 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
First County Match played at Winscombe 1929 Somerset vs Gloucestershire
The Somerset side included four Winscombe members – J.K.Dunster, H.R.House,
R.Weeks, H.Moore.
1929 Somerset recorded their only ever Turnbull Cup Victory beating Victoria by 4 shots
in the final at Bristol.
Team:- T.Skitmore,J.W.Wilkins,M.Atwell,J.Amesbury,W.Pain,H.R.House,R.Kinsey,
J.T.Fowler,A.Shopland,J.R.Hurd,P.D.Bolland,W.C.Coward,E.Vowles,J.K.Dunster,A.T.Tyler,
G.Hayes,F.J.Mabbett,W.Salisbury,C.B.House,H.Moore,R.Weeks.
1937/38 R.Weeks England International
1938 R.Weeks England Captain, Empire Games in Sydney
1966 G.E.Attwood England International
1978 R.T.Moore President EBA
1990 Neil Westlake England Junior International
1990 Neil Westlake EBA 25’s and under Singles Champion
Five Winscombe members have held the position of County President
G.E.Attwood 1965, R.F.J.Tripp 1985, C.S.Westlake 1994, J.C.Bearman 1996, J.A.Lukins 2003
Only three other clubs in the county can match this achievement- Victoria,Bath, Clevedon,
(extracted from Honours Boards by John Blewitt)
The Club was formed in 1921 but the green was opened the following year on 24th May 1922
EXTRACT FROM WESTON-SUPER-MARE GAZETTEE – 27TH MAY 1922
SUCCESSFUL OPENING OF NEW VILLAGE GREEN
Under the most propitious circumstances Winscombe’s bowling green was opened on Wednesday afternoon, and the Bowling Club received an enthusiastic send-off from a large company of villagers and visitors from Weston and elsewhere. “Winsome Winscombe,” as this charmingly located village has so appositely been termed, now possesses another up-to-date attraction by providing, paradoxically enough, an ancient game for the delectation of residents and visitors. The green is centrally situated on the Sandford-road, and is a credit to all concerned with its construction. With due care and attention the Club should next year possess a green which will be the envy of many older established clubs. At each end space is left for the provision of a terrace and club house.
The history of the movement to inaugurate the game of bowls at Winscombe was detailed in a speech at the opening ceremony, performed by Mr.Walter N.Wake, the well known Weston-super-Mare bowler. It might be mentioned that the green is full-sized (40 ft. square) and has been laid down by Mr. Fisher the greenkeeper of the Victoria B.C, Weston-super-Mare. Local turf has been utilised. ( nicked from Wavering Down)
The club officials are as follows: President, Mr.Richard Calvert (Banwell Castle); captain, Mr.J.K.Dunster; vice-captain Mr.A.G.Weeks; committee, Messrs. H.Moore, F.M.Driver, R.H.Kinsey, J.Amesbury, W.H.Wake, C.H.Glanville(Banwell), W.D.Compton, W.Todd(Axbridge) and W.Organ(Wrington); hon.secretaryand treasurer, Mr.F.Anthony(Cross,Axbridge) with Mr.H.Wilkins as Groundsman.
Mrs.Kinsey the wife of a committee-man, threw the first jack – greeted with cries of “Well bowled!” – and Mr. Wake trundled the first wood. His second bowl was the “first ditcher.” He then expressed his pleasure at declaring the green open for future generations.
Play in a match – somewhat facetiously described as “ Mayor of Weston’s team versus the Mayor of Winscombe’s team” – was then proceeded with. Result: Weston 93 Winscombe 126.
During an interval a sumptious tea was provided by the Directors’ wives.
Footnote: Mr Fisher referred to here is Mike Nash's grandfather .....
______________________________________________________________________
29th March 2010 - First Unified Committee Meeting
The Ladies Captain Helen Watson and Ladies Secretary Lorna Whatling were welcomed onto the Management Committee by President John Baker who said that this was a Historic day for The Club. Lorna Whatling thanked him on behalf of the ladies and said they all looked forward to working with the men for the good of the club. John reminded the members that there was a Ladies Club in 1923 just 2 years after the club was formed but this did not continue.
________________________________________________________________
AGM Wednesday 24th February 2010
WBC now a Unified Club in the “THE Properly Unified County”
Club Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to integrate Ladies into Full Membership of the Club . With effect from the start of our New Season (1st April 2010) Ladies will, for the first time, have full voting rights and the right to hold office on the Management Committee. The Ladies captain Helen Watson and the Ladies Secretary Lorna Whatling will be the first Ladies appointed to the Committee.
_______________________________________________________________________
SOMERSET BOWLS ASSOCIATION
“THE Properly Unified County”
Inaugural Meeting 14th November 2009 at Street BC
This meeting was attended by Mike Adams and Lorna Whatling. A historic day ! The first time a lady from Winscombe BC has been able to vote at a Somerset County Meeting.
________________________________________________________________________________
Origins of Bowls
Lawn bowls, also known as lawn bowling or bowling on the green, is considered a quintessentially English sport.
However, it probably originated in France. It may even have been brought over by the conquering Normans in 1066 or shortly thereafter, though there's no documentary evidence that it was.
Bowling originated in a game played by Roman soldiers, in which stones were tossed toward a target stone with the object of getting as close to the target as possible.
Roman legions introduced the game to countries throughout the empire.
Over time, the stones were replaced by balls that were usually rolled, rather than thrown.
In France, the sport became known as boules, from the Latin word for ball, and the English world "bowl" came from that French root.
The oldest known bowling green, in Southampton, England, dates at least to 1299, although other greens claim to be older than that.
Henry VIII, himself a bowler, in 1511 banned the sport among the lower classes and levied a fee of 100 pounds on any private bowling green to ensure that only the wealthy could play. The main reason for the ban, as for similar bans on other sports, was that able-bodied men were supposed to spend their spare time practicing archery. The king's proclamation also noted that arrow-makers and bow-makers weren't being productive enough because of the time they wasted on bowling.
On 19th July 1588 Captain Thomas Fleming in the Golden Hinde, glimpsed the Armada through the swirling morning mist off the Lizard and raced for Plymouth, Lord Howard’s home port. Fleming came up the channel into Plymouth with the afternoon tide to find Sir Francis Drake playing bowls with his officers on the Ho, high above the harbour. On hearing of Fleming’s sighting Drake insisted on continuing with the game.
Drake playing bowls on Plymouth Ho as the arrival of the Spanish Armada in the Channel is announced
Such bans soon passed with the use of firearms and the declining importance of archery in warfare, but the Puritan revolution virtually ended all sports in England, and lawn bowling didn't make much of a comeback even with the Restoration of 1660.
The sport flourished in Scotland, however, and the Scots during the 1840s developed a set of standardized rules that have been changed very little.
Despite the sport's antiquity, there was no central ruling body in England until 1903, when the English Lawn Bowling Association (EBA) was founded.
The association grew slowly, however, and several organizations objected to the stringent rules about the condition of greens.
The Midland and East Anglian Bowling Association, organized in 1926, adopted rules allowing virtually any level grassy area to be used.
In 1945, that group became the English Bowling Federation (EBF), which now has thirteen member counties, all in the east of England. Both the EBF and the EBA conduct a variety of major tournaments, including national championships. For international competition, though, the EBA is considered the national governing body through its affiliation with the World Bowling Board and the European Bowls Union.
