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Belvedere Social Bowls Club

Bowls


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COME AND JOIN US !

We are often looking for new players, that is anyone who has not played outdoor bowls before and would like to give it a try, or anyone who has played bowls before for another club and wants a change. The age range of the club is 18 - 80+, and anyone can apply to join - ladies and men, whether single, or with a partner - all are welcome.

map BSBC

Our club is small and friendly, having around 50 members. Currently, nearly all our matches are mixed (men and women together). All these matches are Friendlies played against other bowls’ clubs in the area. They are usually played at the weekend in the afternoon from about 2.30 and finishing around 6.00pm, although we do have some mid-week matches as well. We have a break for tea half-way through!

Our home fixtures are played at West Heath Recreation Ground. There is an entrance to the park in Heath Avenue, Bexleyheath DA7 5RT, but on match days we use our car park in Clovelly Road, DA7 5RQ.


man bowling

Change your view of Bowls!

Bowls is not a stuffy old-people’s game! It can be played by anyone because it affords the opportunity, not available in many other sports, to play competitively regardless of age.

Do not let a painful knee or back put you off – we all have them!!

Like many games, the object of Bowls is essentially simple, but to be able to play consistently well demands determination, concentration, and practice.

 

Bowls is more than you think

Bowls is not only a sport, you can also have a varied and very active social life. Bowls is the ideal sport for meeting new people, socializing and meeting new challenges head-on.

Bowls is a sport for life, as it improves your general health by providing an opportunity for regular gentle exercise, just try it!

There must be many people who would like to have a go at Lawn Bowls, so that they can decide for themselves if it is something they would like to do. This website has been set up to encourage you to do so. We would like you to join us, so have a read through and see what you think.


Cartoon Bowler

How much does it cost?

There is a cost associated with playing any sport. Lawn Bowls must be one of the cheapest sports to play.

Fees for membership of Belvedere Social Bowls Club are currently: -

Annual season ticket £100 a year, but £55 in the first year. This allows unlimited bowling at the home green

for no additional cost.

Match costs are currently £1.00 to cover the cost of refreshments.

Equipment and Clothing

If you decide to take up the game of Bowls, the basic equipment is:-

There are additional clothing costs, but these are comparatively inexpensive.  There are second-hand bowls items of and clothing for sale at our club house and at those of our opponent clubs.


Cartoon Bowler

Learning to Play – Play for free!

Bowls is a relatively simple game.

It's easy to play bowls, just pick up a bowl and try to get it as close as you can to the little white ball - the jack! To help you play better there are: -

            • Free training sessions - equipment provided

            • Weekly practice sessions

            • Club coaching sessions


How do I start?

We meet at the Bowls green each Wednesday (from May to September) at 6:00p.m. for a practice/coaching session. This is open to the public and anyone considering playing can come and join us for four free sessions, to see if lawn bowls is for them. We provide any equipment that is needed for your practice sessions, but please wear flat shoes (no stilettos!). This is also a chance to socialise with other club members over a cup of tea/coffee and biscuits. There is also an Open Day where you can come along and have a go. (See Contacts for location of green and date of Open Day). If you can't make the Open Day or a Wednesday evening, just contact the club and a convenient time and date can be arranged for you to have a go.

FIXTURES

Match Days

Friendly matches are played almost every Saturday and Sunday afternoon during the season, plus the occasional weekday match. The season lasts from the middle of April until the end of September. We are the only Club to use the green at West Heath Recreation Ground so, with the regular practice evenings on Wednesdays, and casual play available at all other times, as well as a variety of competitions, there is ample opportunity to actually play bowls.

Every Tuesday afternoon at 1.30pm Members can take part in the PM Club, which is designed to give them a taste of playing in different team positions in a very relaxed atmosphere.

Apart from the previously mentioned mixed Friendly matches, members do enter outside competitions, including County, North Kent and Borough and (for those members also part of Belvedere Social Club) CIU. The calendar can get very busy for some. We have had particular success in recent years in the North Kent comps with some of our members reaching semi-finals and finals.

winners NK2018
North Kent Div 6 league winners

Another competition that the men are involved in is the North West Kent Men’s Triples League, involving eight clubs, most of whom we don’t meet in Friendlies. This League is divided into eight Divisions and when we joined in 2016 we were placed at the bottom, in Division 8. Over the past four years, however, our members have progressed upwards and, if Covid-19 hadn’t interfered, would have been playing in Division 5 in 2020. Alas, that competition, like so many, has been suspended for this year so we have to kick our heels until next season.

Dress Down Days have now become regular features on our programme. As the title implies, members can dress how they wish (within reason, of course!) and compete in an afternoon of mixed-up team games. All great fun and usually followed by a BBQ.

dress down day

Coach Trips

On match days which involve a coach trip, the rendezvous is Belvedere Social Club, Nuxley Road. The coach leaves at 10am. Currently the coach trips are to Herne Bay, Cheriton (Folkestone), New Romney, Hythe, Whitstable and Deal. At the moment the coach trips cost £18 per bowler, and £15 per visitor. This cost includes refreshments and green fees at the opponent's green.  


Members’ Commitments - Competitive and Non-Competitive

Members can be as involved, or not, as they wish. They can just come to the green with other members and have a social game of bowls, they can meet other clubs in Friendlies, they can take part in our own Internal Competitions, or they can enter Borough, North Kent, CIU, County and National Competitions if they wish. It is entirely up to them. Obviously, we’d like you to play bowls for the Club, but unlike some clubs, we do not insist on members taking part in a minimum number of friendlies as a condition of entering County or National Competitions – it’s just a game ! You make the choice for as many or as few as you wish. Of course, we would prefer the former. Currently we have over 60 fixtures, nearly all of which are mixed matches (men and ladies).



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