Maiden Erlegh marks its 75th anniversary
MEMBERS of Maiden Erlegh Bowls Club (MEBC) are celebrating the club’s 75th anniversary this year.
In recognition of this milestone they have a number of special challenge matches which kicked off earlier in the year against Whiteknights Indoor Bowls club, and will also include celebration matches against both Bowls England, and Berkshire County, later in the outdoor season.
It was August 1939 when the first steps were taken to establish a new bowls club but with the advent of the Second World War progress was slow.
In 1943 a suitable plot of land off Beech Lane was identified and the following year the club started to play its first competitive games, including a celebration match against English Bowling Association.
In 1947 a pavilion was opened, and the club continued to thrive for the next 20 years.
Significantly, in 1967 a ladies section was established. At the end of the
60’s with local bowls restricted to the summer season, members of a number of clubs came together to form a new indoor club.
They chose to lease land from the MEBC and built the Whiteknights Indoor Bowling Club which opened in 1971. It had its own entrance and car park operated independently of the MEBC.
By the early 1990s MEBC’s original pavilion was in dire need of replacement, but a number of very dry summers had caused rapid deterioration of the green.
The pavilion funds were diverted to the installation of a new irrigation system. It wasn’t successful and for the first time in its history MEBC started to lose members.
The only option appeared to be to re-lay the green at considerable expense.
At the same time Whiteknights were outgrowing their parking space to the point it was adversely affecting residents.
After various meetings between the two clubs a solution to both problems was agreed. MEBC agreed to relocate part of their green on to the land previously occupied by the pavilion.
The space freed up would be used as additional parking for the indoor club. Additional facilities were built to improve the indoor club, and a new club room and changing facilities for MEBC.
In addition MEBC could use the bar, kitchen and club rooms of Whiteknights during the summer season meaning a new pavilion wasn’t required. At the end of 1995 the work started and the old pavilion was demolished.
This arrangement has continued for the last 15 years, to the benefit of both clubs.
MEBC continues to flourish. It remains a friendly and welcoming club with enough playing members to field multiple teams in local leagues.
On the way it’s moved with the times. Men no longer need to wear jackets and ties and shorts can now be worn by all.
Casual wear is encouraged for rollups and evening social bowling.
Web pages, email and social media have been embraced. There’s no reason to suppose they won’t be celebrating their centenary in another 25 years.
The group is holding open afternoons on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 12 between 2pm and 5pm.