Banbury Cross Indoor Bowls Club to host open day event

The indoor bowls club open day event will be from 10am to 3pm on Saturday October 16 at Woodgreen Leisure Centre.

Trevor Brown, a coach with the Banbury Cross Indoor Bowls Club, said: "At our open day we hope to welcome new bowlers and also those who started to bowl outdoors this summer or have recently moved to the area.

"Individuals and families are free to pop in to view the facilities and to have a free taster session. From there the best way for those that wish to continue their journey is to join a course of four lessons starting the following week (£3.85/lesson).

"You don’t have to join the club, after a couple of introductory sessions (just the rink fee to pay) bowlers will understand how to organise themselves and fit in to the new environment, and are free to book a rink at the non-member rate of £3/hour ( £1.90 junior) to learn at their own pace and have a game with their friends."

Club membership offers a reduced rink rate, entry to club organised games and social activities.

The Indoor Bowls Green opened for the winter season at Woodgreen Leisure Centre last month on September 25. The bowls hall is open from 9.30am to 10pm each week day, and from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday when closing times vary.

For more information on the Banbury Cross Indoor Bowls Club see their website here: http://www.banburycrossibc.com

The club hopes to dispel the belief that bowls in general as a sport is only for older people.

Trevor said: "All our top players here started with their family as children. Most don’t realise that it’s less than half the price of ten pin bowling and there’s much more to it.

Trevor shared a few thoughts on what has kept him coming to play the sport of indoor bowls.

He said: "Many flat green bowlers traditionally play outdoors in the summer so only a smaller number of locals (including me) who note that Indoors is a separate sport with a separate governing body prefer ‘the smooth precise action of the indoor green’ or indeed don’t like ‘rain stopped play’ and seek to continue play indoors over that period. In the summer I now drive south to Summertown or north to Gaydon to continue playing.

"I could go on and on about this very clever, absorbing and inexpensive sport/pastime - how almost anyone can play regardless of disability and how it cheers me up during the long winter months."