At 81, Howick lawn bowler Vern Patterson is a winner despite suffering a severe stroke in 2000 that put him in hospital for three months and on rehabilitation for a year.
Last Friday the popular Vern’s happy grin grew wider when he and second-year rookie Warren Williams were the C Green winners of the Howick Bowling Club’s Howick and Pakuranga Times sponsored 2x4x2 pairs.
He has come a long way since achieving his ambition of walking unaided out of hospital 17 years ago and having a hot drink in his left paralysed hand “without scalding myself.”
Vern admits bowls success has not come as easily as the raffle prizes he once regularly won when taking his favourite numbers, 1 and 99, after the day’s play had ended.
But win or lose, the grin remains for a happy chappy whose attitude has endeared him to fellow bowlers since neighbour Martin Smith brought him along to the Howick club’s Have a Go mate day in 2001.
- Friday’s winners
1st Warren Williams and Vern Patterson; 2nd Helen Ongley and Alison Irvine; 3rd Diane Klomp and Danny Belsham.
