Author Gill Cartwright
Looking at the clothing and hats we assume this was taken in 1904 and could possibly include the two teams from the match against Mundesley.
It is very difficult to be precise about when Southrepps Bowling Club began. The bowls green was mentioned on the tithe map of 1838 as part of the property of the ‘The Crown’ public house when Spurrell Plumbly was the publican. There is another mention of it in 1855 when ‘The Crown ‘was offered to let.
‘An old established Public House with stables, outhouses and good bowling green attached.’
apply to Mr Cozens Hardy, of Letheringsett.’
In 1903 Mr William Dobson the landlord declared he was leaving: he had been there since 1887, and part of the household furniture and outdoor effects were sold. William was 72 when he decided to leave, married to Mary and with a daughter Agnes.
I am sure we are safe to assume that the bowls green was played on from 1838, knowing that it was a good green, means it was looked after and maintained.
We have evidence in the early 1900’s that a club had been formed as it was mentioned in the Parish magazine for July 1904. A team of twelve men won against Mundesley. They had played triples on 4 rinks. The team is as follows
| Neave | H.Woods | M.Gotts | Rickett |
| Johnson | Drury | Lomax | Codling |
| T.Bird | Tuthill | Gibbons | T. E. Bird |
With very little other than work, and hard work at that, to fill the time, a game of bowls and mardle with your chums would have been a highlight. Mardle was a Norfolk word used for having a chat or gossip. It is also worth considering with no cars, possibly a horse and cart or maybe a bicycle any matches played away would have been difficult especially carrying your bowls. Maybe you wouldn’t necessarily have your own set in 1904.
Although home matches would have been played on the green behind ‘The Crown’ it closed in October 1903, so the gentleman probably met together in ‘The New Inn’. Charles Turner was the Landlord at the time. Charles had taken the Inn over in July 1901, when he was 50. He was born in Norwich and his wife Amelia who was 47 was born in Sudbury. They had three children, Charles George who had sadly died aged 7 and Amelia and Adeline 18 and 11. The family had lived in Norwich for a while and then moved to London. This looks to be their first venture in Inn keeping. Even though ‘The Crown’ was closed the green was still accessible and used by the bowlers.
The first rink consisted of George Neave he was 31 and worked as a labourer, married to Edith he lived in Upper Street. Albert H Johnson was 37 he too lived in Upper Street and was a servant/ shopkeeper. Then we have our first Thomas E Bird who was the village Butcher 46 years old and he was married to Mary they lived in Upper Street.
The next rink was Henry Woods he was 43, a cattle dealer of Lower Street, he was married to Sarah Charlotte. Although at the time of the match he was living at 4 Katherine Villa’s, Mundesley. William Drury was 25 and he lived in Church Street; he was a general shopkeeper married to Ellen with a son and daughter. I think he was more likely to be the second player because I think John Drury who was 27, would have been too busy he lived in Upper Street. He was a Baker/confectioner, he was married to Edith, his brother Robert lived with them. Without Christian names I cannot be one hundred percent sure. Then we have Arthur H Tuthill who was 31, he lived in Lower Street, married to Alice he was a corn merchant manager with five daughters.
The third rink consisted of Matthew Gotts he was 39, a coal merchant who lived in lower street with his wife Mary and 6 sons and 2 daughters. Walter Lomax who was 37, a Butcher who boarded with Susannah Clarke on Upper Street. Albert W Gibbons was our third player he was 38 and he was a warrener/farmer. He lived in Upper Street with his wife Rachel and father Robert Gibbons.
Our final rink has me stumped with our first player Rickett as I can find no record of him. He could have been a visitor or someone passing through for the summer. Another possibility is that the Church was being renovated at the time and Mr Ricketts could have been one of the workers on that job. John Codling was 36 and he was a roadman he married twice and had 2 children and four stepchildren. Then last, we have Thomas E Bird, who was 17 and the son of our player on the first rink he too was a Butcher and lived at home with Mum and Dad.
Whilst researching all the players for this match, I was saddened to find out that Henry Woods the cattle dealer took his own life in 1906 at only 45 years old. He died on 13th December 1906 and was buried in the churchyard at St James, Southrepps. His father Robert died that same year. Sarah Charlotte left the village and went to Sheringham becoming a parlourmaid at a property called ‘The Rhododendrons’.
Hopefully the bowls club enjoyed many more games and matches until war was declared in 1914.
In 1908 Amelia Turner took over the New Inn.
