Indoor bowls club reopens after revamp
IPSWICH and District Indoor Bowling Club opened its doors on Saturday after undergoing a major refurbishment.The Rushmere Road club staged a grand reopening after completing work costing more than £130,000.
IPSWICH and District Indoor Bowling Club opened its doors on Saturday after undergoing a major refurbishment.
The Rushmere Road club staged a grand reopening after completing work costing more than £130,000.
The club, which opened in 1970 and is owned by its members, underwent a major refurbishment in 1998 with the aid of a National Lottery grant.
Bill Barnard, the club's secretary-manager, said: “We are a members club who make a small profit each year, and we allocated some money out of that each year towards the refurbishment.
“More than 100 players and guests attended on Saturday and everybody had a good day and was impressed with the new facilities.”
The club has more than a thousand members, including a junior section whose ages range from five to 15 years old. The club also support the Constable Bowlers, who are partially sighted.
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The day was marked with a Junior Pairs tournament and an Adult Fours tournament.
Twelve pairs from nine different clubs took part in the Junior Pairs tournament, which was open to bowlers under 18 years of age.
The event was won by Louise Catchpole and Ben Harber from Beccles Indoor Bowls Club, with Karl Brooks and Holly Lammas of Harwich IBC runners-up.
The Adults Fours tournament saw bowlers from 20 clubs around the region competing in teams that were drawn on the day.
The winners were Carol Barnard (Ipswich & District IBC), Derek Page (Felixstowe IBC), Barbara Chittock (Ipswich & District IBC) and John Russell (Clacton IBC).
The runners-up were Eric Crouch (Acle IBC), Sandra Foss (Jacks Centre, Latchingdon), Graham Rowland (Sudbury IBC) and Margaret Grover (Clacton IBC).
The two teams finished level on points but were separated by six shots.
All winners and runners-up received vouchers as their prizes donated by Martin Curtis of Bowls World in Ipswich.
The day was attended by Suffolk men's president Derek Rosier and his wife and Suffolk ladies' president Margaret Coles and her guest.
Also in attendance were Ipswich and District Indoor Bowls Club president Syd Podd and his wife and club chairman John Barber and his wife plus representatives from various sponsors.
The day was sponsored by club sponsors Barnards of Stowmarket, Dales Sports Surfaces, who supplied the floor, underlay and carpet and Environmental Technology, who undertook work on the lighting, ceiling and climate control.
A raffle was held on the day which raised £250 for Wellingborough Bowls Club, whose premises suffered a fire earlier this year and will cost in the region of £400,000 to rebuild.
