Brockham Bowls Club - Aspirations
Aspirations
Neither Bill nor Dorothy Beesley set out to become bowlers though both went on to become captains of Brockham Bowls Club and achieve much success elsewhere. Bill was roped in by a friend who was trying to make up a Brockham team for an away match. The fact that he had never played before did not seem to be an obstacle and proved not to be in practice. Bill went on to become a regular bowler and Dorothy became tea lady. Then one day there were short of players for a home match and Percy Holman told Dorothy to forget about the teas and play. At the end of the game he announced that Dorothy would no longer be doing the teas. From then on she would be playing bowls because she was a natural. Bill was Brockham's club secretary for nine years to 1976 and was treasurer for one. He was captain in 1971 and Dorothy was captain in 1976.
When they began playing nobody was too bothered about what anyone wore. "Jack Blanch said to me 'This is a cowboy outfit. Everybody turns up in what colours they like,'" Bill recalls. Between them they gradually got the uniform message over but it took a while for it to be fully understood. For example, Dorothy recalls having to point out to one player that a great big brown belt holding up white trousers over a white shirt was not quite the right thing, and the next week the belt was replaced with a more suitable one.
Dorothy was well respected as club captain. "I also used to inspect, too," she says. "We had blazers and ties and badges by that time. I would go down on the green and say 'you look nice, you boys. You do look smart.' And old Bill Tabb would say, 'We have passed with distinction'!"
There were great characters in the club in those days, the Beesleys say, mentioning Charlie Humphrey (former village butcher), Bob Wyatt and Harry Knight in particular. They were lively people who got almost as much fun out of working down at the club green as in playing. And, as one of them found, leaving your coat behind after a working stint was a good excuse for going back later - which might lead to a roll up. While Dorothy has been the only female club captain of the Brockham club to date, Alice Johns and Eileen Osgood are the only women who have served as club secretaries and while the current rules of the Surrey County Bowling Association remain, (which means it has to be a men's club with a ladies' section) they will remain the only ones. However, it was the opportunities that the Surrey competitions offer that led the Beesleys to join Dorking. Once again Bill was invited to make up a team - this time a Capel & Beare Green team playing at Worthing. He enjoyed it so much that he felt he wanted to improve his game and for a while he and Dorothy played for both Dorking and Brockham, finally transferring completely to Dorking for the 1988 season.
But it was not so long after that that Brockham was admitted to the Surrey County Bowling Association. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a fresh flush of enthusiasm and development.
In 1988 electricity arrived after much discussion and research as to the most practical and economical method of installing it - which proved to be "do-it-yourself". At the same time members of Brockham Young Farmers Club boosted their club funds by digging the trench for the supply cable that was run down from Poland House.
Over the winter of 1990-91 the south east corner of the green received more attention, the green surrounds - paths, paved areas and steps - were renovated, and the shelter (also known at times as the pavilion, the scoring shed, and the summerhouse) was rebuilt and renamed.
Clive Robins describes how he took a chain saw to the old building, which was rotten, and cut it down before rebuilding it. At the start of the bowling season club captain (and professional artist) Roger Swan presented him with a sign to hang on it, illustrated which a cheerful robin. The sign read: The Robins Nest.
The following season the pavilion was extended westwards, to join up with the gentlemen's changing hut and the catering area was improved. Most of this work was carried out by Maurice Rutledge, Clive Robins and Ray Seacombe.
Over the winter 1990/91 an application to join the Surrey County Bowling Association had been turned down (as had a previous application made in 1981) for reasons which included the unevenness of the green and the condition of the banks and ditches.
A lot of effort was put into green improvements and later in the year a "green ranger" from the SCBA came to inspect and gave his approval. The application to join was accepted at the SCBA annual general meeting in November 1991.
The following season several of the men began competing for their Surrey badges in singles, pairs, triples and rinks, but, as a result of some administrative confusion, the ladies could not take part in their Surrey competitions until the following season.
Many members have enjoyed the challenge these competitions offer and made good progress through the rounds but, to date, Frank Dodd has been the only Brockham player to win his Surrey badge.