There is a history of a bowling green at the hotel for over 100 years with members paying an annual green fee to the licensee who was the brewery’s representative and responsible for maintenance of the green.
The present club was formally founded on Monday January 26 1953.
Although there is no record of any club prior to this date several present day members recall watching bowling matches as young kids in the early 1930’s.
One team was entered in the Hyde & Denton league and the following year a second team was entered. By 1963 the licensee had changed and he had requested excessive greenage fees so it was agreed to hire the implements from him and find our own Greensman. By now we had teams in the H&D, Ashton & Chadderton leagues and in 1972 a rule was passed forbidding the animals to graze on the green. A new club pavilion was erected for the start of 1974 season and the Hyde & Denton had changed to the Tameside league. In January 1978 we were asked to arrange a handicap to celebrate 200 years of selling beer at the Grapes but Robinsons brewery refused to sponsor the event.
One of our celebrated members was Bernard Kelly, twice winner of the Waterloo in 1953 & 1954, but it must be said that he won the events before joining Grapes and a current member, John Bancroft, has also won the Waterloo.
Talbot Ladies transferred to the Grapes club in 1982 and have been very successful ever since in the Oldham league.
The club had teams accepted into the Longdendale & Stockport leagues in 1984.
S&D Veterans Pairs Division C Winners 2008
R. Ewing (inset) N. Shore (inset)
K Knowles J Redfern W Sefton D Catlow E Mills H Richardson
D. Topping A Birtchall E Downs (Capt) R Barron
R Barlow (upper) F Rigby ( lower ) D Jones A Hodkinson
Amongst other competition wins have been The Bruner cup and the Husband cup and 2010 Merit winner in S&D premier league was club member Dave Walker.
Current position of teams is:
Longdendale 1team
Tameside 1 team
Tameside Vets 2 teams
Stockport & District 2 teams
Stockport & District Vets 2 teams
Failsworth 1 team
Oldham Ladies 1 team
Tameside Ladies 1 team
This post as kindly been submitted by Eric Downs... if you would like to submit something yourself please get in touch.
Great to see the pic of the Veterans winning team of 2008 including our late Dad, Fred Rigby. Brilliant to see him here with his mates.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the pic of the Veterans winning team of 2008 including our late Dad, Fred Rigby. Brilliant to see him here with his mates.
ReplyDeleteI have come across some beautiful woods in a leather case in a charity shop with the name J Redfern and a Hyde/Newton phone number. After some snooping around I am wondering if they belonged to the J Redfern in the picture? They will be looked after and admired by myself, regardless of whose they were. They reminded me of my Grandad who played and watched the bowls at the green in Hyde Park. I just had to bring them home with me x
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