History of Buntingford Bowls Club

Buntingford Bowls Club was founded early in the 20th Century - the actual date is unknown. However it is known that the club existed in 1914. It is believed that Bowling Green Lane in Buntingford became the clubs very first home with the first house off Bowlers Mead aptly named as 'Greenkeepers Cottage'. To this day the name still remains. It is then widely known that 2 rinks were formed in River Green in Buntingford. This was then to be the back garden of two of our former members Jack and Eileen Platt 

The official founding date has been recognised as 1922. The club then found it's home in its current premises in Wyddial Road in 1926. The land was purchased for a mere £50 and the green laid down by a few of the existing members. In the early years, the club house resembled a garden shed. Over the next 50 years or so, a number of "improvements" were made to allow the members to make 'refreshments'. There were no toilets, but a corrugated 'tin trap' in the open-air for the "gentlemen".

The Ladies section was founded in 1955. The Club is now fully integrated as a Mixed Bowling Club and has members ranging in age from 10 years to xx (well it would be impolite to reveal a lady's age).

In 1974, 'proper' toilets were built and the ladies then had a small comfortable changing room. The gents still then used the wooden shed "out back" - and you always made sure to kick the door before you entered and wait 30 seconds. This gave enough time for the furry creatures to disappear.........!

The next 20 years saw more improvements including the building of a kitchen, an extension to the bar cellar (a very important and memorable event) and the provision of a porta-kabin adjacent to the clubhouse. This was then used as the gents changing room for a number of years.

In 1998 the new premises opened and is a credit to the hard work of a number of Bowls club members.  With thanks from donations from the local members and the help of a Lottery grant - Buntingford now boasts a magnificent clubhouse, and this ranks alongside some of the best in the Country. The new facilities also allow social functions to be conducted in more comfortable surroundings. The new 'Club House' can comfortably seat up to 60 guests for dinner.

With a large fully fitted kitchen, well stocked bar, ample changing/cloak rooms and disabled facilities, the clubhouse is a great venue for private parties, meetings, presentations, etc.

Please visit 'Photo History' for pictures of 'yester-year' and photograph's of the reconstruction of the Clubhouse in 1998.

If you wish to book the Clubhouse for a Social event please make contact through the email address located on the Home Page.

Known Membership since 1914
260 Past Members (119 Profile Photograph's loaded)
86 Current Members (81 Profile Photograph's loaded)
2 Associate Member (1 Profile Photograph loaded)
1 Hononary Member

349 Members Past & Present - Known to date as at 17th December 2011
(202 Profile Photograph's loaded)

NB// If you know of anyone that is missing from any Member list (past or present) then please could you let me know by emailing the address above.


The County of Hertfordshire consists of 79 Bowling Clubs, with 4846 playing members as at the start of 2011 season. (This includes 1748 Ladies and 3098 Men). All but 3 of those clubs across Hertfordshire have both Female and Male members. 

The County of Hertfordshire is split into 4 playing areas, East, North, South and West and Buntingford play their games out of the East Area. Buntingford is a highly competitive club and has enjoyed much success over the years.

On the field of play Buntingford’s first success is recognised in 1924 when the club won the East Herts Bowls League Rink Competition. The club then followed up this success the very next year by retaining the same competition as well as winning the Pairs competition. Buntingford were then crowned the Division One Champions in 1926.

 

Unfortunately records for external competitions seem to have been lost between the years 1927 and 1964. This is despite much searching throughout the archives. However, it could be that Buntingford didn’t have any success during this 37 year period – but I doubt that very much……..

 

Internal club records exist from 1929 on the men’s side with the first Men’s Singles Champion being recorded as W.H. Smith. The first Ladies Singles champion in 1955 was Lillian Owen-Smith. This was the year when the Ladies section was first established.

 

Ron Bown became the first player in 1983 to achieve the unique accolade of winning all of the ‘Big Four’ Club competitions in the same season. The ‘Big Four’ being the Club Championship Singles, Club Handicap Singles, Club Four Wood Pairs and Club Two Wood Pairs. Mark Plume in 2004 and Rosemary Webber in 2006 reached all 4 competitions in the same seasons but were unable to match Ron Bown’s record. Only 12 players in the Clubs History have won all of the Big Four Club Competitions.

 

Please visit the Club Records sections for all your ‘facts and stats’.

 

The club’s first National Champions came in the Royal British Legion National Mixed Pairs Competition. Although this tournament is not affiliated to the English National Bowls Association, this is a tremendous achievement and deserves to go down in Buntingford’s great History. Eileen and Mers Stean were crowned the National Champions in 1990.

