The Washingborough Bowling Club

Foundation of The Club and it’s development.

At a public meeting held in 1969, under the chairmanship of Mr W. Simpson, chairman of Washingborough Parish Council, plans were approved for the development of a playing field. A bowling green was included in these plans, but there was no provision for a separate bowling pavilion. It was agreed that all interested organisations would share the pavilion, now the main pavilion, and that they should form their own committees together with a Playing Field Association. At a general meeting held at the Royal Oak Public house on 13th. December 1971 to form the Bowls Club, the following were elected :

Chairman      Peter Hilton

Secretary       Joe Blanchard

Treasurer       Ernie Davey

Committee    Arthur Davies, Norman Topham, Stan Smith and Walter Clarke

The bowling green was eventually handed over to the Club in mid July of 1972, when the officers elected at the Annual General Meeting held at the Royal Oak Public House on 20th. November 1972 were:

Chairman     Peter Hilton

Secretary      Jim Lowis

Treasurer     Jim Buckenham

The first season of play on the green was in 1973.

At the Annual General meeting held at the Royal Oak on 27th. November 1973, the following were elected:

Chairman           Tom Johnson

Secretary           Jim Lowis

Treasurer           Jim Buckenham

Committee       Mesdames J Green and J WelburnM

                           Messrs Blanchard, Bates and Wills

Mrs W.H. Buckenham was the first President of the Club, elected for 1974

Messrs T Johnson and J Buckenham, in particular, worked tirelessly to generate funds and to recruit members to this new Club. The beech hedge was so low at that time that car headlights wee used to illuminate the green for playing at dusk.

No one had any knowledge of playing bowls,  nor of green maintenance, and as a consequence, some of the finer grasses were lost due to lack of watering. Members were quick to learn and applied themselves diligently to caring for the green and garden surrounds.

Following progress in friendly matches, members sought competitive play. Geoff King helped the CVlub join the Cliff League in 1975. W Trowell involved the Club in the Lincoln and District league in 1976, and in the 1980s the Club entered the City League.

When it became apparent that the Club needed it’s own pavilion, Mr H Barker offered to build it free of labour cost. Messrs G. Holmes E. Applewhite, H. Barker and many others made generous donations and members made interest-free loans to finance the building. all this was in addition to the many fund-raising events prompted to generate funds. All loans were fully repaid very quickly. The Club’s pavilion was opened on Mat 2nd. 1976 by Mr. H.H. Barker

Later it was found that the pavilion was too small to accommodate all the Club’s needs and to house the green maintenance equipment which had been purchased. The extension was opened by Mr. Eric Hunt, President of the Lincoln and District Bowling League on 22nd. April 1979

The Bowls pavilion and it’s extension were built by finance generated by the Club itself, and impressive achievement.

On 6th. March1981, The Ladies Sectiion was formed and was given the blessing of the Club’s Executive Committee at it’s meeting in March 1981. Mrs. M. Vickers was elected Chairman and Mrs. O. Askew was elected Secretary/Treasurer, wit 20 ladies attending the inaugural meeting.

In 1966, Secretary Rosemary Proctor presented a Chairman’s ribbon and Jewel to the incumbent Michael Rackman. This was donated in memory of her late husband Eddie, a Club member and Secretary of the Cliff League.

The Silver Jubilee of the Club was celebrated in 1997, when President Mrs. I. Simpson appropriately oversaw the  arrangements – a public raffle, bowls drive and a magnificent”birthday” tea provide by our ladies – all contributing to a generous charitable donation and a large addition to Club finances.

Chairman Brian Applewhite, Treasurer Brian Meacham and Harold Harvey researched and successfully added to the Club facilities :-

1999 saw the installation of the computer controlled, Automatic Green Watering System, and in spring 2000 there was built a further pavilion extension to house the water storage tank and maintenance machinery. Financing of these two projects was by grants from the English Sports Council (Sport England), The Lincolnshire County Council, and the Washingborough Playing Field Association. Families of former Club members (Alf Stephenson, Elmitt Applewhite and Tom Johnson) and members also added to the fund raising endeavours.

On his President’s Day, in June 2005, Brian Meacham dedicated the Eric Wedekind Memorial Gates, in memory of a faithful and hard working member of the Club. An anonymous member generously donated the gates, which were installed by Mick Courtney and Eric Melton.

In the bowling season 2005, the Club fielded eleven teams in six leagues, with representation in the Top Division of each league. A proud achievement and, probably, the most successful season in the Club’s history.

At the Annual Presentation Dinner in October 2005, President Brian Meacham and his lady, Mavis, presented to the Club a Chairman’s Ribbon and Jewel, incorporating the Club’s badge. It was placed around the neck of Chairman Peter Suckling.

The pavilion toilets were installed in spring of 2006, when a storage container was purchased to house the displaced pavilion equipment. This achievement was the realisation of the enthusiasm and research undertaken by Chairman Peter Suckling, Treasurer Magre Courtney and Committee member Eric Melton. Grant aid from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, donations from Lincoln Minster Round Table; an interest-free loan from Washingborough Playing Field Association; donations and loans from Members and Club funds, all contributed to financing this major development of Club facilities.