Fairford Bowling Club celebrates best year ever at Annual Trophy Night

Over 80 people attended the Fairford Bowling Club Annual Dinner and Trophy Presentations on Friday 19th November and were thrilled to hear that the Club had had the best year ever for Club competition achievements. The ladies, men and team players all had wins in league and County tournaments and had successful County representation in the men’s U25 team, ladies’ U32 team, Glos Ladies’ team and Glos Men’s Middleton Cup team whilst the men’s team celebrated being National finalists at Leamington.

There were over 30 trophies and numerous cash prizes presented to Club members for outdoor and indoor bowling with the prestigious outdoor Ladies’ Single Trophy awarded to Hazel Finlayson from South Cerney. Hazel walked away with three further trophies – the outdoor Ladies’ Drawn Pairs and the Eileen Bowl and the indoor Wednesday Ladies’ League as well as being runner up in two further categories. The Men’s Single Trophy was awarded to Jim Luce from Cirencester, who also scooped a further trophy for the outdoor Men’s 2 Wood and was runner up in two more categories.

Fairford Bowling Club, which was founded in 1914, has six rink outdoor greens, two rink indoor surfaces, a licensed bar with dance-floor and a large indoor viewing area that can be adapted into a large dining/function hall. Because Fairford has indoor and outdoor playing facilities, it is possible to play all year round and players, therefore, come from all over the area to do just that.

Colonel A J Palmer, who was the Club’s first President, officially opened the Club 107 years ago by bowling the first bowl. He was a local benefactor whose gifts to Fairford also included the Palmer Hall. He lived in the Manor House in Fairford Park, where Farmor’s School now stands.

The Club had its first ever end-of-season Awards Dinner in the upstairs dining room of The Bull Hotel in 1956.

The 2021 Awards Dinner was sponsored by Pestforce, Gloucestershire with the two-course dinner provided by Jonathan’s Catering, Cirencester. Officiating on the night were Martin Johnson (Master of Ceremonies), Chairman David Crookes (saying Grace), Secretary Peter Mackenzie (the Loyal Toast), Brian Morley (trophies), Denzil Vellacott, Walter Bull & Son (presenting the 2020/21 Indoor Trophies) and Chris Roberts MBE (presenting the 2021 Outdoor Trophies).

Fairford Bowling Club’s claim to fame is that it and some of its members featured in episodes of the BBC TV series, This Country. The programme showed Kurtan Mucklowe – played by Cirencester’s Charlie Cooper – working in a bowls club at the end of the second series. The filming for those scenes took place at Fairford Bowling Club and the film crew took over the Club for about three days.

To find out more about the Club that has an active social calendar or to join as a member, please visit the website: https://fairfordbowlingclub.co.uk/ or phone Club Secretary, Peter Mackenzie on 01285 712667.