Throwing the first ball at the opening of Abbotsham’s new skittle alley
is Mr. C. A. Grant (Deputy Mayor of Bideford). Watching him, left to right, are: Messrs. W. James, W. Hockin, E. D. Williams (Chairman, Bideford and District Skittles League), Rev. L. Woolcott (Vicar of Abbotsham), Mrs. Dark, Messrs. E. Blight (Chairman, Abbotsham Skittles Club), C. Easton, S. Nicholls, J. Hockin, D. Trewin and Rev. W. H. Smith (former Vicar of Abbotsham).
Congratulating Abbotsham Skittles Club and friends on their enterprise in building a fine up-to-date alley, the Deputy-Mayor of Bideford (Mr. C. A. Grant), who on Saturday evening officially opened the new alley, said it was good to see in these days when there were so many “watchers,” that in Abbotsham there were plenty of “doers.”
Among the guests assembled to wish the new alley every success wee three officials of the Bideford Skittles League – the chairman (Mr. E. D. Williams), the vice-chairman (Mr. J. P. Cleverdon), and the secretary (Mr. Charles Fishleigh).
Mr. Ernie Blight, who is chairman of the Abbotsham Skittles Club estimated the total expenditure involved at about £400. To the sum of £200 they had added £70 – ten years’ “takings” on the old alley on club skittles nights – and so they still needed a little more than £100 to completely clear themselves.
“It is a real red-letter day for both the club and the village,” he told the large assembly of villagers and guests.
A former Vicar of the parish, the Rev. W. H. Smith, who described himself as having at one time been official scorer to the village skittles team, added his good wishes for the future success of the club.
Replying to the comprehensive welcome expressed by the Vicar (the Rev. L. Woolcott), Mr. E. D. Williams chairman of the Skittles League, referred to the great part country teams played in the life of the Bideford League.
Referring to women skittlers, Mr. Williams reminded them of the existence of the Barnstaple Women’s League, in which several Bideford teams competed, and threw out a suggestion that perhaps enough interest could be found in the Bideford area to form a similar league.
After the opening of the new alley and its blessing by Mr. Woolcott, guests and officials of the local skittles club took it in turns to play on the alley. It fell to Mr. Fishleigh, the Skittles League secretary, to gain the distinction of registering the first “spare.”
The opening ceremony was the culmination of many months of voluntary labour put in by members of the Abbotsham Skittles Club.
Since the beginning of last summer, members of the club have been spending their free evenings and wee-ends constructing the new alley in a combined effort, in which practically all the village took an active interest. The new alley adjoins the parish hall.
In 1946 a gymkhana was held locally, and it was decided that £200 should be set aside for the erection of the new alley. Licence restrictions made it impossible to start to work then, and it was not until 18 months ago that operations really commenced.
Before building started, a hundred tons of earth and clay had to be moved – and three local farmers, Mr. C. W. M. Turner, Mr. E. Bean and Mr. P. Trewin, loaned their tractors, while another Mr. W. E. Brooks, lent his earth scoop. Then the actual work of building commenced under the supervision of Mr. Bill Hockin, a local builder, and Mr. Ted Moase, a carpenter.
Abbotsham is one of the few clubs operating in the Bideford and District Skittles League with women members, and Mrs. Doris Hearn, one of the team, contributed her share of the work by making the gaily coloured curtains for the alley.
Helpers at a tea were Mesdames Cleverdon, Hearn, Grigg, A. and W. Hockin, Jewell, Violet, Moase, Lee, Nicholls, West, Easton, Martin, Ridd and Miss Huxtable.
Gazette article dated 26 November 1954