Lambeth Lawn Bowling Club by Doris Bond-Montgomery for The Westminster Township Historical Society The busiest spot on a summer’s evening in Lambeth is often the Lambeth Lawn Bowling Club, where you can see all eight lanes busy with teams of triples or doubles enjoying themselves in the fresh air. This has been happening every summer for well over 100 years. Lawn Bowling is an ancient sport traced back to the 12th or 13th centuries. Much of the terminology is similar to what you will hear curlers using. The bowl used in the sport is different from the ball used in alley bowling in that a lawn bowl is weighted on one side so that when it is delivered it will curve towards the jack. The jack is a small white ball that is the goal to be aimed at, similar to the button in curling.
long, and soon, the ladies joined the men. As veterans returned from World War 11, it was decided they would be granted free membership to join. Membership fees have risen over the years, with men’s fees being higher than ladies’ for several years. 1962: Men’s were $10.00 and Ladies were $2.50, 1965: Men’s - $12.00 – Ladies $4.00. By 1992, both Men’s and Ladies’ fees were set at &40.00 for the year. In 2024, membership fees were $200.00. The Lambeth Club has had male and female winners at the Local, District, Provincial and Canadian levels. We have yet to have someone compete at the World level. The rumour is that it is a sport only for old people. Well, in a championship bout with three games, a player will deliver 3/5ths of a ton of bowls and walk at least three kilometers. It is a healthy game for folks of any age to enjoy in the fresh air.
The idea of forming a lawn bowling club in Lambeth started in 1916. A general meeting was held at the home of Dr. A.R. Routledge on Sept. 10, 1917, with 22 gentlemen present. The bylaws, which had been discussed at a previous meeting, were read and officially adopted. At a meeting in November of that year, it was decided that the club would enter into a lease of the Bowling Club property with the Village Trustees for a cost of $1.00 per year. This past year, 2024, the property was leased from the City of London for $2.00 per year. Care of the ‘greens’ is very important, as it is very difficult and unpleasant to bowl on poorly kept greens. The grass must be carefully fertilized, watered regularly and cut to a precise length for the bowls to roll easily. Mr. A. Carley (owner of the general store and postmaster) was the first caretaker of the grounds. He was paid $50.00 for services rendered. Today, it is mainly volunteers who look after the greens, and they are very proud of the great job they do. In 1923, Fred Hayball, George Clark and J. Bourne took on the task of drawing up plans for a clubhouse to be 18’x24’. Volunteers then built it. In 1950, this building was moved, and a new clubhouse was built, complete with a kitchen, washrooms, and a screened-in porch. The 1950s building is now the Jitney house. Three evenings a week, the games that are played are Jitneys; that is, teams are formed after members arrive, so you are not playing with the same people each time. The jitney house is where all this happens each evening. It also houses lockers where members can store their bowls. In 2005, it was decided to turn the porch into more indoor space capable of accommodating at least 60 people, and a covered patio was added. Again, most of the work was done by volunteers. Originally, the Lawn Bowling Club was a men-only club. Then, in 1939, ladies were invited to come and try bowling with the idea of forming a ladies’ separate club. The separate clubs didn’t last
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Page 14 Lambeth Villager • April 2025
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