CITY & COUNTY OF BRISTOL BOWLING ASSOCIATION
1936-2000
Prior to 1935 all Clubs whose greens were situated in Bristol were affiliated to Somerset County Bowling Association. For quite a considerable time unrest was strongly felt and expressed by a large number of Somerset bowling clubs resentful of the Bristol bowlers north of the River Avon taking such a prominent part in Somerset matches at the expense of Somerset clubs and players. They felt (and rightly) that these players belonged elsewhere, but certainly not in Somerset. In an atmosphere such as was then prevailing, plain, harsh and spoken at meetings and dinners and some misunderstandings arose. However time has proved that there arises, every so often, the need for a man to speak up and speak out plainly without fear or favour so that everyone who hears is under no illusion as to the message.
Somerset had such a man in Mr. E M Trevor. He held back no punches but was, eventually, seen to be a good friend to all. He is reported in the Press at the time as saying he was convinced that without the Bristol Bowlers and with the County properly run, they had got the bowlers able to accomplish all they wanted them to do”. The E.B.A. then ruled that Clubs situated in the geographical County of Gloucestershire could not be affiliated to the English Bowling Association through the Somerset County Bowling Association. The question of forming a City & County of Bristol Bowling Association, with Full County status was absolutely ruled out by the E.B.A. Therefore the Clubs situated in Bristol, North of the River Avon had to affiliate to Gloucestershire Bowling Association. The “E.B.A.” declared Mr Trevor “have done their duty and we have done ours also”. He added that he still had a duty to the Bristol clubs and anything he could do to help them in their affiliation to their own county, he would be delighted to do.
Further references to the Somerset bowls controversy were made at gatherings in Bath and Bristol when evidence of a definite crisis, and much bitter feeling, was forthcoming, So states the Press. At the Bloomfield Clubs social in Bath, Mr E M Trevor, President of the Somerset Association, accused Bristol bowlers of not being real sportsmen. “They have to go decently and now we will see that they go at all costs. We are losing 22 clubs”. “ I am a Somerset bowler, born and bred and I say deliberately, that the Bristol bowlers have been given a raw deal and one unworthy of Somerset in the manner of its conception and delivery” said Tom Locke. Reading this coldly and dispassionately after such a lapse of time sounds hard but it is mentioned here just to show how strongly the Somerset players felt on the matter and to help every reader to appreciate more fully, later on, how magnanimous and friendly the protagonists became as the matter sorted itself out and goodwill prevailed on all sides. Time is such a healer and Mr W E Harding of Bath is quoted as saying that he felt the breach very considerably and hoped that they would still hold out the hand of friendship to the Bristol bowlers with whom they had been so long associated. “I can say, with truth, that we have always enjoyed their association with us” said Mr Harding. “I would rather throw up bowls altogether than think I was going to lose the friends I made on that side”.
The Western Daily Press of 29th November 1935 printed a letter from the great and wise administrator of Bristol St Andrews B.C., Mr J J Armer, part of which reads: -
“ As in human affairs, however, so it is in Association matters, we must face things as they are, tackle them and meet the emergency with calm judgement in the sure hope that, with careful handling, the future may have something worthwhile for us even under fresh conditions. It will appear to most bowlers in the City & County of Bristol that the case has been so put by the Somerset section, that we, on the North side of the Avon, can only, with difficulty, meet them on the same old friendly footing; even the cordiality of many club games must be strained and jeopardised. We must therefore, face the issue and mark out fresh paths of usefulness available for the present and future generation of bowlers in Bristol. There is just a possibility that the Gloucestershire Association might welcome the affiliation of the twenty odd clubs interested but one can hardly expect the Association to do so with any great cordiality since we have flirted with Somerset for 20 years; moreover, the forming of new friendships is a far from easy task. The course, therefore, seems to be the only one available is to form a City & County of Bristol Bowling Association. We could affiliate with the E.B.A. but not be eligible to compete in the Middleton Cup or the E.B.A. competitions.”
In another letter, he quoted the charter granted by King Edward III as being of increasing importance to Bristol Bowlers as a result of the Somerset controversy.
In December 1935, Mr J J Armer invited, through a letter in the Evening Post, all clubs interested in the formation of a Bowling Association for the City & County of Bristol to write or otherwise inform him of their willingness to co-operate. On Tuesday March 3rd 1936, a meeting was held at Bristol St Andrew's clubhouse at which 60 representatives of bowling clubs in Bristol decided to form a Bowling Association to which ALL clubs in the City and County of Bristol could become affiliated.
