Scarning Bowls Club

Did you know, bowls is not only a great sport for all ages but you can have the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. We usually play from April to September so you don’t have to play through the miserable months!

Not only does bowls get you active and meeting new people, it has been medically proven that bowls improves your general health and helps to strengthen your immune system. Did you know that during an average game you will: bend more than 90 times, walk nearly 500 metres and swing your arm more than 40 times to deliver a bowl weighing over 3 pounds!?

We have a great community spirit here, so whether you’re looking to try a new sport, meet new people, get out and about or just have some fun and rekindle some old skills – Scarning is the club for you! If you’re looking to play competitively we also offer opportunities for this too. All Bowls Club fixtures are included on the Village Events page, so please come along to a match and say hello.

Wednesday afternoon “roll ups” – If you want to give bowls a go, young or old, whether as a beginner or someone who has played previously, then we’d love to see you. Go on, give it a go – you know it makes sense!!

We normally start around 2:00pm during the summer months and it usually lasts for a couple of hours, max, but very much weather dependant. No kit required, only yourselves, and a pair of flat shoes (ideally) if you have them.

Our club is on the Playing Field behind the Tennis Courts on Shipdham Lane, so please do get in touch.

To learn more you can contact:

Ronnie Chapman – Club Captain
01362 687524

Alan Glister – Club Secretary
07780 924017
AlanGlister@BTInternet.Com

Club Chairman – Mel Harbour (also Club Treasurer)
Club Secretary – Alan Glister
Club Captain – Ronnie Chapman
Vice Captain – Janet Howe
President – Andy Hudson
Committee Members – Heather Hudson, Alf Webdale, Reuben Howe

Fixture List – 2023 Season

These match details are also on the Village Events calendar.

Bowls Club in the present day

Bowls Club in the 1950s

Bowls Club - 1950s

Rogation Day Service (Sunday 18th May 1952) On the village playing field at Scarning, the Rector (the Rev. F. G. Rogers) conducts a Rogation Day service, asking God's blessing on the crops and gardens. Earlier a united service had been held in the Parish Church.

Scarning Bowls Club celebrated its 70th birthday in 2020. A public meeting was held in the Village Hall in March 1950 to confirm that a bowling green had been laid on the village green. Chairman of the meeting, a Mr Walter Grand explained that the green would be ready for a limited amount of games in the May of 1950. Whether any games were played or not, are not detailed in any subsequent minutes.

In May 1951 the first meeting minutes recorded that Officers and committee members were elected to take up the key roles within Scarning Bowls Club, playing rules established and various pieces of club equipment purchased. Subscriptions were set at five shillings per annum (that’s 25p in today’s money). Allowing for inflation and the changing value of money that would be equivalent to members paying about £7.80 today.

The current bowls club wasn’t the first in Scarning and for a number of years there were two clubs in the village. The earlier club was the Spring Cottage Bowls Club which existed for at least thirty years and was based at the Spring Cottage pub on the border with the village of Wendling. The club ceased when the pub closed in 1963.

The impressive cup shown here is the Presidents Bowl, which after being won numerous times by the Sayer-Walker family, was presented to Charlie Sayer to keep. It is still in Scarning though, and is a proud possession of Charlie’s grandson Carl Preston.

Charles "Charlie" Sayer

Spring Cottage (early 60s)