A MAGNIFICENT cake portraying a bowls match in progress took pride of place in Wootton Courtenay village hall when local short mat bowls legend Bob Shire joined socially-distancing friends and relations last Friday to celebrate his 100th birthday.

President of the Wootton Courtenay short mat bowls club and life president of both the West Somerset short mat bowls league and the Wootton Courtenay croquet club, Bob was still playing his two favourite games with skill and success until the last lockdown stopped play.

After receiving a congratulatory card from the Queen, Bob, of Barn Cottage, Ford, cut the cake, made by ‘Beautiful Cakes by Rachel’ of Cher, Minehead.

Later distributed from the Villagers’ Stores, Wootton Courtenay, it was an exact replica of a bowls match depicting Bob bowling the winning wood as other members of the village club look on.

At the party, Bob, a retired engineer, spoke about global technical advances during his lifetime but admitted he was sceptical about man ever landing anyone on Mars: “It would take too long to get there!”

A friend said that although Bob had recently decided to give up driving his red MX5 Mazda sports car, his fascination for anything mechanical showed no sign of diminishing.

“Only last week he thought he would have to make a new bearing for his 40-year-old washing machine, because spares were no longer available.

“He was dissuaded, and has ordered a new machine. So instead of making a bearing, Bob is now busy with another project – making a model tram!”