Holtwhites Bowls Club

For all roll-ups you can wear anything comfortable.  The only requirement is a pair of flat-soled shoes that you change into when you arrive.  This avoids any contamination being brought onto the green.  There are members lockers in our changing rooms where shoes, bowls, measures etc can be kept.

Once you have decided to join us, club shirts and fleeces can be purchased from the Club Secretary.  These will be required for club nights (Monday from 6pm), all internal games, friendlies and external competitions.  Navy Blue trousers and shorts are also required for all games other than roll-ups.

To play lawn bowls well requires a bit of practice so we have some very experienced players who will always offer help and advice.  We also have some coaching sessions available for next season.

The rules of the game along with the etiquette of the game, will also be explained to you as you progress in the game.  We are a friendly club, so you will find that everyone wants to help.  If you wish to learn more about the game, visit  www.bowlsengland.com for a more in-depth idea of the rules and what is expected.

Our gardens and surrounding area are well-maintained and planted out each year by some experienced members of the club.  We take pride in making our surroundings look welcoming and attractive.

The Green is improving dramatically under the guardianship of our groundsman and a new external green keeper along with work from our members.  The green is always a work in progress and requires continued care, but it remains the heart of the club along with our members.  A small club but a big heart. 

Holtwhites Bowls Club is a section of Holtwhites Sports & Social Club, which is currently based in Kirkland Drive, Holtwhites Hill, Enfield. The bowls section was formed in 1915 when it was a railway club owned by LNER, later becoming Great Northern Athletic Association and then British Rail Sports Association.

1940 -1945 – The main building was used as war offices and was not vacated until 1948, but casual play continued during this time.  Huge, twenty-foot square wheeled chicken coops were kept on the adjacent cricket field and moved around as the chickens devoured the grass! Thankfully, they were not allowed on the bowling green!

Until 1952 only clerical railway staff and their families were allowed to join, but from then on drivers and porters were admitted. The Club was heavily subsidised by the railway companies, but numbers dwindled so ‘outsiders’ were allowed to join the club from 1965.

British Rail withdrew its financial support in 1994, so the club was renamed Holtwhites Sports and Social Club as the entrance was on Holtwhites Hill. In 1997 the land was bought by Fairview and the future of the club was uncertain.

However, by entering into an agreement with Fairview, to support their planning application, they promised to re-site the sports facilities onto part of the land whilst building on the rest. This ensured the club’s survival.

The new green, laid with turfs, opened in 2001 and was very soon banned by the County Associations, as it was not up to the standard required to play bowls! The turfs were ripped up and the ground re-levelled and seeded.

In March/April 2008, a conservatory was built to extend the shelter to form a clubhouse.  This gave players much needed protection from inclement weather. The building refurbishment was made possible by a £10,000 interest free loan from Bowls England and donations by bowls members of over £12,000. The total cost was around £26,000.

In the autumn of 2012 work began on a further extension at the back of the Clubhouse, giving the club more kitchen space and a serving bar. This was again made possible by further donations of more than £10.000 by club members. 

Please see our safeguarding policy displayed in the clubhouse.

The Bowls Club is a section of Holtwhites Sports & Social Club and members can if they wish join the Cricket Club, Tennis Club and Football Club for a reduced additional fee.

The Club is affiliated to both men’s and women’s Middlesex County Associations, Bowls England and Finchley & North London Men’s and Women’s Bowling Association.

David Cross (Chairperson)

Georgina Cross (Secretary)

Brian Alcock (Treasurer)

Jo Silles (Ladies Captain)

Margaret Harris (Vice Ladies Captain)

Andy Downe (Men’s Captain)

Steve Palmer (Vice Men’s Captain)

Adrian Mabbott (Green Ranger)

David Norton (Vets Captain)

Pam Alcock (Supplies/Refreshments Officer)

Club Nights

Club nights are a social gathering for those wishing to gain confidence in entering competitions and enjoy playing in a team competition.  Australian pairs are played (May-June) and Triples (July-Sept).   Roll-ups are also available on Monday evenings.

At the end of the evening, we gather in the clubhouse for hot-dogs and a drink. 

Internal Competitions

For those interested in playing competitions, we also run the following internal competitions most years:

Singles

Men’s Championship

Ladies’ Championship

Open Championship

Open 2 Woods

Men’s Handicap

Ladies’ Handicap

Qualified (for newbies)

Pairs

Men’s Pairs

Ladies’ Pairs

Mixed Pairs

Nobby Beckett Pairs (single date)

External Competitions

For those interested in representing the club against other bowls clubs, we compete in the following local league competitions:

Vet’s League (men over 60)

Brigg League (ladies)

ESL (mixed)

Trophy 2000 (mixed)

We usually enter the following knock-out competitions:

Henry Rose Cup (men over 60)

Scott Blain Cup (men)

Tony Allcock (mixed over 60s)

Middlesex Double Rink (men)

Mixed Fours

We also play friendly games throughout the season – often against clubs that we don’t usually meet in competition.

Individuals, pairs or triples who want to take their game further can enter external competitions organised by Middlesex, Finchley & North London or London & Southern Counties Bowling Associations.

Honours

Roll of Honour (recent)

Ladies’ Champions

2022 Frances Kelly (v Pat Andrews)

2023 Frances Kelly (v Natasha Pooran)

2024 Amanda Taylor (v Jo Silles)

2025 Natasha Pooran (v Pam Alcock)

Men’s Champions

2021 Rod Smith (v Ian Thompson)

2022 Terry Guilder (v Andy Hatvani)

2023 Geoff Benge (v Rod Smith)

2024 Andy Downe (v Steve Williams)

2025 Tony Locke (v Paul Walters)

Open Champions

2021 Ian Thompson (v Andy Hatvani)

2022 Andy Hatvani (v Natasha Pooran)

2024 Natasha Pooran (v Andy Downe)

2025 Paul Walters (v Steve Palmer)

Open 2 Woods

2021 Rod Smith (v Andy Hatvani)

2022 Terry Guilder (v Damien Fallon)

2023 Natasha Pooran (v Rod Smith)

2024 Natasha Pooran (v Steve Palmer)

2025 Clark Flanagan (v Steve Williams)

Ladies’ Handicap Winners

2022 Pat Andrews (v Pam Alcock)

2023 Pam Alcock (v Pat Andrews)

2024 Natasha Pooran (v Pam Alcock)

Men’s Handicap Winners

2022 Terry Guilder (v Andy Hatvani)

2023 Geoff Benge (v Simon Hunt)

2024 Steve Palmer (v Steve Williams)

2025 Paul Walters (v Ken Creer)

Qualified

2022 Simon Hunt (v Andy Downe)

2023 Natasha Pooran (v Amanda Taylor)

2024 Amanda Taylor (v Steve White)

2025 Paul Walters (v Steve Williams)

Holtwhites Bowls Club are proud to have the following sponsors.

Barnfields Estate Agents 

1a Windmill Hill, Enfield, Middx, EN2 6SE

020 8363 3394

Complete Financial Solutions Ltd

Independent Financial Advisors

Contact – Julie Cooper Tel 0774 1092649