OUR HISTORY- FROM 1926
Following a meeting of 23 citizens held in The Guildhall on January 18th 1926 and chaired by the then mayor Mr G.H.Hoskins, it was decided to form the Lostwithiel Bowling Club on land to be leased from the Duchy of Cornwall at an annual peppercorn rent of £5 and with an annual subscription of 1 Guinea. Although our subscriptions have risen, we are still at the same site albeit with many additions and improvements.
A committee of 13 was established and by March 1926 the membership had more than doubled to 51.
The first committee was chaired by Mr J.S.Hicks with Mr J. Phillips as Secretary and
on July 7th, 1926 the green was formally opened by Mr L. Pease.
On show at the club house we have a significant volume, put together by Rosie Smith, which details honours from 1955 to the present day and two pictorial archives from 1947 to 1999 and from 2000 to the present day-a proud history with significant contributions from many.
Brief highlights can be listed as below: –
1929 – Green extended to 6 rinks
1933 – Ladies permitted to play on the green
1945 – Ladies invited to join the club
1951 – The pavilion extended
1964 – A Ladies section established
1990 – Green lifted levelled and enlarged.
1992 – Construction of new clubhouse commenced – all work carried out by existing members.
1993 – In May the new club house was opened.
1997 – Electricity supply was connected, and extension built to clubhouse to provide a changing room.
2012 – Improvements to the landscaping around the green.
2014 – Purchase of new green maintenance equipment and green ditches, banks and paving surrounds were all updated.
2016 – Installation of automatic watering system
2019 – Construction of new changing room
As volunteers and resources permit there are always some jobs to do and improvements to make both on the green, the surrounds and buildings.
THE PRESENT DAY
Lostwithiel Bowling Club is seen as a friendly club open to all ages and with a qualified coach as a member very well placed to give advice to all abilities. The green and clubhouse is located in a fantastic spot overlooking the Fowey Valley and is a favoured spot for many County Games and touring clubs. A large car park is available for members and visitors and catering facilities are available.
The outdoor bowling season starts in mid-April and finishes in the last weeks of September. Both Men and Ladies Sections are affiliated under Bowls Cornwall, the men playing in Group 2 and the ladies in Group 3. The men also play league matches in the East Cornwall Bowling League (ECBL); these matches normally taking place later in the season. Friendly matches are also played throughout the season normally on weekend afternoons. Members are also encouraged to enter Club Competitions which are held annually concluding in a Finals Weekend.
Members can also enter County Competitions in Singles, Pairs, Triples and Rinks when you represent the club.
Most club matches require that members wear our club shirt which was designed in 2018 and can be purchased from the club. Also available to purchase at the club are second hand bowls clothing and bowls.
A Club Afternoon is normally held on Monday afternoons from 2.00pm when members can practice in a relaxed atmosphere with players they may not play with on a regular basis and in positions they may not be used to.
The club is run on a day to day basis by our Club Committee; the officers for 2019 are listed below and our AGM is normally held in September when members have the opportunity to be elected onto the committee and play a significant role in the running and advancement of the club. Membership fees are currently set at £55 per annum with free membership for those under 18 years of age.
New members, both young and old, are encouraged to join at our regular” Taster Days” held at the start of the season. Contact the club if you have any interest in playing by using the “contact us” button on the site