Thomas Edward Bird the youngest player of the bowls game in 1904 enlisted on the 10th December 1915 into the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment as Lance Corporal 28116. He was discharged in 1919 after serving overseas for three years. Thomas married Mabel Ellen Miller in 1927, and they had two sons Edward and Frank. They lived in Sycamore House.
Arthur Henry Tuthill enlisted in the Army service Corps around 1915 as a driver and saw service in Egypt. He was promoted to Acting Corporal and discharged on 18th December 1919.
World War 1 was declared in 1914 and finished in 1918.
The vicar of Southrepps was Rev Humphrey Gordon Barclay from 1920 until 1925. He was the son of Colonel Henry Albert Barclay of Hanworth Hall. He had been ordained in 1905 and served as a Padre in the great war; he was awarded the military cross in 1918. He and his family, wife Beatrice who came from Cromer Hall and their two sons and three daughters lived at Southrepps rectory. He played a big part in negotiating the agreement of the land being given to the village in 1921 from the 8th Baron of Suffield John Harbord. This is the land where the football field and park are today. I understand that part of the agreement stated it must be used for recreational purposes for the villagers.
This photograph was taken still using the green even though the The Crown had gone but the bowls team were now part of THE NEW INN.
Trying to find out about these players has been incredibly difficult as we are looking at 90 years ago. George the fifth was King and Ramsey Macdonald was Prime Minister. The National Grid had been established and Battersea Power Station generated electric for the first time.
The only lady in the picture Mrs M Turner wearing the tall hat could be the landlady of the New Inn although her name was Amelia she could have been known as M. Amelia took over from her husband Charles in 1908, but she did have daughters Amelia born in 1883 and Adeline born in 1890. I am sure it wouldn’t be Charles wife but could be an unmarried daughter aged 50 years old.
Possibly Harry Goodchild the Policeman, Arthur Gray, Edward (Ted) Craske, Harry Green the shopkeeper married to Eva, Richard Dix, Fred Hewitt, Herman Gray, Fred Bane, Herbert Aldrich (Aldridge) were some of our players.
The New Inn has a change of landlord in 1934, and William Collins takes over.
World War 2 was declared in 1939, and I am sure the village of Southrepps would have more worrying things to consider than their bowling. A lot of the land was relied upon to grow food and graze animals. Chicken coops and pens appeared. The men in the village that were suitable were called to serve and those left behind were working hard and in the home guard.
During 1945 the war was over, and life got back to a new kind of normal.
A NEW SITE FOR THE BOWLS CLUB
In 1947 it was agreed that a bowls green could be constructed at the far corner of the land. The bowls club committee got together, and plans were made. We think the farmer that dug the green out was Peter Tyler from Hall Farm.
I get the impression that 1948 was the beginning of a new era for the bowls club. A new minute’s book was started with an inventory of the bowling equipment from the green at the Crown neatly written in the cover.
The committee in 1948 was Mr Cyril Chapman Drury as President, he was 48 years old, married to Susanna and owned the Radio and Cycle Shop on the High Street. He had been a senior ARP during the war. Mr N F Hilsden as treasurer and secretary. Mr N F Hilsden and Mr Ernest Walpole the Postman could be seen visiting the site to help. An inventory of bowling equipment was made to take with them from the Crown green to the new site.
Other club members mentioned were Harry Green (shopkeeper) D Harvey both in the 1932/33 photograph, also A. Hewitt and G. Sandell.
There were two meetings that year the first in June and the second in September which took place in The Vernon Arms. Benjamin Baxter was the landlord, and he had taken it over in 1934. Fourteen members had attended the second one.
In 1949 they didn’t meet until December and only six members attend. The meeting was held in the village hall.
The meeting in March 1950 was attended by fourteen members again. The enthusiasm for bowling is shown as Mr W. Lubbock and Ernest Bane propose entering the County Cup Division. Peter Tyler and Albert Hewitt propose an annual membership fee of seven shillings and six pence. The new green is proposed to open on Easter Monday by Cyril Drury and Mr Hayward.
On the 10th April 1950, Easter Monday the new green was opened.
A meeting took place in the village hall on the 25th April 1950.There were twelve members present. Albert Hewitt chaired the meeting. Fred Hewitt and George Glister proposed fees be reduced to 5 shillings. Sidney Hewitt and George Hewitt proposed Ernest Bane on the committee Fred Hewitt and George Glister proposed G. Sandell on the committee. Mr J Hewitt and Sidney Hewitt proposed Reg Bane as Captain of the Club. Reg Bane and Mr George Glister proposed the competition for the pair of bowls be played on Whit Monday and Albert Hewitt and G Sandell that a shilling should be charged to enter, and ten shillings and a biscuit barrel were to be the prize. In 1958, we have a new President Mr Roper-Calbeck, Chairman Mr B Drury and David Grey was given the official title of Greensman. It must have been during 1957 that a new clubhouse was agreed upon enabling David Grey to build the pavilion for the club during 1958/9.
