The Bowls Club

In addition to the various sporting faculties, mentioned elsewhere, special days, like Bank Holidays, always attracted large crowds when many additional entertainments were laid on. Two marathon races were held on Whit Mondays and created much interest and speculation weeks beforehand. The one for adults took the competitors over a five mile course round Carbrooke, Ovington and! Saham and for those under 18 the course covered three miles. Both events attracted runners from all over the county and the starting and finishing point was at the entrance gate. On special occasions! Fairy lights were suspended from the trees around the water and were lit at dusk and displays oil fireworks and dancing concluded the evening. Countless townsmen have given many hours of! voluntary work at the "Loch" over the years for the benefit of all, but I feel a special mention should] be made of Hubert Adcock's efforts during the last war that ensured Loch Neaton continued to pro vide much needed relaxation during those depressing years.

At the end of the war the water was drained from the whole lake and with the aid of American] bulldozers which graded the bottom, a new swimming pool was formed at the far end by lining ill with concrete walling. In 1962 this pool was converted into modernised baths 100 feet by 60 feet and I included a diving well, a learners pool 1 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. 6 in. deep, a children’s splashing pool, spectator stands, changing rooms and a filtration plant at a cost of £ 11,000, a large sum for a small com­ munity to raise. A joint committee of the recreation ground and the Queen's Hall was formed and in 18 months £ 2,000 was raised for the cause by Saturday night dances alone. With the E.B.A. code of bowling fast gaining in popularity over the older E.B.F. game, the bowling green had to be extended to comply with the rules of the E.B.A. competitions. Once again this work was carried out by volun­ tary labour and with the extension completed, it enabled the bowls club to enter competitions under | the E.B.A. code. But after several years it became obvious that other clubs were now constructing larger and more up-to-date greens and it was decided to create a new bowling green on the nearby' sports field where there was room for a full size modern green adjacent to all the first class facilities I already there. After much toil and sweat by an army of volunteers, the new green was opened in 1982 and the turf from the Loch Green was sold to Swaffham Golf Club.

Loch Neaton Bowls Club August 1905. Left of front row: Charles Robinson, right of front row in bowler hat is George Durrant, note the "Pill-Box" hats worn by the Bowls Wipers.

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