BOWL WHILE YOU TRAVEL AUSTRALIA

By: John Westbury

Photos: John Westbury & Nic & Pam Storer

For nearly 20-years I have been involved in the caravan industry area and I currently write for Whats Up Down Under E Magazine as well as looking after two caravan social media pages.

Just over two years ago I was at a meeting relating to the caravan industry when I was asked what the industry did in the way of assisting lawn bowlers travelling around Australia. The answer was simple; “nothing”. It was suggested I think about seeing what could be done. My wife Anne and I are both lawn bowlers, umpires and have travelled around Australia in our caravan where we have enjoyed many social games and made good friends at many clubs.

I called a good friend lawn bowler and caravanner, Nic Storer and his wife Pammi who we played a game with here in Victoria when they were travelling and discussed a couple of possibilities with them. Nic, apart from being a keen lawn bowler is also a retired green keeper. Following some discussion, I went into two caravan Facebook sites I administer and asked if there were any lawn bowlers out there. The replies came hot and fast.

With that in mind I set up on Facebook on February 2nd 202o our Facebook page, Caravan Lawn Bowlers Club Australia. Within the first week we had over 100 members and at the time of wring this we have just on 2000. Our presence has increased in that members asked if we could have a club shirt. Yes, we have thanks to Todd Simmons from Hooded Lyfe at Frankston – Melbourne who designed a fantastic shirt. Todd also supplies shirts for many clubs Australia wide.

The idea of the club is simple and it is FREE (you pay for your shirt though)! As example we live in Melbourne and when away always enjoy social bowls at clubs where we have seen their advertisements. On the page we ask members and clubs to post their flyers for social bowls, barefoot bowls and competitions. When we visit a club we naturally pay a green fee, if they have a bar (most do) we pay for drinks and where some clubs have restaurants we make a point of eating there. So, all the clubs we visit make some money and we also get to meet great friendly lawn bowlers from all around Australia. It works in reverse and we have had visitors from interstate visit us while in Victoria. So, here is a greeting and background from Nic and Pammi8.

“We’re Pammi and Nic. We’ve been nomads nearly 10 years, and, we are from South Australia. I am a retired greenkeeper having maintained greens at clubs in the Adelaide metro area and then at Willunga in the McLaren Vale wine region. After the Willunga Bowling Club went synthetic in 2013 we became nomads and I had a spell doing some relief green keeping for Active Turfcare in NSW.

Pammi spent 20 years as a childcare worker and is a passionate bead worker and jewellery maker. She loves teaching her craft to others, especially to kids as we travel. We played “night owls” for a number of years and pennant bowls 2011 and 2012. We both achieved a pennant in the lower divisions. We played together in 2012 with the advent of open gender on Saturdays. We haven’t played much in the last few years, but hope to again one day. As an Admin with John, I enjoy meeting other travelling bowls players on the road and look forward to meeting more of you.”