Save Skegness Bowling Greens

National World

A public meeting was held at the Sun Castle in Skegness to explore ways to save the North Parade Bowling Greens.

Transcript

00:00It is the EPF's hope, and we will not rest until we've done everything we can to support

00:13any group that can take on these greens, to keep them to the standard that they once were.

00:21And they were a decent standard. It's only got to look like this over the last ten years.

00:30And I think they've been deliberately downgrading the greens, particularly over the last five years.

00:39And I believe that the problem we have now got is that, from an EPF perspective, it becomes very embarrassing for us.

00:53When we hold county competitions all over the country, people qualify to come and play at the Skep Ness

01:03and then have to play on greens, which they describe as cabbage patches.

01:08And not being funny about it, that's basically what they are.

01:14The EPF is putting some money into it this year because we've now asked someone to try and make the greens as good as they can

01:25between now and the EPF championships in August.

01:30So we're investing a little bit of money at the moment because we feel it's the right thing to do.

01:37What we would love to see is a body taking over these greens so that they become responsible for the greens.

01:47And I'm sure in a town like Skep Ness, there are people out there who would willingly volunteer to help maintain the greens,

01:59provided they were given the right training and everything else.

02:02Because that's what happens in bowling clubs throughout the country.

02:07So it can happen here in Skep Ness.

02:10So I'm really, really fully behind what these gents are doing and I think they're doing a brilliant job so far.

02:18And the EPF will support them as far as they possibly can.

02:24Joseph Sires, I'm a bowler at Skep Ness Bowling Greens here.

02:28I live here all summer and I'm the main organiser of the competition this week.

02:33Some of the hoteliers here do know me because you support us.

02:37If we do get an extension, then I will volunteer.

02:43I will run another week with help somewhere along the timeline.

02:49And just to say that Mangalbisa didn't know that this competition was running, but the ERDC has said they didn't.

02:55I don't know whether or not I'm grateful for them.

02:57And I will help you in any way I can.

03:03I'm Julianne Bunt and I've got the North Craig Hotel on the scene for Skep Ness.

03:07Now you've come along to the public meeting about the bowling greens tonight.

03:12Would you like to see them saved?

03:15Yes, I would.

03:16Why is that?

03:18The income that it brings to the area is absolutely phenomenal.

03:22We've met a lot of friends through the bowling.

03:24It's a brilliant thing to see people coming here.

03:28They've been coming for years.

03:30It would just be a massive loss to the town.

03:32It's not only from our hotel, it's the pubs, it's the bars, it's the friends that they've all made along the way.

03:40It would just be such a huge loss to us.

03:42I mean, there are two big weeks at the moment in Skep Ness.

03:47Are they good for business for you?

03:49Oh, definitely.

03:50There was about five, I think, maybe four, that used to run every single year.

03:55And every time they were on, we were full.

03:58And now it's obviously come down to two.

04:00Josie, she's done a lot of the hard work for this one to even get this to go ahead in June.

04:06We do the adverts.

04:07We pay Josie to do a lot of the work that she does here just to be able to keep this June one going.

04:12So, yeah, it's sad that it's diminishing.

04:15It's such a shame.

04:17They were hoping that it would build up.

04:19Is that something you'd like to see in the future?

04:22Yes, it would, because it means that more hotels, more caravans, more B&Bs, more air B&Bs are going to be full.

04:30So it's just a win-win situation because it's just income that's coming into the area, which we all desperately need.

04:38Richard, a great turnout tonight.

04:40How are you feeling?

04:41Yes, we're very pleased with how the meeting's progressed tonight.

04:45We feel we've made really positive steps towards moving this in the right direction,

04:51given the circumstances of which the meeting has to take place.

04:57We're working with a very short timescale here, and we're going to build a North Parade Bowling Green Association

05:03to hopefully progress this matter with East Indoor District Council.

05:06Now, if anybody wanted to get involved and support you, how would they do that?

05:10Well, as you can see, since the meeting ended about 10 minutes ago, we've still got signatures coming in now.

05:15So the first step will be we'll contact all parties that have expressed an interest in joining,

05:22and then we will call an association meeting to decide which is the best way to progress.

05:27Just keep watching the news and see how people can help.

05:31Thank you very much, yes.

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