Indoor skiing, go-karting, ‘orbing’ or simply going out for pizza are just some of the many after-school activities that our boarders enjoy in their leisure time whilst living in their boarding house. However, never have any of them tried the age-old game of lawn bowls, until Thursday 11 May, when a group of boys from Sanderson’s House enjoyed a lesson and a game at the Bedford Borough Bowling Club.
The idea came from Sanderson’s Lower Sixth boys, who observed that on average, they walk past the Bowling Club at least 750 times every year en route to and from school, but not once gone inside. They were intrigued to find out more and asked their Housemaster, Mr Midgley, if they could plan their next excursion there.
Mr Midgley explained, “This was a great idea that came from the boys themselves and, after a phone call to the club, a lesson and a game was booked. I can’t thank the members and coaches at the club enough. They bent over backwards to help the boys and make them feel welcome. It’s so important for us to immerse ourselves and be part of the Bedford community, and what a unique way to get involved this was! The Bedford Borough Bowling Club is an incredible facility with both indoor and outdoor greens. All the boys thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
The boys, all of whom had never played the game before, learned the basic rules, names of the different pieces of equipment and, interestingly, that the wood has a bias, which dictates its movement and, therefore, to the untrained hand, does not always go where you want it to!
Perhaps the most memorable part of the excursion was how warm and friendly the members and coaches were. With an average age of 76 and four members over 90 years old, the men and women were delighted to share their love of the game with the younger generation and revelled in their interest and enthusiasm for the game.
One of the boys, Freddie Tucker, said of the trip, “Since I have walked past the Bowling Club hundreds of times, actually going into the club, and being coached by the incredibly friendly members was the most enjoyable part for me.”
When asked if the boys would like to do it again, it was a resounding “yes” all round.