In 1958, we have a new President Mr Roper-Calbeck, Chairman Mr B Drury and David Grey was given the official title of Greensman. It must have been during 1957 that a new clubhouse was agreed upon enabling David Grey to build the pavilion for the club during 1958/9.
This photograph is of the pavilion, that still stands in the corner of the club today. Considering its age it is still quite sturdy. This is where tea would be served and provided shelter in poor weather. I have written a dedication to David Grey at the end of this piece because he played an incredibly important part in the story of Southrepps Bowls Club and yet never ever bowled a bowl.
Registered players for 1967,1968 & 1969.
| R.Drury | R.Tuthill | C. Drury |
| C.Bane | S. Burton-Pye | F. Bane |
| R.Bane | J. Reynolds | C.P.Grey |
| R.F. Pike | B. Grey | W. Dunham |
| R.J. Pike | S. Williamson | A. Burton-Pye |
| F. Holmes | W. Thurston | A. Moulton |
| L. Durrant | W. Lubbock | G. Sandell |
| R. Hampshire | G.A.Lee | R. Baker |
| R. Barnes | B.E.Drury | B. Baker |
1970’s
The 70’s appear to be a more settled, organised period in the club’s history. No missing minutes in the book and an enthusiastic committee guiding it.
The President in 1970 was Mr R C Drury but from 1971 throughout the 70’s it was Mr S Land.
The Chairman starts as Mr R F Pike then Mr W Lubbock from 72- 76 and Mr C Bane for the rest of the 70’s.
The secretary is Douglas Tuthill from 71- 73, then Mr J Reynolds until 1978 and Mr J Green for 1979.
Treasurer is Mr R Barnes throughout 1970’s.
The Greensman was Fred Bane until 1975 with David Grey assisting him. Fred sadly died in 1978, but David carried on from 1975.
Reg Bane continues to be Captain but as the bowling gets more serious from 1972 more captains are bought in.
1971 is the year that ladies are allowed to join. Although the club had continued to play in The Cromer and District league and the Norfolk County Cup it was in this year that a mixed team was proposed for the Spastics league. Mr A. Holmes was the captain of this mixed league, with Mrs Reynolds voted as the vice-captain.
Encouraging the ladies to be part of the club was seen as a good financial decision with their fund-raising skills. It was also proposed to enclose the front of the pavilion on the green, so that tea could be made, the ladies could fundraise for this, and the men could volunteer to carry out the work involved. A lady’s toilet near the green was voted as a possibility.
During 1972 a special meeting was called because a new mower was needed. There was £94 in the account after all expenses for the new building had been paid.
David Grey suggested that £100 owed to him by the club for the building be used as a loan to the club for the purchase of a mower. He was thanked and it was recorded in the minutes.
The mower the club wanted to buy after a lot of deliberation was ‘THE RANSOM AUTO CERTES at £180 but the old machine would be kept. Mr Hooker offers to investigate prices and discounts. It was left that Mr R Barnes would make the order as soon as possible from the best offer.
David Grey came up trumps again in 1973 as toilets and a store shed were built. I feel sure some of the members would have helped him, but it was appropriate he was thanked in the minutes that year. As the club was developing into a more competitive club it was suggested that proper scoreboards be used on each rink. Some of the members offered to make them. It was also recorded that when the rinks on the green are marked out, they must not be moved.
At the beginning of the 70’s with a mixed sociable feel to the club, a couple of fetes were held, wine and cheese evenings and coffee evenings all to help raise money for the club. Some of the couples hosted these in their own homes. Mr and Mrs Land, Mr and Mrs Gray, Mr and Mrs Woodward, were mentioned. The ladies organised Whist Drives and each winter the Annual Dinner took place.
The trend continues throughout the 70’s where not only the matches but competitions became very important. Sunday afternoon was the popular competition afternoon, and other local clubs would submit teams to join in as well bringing in more revenue.
The team captains for matches were allowed to make selections from availability and the infamous Norman Hooker (mentioned at the end of the 90’s section) was a team captain, first mentioned in 1973.
