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The B&DBA would like to congratulate New Milton BC for reaching their centenary year. 100 years is a fantastic achievement for the Hampshire club who have served their community well in the last century, and continue to provide Greens to a high standard, for the current and next generation to enjoy in their next 100 years!

Nick Saunders will be producing a history book of the club, which should be a fascinating read, and will no doubt form one of the future news article on the B&DBA website.

New Milton BC website is one of the best in the league, so if you haven't seen it, please do check it out > New Milton Bowling Club, Hampshire | NMBC

To celebrate this momentous occasion a full programme has been planned for members and visiting clubs. The first event Bowls England will be sending 6 mixed rinks to play New Milton on Wednesday July 3rd match starting 2pm. A Gala day will follow on Wednesday July 24th with 10 clubs invited from the New Forest League to send a mixed triple. A second Gala day will be held on Wednesday August 14th with 8 clubs from the Bournemouth & District league invited to send a mixed rink. The visiting players will receive an anniversary gift pen and badge and a history of the club brochure.

Members of New Milton are looking forward to a full season and wish all players from New Forest and the Bournemouth leagues a very happy season.

New Milton BC becomes the 11th club to reach their centenary within the association.

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Redhill Park Bowling Club opened in 1937, the same year that Redhill Common changed its name to Redhill Park. The Council used the Bournemouth Corporation Act 1900 to extinguish all common rights in the land. Once known as Inclosure Allotment 61, it was decided in 1913 to turn the public open space into pleasure grounds. It took over twenty more years for the bowling green to be created, at a cost of £316 6s 2d, using Cumberland turf. Having played a friendly match between the Council and the Kinson Ratepayers Association to mark the green’s official opening on 9 June 1937, a meeting took place on 25 September 1937, with about 20 people in attendance, to discuss forming a bowling club. The newly built pavilion opened in May 1938, at a cost of £1,863 to build.

During the club’s affiliation with the B&DBA, they were often competing in sections outside of the top flight, however, gained promotion to Section One as Champions of Section Two in 1968 and 1976. In 1967, Redhill “A” became the first Champions of the new Section Five.

The club had members who went on to become the President of the B&DBA, in 1950, 1982 and the most recent, in 2001, held by J. E. Williams.

Michael Hutley wrote on social media how he used to choose to play his County Area Final Singles game at Redhill Park around 2009, when the green was really quick. The green was also chosen to host games in the Bournemouth Open, which Michael remembers fondly having moved away to Norway in 2013, but came back a few times to coincide with the Bournemouth Open.

The club also had a thriving Women's team, competing in the B&DWBA, and enjoyed various Fun Days, raising money for charity, as can be seen in the photograph, believed to have been taken in the early 2000s.

Redhill Park BC closed in October 2017. The reasons given for closure was declining membership and the struggle to maintain its green once the Council removed their funding. There were also deeper issues with the Council, however, as the club were told they had to offer toilet facilities to the public when the pavilion was open. This was as a result of the public toilets building having to be demolished due to vandalism. With this added responsibility, the water bills were high, and the club also had an ongoing and unresolved dispute over being charged for the water used in the public paddling pool.

What was once a thriving, well established club within the B&DBA, it is sad to see that financial implications cost the club that served its community for 80 years.

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There had been a Bowling Green/ Croquet Green in Christchurch since 1784, however, there was a large demand for a bowling club in the town, but Christchurch Town Council never seemed to want to entertain the idea. Luckily for the town, in 1925, the proprietor of the Kings Arms stepped in and constructed a green opposite his premises, known as the Kings Arm Bowling Green, which was land he owned but leased it to Christchurch Council. This was when Christchurch Bowling Club was formed, and at the time was the only club in the Borough until the 1970s.

The setting of the green being close to the Priory and overlooked by the ruins of the Castle Keep right by the river was probably one of the most picturesque Greens in the Country 

The club got their first success as Champions, winning League ‘A’ Section 2 in 1951, and then again in 1966, finishing top of the second section. There were other promotions along with relegations at the turn of the century, having won Section 3 in 2000, but then after two relegations, finished Champions of Section 4 in 2004. 

Twice the President for the B&DBA came from Christchurch BC, in 1959, Arthur “Toby” Hornby, and in 1974, H. E. A. Burton. Arthur went on to become a Life Vice-President in 1972 until his passing in 1973. John Waller also achieved the same honour in 1994.

