FRY’S BOWLING CLUB
Fry’s Bowling Club had an open day on Monday April 14 to celebrate the new cladding on the pavilion. With the old wood cladding beginning to show its age necessitating a large amount of work to repair, the club looked into plastic cladding. With a grant from St Monica Trust the work was completed following the close of the 2024 season.
Many guests attended the event, including David Williams, CEO of St Monica Trust with his Director of Villages, Rob Haywood and John Lane, marketing manager. Also attending were councillors from Banes and Keynsham, George Leach, Caitlin Brennan and Souzan Alenshasy.
Also in attendance were the senior people from Somerset Bowls Association including chairman Carolle Skeates and presidents Sue Tassel and Chris Greenwood.
The club were also pleased to see members of The Unstoppables learning disability group with their leader Lianne Morse, a group supported by the club and always welcome at Fry’s
The picture above right shows David Williams cutting the ribbons with Tricia Shaw, club treasurer, Eric Jones, vice chairman and Lynnette Nicholls from the social committee.
Steve Nicholls, club funding manager thanked all for attending and particularly St Monica Trust who have supplied the funding for the work.
Following the formalities, all guests of varying experience levels had a go at bowling, with guidance from club members, which all enjoyed.
Following the on green activities, a buffet prepared by Carol Grenfell and her team was enjoyed by both guests and members ended a successful event.
Fry’s Bowling Club would like to thank Steve Nicholls who liaised with St Monica Trust to get the grant and to the members who helped plan and support the work on the clubhouse.
If you would like to come and see the clubhouse for yourself, as mentioned in the last issue of The Voice, Fry’s Bowling Club are taking part in the national Big Bowls Weekend which runs from 23rd – 26th May. Fry’s are hosting events on Saturday 24th May at 12-2pm and Sunday 25th May, 10am-12. If you have never played before, why not come and give bowls a try?
Both events are free and suitable for all ages and abilities, so bring the family down for a morning or afternoon of bowling.
The Saturday event has a match against Bristol Arrow following so you can stay on and see what the game is about. If you can’t wait till May, get in touch with our secretary to arrange a suitable time.
With May now upon us, the season really picks up with the league and cup matches beginning in May. With the club welcoming several new members, it promises to be an exciting season at Fry’s.
If you would like more information about Frys Bowling Club, or to give bowls a try, please visit our website: frysbowlingclub.wixsite.com/frys, search Frys Bowling Club on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @FrysBowls, or contact our secretary, Stephen Day, e-mail: frysbowlsclub@gmail.com, tel: 01225 872959.
CLEVE RUGBY UNDER 12s
CLEVE Rugby Club’s under-12s are celebrating after winning the Bristol Bears Defender Cup.
The Defender Cup is a nationwide tournament for under-11 and under-12 teams, with each event hosted by a Premiership club.
On March 30 the U12s’ Bristol leg was held at Bristol Grammar Schools’ sports ground in Failand. The eventual winners are not decided by on-field results but by a collective vote of all the attending teams as to which club best promotes the RFU’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship (TREDS).
Cleve RFC U12s were voted for by teams from 15 other Bristol-based clubs.
Head coach Matt Smith said: “To be recognised for demonstrating these values is an honour. The victory is a result of hard work, team spirit and determination. Every player gave 100% and all contributed to the overall win. This is a testament not only to the players, but also the parents, carers and volunteers who turn up every week.”
The boys who played have been invited to attend the Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham on June 14, and will parade around the pitch at half time.
More than 600 children from clubs across the area took part in the annual Cleve RFC Minis Festival in April. A total of 71 teams, from U7s to U12s, played in a fantastic display of mini-rugby.
After their inaugural minis match in February, Cleve girls have played two more games, a second match with Bristol Harlequins RFC and a friendly with Chosen Hill RFC.
Next season Cleve intends to field a full U12s girls team for the first time in the club’s history.
Girls in Year 5 or Year 6 are being invited to get in touch to try the sport – no experience is necessary and there will be “come and try” sessions over the summer. For more details, email rugbyclevegirls@gmail.com.
Steve Bateman
KEYNSHAM BOWLING CLUB
THE first friendly fixtures of the new season for ladies and gents at Keynsham Bowling Club have been played, and we are now looking forward to the start of the various leagues.
While a good number of playing members have signed on for the season, we are always in the market for new players. So here is a reminder of our two open mornings, on Sunday May 11 and Monday May 26, 10am-12 noon, when anyone can come along to try their hand at rolling a wood.
All equipment will be provided – we just ask attendees to bring a pair of flat-soled shoes, i.e. without ridges, to put on before accessing the green.
Bowls is open to all irrespective of age or sex – you can play on an equal footing with anyone. So if you are one of those good folk who stand outside our green looking over the hedge to watch us play, why don’t you venture inside and give it a go?
On the social side, we held our pre-season party with an afternoon tea, and entertainment provided by the sea shanty group Storm Force 10. Instead of charging a fee, the group collected donations for their annual charity, AndysManClub, which works to prevent male suicide.
We have already started collecting funds for our own charity of the year, Cancer Research UK, chosen by our two captains, Lynne Pearce and Paul Matthews.
Our next big event in support of this will be our barbecue on Sunday July 27, and in the meantime we continue to hold our coffee mornings on the first Wednesday of the month.
Mike Barrow