Seaford Bowling Club

Founded 1912

1980s

 

In 1980 problems were again arising regarding the club accommodation and investigations into the question of essential repairs and renovations indicated that serious consideration had to be given to the possibility of providing a new building.

 

In November 1981 a Special General Meeting endorsed the recommendation of the Committee that a new Compton general purpose building be erected in place of the existing Pavilion.  The first estimate of cost was £15,000 but as plans progressed this soon increased to £19,000.  At that stage the club had but a mere £2,000 in hand but with a lot of courage - albeit of necessity - and perseverance on the part of members who provided much of the funds required it was decided at an E.G.M. on 9th August 1982 to proceed with the project. 

 

August 1982 - Application was made to the sports council, among others, for a contribution to funding. The Sports Council provide grants to amateur sports facilities but not companies.

 

Advice was given how to overcome the problem. The Company and the club had to return the relationship to that of a landlord and tenant. A lease would therefore be raised between the Company and the Bowls Club, such that the “Bowls Club” would lease all land and facilities from the Company thus establishing its amateur status.

 

Three Club trustees were appointed, and the lease would be held in their names. And so, on 10th August 1982 the three trustees signed a 35 year lease with the Company for the site and all bowling facilities. The Trustees at that time were: A.E Hammond, D.E. Shaw, and C.A. Oakley

 

The trustees are wholly responsible to the landlord to observe and perform the provisions and stipulations contained on the lease and are the trustees for the SBC shareholding. They attend the Company’s AGM to observe the interests of the Club at that meeting.

 

Additional help was received from the Sports Council with a grant of £4,000 and an interest free loan of £2,000, and from Lewes District Council a grant of £5,000. The words of the President, Algy Hammond are recalled when he congratulated the members on their courage in making such a momentous decision.

 

As plans advanced so did the cost and a final figure of £21,360 was reached but somehow the extra thousands did not seem to be as important as the original figure to members who seemed to grow into it.

 

Mr Len Howard, a friend of the club, acted as Hon. Surveyor and club representative throughout and members were indebted to him for his expertise and generosity.

 

Work progressed through the winter of 1982 and throughout the project the organisation and financial control was managed by Cliff Oakley, the Honorary Treasurer and Alan Cann, the Honorary Secretary.

 

Members had good cause to be grateful to both these gentlemen who worked tirelessly and to great effect on behalf of the club. Several members worked on providing the interior partitioning, lining, and fittings during the very cold weather of the winter and the final decoration was done by more members in the spring of 1983.

 

The ladies made many and varied efforts to raise funds through the medium of coffee mornings, jumble sales, raffles etc. Ronnie Rendell opened her home to house whist drives throughout the winter.  Numerous ‘gifts in kind’ were contributed by other members, carpeting, kitchen equipment, flooring, tiling, mats and the wrought iron gate. 

 

All was ready for the opening drive of the season on 30th April 1983 although the official opening was not until 17th June 1983 when suitable plaques were unveiled by Colonel Harwood, Chairman of Lewes District Council, and a representative from the Sports Council. 

 

It was noted that because the members had provided so much of the labour the whole project had cost much less than similar projects at other clubs.

 

The men’s changing room could not be provided in the new building so an attack was made upon the existing hut to make it more presentable including the provision of new wall and roof linings and new lockers.

 

Membership was increasing and the S.C.B.A. had become aware of the improvements together with the condition of the green nurtured by our two Green Rangers, Bernard Kingswood and Joe Selwood, and were obviously delighted with the facilities offered. 

 

Nevertheless, by the end of 1984 plans were already afoot to provide an extension to the new building to provide accommodation for a men’s changing room.

 

By mid-1985 plans were well ahead to provide the extra accommodation. (Much of this latest work was developed and organised by George Such and members had good cause to be grateful to him – Ed.) 

 

By March 1986, the foundation was laid, and the extension started.  With additional interior and external work by members the extension was completed in time for the opening drive at the start of the 1986 season. This extension cost some £8,500, once again provided by members with interest free loans and donations together with fund raising events including a sum of £1,000 from the Ladies Section. The garage which had done service as a changing room was not thrown away but was re-sited at the rear of the clubhouse as a home for equipment.

 

Early in 1987 an automatic watering system was installed. Thus, the club entered its Jubilee Year after years of struggle for survival and subsequent developments with a fine clubhouse, a well looked after green and a new watering system. 

 

During this year club events were arranged together with invitation events to other clubs and one special match with the English Bowling Association.  A new flag was struck in club maroon with the club’s date of birth emblazoned thereon (this had to be replaced with a new one in 1995 having given excellent service in the blustery winds of Seaford). A new flagpole was presented by Mrs. J P Jackson in memory of her husband, “Jacko”, a former Club Captain.

 

For the next few years attention was focussed on the green and the surrounds. The grass banks and ditches surrounding the green needed attention to comply with E.B.A. regulations so a team of willing helpers,  led by George Howell, was set up to provide the labour and during the winter of 1987/8 a concrete bank along the Blatchington Road end was built and faced with an artificial grass surface.  However, it soon became obvious that the work was very heavy and would take four years to complete.  Thus, the following year the other three sides were built professionally but ‘faced-up’ with artificial grass by members.

 

During 1988/9 the ‘heavy gang’ of members completed the work by paving the surrounds and levelling the grass bank at the Chichester Road side. More professional advice was obtained from the Sports Turf Research Institute as to the treatment required on the green and at the end of the season the ‘heavy gang’ lifted the turf around the edges of the green and installed a concrete edging support to spirit level accuracy.  Again, the project, led by Joe Hope, the President, and George Howell, progressed steadily allowing completion in February 1990.

 

At the A.G.M. in November 1989, it was agreed that the ladies should be eligible to vote at such meetings. No chaining to railings; no racecourse histrionics; just a simple majority vote by the eligible voters (men) who raised their hands in salutation and recognition of modern beliefs. This was followed by the passing of a new Club Rule which recognised that equality had a price. Henceforth, the subscription of all playing members should equate. Thus, the ladies recorded their first vote in approving an increase in their subscriptions. History indeed.

 

The committee decided it was necessary to replace the water storage tank for the sprinkler system with a larger one and it was decided to demolish the existing tank house and build a new one. This necessitated excavating a large amount of soil but in the autumn of 1990 the ‘heavy gang’ got to work once more and by the spring of 1991 the project was completed.