That patch of well-kept grass just off the Henllys Way traffic lights has been in tip-top condition since 1932. That’s the year when Gilbert Villars set up Cwmbran Park Bowls Club.
My late grandparents lived 100 metres from the green so I have nice memories as a kid of sunny days spent walking to the putting green with a lolly from St Dials shops and peering over the hedge at the smart members playing a match.
Now 30 years later I drive past and always smile when I see the members in their whites. It’s lovely and reassuring to think that this has been happening non-stop for 84 years.
John Alford, the club’s sponsorship officer, showed me around and told me it’s the support of the community and members that keept he club going.
VIDEO of Cwmbran Park Bowls Club
Here is John talking about the club and inviting any new players to come along and try out this popular sport.
Volunteers from the club help to keep the grass in that condition
The club lease the green and the pavilion from Torfaen Council and this means they are responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. The club pays a contractor to trim the green twice a week.
But every day half a dozen members pop along to do some work on the grass and once a week they cut it themselves.
Try out bowling
The club welcomes any new members to its Monday evening session from 6pm. You don’t need any equipment.
If you are ever at a loose end and would like to try a sample session on the green please feel free to drop in. All you need is a pair of flat bottom footwear and the club will supply the rest.
The history of Cwmbran Park Bowls Club
The club’s website has a page listing how it was set up and kept going through some tough times thanks to the hard work of Gilbert Villars. In the 1970s the club was the top club in Wales.
“In 1979, Cwmbran Park celebrated its finest hour when it won the coveted Welsh Bowling Association Carruthers Shield – Welsh bowls’ highest honour and became the Champion Club of Wales by beating Tonypandy in the final held at Barry.”
Members enjoy a fully-stocked bar that helps them to raise money to keep their club afloat
