, pushing the match into a final deciding frame. Adam held his nerve and secured his spot in the final. Meanwhile, Peter and Henry squared off in a best-of-five contest. Peter showed early dominance by winning the first frame. The second frame was tighter, but Peter eventually took it, making it two frames to one in his favour. Needing just one more frame to secure his place in the final, Peter delivered with style, winning the next two frames to cement his spot.

In the highly anticipated final, Adam and Peter faced off in a tense and closely fought match. Peter, the former champion, asserted his dominance early, winning three frames. Adam pulled one back, showing great resilience, but Peter held his composure to win the next frame, crowning himself the JollyDays Pool Tournament Champion of 2024! Congratulations to Peter, and commiserations to Adam, who fought brilliantly and pushed the contest right to the wire. With the tournament over, we enjoyed the presentation of medals and trophies, celebrating the end of two amazing days of competition. 

    We enjoyed some fun at the arcade, diving into air hockey, penny machines, and the basketball game. Everyone loved the light hearted break from the competition.

It was back to the bowling alley and excitement was buzzing in the air. The game started with intensity right from the first shot – Adam opened with a strike, setting the pace for an action-packed finale. Strikes flew from every lane as Nicholas, Henry, Peter, and Ian quickly rose as the frontrunners. The atmosphere was electric, with everyone eager to see who would claim the 2024 title. As we approached the final frame, it was neck and neck between Henry, Pete, and Adam. It was thrilling to see these three push each other to the very last pin. The points, adding up from both the pool and bowling tournaments, meant everything was still to play for. In the end, Henry’s consistent performances earned him the JollyDays Bowling Championship 2024! His quiet determination and high scores made the victory well-deserved. Peter claimed the first of three trophies, but it wasn’t over yet. With just two points separating the top two overall, Peter’s remarkable pool skills and runner-up bowling finish crowned him the overall champion! 

Warwick Castle & Motor Museum with Nick & Netty

Warwick Castle & Motor Museum

The weather was perfect for a visit to Warwick Castle and its beautiful grounds. After entering through the castle gates we took a stroll around the grounds where we met some princesses outside the tower which made for a great photo opportunity. 

 Our next stop was inside the Great Hall and around all the different rooms inside the castle. The first room was kitted out with armour for not just knights but also their trusty steeds. Everyone agreed it looked very heavy. Another room displayed Henry VIII and all of his 6 wives, and we had good fun trying to name them all and remember the famous rhyme. 

We headed to the Falconer’s Quest, the UKs largest birds of prey show. As we stood on the banks of the river Avon we saw the bald eagle, the bearded vulture plus lots more swooping, looping and gliding through the sky.

A fabulous day was spent at the British Motor Museum. As we entered through the doors we were welcomed with the world’s largest collection of British cars. We learnt about the history of Britain's most famous car brands from design to conception. 

We enjoyed the interactive nature of the museum and the fun opportunities to see cars from famous tv shows and films. A big hit were the James Bond cars, the Aston Martin from Die Another Day and the Land Rover from Skyfall. Another favourite was the famous Reliant Robin used by Trotters Independent Traders, in the hit show Only Fools and Horses. Our royal wave came out as we saw cars, one belonging to the Queen Mother. There was a 100-year-old double decker bus and The Lady Penelope’s pink Cadillac FAB - 1 from thunderbirds.

We were in chocolate heaven as we headed to the world-famous Cadbury World in Birmingham. We were in chocolate heaven as we received free bars at the entrance. We travelled 1000 years back in time to Mexico discovering the origins of the cocoa bean. It was fascinating to learn how the Cadbury empire was built and all about the well-known brand we love so much. We then got to ride the Beamobile through a chocolate village wonderland chasing after milk bottles with our laser guns. The chocolatier then beckoned us over showing us how to use the melted chocolate to write our names. 

Another motor madness morning was spent at The National Motorcycle Museum. This museum is recognised as the finest and largest in the world and opened its doors in 1984 with a collection of 350 motorbikes on display. We were very pleased when we found the replica motorbike that Barry Sheene raced in the Grand Prix. It was interesting to see how motorbikes have evolved through the years.

Everyone voted to visit the Sealife Centre which was only a short drive away. On arrival we saw the Gento penguins the 3rd largest and fastest breed in the world, zooming past underwater. Our underwater adventure continued, as we spotted stingrays and a starfish which we were allowed to touch. We walked through the glass tunnel where sharks and stingray swam above our heads; it looked like they were smiling at us.

How lucky we were to be heading out for a canal cruise along the waterways of Birmingham. The tour guide talked about the heritage around the canals and how it was built and what it was used for many years ago.  

It was game on down at the bowling alley where we had a few fun yet competitive games. There were high scores and a few impressive strikes! It was great to see everyone cheering each other on!