Lots of Years Ago.
7 – 10 – 47
First women member admitted to the St. Albans Bowling Club. Preference was given to wives of men members. Numbers capped at 32.
6 – 10 – 06
After nearly 100 years, Bowls Canterbury has a home of its own, the old Fendalton women’s club.
The provincial body, preparing for its centenary in 2007 has taken over the clubhouse and green at Fendalton Park. It will be officially opened on Sunday week. The move made Canterbury one of the few associations with its own green. And it couldn’t be more timely as the centre prepare to host five international events in the next 18 months, culminating in the world championships in January 2008.
Bowls needed to move from the city offices at Colombo St that it had had for many years, said the then publicity officer Noel McGregor.
1 – 10 – 09
The wet weather also curtailed bowling on the men’s 7s and 3/4s competitions when round one was cancelled on the Friday.
This was a better outcome when on one particular afternoon during 2008 – 9 nobody knew what was happening with greens opening and closing in all directions. And players coming and going too!!!
Thirteen Years Ago.
7 – 10 – 12
SAM’s first tournament of the year was held with a new format. Three different games of pairs were played.
1] 2x2x2x2
2] 2x4x2
3] 3 bowls
The format proved very successful and an enjoyable day was had by all. 22 teams were participating.
First: Neil Johnson David Vujcich Elmwood
Second: Graham Gridgeman Isobel Gridgeman Parklands
Third: Mark Young Bryce Young Belfast
Lots of the older members were not so keen on this format because of the amount of walking they had to do.
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13 – 10 – 12
Not a great start to the interclub season with all games being cancelled. It would be certain that the bowls info. line, 351 2225, would have been well used.
12 – 11 – 12.
The St. Albans-Merivale Bowling Club had its first session of Twilight Bowls although it was called Businesshouse Bowls. It was a brave move and it was an attempt to interest people in bowls and also as a way of earning money for the club.
Mick Tarling and Luke McClintock worked very hard to ensure its success.
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Eleven Years Ago
11 – 10 – 14
Saturday interclub began today with the usual amount of anticipation. Having said that division 3 sevens teams might feel somewhat aggrieved as their competitive season has only four games in their season while the division 5 2/4 ladies have nine games including two Saturdays that have games in both morning and afternoon. Somewhat of a contrast. Two games in one day will be particularly unpopular.
What a great start for the men’s interclub, five wins and a draw. And what a pleasure to play on good greens, the sun on your back and no wind!!!
Three wins at Canterbury was very pleasing because everybody played quality bowls. Brian Walsh had a great singles tussle with Ron Todd.
Nothing is ever simple. When the results were sent through on Sunday the Bowls Canterbury results page was “used.” Sadly St Albans-Merivale Bowling Club was omitted from the club list on the results pages and will not send as a message comes up to name the club. St Albans Park is there. But not St Albans-Merivale. So extra time was spent in writing out all the results in email form!!!!!!!
13 – 10 – 14
Parking became available for members and visitors on the Nurse Maude area behind the west end of the Hartmont Green. Plenty of spaces were available.
Entry was from Mansfield Avenue.
Welcome to the 2016 – 2017 bowls season, which I can tell you is going to be quite different from what we have experienced in the past.
This season we are combining with Elmwood Bowling Club for the purposes of interclub competition. Our players will be mixed in with theirs and will play home games either here in Donald Place or at the Elmwood Green, players will be advised in good time where they will be playing and with whom. For championship men’s bowls the two clubs will operate their own competitions and winners will have their names recorded on the club honours board as in the past.
Some women are going to be involved with Elmwood ladies and play with them in their competitions.
It is still most important that we grow our membership if we are to survive as an independent club, failure to do so will eventually bring about an enforced amalgamation in no more than two short years, so please try your best to encourage family members and friends, especially the younger generations, to give bowls a go, who knows they might even thank you.
2018
Many thanks to Allan Reid, Don Baker, Peter Duke and many volunteers who have put in many hours of work over the winter to put in a new toilet and upgrade the surrounds of the bowling green at Heaton St.
Oct 2020
There was a very good turnout by club members at the recent meeting with representatives of Delloittes, who had been employed by Elmwood Park to look into the seemingly endless alternatives for building new club rooms and a probable artificial second green at Heaton Street. The meeting was most satisfactory and endorsed the good move by our club’s administrative committee to employ highly professional consultants.
There was a large majority of club members in favour of building a new clubroom on the same footprint of the existing damaged clubhouse and to do so without continuing the original intention of a multi-sport Elmwood Club complex.
No concrete decisions came from the special meeting but the club executive has been given the right to proceed with plans to have a new clubroom, with the majority present being in favour of a single storey structure. So, after some years of little progress for the multi-sport idea, it was good to hear that there will be immediate negotiations for a new bowls centre.
There was also strong support for a second artificial surface where the “sand-pit” presently exists, with or without a roofed cover. There is a need for a lot more investigation into this matter but an ongoing financial benefit would certainly result if Elmwood Park was the instigator of Christchurch’s first proper covered artificial facility.
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7 – 10 – 23
Unfortunately, due to the weather, we have had to postpone the President’s Triples due to be played this afternoon. Hopefully a further date can be allocated later in the season.
Disappointment that the first three Saturdays of the new season have resulted in plan changes and the green has not been able to be used. We certainly appear to have offended the weather gods!!!
Better luck next week for the first round of interclub. 
9 – 10 – 23
Three Saturdays of rain, finally some bowls. The new green was used for the first time as the Edwards Cup got underway.
Brian Smith welcoming the players.
EP Blue 2 v EP Gold 1.
W. Leney 20 E. Clark 23 P. Felton 15 A. Wood 13 B. Lyttle 21 G. McClurg 10
Fen 2 BU 1
Points till 9/10: Fen 4 EP Blue 4 BU 2 EP Gold 2
10 – 10 – 23
SALE OF DONALD PLACE
The executive can confirm that, after some difficulties, which seem to have been surmounted with the advice of our lawyers, Anderson Lloyd, a fresh agreement for sale and purchase has been entered into with slightly different purchasers with a new settlement date of next year.
The Club has received further funds in the meantime.
Brian Smith and Neil Johnstone have been kept very busy on this matter and we thank the executive and Jamie Wagner for their help and support.
10 – 10 – 24
Shannon McIlroy crowned inaugural Bowls5 champion.
Shannon McIlroy has added to his already glittering resume, being crowned the inaugural Bowls5 Champion, defeating world champion Ryan Bester in the final which was broadcast last night.
