Just four days after Europe clinched the latest edition of the Ryder Cup, Allendale did likewise on what, appropriately, was the most glorious day of the summer in the Allen Valley. Our club and Beamish – along with a good few others – celebrated their centenary in 2006, and in our case an Allendale-Beamish Centenary Trophy was established for Seniors matches between the clubs.

It is decided by the combined results of each year’s home and away matches, and for a good few years there was a clear pattern: at Beamish, Allendale were outclassed, typically doing well to halve or win just one of the six pairs games. We did rather better on our own challenging course, but even a win at home and a loss away meant that after Beamish’s win in the first year’s match we were always a long way off winning both matches and locking the trophy away for the winter.

That is, until this summer, when a reduced team of eight players travelled to Beamish but managed to edge the four games by 2½ to 1½. And at home on Tremendous Thursday, 2nd Oct, we again had the advantage, this time by 3½ to 2½ (results per game below).  It also meant that this year Allendale Seniors were undefeated home or away versus Bellingham, Gosforth and Beamish..

Jim Hall & Ben Gibbard, W 2&1; Robin Makepeace & Colin Wraith, Halved; Geoff Edwards & Duncan Slater, L 4&3; Dennis Bowling & David Lickley, W 4&2; Robin Down & Steve Sharples, W 3&2; Bob Bell & Dennis Cousins, L 5 &4.

Norman Harris – Seniors Captain