THERE is a crisis among lawn green bowling clubs in the city with all of them short of members and people not joining.

Lawn green bowling is not just for old people. Although many old people join bowling clubs for the exercise and companionship, it is a competitive sport.

There are youngsters from the age of ten upwards playing at some clubs and the matches are competitive – a lot of the tournaments have quite large cash prizes for the winners.

However, the numbers of playing members at the bowling clubs are falling and publicity is needed to encourage more people to take up the game.

Many clubs, such as Hangleton Bowling Club in Hove, (I am the match secretary) have placed adverts in local newspapers without success.

King Alfred Indoor Bowling Club has its finals day on Saturday, April 22 and is ceasing as a club after 70 years.

The plight of the outdoor bowls clubs and their falling membership is worrying.

Also, the council is demanding higher charges and this is causing the clubs to close.

The clubs in Queen’s Park, Preston Park (four), Hove Park, Dyke Road and St Ann’s Well Gardens have all closed in recent years.

You only have to look at Preston Park to see how run-down it looks.

It now has no lawn green bowling in the park and the greens have been given over to what the council call “wild flower gardens”, but in reality are overgrown areas of weeds which are unattended by the parks and gardens department of the council.

Preston Park was the “jewel in the crown” of the council’s parks. It is the first park many people see when they come down the A23 into

Brighton. It had four bowling greens, well-kept tennis courts and delightful flower beds. Today all visitors see is a run-down area.

This Friday the Mayor of Brighton and Hove will be visiting all the outdoor clubs in the city to bowl the first wood of the outdoor season and declare the greens open for bowling.

Brian Bayliss, Honorary match secretary, Hangleton Bowling Club