The Evening Post of April 1st 1936 reports: - Amid scenes of the greatest enthusiasm, nearly 200 Bristol bowlers representing practically every club in Bristol unanimously passed the resolution for the formation of the City & County of Bristol Bowling Association at a mass meeting held at the Grand Hotel last night.
Mr C H W Davey of Henleaze Bowling Club presided.
The minutes of this inaugural meeting on 31st March 1936 shows that of the 35 clubs to who notice of the meeting had been sent, 34 were in attendance, as follows: -
171delegates from clubs, 65 others, totalling 236. 1. Ardagh B.C. 2. Bristol B.C.
3. Ashtonians B.C. 4. Britton & Son B.C.
5. Beaufort B.C. 6. Bristol Arrow B.C.
7. Brandon B.C. 8. Civil Service B.C.
9. Greenbank B.C. 10. Greville Smyth B.C.
11. Bristol South B.C. 12. Henleaze B.C.
13. Bristol St Andrews B.C. 14 Imperial Tab. Co. B.C.
15 St George B.C. 16. Imperial Chem. B.C.
17. Bristol Tramways B.C. 18. Knowle B.C.
19. Eastville Methodists B.C. 20. Redfield B.C.
21. Victoria Park B.C. 22. E.S.&A. Robinson B.C.
23. Bristol Gas Co. B.C. 24. Royal Empire Soc. B.C.
25. Cabot B.C. 26. St Ambrose B.C.
27 Canford B.C. 28. St Andrews Park B.C. 29 Eastvillians B.C. 30. St Anne's B.C.
31. Elders & Fyffes B.C. 32. Avonmouth B.C.
33. Evening World B.C. 34. Kleenex Brush Co. B.C.
The Master Bakers B.C. apologised for absence and intimated that, if the Association was formed, that the Club desires to become affiliated.
The members of the formation Committee who had materially assisted the Chairman in submitting the draft Constitution and Rules for consideration at this meeting were: - Alderman J.H. Maggs, Messrs W.M. Lomax, J.J. Armer, J. Porch, W.J. Featherstone, F. Baxter, H.T. Morgan, R. Door, W. Hamilton, W.A. Price, H Smith, A.G. Davis, A.E. Morris and A.E.C. Bryant (Hon Sec)
As can easily be imagined, this meeting dealt with a tremendous amount of business including of course, the formal establishment of the Association which was put thus: - Mr J.J. Armer thereupon formally moved “That a Bowling Association, to be known as the City & County of Bristol Bowling Association, be formed and that the names of all clubs present at this meeting, whose greens are situated within the boundary of the City & County of Bristol and whose duly appointed delegates support this resolution, shall be recorded as Founder Members of the Association.”
Alderman H.J. Maggs (President of the Bristol Bowling e League), in seconding the proposition said: - “I am delighted to second the resolution, as this meeting will surely be one of the historic events of the City of Bristol. It is my firm belief that greater keenness and enjoyment is to be found in local games, amongst those who already know each other, and that the formation of an association such as was his privilege to support was a step in the right direction in cementing the friendships and true sportsmanship amongst our own citizens.” The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting, the same being carried unanimously with loud cheering and applause. The Constitution and Rules were voted upon and accepted. The election of Officers was left to the first Council Meeting, but auditors were elected and thanks conveyed to the Formation Committee and Chairman.
So the Association was born and, at the first Council Meeting, the following Officers were elected.
President Alderman H.J. Maggs J.P.
Vice President E. Brookhouse Richards J.P.
Hon. Secretary J.J. Armer
Hon Treasurer A.E.C. Bryan Hon Competition Secretary J.J. Porch
An opening match was played on the Bristol St Andrews green on 26th May 1936 between the President’s team and the Vice President’s team resulting in a win for the latter, 116 shots to 114.
It is interesting to note that, by the this time, the Founder Clubs had been 35 in number at the inaugural meeting, 36 referred to as Founder Clubs by the time that the Council met for the first time, and 37 given the title by the time the first handbook was issued in 1936. The two additional clubs being B&D Boots & Shoe Trade Association B.C. and Hovis Ltd. B.C.
It is of interest to note, that in 1974, 601 years after Bristol being granted County Status, that a re-organisation of the administration of the three counties took place and Bristol lost it’s County status. The new administrative County of Avon was created taking in Bristol, along with South Gloucestershire, and Bath and N E Somerset.
Fortunately the City & County of Bristol Bowling Association did not drop the ‘County’ from the name, so when Avon was disbanded in 1996 and Bristol was again granted County status the original title of the Association remained correct.
