History
Twyford Bowls and Lawn Tennis Club was initiated in 1901 by a group of local residents who bought the last two building plots in Romans Road, Twyford. The initial cost of setting up was approximately £200 which was borrowed from the bank at 2.5% interest.
The Hampshire Chronicle reported in 1902, "The Twyford Bowls and Tennis ground was officially opened by Mr. E. Beckett-Faber, MP. Introduced by Mr H C Pilcher and met by around 50 ladies and gentlemen, he declared the grounds open. Mr Pilcher presented him with a coin of the period of Emperor Antonious from about 120 AD which had been found on the site. Games then commenced."
Charles Smith, who was the grocer in Twyford, was one of the founding members. He was the first Secretary of the club and held this position for at least 25 years. He was given a Rose Bowl as a memento in recognition of his services to the club. This is now known as The Rosemary Cup which is played for on the opening day of each new season for the bowls club. Tony Smith, a former member, remembers his father saying that the bowls team used to walk to Shawford Station to catch the train to Southampton in order to play other teams. He also remembers watching his mother play tennis during the Battle of Britain when suddenly empty shell cases began to fall on the tennis court and everyone ran for cover.
Originally, there was an old pavilion standing on brick piers behind the No. 2 tennis court, open fronted and with lockers at the rear and sides. This was demolished in about 1963/64. The new brick pavilion was built in 1965 by workers from Northfields Poultry Farm; John Humphrey being the instigator of the build. The estimate for the work from Dennis Smith 0f Romsey, was £631. In 1964, the club received a grant from the Government of £361 - £45 of this was spent on foundations behind the new pavilion but due to a legal issue they were not used and remain there today.
Tony Smith was a long serving Club Treasurer, Trustee and member of both the Tennis and Bowls sections of the club, and became a very deserving Life Member of the Club. Tony's father, George Smith, presented the club with the caricatures of the original founding members in 1981. These are hanging in the brick pavilion.
Dick Nunn was another long term member of the bowls club. He was a farmer from Coxcomb Farm and a former publican from the Dolphin Inn. He joined the bowls club in the late 1950s only leaving when he and his wife Jean moved to Wales to be near their daughter. They presented the club with the Nunnmow Flitch Cup, which was to be played for each year by the married couples of the club. In 1999 Dick visited the club on Nunnmow Flitch day and presented the cup to the winners, Bert and Joyce Harvey.
