A massive achievement to reach the England Finals held at Leamington this week.
Well done to Patsy and Nicolette. Having won their first round against ladies from Norfolk, they unfortunately missed out in the second round against ladies from Kent.
They certainly raise the profile of our Ampthill Club, and its fantastic that we have such excellent experienced players who pass on their knowledge and skills to nurture further talent in our teams.
Great work ladies !
Fantastic turn out last Friday for this all age fun evening. It was great to see lots of children with their parents all partaking in this fabulous friendly game. Followed as always by our Bowls club food - this evening was a delicious BBQ. NB All players wore shoes !
The big Orange Spider was brought out for our fun games. Members turned up in a colourful selection of shirts on this fabulous sunny day.
Players bowl at the same time towards the spider in the centre of the green. Whoever bowls nearest is the winner. This game always exhibits fierce competition as it is only one shot so everyone is taking serious aim.
The debate about which wood is nearest is as strong as any County match. However as so often in bowls its all on the day and we are delighted that new bowlers Ken and Janet won !
Well bowled
What a head !
Fabulous evening followed by lively barbeque and good fun
A great turn out as we hosted a thrilling ladies singles between Potton Club Dawn Scourfield and Roade Club Kate Gilliat.
A close match all the way and excellent bowls by both players. After 32 ends, it was 21-19 to Roade. We'll done Kate who now plays the final at Lemington
Runners up in the County over 55's. Narrowly missing out to Bedford by 4 points. Final score 21:17. Third year in a row as runners up - watch out next year !!!
Our County Open Pairs were just pipped at the post by 2 points!
Well bowled ladies - Patsy, Jacky, Sally & Nicola.
Well done to Patsy & Nicolette
Happy to sit in the dry with bacon butties, refreshments and good chat until it passes over. All part of the game with our Great British July Weather !
The Ampthill Bowls Inter-Sports Competition on Friday was an absolute blast – a high-energy evening of fierce fun, friendly rivalry, and fantastic community spirit! Twelve teams rolled into action, representing everything from Ampthill Rugby and Maulden Walking Football to Walking Netball, Walking Tennis, U3A Table Tennis, and Football. We even had an "Oddball Mash-Up" team – a glorious mix of enthusiastic extras aged 16 to 85 – proving that bowls really is a game for everyone!
Split into two groups, teams battled it out in round-robin matches (well...almost – time waits for no bowler).The top two teams from each group powered through to the semi-finals: Semi 1: Ampthill Rugby vs Ampthill Rugby Semi 2: U3A Table Tennis vs the unstoppable Oddballs!
And then… the grand final showdown: Ampthill Rugby vs The Oddball Mash-Up!
After a nail-biting finish, the Rugby team clinched victory by just ONE POINT!
Huge respect to every player – especially our Oddballs, who brought the drama and nearly stole the crown! We rounded off the evening with a sizzling BBQ, refreshing drinks from the bar, and plenty of laughs under the summer sky. A very BIG THANK YOU to all the teams that participated, it was great to see you all again this year, and all the supporters that came along to support you all. A very BIG THANK YOU to those Ampthill Bowls Club Members that came along to help and made the event happen, you know who you are!
Ampthill spirit at its best – same time next year? You bet!
Winners Ampthill Rugby
Fabulous turn out for this annual fun event, followed by sociable drinks and food in the clubhouse.
Members enjoyed delicious home made scones and a few glasses of Pimms as the soaring heatwave continued to rise throughout the country.
Esa, the owner of our local fish bar delivered a much needed refuel of Sausage & chips for the men's post match refreshments against Houghton Regis today . All washed down with cold beer on a hot day in our clubhouse, with great banter amongst the teams after a fabulous afternoon bowling, is really what makes bowls such a sociable and enjoyable game.
Delicious - thanks Esa and the staff at Ampthill Fish Bar.
If your company would like to sponsor our club and invest in our local community then please
Email: enquiries@ampthillbowlsclub.com
Bowls is often seen as a sport for the older generation - however as the World championships show, top players are not so. With Indoor world champions receiving prize money up to £50k, there is a great opportunity for the youth to take up the sport and hone their skills.
