Clubhouse & Green
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Would you like to try the Game of Bowls and become a member?
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The Green Hut
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Link to www.bowls-clubs.co.uk
Amesbury Bowls Club is affiliated to: English Bowling Association – English Woman’s Bowling Association – Wiltshire Bowls Association – Wiltshire County Woman’s Bowls Association – Salisbury & District Bowls Association.
About usAmesbury Bowls Club is a private members club. We are a mixed club with about 80 members, including junior members and social members.
We have a six rink lawn green, and a comfortable clubhouse with a licensed bar. There is ample car parking.
As a club, Amesbury Bowls Club participates in the following leagues:
Wilts 4 Rink Men’s League, Wilts 3 Rink Men’s League, Wilts Bowlers Joint Council 4 Rink Mixed League, Salisbury & District Men’s Triples League, Salisbury & District Ladies Triples League, Westbrook Mixed Triples League.
We also have members who actively participate in County Matches and National and County Competitions
The Club plays friendly matches and welcomes touring sides.
Tuesday evening is “Club Night”, starting at 6pm, an evening when all members mix and play together in a friendly atmosphere, enjoying a drink at the bar afterwards whilst carrying out a post mortem on the evenings play.
Would you like to try the Game of Bowls and become a member?
Early in the season Amesbury Bowls Club holds an Open Evening to welcome new bowlers or anyone who is interested to try out the game of bowls.
New members are always welcome at anytime during the season, which runs from the end of April through to the end of September.
Coaching for new members, with no previous experience, is free of charge, whilst equipment is available for a small hire charge of £1.
We have three qualified Instructors:
Mr John Menzies (National Umpire) telephone 01980 670562
After the bowls season, which ends in September, the clubs social committee organise many fun and social events, Whist Drives, Quiz Nights, Race Nights, Christmas Draw, Presentation Dinner & Dance and a Valentines Dance.
Membership subscriptions for 2006 are as follows:
| Bowling Member under 65 years of age | £60 |
| Junior Member up to 18 years of age | £15 |
| Social Member | £15 |
At present there is a £30 levy on all bowling members, excluding Junior Members, this has been imposed by the membership to pay for the maintenance of the green by an outside contractor. The levy is voted on annually at the autumn General Meeting.
Club Officers and Committee Members for 2008.
The building contract for the construction of Antrobus House was awarded to a local builder, Mr HC James. Harry James was interested in the Sport of Bowls he obtained a lease on the Bowling Green area and laid the green. He became the first President of the Club, a position he held for nearly 40 years. His photograph adorns the clubhouse to this day. The Club was formed early in 1925, the membership drawn mostly from the employees of HC James. The Club became affiliated to the Wiltshire Bowls Association on the 18th April 1925. Harry James became the President of Wiltshire Bowls Association in 1938.
In 1928 a bowls club was formed in Durrington. There was constant rivalry between the two clubs, interest in bowls in Durrington waned and the club closed in 1976 with a majority of its remaining members joining Amesbury strengthening the club considerably.
The first clubhouse or pavilion was a wooden hut erected in the far corner of the green surrounds opposite Antrobus House. It is not clear when it was built, but as it was painted green it became known as the “Green Hut”. During the Second World War the green was closed and the hut was used to pack Red Cross parcels. The “Green Hut” was apparently a favoured water hole and there were many social members whose main interest did not include bowls. The “Green Hut” remained in use until 1977.
The original green laid in 1924 was extended in 1975 from 36 yards to 42 yards square under the supervision by the then Green Keeper W.H. (Dickie) Bird. Dickie used turf from the adjacent Tennis Court to achieve this. All the work had done by members of the club. Dickie was the Green Keeper from 1971 to 1987.
In 1977 clubhouse in its present position was erected, on one of the old Tennis Courts. It was opened on the 23rd May 1977.The basis of the building was a surplus sectional classroom purchased from the Wiltshire County Council for £45. The club were fortunate to have many skilled in the building trade amongst its membership, Stan Marsh, Horace Cannings and Peter Yeates being the main force in erecting the clubhouse. During the following years the building was extended to accommodate a Ladies Changing Room.
The first phase of a major project by the club was completed in 2005. This was to completely surround the club with a brick outer wall. Replace existing windows and doors with UVPC windows and doors. Extend and refit the kitchen. Extend the width of the clubhouse by one metre. The cost of this was approximately £40,000. The second phase will be to replace the existing roof with a slate pitched roof, however, this will require the club to raise a considerable amount of money the achieve this.
The Formation of the Ladies Section
In 1967 the then Club Treasurer Mr Peter Yeates obtained permission for members wives to be allowed to bowl on the green, one of the first lady members was Peter’s wife Iris. This led to the formation of the Ladies Section. However, it was not until 1997 that the ladies became full members.
The lady members of Amesbury Bowls Club have made a great contribution to the club both on the green and off.
In 2001 Mrs Pat Sharp became the President of Wiltshire County Woman’s Bowls Association and in 2002 Mrs Mary Buckle became the first Lady President of Amesbury Bowls Club.
Mrs Pat Sharp has also become one of the main driving forces on getting young people in the Wiltshire interested in the Sport of Bowls.
It is widely known in Wiltshire Bowling circles that the Amesbury Bowls Club teas are the best in the county thanks to the culinary skills of our lady members.
The Club Rules provide for the election of honorary life membership by unanimous vote. This has only been awarded eight times in the history of the club. Life Membership has been awarded to the following for their distinguished service to Bowls and Amesbury Bowls Club.