The East Coast Triples & Pairs Week at Potters Hopton-on-Sea Resort was yet again a resounding success with Suffolk bowlers enjoying great success in the East Coast Triples event while North Yorkshire bowlers featured heavily in the East Coast Pairs competition played in the evenings. There was plenty of competition for the Potters Holiday vouchers, worth up to £300 each for the winners, which were the prize in both events as just under 200 bowlers and friends attended this year. 55 triples competed in the East Coast Triples with the final on Friday morning a showdown between two Suffolk triples. Andy Noble, Donna Mills & Michael Rice made a solid start taking an early lead before Cheryl Grabham, Helen Sharp & Bob Cousins fought back in a very competitive and entertaining final. But despite Bob Cousins’ triple winning the last two ends to close the gap, Michael Rice’s triple emerged victorious to win the East Coast Triples Cup. In the third place play-off Hazel Spry, Phil Spry & Colin Sharp dropped a single on the first end against Jean Retchless, Arthur Jackson & George Hume but then won the next four ends to put themselves in the driving seat and went on to clinch third place. In the semi-finals Michael Rice’s triple beat Colin Sharpe’s triple while Bob Cousins beat George Hume’s triple. In the group stages Alison Eastgate, Brian Eastgate & Joe Peters had won the Blue Group in impressive style but were eliminated in the quarter-finals losing to Bob Cousins’ triple. David Brown, Keith Hughes & David Hunton were also group winners, finishing top of the Purple Group, but were also disappointed to lose their quarter-final tie against George Hume’s triple. In the other two quarter-final ties Colin Sharp’s triple beat Jayne Macknish, Joy Townsend & John Jeffery by one shot while Michael Rice’s triple had beaten Paul Bruce, Julia Bruce & Alan Hare. The East Coast Pairs Final saw a husband and wife up against each other as Gill Alnutt, playing with Elaine Thornburn, faced husband Freddie Alnutt who was paired with Chris Prendagast. The two ladies came flying out of the blocks to lead 7-0 after three ends but the men hit back with a full house of four shots on the fourth end to come back into the game with a vengeance. But that proved to be the only blow that Chris and Freddie landed as the ladies went on to win the remaining ends to become East Coast Pairs winners. The third place play-off was won by Paul Whitcombe & Arthur Jackson who beat Phil & Marnie Wright. The four pairs who reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated were Annette & Martin Robinson, Jim Delaney & Richard Broad, Carol & Bob Taylor and Maria Kitchener & Ivan Lunn. The Presentation Ceremony was conducted by popular Potters Entertainers Rachel Baade & James R Hearn and Event Organiser Teresa Goldsmith where Michael Rice’s triple were presented with the East Coast Triples Cup and the top four triples and top four pairs were all presented with Potters Holiday Vouchers. Teresa then thanked everyone for again supporting the event and also for the generous gift given to the organisers. Once again a huge amount of re-bookings were made for the 2026 event which will take place from Monday 4th May to Friday 8th May at the impressive Potters Resort venue with all hotel and single accommodation already sold-out. A number of twin and double bungalows are still available but are likely to sell-out soon. All bookings and queries for this event, which is on an all-inclusive basis, must be made through Teresa Goldsmith to obtain the heavily discounted price which is over £200 per person below normal Potters Resorts brochure price. Teresa can be contacted on email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 07809 444276.
For those bowlers who wished to know the final finishing positions in the East Coast Triples group stages they are listed below
Red Group 1. No 10 (Rice) 2. No 1 (Lunn) 3. No 2 (Gearing) 4. No 9 (Oatway) 5. No 3 (Rawnsley) 6. No 8 (Halford) 7. No 7 (Hadler) 8. No 4 (Retchless) 9. No 5 (Tweed) 10. No 6 (Knight) 11. No 11 (Thornburn)
Blue Group 1. No 19 (Peters) 2. No 22 (Cousins) 3. No 20 (Davidson) 4. No 18 (Thomas) 5. No 21 (Turner) 6. No 12 (Haslam) 7. No 13 (Prendagast) 8. No 14 (Broad) 9. No 15 (Taylor) 10. No 16 (Lewis) 11. No 17 (Rose)
Green Group 1. No 28 (Sharp) 2. No 24 (Jeffery) 3. No 32 (Alnutt) 4. No 25 (Ireland) 5. No 26 (Moore) 6. No 31 (Adams) 7. No 33 (Barker) 8. No 27 (H Lewis) 9. No 23 (Thorogood) 10. No 30 (Walker) 11. No 29 (Chawner)
Purple Group 1. No 37 (Hunton) 2. No 43 (D Lewis) 3. No 35 (George) 4. No 40 (Wright) 5. No 41 (White) 6. No 38 (Boddye) 7. No 42 (Lane) 8. No 39 (Ruddock) 9. No 36 (Flin) 10. No 44 (Godbold) 11. No 34 (Thrush)
Black Group 1. No 48 (Hume) 2. No 45 (Hare) 3. No 51 (Dillon) 4. No 46 (Offer) 5. No 47 (Boswell) 6. No 55 (Chapman) 7. No 53 (Johnson) 8. No 54 (Robinson) 9. No 50 (Hayman) 10. No 52 (Machin) 11. No 49 (Ryder)
For those bowlers who wished to know the final finishing positions in the East Coast Pairs group stages they are listed below
Black Group 1. Pair 6. 2. Pair 3. 3. Pair 5. 4. Pair 4. 5. Pair 1. 6. Pair 2
Red Group 1. Pair 12. 2. Pair 11. 3. Pair 10. 4. Pair 9. 5. Pair 7. 6. Pair 8
Purple Group 1. Pair 16. 2. Pair 15. 3. Pair 13. 4. Pair 14. 5. Pair 18. 6. Pair 17
Green Group 1. Pair 24. 2. Pair 19. 3. Pair 21. 4. Pair 23. 5. Pair 20 6. Pair 22
East Coast Triples winners Andy Noble, Michael Rice & Donna Mills
East Coast Triples R/Up Cheryl Grabham, Bob Cousins & Helen Sharp
East Coast Triples 3rd Place Phil Spry, Hazel Spry & Colin Sharp
East Coast Triples 4th Place George Hume, Jean Retchless & Arthur Jackson
East Coast Pairs Winners Elaine Thornburn & Gill Alnutt
East Coast Pairs Runners Up Chris Prendagast & Freddie Alnutt
East Coast Pairs 3rd Place Arthur Jackson & Paul Whitcombe
East Coast Pairs 4th Place Marnie & Phil Wright