Many of the Clubs in Bristol play on Greens within the several Parks owned by the Bristol City Council and managed by Leisure Services Directorate. However in 1993, during the period under the County of Avon, the City council contracted out the maintenance of all the Park and other Council run Greens to SITA, a private firm. During this time, many of the Clubs, being unable to obtain money from the council, paid for the old ‘sloping grass banks’ to be replaced with new ditches to meet the new standard laid down by the EBA, but unfortunately, the standard of many of the greens deteriorated.
When the SITA contract expired in 1998, the maintenance of the Greens passed back to the Bristol City Council Direct Labour Organisation, and although remedial work was carried out to bring back the state of the Greens, some Greens were not so lucky, and the poor state continued.
In 1998, under the name of the ‘Bowls Initiative’, the Leisure Services Directorate of the City Council, decided that with their £100,000 windfall earmarked for Bowls from the City sale of Lulsgate Airport, that resident Clubs were asked to take over Management of their Green. To encourage this, Clubs were to be offered a 25-year lease, and a share of the money would be given to the Clubs for ‘Improvements’.
By 1999 Leisure Services made it clear, that with a reduced budget, they were urging the clubs to take over the management. 25-year leases were given to St Andrews Park &Kildare, St Anne’s & Brislington with Newbridge, Courage Western with Victoria Park, Greville Smythe with Bristol South, in the parks of St Andrew’s Park, St Anne’s Park, Victoria Park, and Aston Park. These Clubs now employ specialist private contractors to maintain their greens, as do the privately owned Clubs.
Ardagh, Begbrook, and Canford, along with the clubs based in Eastville Park and St George’s Park did not elect for self-management and with Redland Green the Greens are still maintained by the Bristol City Council D.L.O.
While the other clubs were given a 25-year lease, Redland Green were granted a 99-year lease, a requirement to be able to apply for Lottery money from SPORT ENGLAND for a new Clubhouse to replace the 1950’s inadequate decaying wooden pavilion. Unfortunately the application for finance was rejected after appeal, but the lease should be taken up in 2001 after planning approval for modification to the pavilion and building of a new Clubroom with catering facilities when granted in November 2000.
With the council raising the Annual Fees for resident clubs by some 35% in 2000, self-management was looking to be more attractive, as it became even more obvious, that the budget for bowling green maintenance was still being further reduced.
At the beginning of 2000 the Green on Cabot Hill was closed, after the two clubs had been forced out partly by falling membership, and expensive inner city parking costs. Thus Cabot, and the Bristol Blind Bowling Clubs were displaced. Cabot BC elected to join in sharing the Green with Bristol St George BC, while Bristol Blind opted to play at Ashton Park.
During the intervening 64 years, several Clubs have been disbanded and new ones formed but still the Association has grown in strength and in 1986, our Golden Jubilee year, 23 of the Founder Clubs are numbered among the 45 clubs now affiliated comprising of 2240 bowlers.
In 1987 Long Ashton B.C. became affiliated, followed by Whitehall B.C. in 1990, and Arrowsmith B.C. and Northavon B.C. in 1991, bringing the total of Clubs in the Association to 49.
In 1992 Arrowsmith B.C. disbanded and National Smelting B.C. were forced to also disband because the National Smelting Sports Ground was sold for development and the Bowling Green was not replaced.
In the 1960’s a new club, Oakfield B.C., was formed from members from CEGB who first played at Redland Green, sharing the Green, but when the Headquarters moved to the new offices at Bishopsworth and the club relocated to Kings Head Lane Park. In 1995 the closure of the Central Electricity Board site at Bishopsworth meant the demise of their Bowling Club, Oakfield B.C.
This reduced the number of affiliated Clubs to 46, but in 1996 the number returned to 47 with a newly formed Club, Begbrook Green B.C. who now play on a new Green at Stapleton in Bristol, joining the Association.
It is true to say, that with the various mergers and take-overs of local organisations, that many established Clubs found that the parent organisations were no longer interested in maintaining bowling clubs. Such a Club was G.B. Britton, who were given an ultimatum in 199?, that they could either buy their Green, of move, when the site was sold. They went ahead and borrowed money and bought the site, and the Club continued to flourish.
Imperial B.C. were also threatened that the Sports Field was to be sold, but after much opposition, only part was sold, but one Green was lost, two remained.
In 1998, one of the Founder Members of the Association, ES&A Robinson’s B.C. suffered a similar fate to that of National Smelting B.C. in 1992, when the Company sold the sports ground for development and with it the bowling green and pavilion, forcing the club to disband.
