200 Years of Friary
200 Years of Friary Bowling Club
2020 was the bi-centennial of the Friary Bowling Club, and for many months before the Covid-19 pandemic struck and sent us all into lockdown, we had been planning a number of special events. These included a 200th Anniversary Tournament for which a number of local clubs had been invited to enter teams, and a Celebration Match against a team representing Bowls England. We had hoped these events would spark local interest and generate publicity for the club.
However, the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic mean that the Celebration Match could not take place in 2020. Although the green re-opened for play half way through the season, we could only play in quite a restricted way, and it was not practicable to hold the Anniversary Tournament. This was therefore postponed to a future date and finally played in September 2021.
To mark this important anniversary, we were able to publish a booklet telling the story of the club over its 200 year history. Sadly, the booklet is now sold out.
Some of the photos from the archives are displayed below. The originals of the photographs shown here can be viewed at the Hampshire Records Office, Sussex Street, Winchester, SO23 8TH, Tel: 01962 846154, email: archives.enquiries@hants.gov.uk, website: www.hants.gov.uk/archives
Winchester: The Friary Bowling Club; group portrait of members, 1867. Left to right: John Spurrier Parmiter, Postmaster; George Barnes, Brewer; William Coles, City Surveyor and Builder/Architect of Market House; William Budden, Alderman and three times Mayor; Thomas Stopher senior., County Surveyor; Johny Waterman, Park Merchant; JS Morris (with callipers) , Auctioneer; Henry Rawlinson, Draper; Charley Coles, brother of William; Henry Brown, Painter; Mr Watts. Landlord of the Crown Inn, Kingsgate Street; Tom Whiotek, Bishop’s Apparitor.
Winchester; The Friary Ladies Bowling Club; group portrait at the First Dinner in 1949 (in no order Mrs L W Joyce, Mrs H T Heather (captain), Mrs N J Bower (Honorary Treasurer), Mrs J Gordon Watson (Chairman [sic]), Mrs A Kerrigan (Honorary Secretary), Miss E M Hillier, Mrs B Drury, Mrs W C Wedge, Mrs G Wiltshire, Mrs C Y Pinnock, Mrs W Hutchings, Mrs W Lanthorn, Mrs R Chisnell, Mrs B J Dunmill, Mrs Cookman, Mrs A T Edmonds, Mrs P Taylor, Mrs H N Collins, Mrs R Blake, Mrs J Barter).