In 1991, Norman Blandford was the Club Captain and Club Champion and had been for many years. His daughter, Sarah Park, described how her late father loved playing bowls and the club. Norman died at the green playing the game he loved. Sharing on social media 33 years later, Sarah wrote: “The family were kindly allowed to scatter Norman’s ashes under the green itself - so it has always been a special place for us as a family.” Norman was often seen with his hand on his hip, and this was depicted perfectly in a painting by Terry Harrison that the family owns.

The club got the council to maintain the green, however, many visiting teams found it was not up to an acceptable playing standard. This was one of a number of factors that saw the sad demise of the club. Membership was dwindling, in part to the quality of the green, with some citing it as unplayable, but also there were always problems with parking for the players. The final nail in the coffin came in 2013, when the hotel that once brought bowls to the local community, squeezed out the bowling club. The club only had a small shed to store all their equipment, and the pavilion for the players started to be used as a wedding venue, which was not ideal as a game of bowls and a wedding tend not to go hand-in-hand with one another!

Steve Burns was the last captain and club champion. Reflecting back at his time at the club over a decade ago, Steve states: “Once it was a fantastic green, maintained to a high standard and a credit to town. Lovely pavilion and bags of history all lost now to corporate greed, broken promises and a council that couldn’t care less. So sad.”

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It is unclear exactly when Strouden Park Bowling Club was formed, and little is documented about its existence. It was located next to the magnificent Strouden Park Hotel, which was built and opened in 1932, so it’s possible the green commenced from that date too.

In 1938, the Association’s Management Committee considered an application from Strouden Park Bowling Club to join the B&DBA. The offer was regretfully declined, however, due to a number of members being Council-employed professional groundsmen. This contravened EBA Rule 14, which prohibited clubs that were not wholly amateur from being affiliated.

Having never actually joined the B&DBA in the three decades they were active, the club disbanded in the late 1950’s, with most of its members joining the nearby Bournemouth Electric club.

Shortly afterwards, the site was sold off for housing, creating Brendon Close. Remarkably, the close was short lived, and in 2001 was bulldozed, along with the hotel to make way for the modern shops that are at the location today, all within the Castlepoint Shopping Centre umbrella. At the time, one of the conditions of the hotel closing was that it would be rebuilt in a new location - something which over 20 years later seems to have been long forgotten, just like the bowling club.

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Initially called Poors Common, and then for 100 years known as “Common 60”, before being named Queens Park in 1902, Queen’s Park Club was established, consisting of an 18-hole golf course with club house, tennis courts and a bowling green. Only the golf course was allowed on the newly named Queen’s Park, due to the council’s commitment made to the Earl Lord Malmesbury in 1904, which was not wishing to have other sports at Queen’s Park. The tennis and bowls were therefore on the other side of what is now Queen’s Park South Drive, just outside of the common area boundary, and could be accessed from Holdenhurst Road. The Earl’s vision was for a peaceful location, and only after his death in 1950 were other sporting uses considered in the park. In 1965 there were plans for tennis courts and further bowling greens at the site of the current main car park, but this never came to fruition.

The bowling side of the club, known as Queen’s Park BC, was not able to be considered one of the founding clubs of the B&DBA, due to only the golf club’s clubhouse and a small part of the golf course located in the Bournemouth Borough, a stipulation at the time. Only in 1914 did the bowling green come into the Borough boundary.

In 1916, Queen’s Park BC hosted a tournament for the Association, despite not being in the B&DBA at the time, however, for reasons believed to be an oversight, Bournemouth BC were left out. This produced a bitterness between the clubs, and one that led to Bournemouth BC leaving the B&DBA at the time, due to the club being left incensed and not satisfied with the outcome of the Delegates’ meeting held after the event. The Association thought about approaching Queen’s Park BC to take the place of Bournemouth BC within the Association, however, it was decided to wait for Queens Park BC to apply for affiliation first. This took over a decade, as it was not until 1928 that Queen’s Park was accepted into the B&DBA.

The club decided not to participate in the league, despite its affiliation. It was seen as more of a private club - one that preferred to socialise rather than play competitive bowls. It remained that way throughout its existence, never entering the league. This resulted in some members joining an additional club within Bournemouth so they could play league games.

Queen’s Park BC were a forward-thinking club however, because no sooner had they affiliated, the Committee received an offer from Queen’s Park member, George Wright, to provide a trophy for a new competition to support local hospitals. It was agreed, and the following year in 1929 the competition took place over two stages - a singles handicap tournament. The Hospital Cup generated £76 10S 6D. The Association sponsored the Bowlers’ Cot for children at Boscombe Hospital, £10 went to Wimborne Cottage Hospital and £30 went to Cornelia Hospital in Poole.

