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Steyning Bowls Club is a varied and friendly club with something to suit all tastes. Our fixtures list is full of matches with clubs as far away as Crawley, Littlehampton and Hangleton. We also have teams entered into the Sussex County competitions and enjoy many club fun days. At the start of the next season, April 2013, we shall be organising open evenings and inviting everyone to come along and try their hand at bowling. Please keep an eye out for the posters around the village and this website for further details. THE CLUBS' HISTORY Club was formed in 1933. The first Minutes are
recorded at a Meeting held at the Railway Hotel, Steyning on the
24th July, 1933 at 8.00 p.m. 25 Gentlemen were present and the first
elected President was C.B.]. Clarke, Esq., from Wiston
House. The Railway Hotel became the Headquarters and a rental of £5 per annum and subscription of five shillings (5/ -) for the year was proposed and seconded. At the
next two or three Committee Meetings in September and October of
1933 a proposal was put forward to purchase timber and turf to lay a
Green at the rear of the Railway Hotel, and in February 1934 it was
agreed to purchase 12 pairs of slips, mats, 3 sets of Woods and
2 jacks. The first mower was a Shanks 14** purchased for £9.l0.0d. This, today, would cost £1,000 to £1200. It was hoped that the Green would be completed by 25th April, 1934, but unfortunately the Green was not playable and so the first Match was played against Henfield on the 3rd May, 1933
During
the years 1934/35 the Committee negotiated with the Sports
Association for a new green to be laid at the Steyning Cricket
Ground. The Club finally left the Railway Hotel in 1935 and moved to
the new Green on the lst May 1936. A Club House was erected and the
Green opened on the 22nd ]une 1936, the first woods being bowled by
Mrs. Arthur Howard (Lady Lorna Howard). |
At
a Special General Meeting held on the 24th ]une, 1936 it was
proposed that ladies could become members of the Club but this
proposition was defeated, 7 votes for and 7 votes against. It was
left to the Chairman’s casting vote which was against, and it was
not until 33 years later that ladies were admitted and a Ladies’
Section formed. Since 1936 the Club has improved its facilities, and
in 1969 when the Ladies Section was formed
new toilets, etc. were installed.
The Club had increased greatly, having approximately 42 male Members
and 29 Female members. Consequently the Clubhouse proved to be too small
to accommodate all its equipment and Members, and in 1993/94 the old
Pavilion was pulled down and the present Pavilion erected. This was
all due to a lot of hard work by the Committee in obtaining Grants,
members putting in a lot of hard graft installing new Kitchen Units,
Toilets, etc. and the Parish Council who are our Landlords. The
Green has also improved thanks to voluntary Green
keepers. The Club is affiliated to the English Bowling
Association and the Sussex County Bowling Association, with some of
its Members reaching the quarter finals in County
Competitions.
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