Out of the ashes. .
The Magpie green with the Corn Exchange in the background
The Magpie bowling green with clubhouse
The History of Shotford Bowling Club starts with the Harleston Magpie Inn. A bowling green at the Magpie was said to date from the 1700s, with its famous clubhouse known to lawn bowlers throughout East Anglia.
The Harleston Magpie Bowls club was one of the 8 founding clubs of the Norfolk Bowls Association in 1936, with landlord Arthur Bush becoming President in 1946.
Arthur Bush in the charred remains of the clubhouse in 1959
In August 1959, the Magpie clubhouse, along with all its trophies, pennants and mementoes was destroyed in a disastrous fire, widely reported in bowling circles and making news in both local and national papers such as the Times and Telegraph.
Mr Bush received many letters of condolence and support from far and wide, some of which are displayed here along with a photograph of Mr Bush in the burned out shell of the club house (letters and photo kindly supplied by Harleston Museum, with thanks to Margaret Griffith).
Click on any of the images to enlarge them.
It is not believed that the lawn suffered much, if any, damage and the club went on to provide the NBA with 3 further presidents; A. Althorp 1960, G. W. Freary 1965 and lastly G.E. Denny in 1967.
However, it was in the early 60s that the green at the Magpie could not be extended to meet the standards of the English Bowls Association and this signalled the end of the green at the Magpie and the start of a new club in Spirketts lane in Harleston.
. . the Phoenix arises
At that time, the President of the club, Mr Frank Catchpole of Shotford Hall farm, saw that the only solution to the problem of the green at the Magpie no longer being suitable, was to “come into the corner of one of my fields” in Spirketts lane. The green was laid and the members moved from the Magpie to the new club, called “Harleston (Shotford) Bowls club” in 1966.
Indoor bowls had by this time become popular at the Diss & District Indoor Bowls Club and a motion was tabled by Mr Catchpole at the Shotford Outdoor AGM to have an indoor rink at Spirketts lane. A four rink indoor facility was completed in February 1969 and this attracted new members from a wide area in and around Harleston.
The club continued to grow with the addition of a changing room in 1971/72, and a lounge in 1974/75.
Mr Catchpole sadly passed away in September 1977 and unfortunately in 1978, the new lounge extension was destroyed by fire, but the main building and indoor green suffered little damage.
The lounge was rebuilt and opened in 1980 and a further 2 rinks together with a new function room, named after popular past president Mr W C Adams, was added.