When Fred Bane died in 1978, it was decided to have a memorial for him at the club in the form of a bench. Which the members contributed too, and John Bane donated a cup so that the Fred Bane Memorial Cup competition could be held each year in his memory. The first tournament was held on 13th August and was won by Mundesley Haigh.
During 1979 there were 36 members. For the Cromer & District and Spastics leagues there were 2 Captains and Selection committees of vice-Captain and four players. The club also entered the County Cup, Hospital Cup and Battle of Britain Cup. Sunday Drives were held with each member donating a prize.
At the end of the minutes for 1979:-
CLUB COMPETITIONS
Ladies Singles Mrs G Land
runner up Mrs J Barnes
Men’s Singles Mr C Bane
runner up Mr L Heal
Ladies Pairs Mrs G Land & Mrs A Green
runners up Mrs J Barnes & Mrs A Shelton
Men’s Pairs Mr N Hooker & Mr A Holmes
runners up Mr S Land & Mr R Hurn
Mixed Pairs Mrs A Green & Mr A Holmes
runners up Mrs J Barnes & Mr C Bane.
This photograph was taken in the early seventies and is of the pavilion being used as the clubhouse, it has been hard to get all the names of the people shown.
The top row standing from left to right is an unknown lady, Jean Barnes, George Sandell with Ivy Gotts in front of him, May Reynolds, Arthur (Sharper) Holmes, Irene Hooker and Douglas Brock.
The Middle row seated are Stanley Hayward, Bob Thurn, Jack Reynolds, Ann Green, John Green, Bob Barnes and an unknown man.
The bottom row seated are Tim Burton-Pye, Ray Tuthill from the Vernon Arms, Cyril Bane, Billy Lubbock, Sidney Land, Fred Bane, Stanley Williamson.
1980’s
Mr Sidney Land was President throughout the eighties and Mr David Grey was the groundsman. The membership was stable at around 26.
Mr David Haynes fitted two gas lamps in the pavilion in 1983.
The club started a charity box supporting a different charity each year.
Southrepps won the area section of the Inter Village Bowls Tournament and were invited to the finals in Thetford.
Each year an Annual dinner was held. This was a very successful decade for the club.
1990’s
Maybe we should call this the Norman Hooker era, as he was both President and Secretary, apart from 1995 when Mrs Betty Smith took over as Secretary for a year. It was also an incredible year for meetings and minutes, but there was a lot going on within the club.
David Grey was in hospital for a few weeks in 1992 and the green was looked after by John Daniels the Chairman and Sid Cleall of Suffield Arms bowls club, helped by Oscar Sutherland, Bob Francis, Mike Finn, Jack Reed and Sid Sexton. Mr Daniels was authorised to get some quotes for an automatic sprinkler.
Electric is hopefully going to be provided to allow for floodlighting and domestic use lights and kettle. The Club achieved this goal towards the end of the summer.
When David Grey returned, he turned down his remuneration to enable the club to cover its expenditures this year.
Bowls stickers were introduced in dark blue and yellow.
The New Club House
October 1992 Mr Daniels explained the sub-committee of himself, Mr Pyecroft, Mr Sutherland, Mr Grey, Mr Hargreaves-Turner and Mr Vic Purdey (Chairman of the Parish Council) had shown interest in producing plans to submit to the District Council for a new clubhouse. When the quotations are obtained, the Secretary will apply to obtain grants. Mr Daniels said that two non-members had offered interest free loans and invited members to do the same so that work could start in the Spring.
By January 1993 progress had been made. Mr Hooker had taken the plans himself to the District Council planning fee was £55. Fund raising had already started and got to £400, an interest fee loan had arrived of £110. Grants were being applied for from the NNDC and Norfolk Playing Fields Association. The Parish council had agreed to rent approximately three and a half allotment spaces to be used as a car park so that members could enter from the corner of the green nearest the allotments.
In August the Council agreed that construction of the club house called start prior to the granting of aid for the main building. It was agreed the base should go down.
A grant had also been applied for to the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.
On 20th November an emergency meeting was held to consider re-siting the kitchen and bar in the new clubhouse.
Mr R. Codling, Mr Grey, Mr Turner and others had got the base down.
The New Clubhouse was built through the winter of 1993 and 1994.
A Grand Opening Proposed for May 1995. With much discussion as to who would open it? The County bowls association President or Chairman John Vince or Heddie Blyth or County Secretary Derek Nicholson. Norman Hooker suggested Mervyn King.
