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History of Llandrindod Wells Bowling Club
The following year saw the first Tournament being played and by 1920 Llandrindod was becoming so successful as a venue that it was announced that a second green was to be laid during that winter. In 1922, Mid-Wales Bowling Association became the first associate member of the Welsh Bowling Association and in 1925 the Club was selected to host the Men's Home Internationals between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for the first time, it has subsequently hosted the competition in 1929, 1937 and 2000. By the late 1920s the decision was made to move the Pavilion from its position fronting onto Green No2 to make way for a third green. The new pavilion was opened on 20th August 1934 and the third green in the summer of 1935. The Photo, left, shows a view of all three greens taken at the start of the year 2001 season. Success for the club continued and in 1936 on presenting the cups and prizes, Jenkyn Williams, President of the W.B.A. told the crowd that Llandrindod Wells had become the 'Bowling Mecca of the British Isles'. That same year, a running commentary on the Gibson-Watt given by George Gibson was broadcast on the BBC. In 1947, prompted by a threat of closure from lack of use, greenkeeper Cliff Jones (Snr) and Cllr Eric Barnard formed the Llandrindod Wells Municipal Bowls League. The league was composed of teams with one club member and three beginners playing against each other twice a week on a Monday and Thursday. It proved very popular and encouraged many new people to take up the game of bowls. There was one ladies team in the league called The Yellow Hammers skipped by Mrs J M Probert. Although the ladies club was by this time nearly defunct, the league provided the means for a revival although they were only permitted to play on the Rec! In 1955 Tom Norton (Snr), founder member of the Club, died and his son Mr Tom Norton took over as President. That same year, the club took over full use of the pavilion for club matches.
The Municipal League, in many ways the saviour of the club, continued to grow so that by 1981 it was the main driving force for bowling in the Town involving 3 divisions and 33 teams with a membership just short of 300 and in 1982 the Men's and Ladies' Sections and the League combined to form Llandrindod Wells Bowling Club. 1987 saw Mr Colin Perrier take over the Presidency of the Club. Mr Perrier was the driving force behind the negotiations with the Local Authority to build an Indoor Bowling Stadium in Llandrindod Wells. After much public debate it was decided that it should be sited on the Recreation Ground Bowling Green and after nearly a century of bowling the green was excavated in April of 1990. The official opening of the Radnorshire Bowling Centre took place on 1st December 1990 and Colin Perrier was appointed its first President. Presidency of the Llandrindod Wells Bowling Club was then taken over by Mr Doug Rogers. A new clubhouse was opened on 18th April 1992 at the start of the Club's 80th year of Bowling. In 1993 the Welsh Bowling Association returned to Llandrindod for the National Championships; the Welsh Ladies’ and Men’s trials, squad days and coaching days were held at the club along with the Welsh Ladies’ Pairs and Patron’s Day. There was also the Mid Wales Men’s and Ladies’ competitions, the Welsh Post Office and Welsh Rotary Club finals plus the club spring and summer tournaments as well as one day competitions and over 60 municipal league games and other club competitions making this year the busiest on record. Green keeper Steve Smith was praised for the standard of greens maintained throughout. Under the captaincy of Ken Richards the club went on its first tour in 1994, an event that proved very popular and is now firmly established in the calendar. The third biannual International Atlantic Rim Games was hosted by Wales in Llandrindod in August 1997. This three week bowling competition involving fourteen countries was the first major bowls championship event to be held at this club.
The club went on its annual tour, this time to the Townhill B.C. Dunfermline in Scotland, in celebration of their 100th Anniversary. The Club had been coming to Llandrindod since 1979 for a tour over the August Bank Holiday. Three years earlier the management committee set up a voluntary maintenance gang to work throughout the winter months carrying out repairs and decorating, appointed a paid bar manager and franchised out the catering, changes owing in no small part to the multitude of events now taking place at the club. In 2001 the club set up its own website, one of the first in Wales to do so, to advertise the bowls tournaments, one day competitions and their international facilities. Graham Rees took over as Secretary of the club from Ken Price, who served the club loyally for 11 years in the post, Roy Jones became the Club President in 2004 and in 2006, Eddie Williams became president of the W.B.A. and Graham Rees became Assistant Secretary to the W.B.A. Also in 2006 the UK Visually Impaired Bowls Championships was held at Llandrindod which was another first for the club. As our honours board testifies, Llandrindod club members have been extremely successful in both Home International and World Events and two club members have been honoured with an M.B.E. for services to bowls, Linda Parker in 2000 and Betty Morgan in 2005, we are very proud of them both. To be continued....
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Designed and Maintained by Jennie Williams |
The
club began life in 1912 when the first green on the Rock Park site was
laid. Mr Tom Norton (Snr), who was instrumental in setting up the club,
is shown in the photograph laying the final turf. Later that year Llandrindod
became a founder member of the Mid-Wales Bowling Association along with
Newtown, Aberystwyth and Brecon Bowling Clubs.
In
1971 the Ladies Club was reformed with Mrs M Barnard their first President
and Mrs J.M. Probert their first Captain. In 1972 they along with the
League and the Men's Club obtained equal rights to use the Pavilion. As
the decade progressed, the Ladies Club went from strength to strength
and in 1978 Mrs Mary Davies and Mrs Betty Morgan were members of the Welsh
Women's International team that won the coveted "Eve" trophy for the first
time.
In
2000, Mid Wales Bowling Association recognised Llandrindod as their headquarters
and sought permission to display their competition trophies there. The
Men’s Section also agreed to form another team to play in the Mid
Wales League hence the “Spa Bowlers” was formed and played
their first game against Welshpool in the Cambrian Rose Bowl at home.
The Men’s International Series and British Isles Championships returned
to Llandrindod after 63 years absence.