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The opening of the Memorial Park on Saturday
the 2nd May 1925 was an impressive ceremony, crowds to the
total of several thousand, assembled to pay homage to the gallant memory
of the fallen heroes of Pembroke Dock who gave their lives in the Great
War of 1914 - 1918. It is a coincidence that Gwyther Street, the
adjacent thoroughfare leading to the park, contained the homes of the
largest number of men who fell in the war.
Lady Meyrick wife of General Sir F.C. Meyrick opened the Memorial Park.
The Mayor presented Lady Meyrick with a silver key, suitably inscribed
as a memento of the occasion. Lady Meyrick then unlocked the gates, and
declared the park open.
The huge throng then entered the park and proceeded to the bowling
green, where his worship the Mayor, Councillor W.G. Lloyd, was presented
with a Silver Jack by Councillor G.E. Manning, after which the Mayor
formally opened the bowling green.
During the afternoon an opening match was played between the Tenby
Bowling Club and Pembroke Dock Bowling Club. The result was a win for
the Pembroke Dock Bowling team by 25 shots.
The first cup to be presented to Pembroke Dock Bowling Club was the
silver cup known as the 'Johnson Cup'. The cup cost 15 guineas in 1925
and was won by W. Carr of Laws Street. This cup was followed by the
Tallet Cup which was renamed the Sloggett Cup after H. Sloggett won the
Tallett Cup outright.
Bowls was starting to become a very popular sport back in the early
twenties with a character by the name of 'Trundler' writing every week
in the 'West Wales Guardian' about the games and times of Pembroke Dock
Bowling Club. Eventually his mantel was taken over by a writer with the
name of 'Scrutator' in the thirties. Everyone appeared to wear the full
regalia at each and every game. Blazers never came off with some wearing
panama hats, some wearing caps, homburgs and ordinary straws, it must
have looked a pretty sight.
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During the thirties a match used to take place once a year called 'The
Battle of the Roses'. It was in aid of the Victoria Nurses Home in Park
Street. Many hundreds of pounds was raised at these games which was
often watched by hundreds of people, at one game 350 tea tickets were
printed and sold for one shilling (5 new pence) each. In 1936 the club
was known as 'The Pembroke Dock Bowling Association'. From 1937 onwards
each game was to be played to 21 points not 27 points as in previous
years. The annual subscription was two shillings (10 new pence). In the
late thirties the club often held dances which attracted 300 to 400
people. The dances being held in the old Temperance Hall with a whist
drive commencing first, imagine that happening today!
The club closed during the war years from September 1940 until July 3rd
1944. The name of Pembroke Dock Bowling Association was changed to
Pembroke Dock Bowling Club. Three other cups were presented to the club
in this year; they were the Alfred Phillips, J.E. James and the Devonald
Cups. It was decided in 1946 to hold an open week with two cups to be in
contention, namely the Alfred Phillips Bowl and the Sudbury Bowl. The
pavilion was painted and cost the staggering price of three pounds! The
club won the County Shield in 1949
During the fifties jumble sales were held plus whist drives to build up
the funds. A.K. Williams and J.E. James were involved in playing against
the Australians at Aberystwyth, while A.K. Williams was often featured
in the Welsh trials. The first club annual dinners were introduced to
which the Mayor was often invited. The annual 'Battle of the Roses'
tournament was once again held during coronation week in 1953. The club
won the County Shield in 1954.
In 1960 the green was in such a poor state that all county matches were
cancelled but the club still managed to win the County Shield. In the
middle 60's the club stated that they would wear all white at County
Shield matches. The club once again lifted the County Shield in 1966. A
rota of members was made for the first time for travelling to away games
in 1969; the motor car was just coming into prominence.
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At the beginning of the seventies the club advertised in the local
newspapers appealing for new members, this did manage to bring in a few
new members. The green was vandalized and meetings were held with the
council due to the poor condition of the green.
A new club badge was designed with the use of the Pembroke Borough Crest
at the start of 1980 with the ladies also forming the first ever ladies
rink to represent Pembroke Dock Bowling Club. The club held its first
New Year's eve dance in 1985 with the members looking at building a new
pavilion.
The Silver Jack was returned to Pembroke Dock Bowling Club by Mrs Beryl
Hall in 1985, her grandfather was W.G. Lloyd who first rolled the Silver
Jack on the opening of the green in 1925. The ladies won the
Pembrokeshire Ladies title in 1986 and obtained the same voting rights
as the men, and the men after 20 years managed to win the County League
Championship. In the late eighties the second men's team was formed
called 'Cleddau' and the first official club tour was undertaken
visiting Bournemouth. SPDC proposed that the club would have to take
over the running of the green.
At the start of 1990 the new pavilion was opened for business, after
sterling work by many club members. The chairman stated that the clubs
affairs had changed dramatically with the financial turnover going from
hundreds of pounds to thousands with the club becoming a business
affair.
During the nineties the club has flourished with the introduction of
another ladies team, Pembroke Dock 'Park Ladies' and men's team,
Pembroke Dock 'B' with Cleddau being renamed Pembroke Dock 'A'.
Membership rose to well over 100 with Gareth Williams and his brother
Ian Williams, both obtaining Welsh honours and playing for Wales.
The start of the new millennium has seen the club go from strength to
strength. The Pembroke Dock Ladies winning the league championship for
the years 2000, 2001 and the introduction of a youth scheme. The
youngsters undergo training on Sunday mornings with the co-operation of
the local schools and club coaches.
Ken Edwards
Pembroke Dock Bowling Club |
