On a sunny August Bank Holiday, members of Abingdon Bowling Club gathered at their rink in Albert Park to compete for the Martin Cup. Teams were drawn from across the club members there, making for a competitive afternoon of bowling.

Bowls is a social sport, with plenty of encouragement and advice exchanged between teammates. For spectators, the basics are straightforward: each end begins with the small white jack rolled to the far end of the green. Players then roll their bowls, aiming to finish as close as possible to it.

Scoring is less obvious – at the close of each end, the team with the nearest bowl scores one point for every bowl closer than the opposition’s nearest. Sometimes only a single point is won; at other times a team can collect several. Scores are added up during the match, and the team with the highest total wins.

Abingdon Bowling Club were founded in 1913. Their present clubhouse, built in 1994, stands beside the green in Albert Park surrounded by a hedge which makes a peaceful setting for the game.