THIS week, the team from the Live Borders Museum and Gallery, Tweeddale Museum in Peebles look back at the history of the town’s bowling club.

THE history of bowling in Peebles can be traced back to the sixteenth century were a green is noted on Castlehill behind the Parish Church. The first recorded end to be played is dated May 18, 1829 making it the fourth oldest Scottish club.

Games were played at Castlehill where the green was leased annually at a rate of £1 10s. 

The turf was re-laid in 1862 at a cost of £16 6s 6d and it is noted that a ‘patent cutting machine’ was purchased. 

Although the unfortunate green keeper who was known to have only received £5 annually, was in fact docked 5s (25p) ‘to cover the cost of repair to the cutting machine that he had broken’.

Big changes occurred in 1873 when the club moved to a former nursery ground adjoining the railway at Walkershaugh – the land was leased from the Town Council at a rate of £3 per year. 

An investment of over £200 was made to form the new bowling green and a loan was also secured from the owner of the Tontine Hotel on Peebles High Street to provide a clubhouse.

Fundraising efforts in 1912 resulted in the club raising enough to buy out the council with funds remaining to rebuild the clubhouse to the one we see today. 

At its formal opening in 1914, it was described as ‘one of the handsomest in the country’.

Lady members were permitted to join the club in the year 1920 and in the same year, the Glenconner Shield was presented in commemoration of county bowlers who fell in World War I. 

The shield is still competed for annually and is so valuable it is kept in a bank.

Peebles bowler Mr J. D. Brown achieved national success playing for the Scottish team in 1938-39. 

In 1967 Sunday play was finally permitted and now most competitions are played on a Sunday and nowadays the club is more popular than ever with around 90 members competing regularly.

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