About the Halton Castle Bowling Club
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The Origins of The
Halton Castle Bowling Club There is a long history of crown green bowling at the
Halton Castle in Westhead. At some point, however, the club folded and the green fell into disrepair. Then in 1982 a move was made to reform the club. This initiative was led by Eric Gaskell, a well-known name in local bowling circles, ably assisted by Graham Ashley. A meeting was held in what was then the tap room in the pub and it was decided that there was enough interest to take the idea forward. This was supported by a loan of £120 from the Westhead Carnival Committee. The new members set to work on getting the green back into a condition suitable for bowling. This was no easy matter as the grass was over a half a metre high in some places and the landlord’s wife had planted daffodils in the gutters. An AGM was held on
16th March 1982 prior to that first season. Officers were elected: Alan O’Brien (Chairman), Eric Gaskell (Secretary) and Graham Ashley (Treasurer). Bobby Baines was elected team captain with George Wardle as vice-captain. The new season commenced with a home game in the Ormskirk League against The Windmill. It was not an auspicious start as the away team complained, quite rightly as it happens, about the state of the green with the result that the league committee ordered The Castle to play all games away from home for that first season.
In 1983 the membership rose and it was decided to apply for membership of the Burscough Bowling League. Indeed, the proposal was to enter two teams in the Burscough League and one in the Ormskirk League. In the event the application to the former was turned down and two teams were entered in the Ormskirk League. And so the Castle “A” and Castle “B” teams came into being – and what fun that caused over the ensuing years! Captain of the “A” team was Roy Ashcroft, with Tommy James (who still bowls for The Castle) as vice-captain. George Wardle captained the “B” team with Andy Woodward as his vice-captain. Eric Gaskell, unhappy at the club’s rejection by the Burscough League, decided upon a novel course of action – that of forming a brand new league for the club to bowl in. The Westhead and District Bowling League was founded at a meeting in the Halton Castle and has since grown in strength to become the well-respected league that it is today. The success of the Halton Castle Bowling Club was evidenced by the fact that the 1984 season saw the club register forty-one players and field two teams in the Ormskirk League, two teams in the Westhead League and one in the Orrell league. This was also the year in which the club elected its first President in the name of Mr George Wardle. It was a remarkable success story in many respects. Looking at the green in 1982 there were many who said that it would not possible to get it back into a condition fit for bowling. Some visiting players continued to say that for years to come, but The Castle members just smiled on got on with the business of enjoying their sport. A strong and successful bowling club had been established
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There are 20 team members, 4 new members have joined this year.
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Season 2007 we gained promotion to Division 'A' in the Ormskirk League.
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Steve Walker is the Captain on a Tuesday and Trev Arthern Vice (Ormskirk League)
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Season 2008 We gained promotion to the 2nd Division in the Westhead League.
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Don Rimmer is the Captain on a Friday and Angie Barklem Vice (Westhead League)
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It is part of the Junior Bowling Intiative run by the Windmill bowling club.
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There are five instructors who have been involved in bowling seasons with (St James) and Ormskirk C of EI , it is hoped to run Saturday bowling seasons?
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Don Angie Trev . Steve.
Some of our team members
Barrie, Cynthia. Margaret. Tommy
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