The bronze-winning Guernsey team in Cyprus, from left – Matt Le Ber, Lucy Beere, Sid Le Maitre, Alison Merrien and Garry Collins. (0727749)

LUCY BEERE had no time to drown her sorrows after narrowly missing out on overall singles glory at the European Bowls Championships.

The curtain had no sooner come down on the week-long event in Cyprus, than she was off to complete a final umpires’ examination.

‘It helped take my mind off things,’ said the 26-year-old former England international, who has swapped national colours to live in Guernsey and be with her partner, Matt Le Ber.

‘It [the course] was no strain at all and took my mind off the play. They allowed me to do it when I was happy to do it,’ said the cheery player, who got the exam pass she was looking for. It was just a pity she did not get the gold medal she had wanted more than anything, but she was not too despondent. ‘I’ve got mixed emotions. I was disappointed to come second by just one shot, but I lost out to a nice person [Cyril Renouf], even if he is from Jersey.

‘He’s one of the nice ones.’