Popular club pushes on through pandemic
Burniston & Cloughton Bowls Club ready for action to resume
As was the situation for most sports clubs 2020 proved a strange and difficult year for Burniston and Cloughton Bowls Club.
They had all the usual expenses to meet, the major one in their case being the maintenance of the green, absolutely vital for a bowls club, but they had few if any of the usual ways of raising income.
Membership fees were down, and in any case almost entirely voluntary, and all the seasonal events like whistle stop competitions had to be cancelled.
Added to this the club was not in the position to benefit from the very generous grants that the council was able to award to other bowls and sports clubs
However, none of these factors stopped the club from going ahead with developments fuelled by generous bequests
from Joy Calder, who was for many years the Ladies’ Captain, and Margaret Mawe, another long time member, they were, with the assistance of a helpful builder and the determined help of players like Gerald Revell, able to go ahead and add a substantial extension to their clubhouse.
This involved enlarging the building by extending at the back, negotiating a steepish slope, completely remodelling the toilet facilities, adding a bank of lockers for their members and carpeting throughout.
The great disappointment about this of course is that members have not yet been able to enjoy these new facilities.
Not content with this the club decided to update its image by adopting a new club shirt and move away from the standard white gear.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Scarborough Flooring all club members have been issued with the new shirt.
The 2020 season was not entirely a wash out, although unable to play other teams the members, observing some restrictions, and taking advantage of some fine weather, decided that play should continue for longer into the autumn than usual by organising some internal competitions.
The umbrella event, organised by the club coach Bob Cross, involved any member interested in playing.
The scoring system remains a mystery to anybody without a degree in mathematics but adds to the mystique of the event. Another addition was the introduction of the “Burniston Bash” a much simpler, shorter, event and one doubtless that would horrify the more traditional followers of bowls.
However they proved so popular that it is fully intended to continue with them this season.
Burniston and Cloughton has prided itself on entertaining visiting clubs from all over the British Isles but although this does not look likely to continue this year tentative plans are in place to widen the scope of matches against the usual local opponents with trips to, amongst others, Harrogate and Barnard Castle.
It is hoped that their perennial visitors from Saxilby in Lincolnshire will again make the trip north.
Rather more tenuous are ambitious plans to make the ground a place of botanical interest so that the players both from Burniston and Cloughton and visiting teams can enjoy competitive bowls in a pleasant and stimulating environment.
Hopefully play will start again soon with plans to open the green for practice on April 19th.
The club is keen to welcome anybody interested in enjoying some gentle exercise in congenial company.
Experienced players and complete beginners are equally welcome, equipment and coaching is available.
If you would like more information give Dave 01723 870156 or Denise 01723 364753 a ring.