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The Black Country is well known for its crown green bowls scene but tucked away in the corner of Mary Stevens Park in Wollescote, Stourbridge, is a thriving flat green.

The Crystal Bowls Club was founded in 1993 under the guidance of the late Eddie Palmer who was employed by Dudley Council, at the Crystal Leisure Centre, mainly to teach and organise short mat bowls and who encouraged the public to try their hand at indoor bowls.

By 1994 a local indoor league had been formed and encouraged by the interest of 30 to 35 people regularly attending Palmer suggested maybe it would be worthwhile looking at the possibility of playing outdoor flat green bowls.

He came to an agreement with the Council to play outdoors at Stevens Park on the site of two lawn tennis courts. In those days bowls was played on a rough and ready surface and all games were organised by a small committee with Palmer as President.

In 1995 the club organised a bowls tour to the South of England which still takes place today.

In 1995 the Council did a lot of work on the Stevens Park green, ditches and banking were installed to comply with national association specifications and the green was made secure with wire fencing and a lockable gate. The green was officially opened by the Mayor of Dudley in 1995.

In the following years improvements to the green were on going and the club progressed with an expanding fixture list which included an entry into the County Club Competition the Vernon Turner Cup. During this time the club always returned to the leisure centre in the winter months to play indoors.

It was not long before the club agreed a constitution which provided for a firmer base for the club which enabled funding to be sought to improve facilities. This was crucial when the club applied to Dudley Council for a grant towards the provision of a pavilion. The application was successful and with Crystal together with the co users of the green the Black Country Bowls Club who provided the balance of the cost of the pavilion was opened in 2002.

In the autumn of 2002 the club after nine seasons broke its link with the winter indoor sessions at Stourbridge Leisure Centre.

Back at Stevens Park the surface of the green continued to improve and as a result the members became better bowlers and this was mirrored in county competitions when in the summer of 2006 John Attwood won the Worcestershire County Men's Champion of Champions event. The first trophy won by a Crystal club member in open competition.

In 2007 a sprinkler system was installed. On the playing side the club was accepted into the Redditch Triples League which gave the members their first experience of weekly competitive outdoor bowls. The team responded by winning promotion to Division One in 2008.

Secretary Peter Parsons says the club are looking to improve further but are always on the lookout for new members and anyone interested can contact him on 01384 392482.

The finals of the Tony Pagett Open take place this Sunday at the Cradley Liberals BC start 11-00am.

The winner receives £600.

10:08am Thursday 27th March 2008

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