Brockham Bowls Club - Teas
Teas
Tea is an important part of bowls match etiquette and the club prides itself on the fare it provides for visiting teams. Visitors often say that the teas and the picturesque situation are the reasons why they particularly enjoy playing at Brockham. Back in Mr Poland's day, tea was prepared in The Manor kitchens and brought out by his servants. The late Kathy Edison, a former neighbour of Kath Briggs, was one of the Poland's maids and told how, dressed in her uniform of black dress, cap and apron, she would carry the tea out to the pavilion - the pavilion in those days being the summer-house type building, whose past names include The Scoring Hut and whose present name is The Robins Nest.
Mrs Edison told Kath that it had windows in those days, and as the green had only two rinks at that time, it probably was not as cramped as one might imagine today. Ham sandwiches with mustard were on the menu sometimes, we know, as Len Jordan remembers his father bringing home some of the leftovers.
The Poland family probably made a cash contribution to the teas Brockham players received when playing away for the minutes of the 1951 meeting called to organise play for the season that followed Miss Poland's death, include the following passage: "Teas. Mr Capon said he had written to the secretary of the Pippbrook Club asking them to come here and start play at 5.30pm instead of 3.30 as arranged and that he had offered on behalf of the Club to pay our share of the tea when visiting them. He had to do this as the time was short, the match being on May 5th. He also suggested that he should write to the other clubs the same. This did not meet with general approval and after several suggestions had been made it was left for the Committee to consider and decide."
Quite what they decided was not recorded but minutes of November 1958 include the following item: "Mrs Friday thought it would be an improvement if teas could be served during matches on the ground and said that she and Mrs Stovell would do all they could if this was required. Mr Friday said if the engine room could be acquired he would put it into good repair."Traces of the engine room can still be found today as brick footings that lie to the east of the club's boundary close to the river bridge. The engine it formerly housed was used to pump water from the river up to the gardens for irrigation purposes.
The engine room proposal came to nothing and by the wording of the minute it would appear that tea was taken elsewhere after the match. While the club used a private room in The Duke's Head for committee meetings at that time, Beryl Balchin who was at The Duke's Head from 1941 to 1982, says that tea was not taken there.
Anyway, by spring 1961 the necessary equipment had been donated and the club was ready to serve tea in the new pavilion. Ida Bowry was in charge of catering. Mrs Bowry, a large lady with a large voice who lived in the smallest cottage in Old School Lane, was one of, if not the very first, lady players and continued her membership until 1980. She died in 1982 and her crippled son, Alan, wanted to give a trophy in her memory, but the offer was declined. Instead it was agreed that a wooden shield be placed in the pavilion to remember her by. There is no record that this happened. Mrs Bowry produced the teas for three seasons but wanted to give up the job in 1964 when it was decided that two wives should be "persuaded" (quoting the minutes) to take on the chore and Mrs Taylor and Mrs Finch stepped in.
They were succeeded by Glad Newland, wife of George Newland the club's treasurer for many years and the 1980 captain. Glad shouldered this responsibility for many years, retiring at the end of the 1979 season. In 1980 a rota was drawn up and the task of producing, serving and clearing up after tea was shared round the membership.
In 1984 there was to have been an inter-club meeting to discuss the question of teas. Whether this took place and if so what the outcome was, is another of the unrecorded issues.
The guidelines for teas for the 2001 season, which remain much as they have been for several years, are as follows:
Triples: 24 players (£12 allowance). Rinks: 36 players (£16 allowance)
NB: Sometimes reserves and guests will require a tea. To be safe, it is advisable to cater for three or four extra people.
Suggested quantities: 2-3 sandwiches (1/4 rounds) or savouries, per person; 2-3 cakes/slices/scones per person; 1 pint of milk per eight people.
NB: Tea, coffee, sugar and fruit squash are provided by the club.
Raffle: Please provide four raffle prizes (£10 allowance).