ONE OF Weymouth’s thriving bowls clubs is celebrating its centenary year this year.

Greenhill Bowling Club on the seafront by Greenhill Gardens and tennis courts was established by the council for the people of the borough in 1910 and is still going from strength to strength.

It has a healthy number of men and women members and several of them have done on to attain county and national glory in competitions.

Ten years ago, members clubbed together to raise the £150,000 needed to rebuild the clubhouse after they failed to win financial help from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council or the National Lottery.

Today, matches are played most days in the season on the smooth green, which is the same one that was first laid a century ago.

Alec Bignell has been the club’s green keeper for the past six years.

He said: “The green is made of Cumberland turf and is the same one that was laid 100 years ago. Cumberland turf is the best turf you can have for a bowls club because the grass is fine and doesn’t grow too long.”

Margaret Crawford is the secretary of the club’s ladies section, which was founded in 1949. She has vivid memories of the clubhouse being rebuilt a decade ago.

“I remember coming down here in the old days and there were just some benches and the green.

“The clubhouse was little more than a shed, it was very basic. The men’s changing area was in the lounge and there was a screen they could pull across when they were getting changed.

“We decided we needed a new clubhouse because in 1999 we were told that if we didn’t watch out the roof would collapse.”

The old building was demolished on December 6, 1999, and the club’s new premises were completed and ready for the opening of the new season in April 2000.

June Searle, who has been a member of the club for 34 years and won national glory in Triples competitions with fellow club members Margaret Poots and Irene Briggs, remembers the way everyone pulled together to complete the rebuild and refurbishment.

“Everyone did a magic job and a lot went into doing it,” she said.

“Everything was done by club members, even the plumbing and tiling. We have a lot of members who are craftsmen and they will do things for the club and as a result, everything was ready for the new season.”

Although members have clear memories of the club’s recent history, there are still some large gaps that they would like to fill in.

Alec said: “At the moment we can’t find any records dating back to before 1945. I am sure there must be some somewhere, tidied away in someone’s attic or cupboards, but it would be really lovely to see them and learn about the early days of the club.

“We don’t even know what happened during the war – was the club still going? Was the green covered up? There is so much we would like to find out.”

If anyone can help Greenhill Bowling Club in its centenary year, call Alec on 01305 789090.