OUR HISTORY IN BRIEF

In December 1970 an open meeting was held in the Village Hall to discuss the possibility of forming a Bowls Club.   At this meeting a Committee was elected to take the matter further.

On the question of location, Notts County Council offered a 3-year lease of a field adjoining Butts Close.   A longer lease was not available at this time because there was a possibility of the ground being required for future School requirements.

It was not possible to obtain grants for construction unless the lease was for at least 20 years.   Alternative sites were considered but rejected as unsuitable.

At the first Committee Meeting, held on the 10th February 1971, an estimate of £200 for a do-it-yourself project was made.   Quotes of £500 and £964 were obtained for contractors to do the necessary work, but as there was no money in the kitty, the Committee decided that voluntary work was the only way to proceed, and that they would take the risk of losing the site after 3 years.

Fund raising events were held with limited success.   On the 4th September 1971 the first sod was cut with a borrowed machine.   For the next five weeks, about a dozen volunteers worked hard at weekends and evenings to prepare the Green for seeding.   Fortunately the weather was kind and allowed the seed to successfully germinate.

In July 1972, the Committee approved the purchase of an 18’ x 9’ hut for use as a Pavilion and Store.   £100 was also approved for the purchase of a Beech hedge to surround the Green.

In spite of all the usual problems, the Club’s finances gradually improved.   The Sports and Social Club, formed in 1985 from the alliance of the Cricket, Football and Bowls Clubs, considered constructing a good quality, brick built Pavilion, for use by all Clubs.   This was eventually erected and opened in 1989.

 page last updated Nov 2007