DISCOVER TEDDINGTON’S HIDDEN SPORT
Could you be bowled over by bowls in Teddington?
Teddington offers a appetising range of sporting opportunities but one that many people do not know about is Teddington Bowls Club (TBC) , despite lawn bowls being played locally since 1910.
That may be because of the Club’s rather tucked-away venue, in the little park called Grove Gardens off Cambridge Road.
The green there is busy with all manner of bowling activities from mid-April to the end of September every year.
There are more than a dozen home matches against other local clubs (and as many away), a variety of one-day and knockout competitions for members, a Friday afternoon teams league and a “roll-up” (practice session) every Wednesday afternoon.
Highlights of the calendar include a “Come and Try Bowls” recruiting afternoon, which this year is being held as part of the Friends of Grove Gardens Open Day on May 6, and the Finals on the first weekend of September which the winners of the various knockout competitions are decided.
Bowls is often viewed as a sport for older people, and the age profile of TBC at present bears this out.
The Club welcomes people of all ages, but its members are in general over 60 (the green fees payable to Richmond Council are much lower for people in this age bracket).
For such people bowls can offer many benefits – regular gentle outdoor physical exercise, a mental challenge in mastering a new skill and the social aspect of meeting people with the same hobby, whether Teddington members, or those of opposing clubs.
The game can be one of subtlety as players try to bowl their “woods” closer to the Jack than their opponents’, but outright attack is also sometimes the order of the day as a “skip” (captain) tries to knock the opponent’s winning bowl or bowls out of the “head” (the cluster of bowls around the Jack).
Games can be played between teams of four (rinks), three (triples), pairs or singles and can last longer than three hours in some cases..
Teddington Bowling Club has been through many twists and turns since its foundation in 1910 on a little 2-rink green next to the then Clarence (now the Park Hotel.)
When bowling relocated to The Grove in 1935, it had its own greenkeeper who also looked after a now long-abandoned putting green. At that time, there were two clubs, one for ladies and the other for gents.
These days, Richmond Council owns the green and supports the upkeep club facilities including changing rooms and a tea room.
Anyone using the Green must pay a one-off Council fee or buy a season ticket, but one thing’s for sure – bowls is an awful lot cheaper than golf.
Teddington is a friendly club welcoming people of all ages and raising money, largely through annual charity days for worthy cases such as Teddington Hospital and Cancer Research UK.
If you have any queries about the above, please contact the Club Secretary Gerrard Raven, email gednor425@gmail.com .
