Spencer Melksham Bowls Club celebrates centenary year

SPENCER Melksham Bowls Club is celebrating its centenary year. To mark the occasion, they opened their rink with unveiling of a new flag and club emblem at an event for members, friends and family on Saturday 13th April.

The club is also hosting a Family Fun Day on Saturday 25th May, as part of the centenary celebrations.

Spencer Melksham Bowls club today is the result of the coming together of three different but linked clubs: Melksham Town Bowls Club, Spencer Melksham Bowls Club, and GEC Ladies’ Bowls Club, on Beanacre Road.

Founded in 1924, Spencer Melksham was the works club team representing Spencer Melksham Engineering. “The 1930s were a challenging time for Spencer’s (as well as other sports clubs), because members were unemployed during the Depression,” says a member of the club, Anne Hutchinson.

“The fortunes of the club fluctuated over time, with the early 1960s being a particularly tough time. In the records for 1961, the club was described as “being in the wilderness,” with no league matches played because there were so few members. In 1964, there was a danger of the club folding but fortunately, the club pulled through.

“The ladies’ section was formed in the winter of 1977 – 1978 and was quickly affiliated with Wiltshire Bowls as GEC Ladies. By this time, Spencer Melksham Engineering had been taken over by GEC, who took over the social club as well. Some of the earliest members from this time are still active members of the club today.

“The clubhouse/ pavilion as it is today, was erected in 1991. The prefabricated building was purchased by the club from Cifer Systems in Bowerhill, transported to our site on Beanacre Road, and put up by the members of the club.”

To mark its centenary year, the club’s celebration day on Saturday 13th April was opened by the town crier, Jax Brady, followed by a game of bowls and lunch.

“There was an excellent turn out of club members, friends, and family to kick off the centenary year,” says Anne. “The day began with Melksham’s Town Crier, Jax Brady, inviting us to open proceedings with the raising of our new flag. She treated us to a potted history of bowls which included the fact that during a game of triples, involving 18 ends with two trial ends, each team would deliver up to 540 woods for men (360 woods for ladies)!

“Lunch then followed, with members having brought something to share. As usual, thanks to everyone’s generosity, there was more than enough to go round, and it was good to share memories around the table of years of competitions gone by.

“Then it was down to the competition. Ten days ago, it would not have been thought feasible to have played a game on the rink, as there had been so much rain. However, a good week of mostly dry weather and warm wind gave us superb playing conditions.

“To finish the day, the superb cake (made by social secretary, Sue Stinchcombe) was cut, and we toasted the club, remembering the past 100 years and looking forward to the next 100 years.

“Planning for this season has been going on for the past year, with fundraising events to ensure our club can be shown off at its absolute best. Come and join us on our Family Fun Day on Saturday 25th May. Look out for more information coming soon.