The stories behind the ’hidden’ sport of Crown Green Bowling in Staffordshire will be heard thanks to a £27,500 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Funding has been awarded to the Chronicles from the Crown one-year project which will be run by the Staffordshire County Bowling Association (SCBA).

SCBA Project Co-ordinator Gary Cooper explained, “The History of Crown Green Bowling in Staffordshire is largely unknown to anyone not actively involved within the sport. The Chronicles from the Crown project is an exciting venture that will preserve, celebrate and broaden recognition of the sport’s rich social and cultural history in the region”

Crown green bowlers throughout the region will be interviewed and their reminiscences of the sport will form an ‘oral history bank’ of recordings which will be stored in local archive centre’s to enable anyone to access the social and cultural history of the sport. A book containing interview extracts exploring the history of bowling in Staffordshire will be produced.

The Association will also stage the first ever exhibition of crown green bowling memorabilia, run themed workshops and heritage sessions for bowling enthusiasts.

The Association also plans to collaborate closely with schools to offer to local pupils a series of curriculum-driven workshops. The work will raise awareness of local history and enable children never previously involved in the sport to have the chance to trying their hand at the game.

To ensure everyone has the opportunity to explore the histories a dedicated Staffordshire Crown Green Bowling History and Heritage website will be created.

Some of the project commitee can be seen below exploring bowling histories

Left to Right: Lynne Anderson (seated), Allan Edkins, Gary Cooper, Bob Marsh, Brian Chamberlain, Mandy Pagett (seated)

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