 

A former Member who began his career at Buntingford Bowls club has gone on to win International honours. Matthew Coppen joined the club at just 10 years old in 1999 when he took up the sport with his Grandad, Roger Saxon. Matthew moved away in 2003 but has since won the National Under 25 Singles, the British Isles Under 25 Singles and has many England International Caps to his name.

 

Buntingford have been represented at the Bowls England National Championships in Worthing on 2 separate occasions. First was in 2007 when Mark Plume, John Powell and Scott Wake played in the National Triples competition. This followed up their success by winning the Hertfordshire Triples Title in the same year.

The second occasion came in 2008 in the National Fours Championships when Roger Evans, Carl Frostick, Mark Plume and Scott Wake qualified by reaching the Final of the Hertfordshire County Fours. Roger taking the place of John Powell who was unable to play at Worthing due to ill health.

 

In 1973 Stuart Robertson became the first member from Buntingford Bowls Club to be named as Hertfordshire County President. This came 3 years after Stuart was president of the East Hertfordshire Bowls Association. Two other members have been Presidents of the East Hertfordshire Bowls Association - Eddie Plume in 1994 and Dick Hollington in 2001, but Stuart is the only club member to have been the President for Hertfordshire.

 

Many players from the club have played for Hertfordshire Bowls Association over the years but it was Mark Plume who became the first Buntingford Bowls Club member to play at the highest level for Hertfordshire when he was selected for the Inter County ‘Middleton Cup’ squad in 1996. Wayne O’Flanagan joined the history books when he was picked in 2001 and Scott Wake was first selected in 2002. The ‘Middleton Cup Team’ consists the top 24 bowlers from the County of Hertfordshire.

Rover Evans & Carl Frostick became Middleton Cup Trialists in 2011, but have yet to break into the squad.

 

Mark Plume and Scott Wake also became the first ever players from Buntingford Bowls Club to be selected for the Inter County ‘Top Four’ Competition in 2003. The ‘Top Four’ team consisting of the best four players from Hertfordshire. Mark and Scott remained part of the team for the next 6 years. The competition also changed its format in 2007 when it became the Inter County ‘Top Two Fours’ Competition. During each of those years that Mark and Scott represented Hertfordshire, the County never failed to reach the Regional Finals (Last 16 Nationally) of this competition.

Mark Plume, Scott Wake, Andy Iles, Wayne O'Flanagan and Carl Frostick have represented Hertfordshire on many occasions over a number of years in the Eastern Counties Under 30's Competition.

 

Mark Plume and Scott Wake were also nominated for an England International Trial in 2003 and to this day they both remain very much part of the Hertfordshire County Bowls set up. 

 

Buntingford first Hertfordshire County Trophy came in 1995 when they won the East Area League Cup. The club have now won this trophy 5 times with the most recent success coming in 2011. Only one other club in the East Area have won this trophy the same number times. However, the club’s greatest County honour came in 2005 when they were crowned Hertfordshire County League Champions. This after beating the current champions on home soil in a hard fought match.

 

Mark Plume won the club’s very first individual County Honour when he became County Under 30 Singles Champion in 1995. Mark went on to win this trophy 4 times in all, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2001, and this still remains the County Record for most wins in this particular competition. Mark also achieved a rare and unique feat by winning a HBA County competition for 3 consequetive years. Scott Wake has also won this County competition in 2004.

 

Buntingford's first success in the East Herts Bowls Association competitions is recognised as 1965 in the Lyndhurst Trophy. The club then had to wait 40 years before they won the same competition again. Buntingford have enjoyed many successes in all competition with the highest individual honours coming in the Champion of Champions competition with wins for Tom Gray in 1981 and Mark Plume (twice) in 1995 and 2004.

In the East Herts Bowls League Buntingford were first declared Champions in 1924 and 1925. The Ranson Cup (a two fours competition) was first won in 2002 with another finals appearance coming in 2009.

The Ladies have been very successful by winning the Ladies Monday Evening League competition 6 times since their first victory in 1987. Their most recent title came in 2010. This is a ‘one rink’ competition played against 10 other clubs from the surrounding area. Buntingford’s Ladies are one of the leading teams in this competition.

Mary Smith made history by becoming the first Lady member to reach a final of an external competition when she reached the Final of the East Herts District Womens Bowls Association Champion of Champions in 2001. Dinah Geere became only the second lady bowler 10 years later when she reached the final of the EHDWBA Millenuim Singles in 2011.

Buntingfords Ladies made history in 2011 when they reached their first ever external Final in the East Herts District Womens Bowls Association Anniversary Cup (Top Six) competition.  

“The main thing is still to make History, not just to write about it………….”

 
 
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