Women bowlers celebrate 75th jubilee
The Levin Women’s Bowling Club is celebrating its 75th jubilee with a gala mixed triples tournament next month, and the invitation is going out to all bowling clubs.
Club president Carrell Knight said they’re hoping to get a full field of 16 teams competing for the top three gala prizes.
“As it’s a Jubilee we’ll also have extra raffle prizes to win,” she said.
The club had already begun celebrations with a Jubilee Dinner, but delving back into club records and its history had proved enlightening and entertaining, said Knight.
“We could have been turned into a rose garden at one time, and the club caused a big public furore when it wanted to build a ‘powder room’ for the ladies,” she said.
Formed in February 1942, club members played on a small green in Salisbury Street until 1943 when land in Bath Street, its current site, was made available by the council.
First known as Levin Women’s Bowling Club, the name changed in 1946 to Levin Ladies, as it became known locally as the ‘Ladies’ Green’ before changing back to Levin Women’s.
“But we still remain as ‘ladies’,” said Knight.
The Stone Cottage built in 1905, previously Thompson House Gardeners Cottage on Bath St, became the first club room, its ceiling remaining open to the rafters for years until 1963 when a kitchen was added.
However it was the addition of a ‘powder room’ that caused the public outcry when the latest renovation required the removal of the Thompson House swimming pool.
The powder room won the day.
During the early years, council took responsibility for maintaining the area and preparing the green for tournaments until the late 90s, when council’s then reserves manager recommended the green be closed, due to the cost of upkeep, and turned into a rose garden.
After discussions it was agreed to renew the lease to the bowling club which undertook the green’s maintenance themselves.
Knight said 75 years on and the club continues to thrive with a “reasonably static membership” of 33.
“Numbers are a little bit down from the 60s and 70s when most bowling clubs had a waiting list of people wishing to join, but we always welcome new members.
“We have one of the lowest subs in town.”