Inside the 130-year-old Windle Bowling Club in St Helens

The Hard Lane-based venue runs league teams in the various bowling competitions around the area and plays host to events held by the British Crown Green Bowling Association.

It boasts the unique feature locally of having two top-class immaculately kept bowling greens.

Windle Bowling Club

A private members club, it has about 550 shareholders, and 230 active members.

Members internally can enjoy social bowling and take part snooker competitions through the year, with two tables situated in the club.

Meanwhile, there is also an accredited bowls coach who runs lessons once a week.

Windle Bowling Club

With Windle Bowling Club being volunteer-managed, it relies on around 20 dedicated people who “keep the place going”, along with two part-time bar staff.

Crown green bowling has seen a decline across the country with teams struggling to attract players. In the town many former bowling greens at pubs and venues have become disused.

Windle Bowling Club chair Bernard Graney acknowledges the “challenge” ahead in replacing the hard-working volunteers over the long-term but says the club has seen somewhat of a “slight renaissance” in recent times.

Windle Bowling Club

He said in 2016 the club “made a decision to keep it going” when it voted to allow women to become members.

With the club’s membership boosted by this, standing now at around 40 per cent female, the club also received a Sport England grant that has enabled facilities to be renovated.

Windle Bowling Club

“We have doubled the membership in about four or five years and we have increased the number of teams who are bowling,” said Bernard.

Stating the “challenge” in the future will be to ensure the club can get people to “replace” the important volunteer roles, he said “we are looking for people who will take over from us.”

Windle Bowling Club celebratings its 125-year anniversary in 2019

Admitting that historically there has been a perception of the club being ‘snooty’ and having “quite a rigid interview process”, this is no longer the case as it strikes a balance , while still maintaining “a system of dress and behaviour”.

“We have simplified the process of membership.”

Windle Bowling Club

The club is also a focal social hub in the community, hosting various events.

“The club is friendly, it’d sedate, anybody that wants to bowl or play snooker, they are the main attractions,” added Bernard.

“We have always done it by word of mouth.”

Windle Bowling Club

Windle Bowling Club can be contacted on secretary@windlebowlingclubltd.co.uk