00:00I'm at the Central Edgbaston Bowling Club, and with me is its president, Eric Jonesbury.
00:07Hello.
00:08Hi. Tell me, when was this club founded?
00:11This club was founded in 1884, and the actual pavilion was put in place in 1900.
00:19What's interesting about when you were founded in 1884, this is the period when bowling clubs really began to get
00:26going.
00:26Why was there a sudden increase in activity?
00:30I don't know. I think it really has been a very popular sport during that period.
00:36I think we had 155 members.
00:39The interesting thing I noticed about the history of your club is you played a major role in the First
00:44World War.
00:45What sort of things did you do during the war?
00:47Yes, every month we did old little events for the people that came back from the war that were injured.
00:54I basically gave them a respite from the hospitals, which were really under pressure from the amounts of people that
01:00came.
01:01Yeah, that's quite an important role to actually play, so you play a big community role as well.
01:06All the local community around actually paid for them to come. There was no charges to anybody.
01:13Now, competition-wise, how are competitions organised with the club?
01:19Well, we have a set amount of competition for various leagues. At the moment, we're playing for three leagues, and
01:27we play on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
01:31Now, age group, everybody assumes that if you're playing bowls, it's granddad. Is that really the truth, or is there
01:39a mixed age?
01:40No, no, no. People play from the age of 12 upwards, and we encourage even younger than that to come
01:45and play. We have the equipment for them to play. So, all ages.
01:50And has the club always been on this particular site in Edgbaston?
01:53Well, initially, before 1884, we were at the Plough Hotel on the Agree Road there. I think it was a
02:01bit of a dispute about croquet and bowls. I think it was a bit of a rumble. And we came
02:09over here, across the road, and started here.
02:12So, how many members does the club actually operate now?
02:15We have 66 members, and of all ages. I mean, really, it's younger people, couples.
02:23People want to actually join your club and come and perhaps sample bowling. When's the best time to do that?
02:29Well, the season starts around May time, and runs through till October. And then, after that time, we get the
02:37club and use it for social events.
02:40So, Eric, if people want to actually join in or find out more about you, what's the best way?
02:46Well, they can pop in and have a word with us, have a look around, or they can contact us
02:50by social media.
02:52So, there you go. So, if you fancy coming down, having a go, grab your woods and join in.
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