19 Chairs were given to the club by St James Church.
The first meeting in the New Clubhouse was on Saturday 19th November 1994.
Thanks were given to Members of the club together with Roger Codling, John Hewitt, Ed Potter and Ted Atkins who had given their time free of charge to get the Clubhouse finished.
Also, thanks to Mr V. Purdy for his help with the Parish Council and for obtaining carpeting and other items for the club.
The PCC and Southrepps Society donated 44 chairs.
None of this would have been possible without fundraising, loans and grants £3000 from The federation of Sports and Art, £250 from the NNDC.
The building has been inspected by the NNDC building inspector, the Norfolk fire service and the Co-operative Insurance Society everything passed.
Special thanks to Derrick Gray, and John Hewitt for making the Veranda and Tom Buller and Alan Chadwick who still came along to add the finishing touches were given. Members were invited to inspect the rear fencing and landscaping for which David Grey was responsible.
Mr Daniels thanked Sid Sexton for his efforts to revitalise the garden surrounding the green.
Sadly Mr Sidney Land a highly respected and enthusiastic supporter of the bowls club died in 1993 and as President during the eighties was respected with a minutes silence at the AGM.
The new clubhouse was opened on the 22nd April 1995.
Mr David Grey
In 1958 the title of the bowls club became Southrepps British Legion Bowls Club. They held their first meeting in the New Inn (It closed in 1966). This meeting is when we see the first mention of David Grey in the minutes. Although he had been involved with the club since 1950. David was born in 1916 and lived in Southrepps. He was called to serve in the Second World War but was invalided out. He drove petrol tankers to fuel army vehicle. David never married and for a living, drove lorries and then coaches fpr Green & Grey Coaches of Cromer. He raised money for the British Legion and was involved with many aspects of village life. A quiet unassuming man who worked incredibly hard. David was thanked at the AGM for all his hard work looking after the green and surroundings, he did so much for the bowls club but never ever bowled a bowl. During 1958 and 1959 he built the Pavillion in the righthand corner of the green.
When he retired from Coach driving, he set up his own decorating business in the village and moved in with his nephew Derrick Grey and his wife Wendy. They bought the property together ‘The Homestead’ Upper Street which made it easy for him to get to the green.
One day Derrick had gone home for lunch and David was cross, he had tried to get to the bowls club to do some gardening, and the Parish Council had, had a gate fitted across the bottom of the field with a chain and padlock. “Don’t worry about that” said Derrick “I will sort that out for you bring your stuff and I will get mine”. They crossed the field and with bolt cutters removed the chain. They got in a lot of trouble with the Parish Council but were luckily not charged by the police.
In 1958, the bowls club elected a new President Mr Roper-Calbeck, Chairman Mr B Drury and David Grey was given the official title of Greensman. It must have been during 1957 that a new clubhouse was agreed upon enabling David Grey to build the pavilion for the club during 1958/9.
If you look carefully near the pavilion there is a stone in the wall with his name on. All organisations, clubs and groups need people like David Grey who just quietly get on with what needs doing. I was very lucky to meet with Derrick Grey, David’s nephew who chatted to me so proudly about his Uncle.
We are fortunate to have been given some hand wrtitten notes by David about the history of the bowls club. You can read a transcript by Gill of them here. Also the original documents.
As today is tomorrows history….
Southrepps Bowls Club is proud to update you.
We look after the club ourselves, mowing the green and caring for our clubhouse gardens and pavilion. We have a small committee that oversees the general running of the club. Probably all mucking in to look after it helps us to be a friendly enthusiastic group pf people.
On saying that we really need some new members to join us. We only have four members from Southrepps village. The rest of us are from North Walsham, Bradfield, Trunch, Erpingham, Edingthorpe and Mundesley.
Please don’t think it’s a game for old people. It is an incredibly clever game with tactics and challenges. There is a skill to delivering a good bowl. The game is becoming popular again and in 2026 will be in the commonwealth games. We may not be quite up to that standard but everyone has to start somewhere! All ages are welcome and the club has an accessible pathway for those who need it. We really want to encourage youngsters to come and give bowls a try because they are the games future.
We have done well in the two leagues we play in this year which are against local clubs. We also play bowls matches with each other usually known as roll ups. The outdoor season runs from April to September but we use the clubhouse all year for table tennis, table football a dutch game called Sjoelbak and pool.
Our club is evolving, we have great facilities for a village club and we really would be pleased to welcome new members to grow the club and make Southrepps Village proud.
You can contact Dave Gollop our Chairman on 01263 833657 or 07850 463387