Question: Is it true that in 1588 Sir Francis Drake continued playing a game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe while the Spanish Armada approached?
Answer: Probably not. It was said that Drake continued playing a game of bowls despite the need to launch his fleet against the Spanish because he was waiting for the tide to turn. The story was likely to have originated in 1593 prior to his successful bid to become Plymouth’s MP in order to counter allegations of the fleet’s general unreadiness.