The winner of the Association’s singles championship came from members of the Queen’s Park club on three occasions, and also the B&DBA President was represented by the club in 1951, 1960 and 1966.

The club continued to exist until its demise following Dorset County Council compulsorily purchased land around Holdenhurst Road in the late 1960s for the construction of the Wessex Way. The work caused part of the club to close in 1970. Queen’s Park Bowls Club was forced to disband the following year when the roadworks finally engulfed the site.

The bowling green did not disappear with the Wessex Way build, which would be to the side of the green, and the Association hoped the club would reform and rejoin, but sadly, this did not happen.

Today, nothing remains of the Queen’s Park green, and the club is a distant memory to only a few, having disappeared over 50 years ago, with the majority of the current bowlers completely unaware of its existence.

Queens Park Club still owned the site, and in the late 1970s at the exact location the bowling green occupied, a futuristic complex for sporting activities was built, which is still standing today. In 1993 the site was sold off to a new fitness company, Fitness First, which was the first of more than 360 sites at its peak, as the company became a global success. BH Live took over the building in 2016, keeping it a fitness centre.

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The B&DBA welcomes Addspace Construction for their sponsorship of the B&DBA in 2024. Please check them out!

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The B&DBA welcomes BEBC for their sponsorship of the B&DBA in 2024. Please check them out!

Buy your books for English language learning as well as Higher Education and Further Education. (bebc.co.uk)

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Alum Chine Bowling Club was the second founder club in the area. The particular location is now called Spyglass Point. Alumhurst Road that connects to the site, was built by around 1870, with the plot of land originally laid out by around 1902 as Alumhurst Gardens with an ornamental garden, fountain and informal walks. Shortly after, a bowling green and a small clubhouse were built.

The Alum Chine green was perched on the top of the West Cliff in Alumhurst Gardens and was opened in 1903. The club was certainly a founder member of the Association and played the first competitive Association match against Bournemouth. Bournemouth Council records that a pavilion was erected for the club in 1910. It appears that the original Alum Chine green may have had only 3 rinks, being extended to full size before the Association formed. Because of its position near the cliff edge, the green required regular and expensive work to prevent it becoming a victim of cliff erosion.

The club formed soon after the Bournemouth club as the first inter-club bowls match was arranged to take place early in the 1904 season at Alum Chine between the two clubs. But on the appointed day, the weather was wet and stormy. It is believed that Bournemouth club secretary and captain both walked along the beach from Bath Road to Alum Chine to ascertain whether the match would take place. When they arrived at the Alum Chine clubhouse, there was no one there. So they pinned a note to the door to show they had turned out and walked back to Bournemouth in the rain. The match was eventually played later in the season.

It appears that the Alum Chine club left the Association in about 1913 for reasons unknown, before rejoining in 1934, probably to seek the Association's help to stave off closure. Apparently, in 1928 there was a tennis court present too, which possibly replaced the bowling green at the time as it was not in the association at that point.

During the I930s, its existence had become so precarious that part of the green was actually over the cliff edge. By that time, the Borough Engineer had had enough of fighting what he saw as a losing battle and was willing to let the sea win. Although the engineer was keen to see the green close, the Parks Department won the day, arguing that the green was in an ideal spot for the visitors. Around this time - Argyll Bowls Club at the top of the cliff to the east - had a second green fitted. The relatively close proximity of the Argyll green, being able to cater for higher numbers, and not worry about their green falling off the edge of the cliff, meant that the engineer eventually got his way in 1940 when the green closed as a war economy measure, never to reopen. 

Writing for the Association's 75th anniversary in 1981, Harold Broadfield notes that there was evidence that the green's location still existed, together with a small building that the Parks Department thought may have been the pavilion. It is unknown how soon after the pavilion disappeared. In the 1980s, the site was used as a playground, but this was no longer required when the Alum Chine playground was built in the mid 1990s.

In the centenary edition in 2006, it was noted the continued erosion had left only a small strip of the green in evidence and the pavilion' has been demolished. Today, however, apart from the relative flatness of the area compared to elsewhere in the near vicinity, it would be hard to imagine a bowling club ever in existence, and certainly not one that was potentially more than 3-rinks in size. One thing is for sure though, the views would have been incredible!

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The B&DBA are saddened to hear of the passing of Graham Drew. Graham was a much loved member of Knyveton Gardens and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts go out to Cathy, family and friends.

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Former B&DBA President in 2019 and Pelhams member, Norman Weller, passed on 12/12/23. We are saddened to hear the news and send our thoughts to his family and friends.

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