Going strong

9:24am Thursday 17th July 2008

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Jim and Marie Cadman are one of the best known husband and wife partnerships on the Black Country bowls scene although they still steer clear of pairing up for a game of mixed doubles.

Jim, aged 73, and who during his working career was both a crane driver and a glass maker prior to taking up the game at the age of fifteen was a very keen swimmer and diver.

He acknowledges that having once delivered that first bowl at the old Stuarts bowls club he soon became hooked on the game.

Although he was away in Australia for five years on his return he once again took up the game and played for Marsh and Baxter’s and quickly saw his name etched on many of the clubs trophies.

He is proud of the fact that he was a regular in the Central Midlands Parks County side and says he enjoyed the challenge of pitting his skills against some of the best parks bowlers in the country.

70-year-old Marie never took up the game until she was 40.

In her working life she kept a cafe and also worked in the local tax office.

Her early involvement in bowls was at the old indoor stadium at Baldwin’s but she was persuaded to move out doors and she too played for Marsh and Baxter’s.

She recalls winning a doubles event not long after she started to play the game and later on in her bowls career won other pairs events with her partner Brenda Fletcher.

However both Jim and Marie agree that they never play together as a mixed pair as they cannot agree and are at loggerheads.

Marie has seen her skills recognised by county selectors having been a regular in both the South Staffs county team and the Dudley and District ladies county team for eight years in the past.

She says like Jim she enjoyed that challenge and has fond memories of her county days.

Both agree that players in the Black Country that they believe have been the best during their time are Billy Bowater, Pete Withey and Gary Wootton.

They both enjoy watching top bowlers in competitions in the area but one of their most humorous memories surrounds a trip to the Wembley of Crown Green bowls the Waterloo Hotel at Blackpool where Marie says they backed three of the semi finalists in one of the big national events and the one they did not have their money on won.

Finally they both hope they will be delivering bowls for a few more years yet and always look forward to the season.