IT IS celebration time at Droitwich Spa Bowling Club (DSBC) which is marking its centenary this year.
The club, based in the Lido Park, was launched in the April of 1923, at the start of the season, by a group of people who wanted to get together to play the popular sport.
It is one of the oldest clubs in Worcestershire and currently has 100 members – around 60 per cent are men and 40 per cent women.
The youngest member is 25 and the oldest one, Alan Hadley, is 88. The longest serving member – Clive Crump – has been at DSBC for 58 years.
Although thriving, DSBC is always looking for new members and would particularly like some younger people to join.
Competitions
The club competes in a women’s league and men’s league, along with knockout competitions and county and national tournaments.
Droitwich Bowling Club also runs internal competitions, including short mat indoor bowls in its club house and even outdoor floodlit matches, which enables it to be active 364 days of the year.
Once people have joined they can go and play from 12pm each day.
There has also been some notable success with the DSBC White Team winning the Interberga league for the past three years.
A team also finished runner-up in the Central Stairlift competition and the club has had plenty of county bowlers in the pairs, threes and fours.
Teams from DSBC have previously qualified for the national finals in Woking (that competition is now held in Leamington Spa, where the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games bowls matches were played).
President Phil Barrett, who has been a member of DSBC for nine years, said: “Bowls is having something of a renaissance and we have seen that here at the club.
“Competitive bowls is vitally important but the main thing is the community aspect.
“Some players just come down and play while others are competitive – we strive to be the best competitively and the best community club we can be.”
And he had plenty of praise for those working behind the scenes.
“There is a group of around 20 members who work really hard so the rest of us can enjoy playing bowls – the green needs cutting three-times-a-week, the club house needs running and things need organising.”
With regard to the club gaining more interest, Phil added: “We get quite a few people come and watch on a Sunday when they head down to the Lido Park to watch the brass bands play.”
Everyone welcome
Everyone is welcome to go down and try the sport out – the best times for that are on Wednesday evenings or Monday afternoons.
The club has three official coaches and spare woods for people to have a go with.
If people want to join, the membership fees are currently £65 for the year for just outdoor bowls or £80 for outdoor and indoor and there are match fees on top if people want to participate in competitions.
And DSBC holds a number of social events – mainly in the autumn and winter as members are busy bowling as much as possible in the summer.
For more information, visit the website at droitwichspa.bowls-club.co.uk or call the club on 01905 778032 or Phil Barrett on 07813 473157.