Unfortunately in 1999 the Avon & Somerset Police B.C. who had recently as 1996 had obtained a green of their own at the Police Headquarters at Portishead decided to withdraw from the Association. The reason being that the majority of their bowlers also play for other clubs and they were finding it difficult in fielding a regular side. At the end of 2000, the Green was to close and the equipment was to be sold off.
Nearly all the Clubs support and take part in the City & County Competitions, as well as their respective ‘affiliated County’ Competitions of Gloucestershire or Somerset, and have also entered teams in both the North East Bristol Bowling League and the Bristol & District Bowling Leagues. These Leagues have been in existence for many years, in comparison with the Somerset and Gloucestershire County Leagues that were started in the late 1990's.
As we approach the new century we now have 45 Affiliated Clubs with a total of 2534 bowlers.
The Clubs are: - Location of Green
ARDAGH
Horfield Common, Kellaway Ave, Horfield
AVONMOUTH
Barracks Lane, Avonmouth
AVONVALE
The Netham, Avonvale Rd, Redfield
B.A.C. (B.A.W.A.)
BAWA Sports Ground, Southmead Rd, Filton
BEGBROOK GREEN
Begbrook Green Park, Frenchay Park Road, Stapleton
BRISTOL
Duckmoor Road, Ashton
BRISTOL ARROW
Redland Road, Redland
BRISTOL BLIND
Greville Smythe Park, Ashton
BRISTOL CIVIL SERVICE
Filton Avenue, Horfield
BRISTOL GREENBANK
Gordon road, Whitehall
BRISTOL OMNIBUS
St George Park, Church road, St George
BRISTOL SOUTH
Greville Smythe Park, Ashton
BRISTOL ST. ANDREWS
Derby Road, St Andrews, Bristol
BRISTOL ST. GEORGE
St George Park, Church road, St George
CABOT
St George Park, Church road, St George
CANFORD
Canford Park, Westbury on Trym
CITY & PORT OF BRISTOL
Nibley Road, Shirehampton
COURAGE WESTERN
Victoria Park, Bedminster
EASTVILLE PARK
Eastville Park, Fishponds Road
EASTVILLIANS
Eastville Park, Fishponds Road
FRYS
Somerdale, Keynsham
G.B. BRITTON
57a Ingleside Road, Kingswood
GREVILLE SMYTHE
Greville Smythe Park, Ashton
HENBURY
Crow Lane, Henbury
HENLEAZE
Grange Court Road, Henleaze
IMPERIAL
West Town Lane, Knowle
KEYNSHAM
Memorial Park, Keynsham
KINGSWOOD & HANHAM
Kingswood Park, Hollow Road, Kingswood
KNOWLE
The New Clubhouse, Wells Road, Knowle
KNOWLE PARK
Redcatch Park, Broad Walk, Knowle
LONG ASHTON
Keedwell Hill, Long Ashton
NEWBRIDGE
St Anne's Park, Newbridge Road, St Anne's
NORTHAVON
The Pavilion, Baileys Court Road, Bradley Stoke
OLVESTON & DISTRICT
Alveston Road, Old Down
PAGE PARK
Page Park, Staple Hill
PORTISHEAD
Lake Grounds, Rodmoor Road, Portishead
PORTISHEAD ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Lake Grounds, Rodmoor Road, Portishead
REDLAND GREEN
Redland Green, Redland Green Road, Redland
SEVERN VALE
Kings Head Lane Park, Kings Head Lane, Bishopsworth
ST.ANDREWS PARK & KILDARE
St Andrews Park, Melita Road, St Andrews
ST ANNES & BRISLINGTON
St Anne's Park, Newbridge road, St Anne's
VICTORIA PARK
Victoria Park, Nutgrove Park, Nutgrove Avenue, Bedminster
WHITEHALL
Eastville Park, Fishponds Road,
WILLMOTT PARK
Fulford Road, Hartcliffe
YATE & DISTRICT
Sunnyside Recreation Ground, Moorland Road, Yate
Since 2000, the number of clubs has declined even more. With the losses of Courage Western B.C. who amalgamated with Avonvale B.C. The closing of Cabot and Bristol Civil Service B.C. and Henbury B.C., Bristol South B.C. amalgamated with Greville Smyth B.C. but after a short period of time this club also closed down. Newbridge amalgamated with St. Anne's & Brislington B.C. to become St. Anne's Park B.C. Eastville Park B.C. also closed down, and in 2016 Keynsham B.C. resigned from the City & County altogether.