The recent Youth Bowls Competition was a fantastic display of teamwork, sportsmanship, and skill, bringing together 37 enthusiastic young players from various community groups. Participants included Scouts, Guides, Queensmen FC, Ampthill Cricket, and the Air Cadets, all eager to test their abilities in a spirited contest. The event was marked by a great atmosphere—everyone played with great enthusiasm. Parents and competitors cheered each other on, making it a truly enjoyable experience for all involved. After a series of exciting matchups, the final showdown saw the Scouts and Ampthill Cricket Club battling for the championship. . In the end, Ampthill Cricket Team emerged victorious, securing the title in a thrilling conclusion to an unforgettable event.
Overall, the Youth Bowls Competition proved to be a resounding success. The enthusiasm shown by all participants promise a bright future for youth bowls in the community.
Winners - Gary, Sally, Mike S
Presentation by President Ian
Pondering the head in the finals with opponents Mike W & Tony
Competition in full swing
Fabulous afternoon
Fabulous turn out on a beautiful day. Many people bringing families along to have a go at Bowls. Several new members signed up.
Ampthill Bowls Club work closely with the Gardens, making our clubhouse available for refreshments for their many visitors during their Garden open days. Ian and Martyn were delighted to be invited to represent our club at their award presentation by the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.
The Volunteers from the Friends of Kings Arms Garden, were recognised for their work in maintaining and preserving the garden for the whole community of Ampthill, with The Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS). This is the highest award for volunteer groups in the UK, equivalent to an MBE. It recognizes the exceptional work of groups that make a significant impact in their local communities. WELL DONE !
Credit to Flowers planted by our club members that surround our green. Individual members have adopted a planter to nurture - AWESOME!
(various clubs from Buckinghamshire) who spent the past week touring Bedfordshire County playing a number of friendly games with various Bedfordshire clubs. All 6 rinks were played and in glorious weather, with many spectators just enjoying watching the games in beautiful surroundings with a refreshing cold beer or two.
Our own Pauline on bar duty for 50 players
Post match chatter with Buckinghamshire tourists
Ampthill Ladies Team vs Potton in the County 'Top Club' Competition - enjoying post match tea and cakes
Its full steam ahead for our members as over12 matches have been played already, as well as many in club roll ups, social cup matches and taster session.
We have had some glorious weather and the green is good. It is fabulous to welcome so many new faces who joined our club this season, and with further Taster sessions and Big Bowls Event it is anticipated more people will give Bowls a go. Whether you are 3 yrs, 33 or 83, you can play bowls.
Watch out for our new 2025 initiative - Ampthill Bowls Youth Academy - Details of this exciting new venture to follow ...
Learning to cast the Jack
Getting the stance correct
Take aim
Top tips from a professional
Well you bowled
Time for tea and cake & post match dissection
President Ian and Head Groundman Goff ring the bell for the start of the 2025 season.
Huge thank you to our expert Ground team who look after the Green all year round.
Well done guys its a huge amount of time and effort - much appreciated. ⭐
What could be better on a beautiful sunny afternoon, than a friendly game of bowls - followed typically in Ampthill Bowls Club by good company, food and drink. We certainly had that today with many members turning up to mark the start of the 2025 season. It was fantastic to see lots of new faces turn up to have a go or just find out more. We had 10 new member sign up to join our thriving club.
After signing on some of the guys were keen to see if they still had what it takes after the long winter break.
Looking good guys - practice, practice, practice
At Ampthill Bowls Club we encourage all ages to get interested in the fabulous team sport of Bowls.
It is a very sociable game and people of all ages and abilities can take part. Its simple rules mean that it's an easy game for first timers to understand.
Bowls is a particularly good sport for children because it's a low-impact, enjoyable activity that enhances physical and mental skills. It promotes social interaction and provides a fun, less physically demanding way to get exercise compared to many other sports.
As children improve their skills, they gain confidence in their abilities, and start to learn to think strategically and adjust to different game situations enhancing their problem solving skills.
Details of this exciting new venture to follow ...
The green getting a soaking in the sunshine - April season will soon be here.
Slabs weeded by Sally - under watchful supervision
Members of our Ladies team raised money for the club selling Tea and our famous cakes to visitors at the Kings Arms Garden Open day.
Our Greenkeepers are at it again. Keeping our fabulous Green in tip top shape takes cont|inuous care and expertise even out of season. Well done guys. Roll on April !!!
Our Greenkeepers never miss a chance to get out and nurture the Green. They undertook a very late cut on 16th December 2024 in the rare winter sunshine..... Looking mighty fine !