A dry day at last: it's enough to bowl you over

After dreary December and seemingly weeks of woefully wet weather, with unseasonably mild temperatures, the first weekend of January brought sunshine and cooler conditions more like we'd expect at this time of year. A cue for winter walks in Silsden's precious countryside and lanes. Also, as shown above, an unlikely opportunity to bend the knee and flex the muscles several months in advance of the new bowling season. Pictured left to right are Richard Gornall, Michael O'Neill and Brian Moorhouse, whose combined ages total 239 years. They are all senior members of Silsden Playing Fields Bowling Club, whose crown green and HQ are in Silsden park. The club welcomes new members of all ages for the new season, which starts in April.