Lawn Bowls

A traditional pastime that can be played by young and old alike. The game involves rolling your bowls down a green and getting them nearer than your opponent to a small white ball called the Jack (or Kitty).

Sounds simple doesn't it?

Although it only takes a few hours to learn the basics of the game, it can take a lifetime to master. Bowls requires a lot of skill and can be quite strategic. It's not easy to place your bowls within a few inches of the desired spot, or through a 5 inch gap, when you have to roll them 100 ft or more. Also they don't roll straight, but inscribe an arc as they progress down the green!

It is believed that in the very early days of Lawn Bowls, the bowls ran straight. During an important game, a player's bowl was split in two. Desperate to complete the game, he rushed into the house armed with a saw and removed the bottom balustrade of the staircase, which was almost spherical.

When he bowled with this, he found because it was not a proper sphere (it had a bias), the makeshift bowl curved and this gave him an advantage, because he could swerve around his opponents bowls if they blocked the route to the Jack. Pretty soon all bowls were made with a "bias" allowing them to curve as they rolled down the green (they are not weighted as many people believe).

Lawn bowls is also great excercise that involves stretching walking, bending, it takes place outside, usually in great weather and a pleasant environment. When requested we can accomodate people who are less able physically (e.g. Disabled or even Blind), this makes Bowls a sport accessible to all.

Even better it's a relatively inexpensive sport. When starting you can usually use club equipment for free. When you have played a little more, less than £100  can equip you with everything required to play Lawn Bowls for many years (if buying some second hand equipment). Club fees are usually modest and once paid mean you can play as much as you like for free. Sure, there is a small match fee when playing in a club match or league game.....to cover the meal or tea and biscuits that are traditionally supplied.