Bolton Parks Veterans Amateur Bowling Association

Welcome to Bolton Parks Veterans Amateur Bowling Association website.

Dropbox:
Membership, Aims and Objectives
Association Rules
Officers
Teams Secretaries
Team Results Secretaries
Team Captains
Club / Team Treasurers
Club / Team Secretaries
Guide to Results Entry
Association Competitions
Lancashire Competitions

Useful Links:
BCGBA Website
Lancashire Website
BCGBA - Latest Newsletter
BCGBA Registration Form
BCGBA Development Plan
CGB Federation
Safeguarding Website

Admin:
League admin

BOLTON PARKS VETERANS AMATEUR BOWLING ASSOCIATION

Sponsored by BETFRED

2025 SEASON

Ray Forrest may he Rest In Peace - please read the tribute below

It is with regret that Ken Holcroft has resigned as Chairman of the Association.  Please read Ken's email that he wrote. At the time of writing the email Ken was very concerned about the future of the Association due to the lack of members stepping forward to fill existing vacant roles on the Executive and roles being vacated at our AGM. This has not changed so please read

The Final eight of the Mixed Pairs was played at Tonge Park on 18th July. The Mixed Pairs Competition now sponsored by Bill Morris's family was won by Ann Norris and Kevan Latham who beat Sandra Doel and Alan Norris in the final. Congratulations to Ann and Kevan and commiserations to Sandra and Alan.

I will be updating the Content and Links on the website in the coming weeks before the start of the season. Please contact me if you find links are not working.

BCGBA & Lancashire Information on Competitions, Safe Guarding, Fundraising and many other topics can be found here.

The aims of the association are to encourage, promote and organise the game of Crown Green Bowls for Veterans playing on Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Park Greens.

The League has two Sections; the 'A' Section has 13 teams and the 'B' Section 14 teams. We play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (plus some Wednesdays). Each team has ten players.

We welcome anyone over the age of 58 years, male or female but you need to register for a team before playing a match and hold a current BCGBA number and have paid for a Bolton Parks' permit through your Club.

Please click the post holder to contact the Chairman - Vacancy  the Results & Fixtures Secretary - Alan Hamer; League and Competitions Secretary & Website Manager - Clive Fenn If the links do not work for you, please use the following email address clive.fenn@flowtechdesign.com or Telephone: 07949 200 926.

Please look around the site and have a look at the different links on the left hand side. There are links to names and addresses of all Team Secretaries, Results Secretaries, etc. There is a link to the guide to help your entry of results once the season starts. Links to BCGBA Newsletters, etc.

Previous years' results can be found via links by clicking the Bolton Leagues tab on the home page and scrolling down the screen to the Archives Table - click the relevant year for the league you want to review. 

 

Ray Forrest

Date of Next Meeting and Minutes of Meetings

Bowl played out of turn

Ray Forrest

RAY FORREST

 

It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Ray Forrest who passed away in hospital on 29th July with his family around him. Ray had had a heart attack just after the match between Moss Bank B and Tonge Park A and collapsed onto the footpath on leaving the green. An Ambulance arrived within about 4 minutes and the paramedics worked on him for sometime before he was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where he was sedated for a few days and subsequently died on 29th July at 10:00.

 

Ray Forrest, holding the Mills Crossley Cup at Tonge Park on 18th July 2025. Ray first won the Mills Crossley Cup in 1983. Ray died only 11 days after this photograph was taken by Brian Anderson. Ray was a stalwart of Bolton for over 50 years and will be a great loss to the bowling community and many friends.

Ray was 82 when he died and leaves a loving wife Sonia, a son Mark and daughter Toni and step sons Scott and Lee.

Rest In Peace Ray you will be sadly missed.

Funeral arrangements will be posted when known.


(Tuesday 5 August 2025)

Date of Next Meeting and Minutes of Meetings

Contact details and forms:

Current list of BPVABA Officers / Executive, BPVABA Team Secretaries & Captains & Results Secretaries for the 2024 season.

Blank Team Registration Form 2025

Template for Bolton Parks Permits for Clubs

 

Future Meetings

Proposed dates, to be confirmed and subject to availablility of the venue.

League Meeting – Thursday, 20th March @ 8.00pm in Railway (Sec apologies) - This meeting is to collect score cards and pay registration fees.

League Meeting – Thursday, 18th September @ 13.30 in Railway tbc 

Presentation – Thursday, 6th November @ 13.30 in Railway tbc

 

Annual General Meeting – Thursday, 29th January 2026 @ 13.30 in Railway

 

Past Meetings

Draft Minutes of the AGM held on 29th January 2025

Secretary's Report - 2024

Treasurer's Report Annual Accounts

List of 2024 Prize Winners

Draft Minutes of the League Meeting held on 19th September at the Railway

Annual Accounts 2023

Minutes of the AGM held on 25th January 2024

Vets - Trophy and Prize Winners 2023

Minutes of the League Meeting on 26th September 2023

Minutes of the AGM held on 26th January 2023

Secretary's Report

Treasurer's Balance Sheet for 2022

Lancashire Email requesting support for the Manchester Indoor Bowling Project

List of Prize Winners - 2022

Papers from the AGM held on 10th March 2022

Draft Minutes of the League Meeting on 15th September 2022

Minutes of the AGM held on 10th March 2022

Secretary's Report 

Treasurer's Report - Balance Sheet

Proposals from the Executive Committee

Proposals to have 10 players in a team

Association Rules as approved on 10th March 2022

Current List of Officers and Executive Committee Members

Additional Papers following the AGM

Association Competitions for 2022 and Entry Forms

Fraser Huyton Pairs Entry Form

Mixed Pairs Entry Form

BetFred Competition Entry Form

Secretaries Shield Entry Form

 

Big Bowls Weekend Guide - 27th to 29th May 2022

 

 

Minutes of previous meetings held in 2021 can be viewed by clicking the appropriate link below

Minutes of the Team Representatives Meeting - 30th September 2021

 

Minutes of the Team Representatives Meeting - 10th June 2021

 

Earlier Meetings

AGM Minutes (Draft) - 30th January 2020

Secretary's Report on 2019

Treasurer's Income/Expenditure Balance Sheet and Reconciliation Report on 2019 

Proposal from the Executive Committee to change the name of our Secretaries Meeting to League Meetings

Secretaries Meeting Minutes – 19th September 2019

Papers distributed at the Secretaries Meeting of 14th March 2019 

Trial Rule Changes for BPVABA Competitions in 2019 including Individual Handicaps 

AGM Minutes - 31st January 2019

Secretary's Report 2018

Treasurer's Report 2018 Annual Balance Sheet and Reconciliation Statement

Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 20th September 2018

Notes of Furum Meeting - 19th September 2018

Ken Holcroft's thoughts on Competitions

AGM Minutes - 25th January 2018

Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 21st September 2017

Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 9th March 2017

ASM Minutes - 12th January 2017


(Sunday 23 February 2025)

Bowl played out of turn

We have had a number of instances when opponents have not allowed a bowler to resend a bowl after it was originally played out of turn. Rule 5.12 of the BCGBA states that "If a player delivers a bowl out of turn it must be returned to be played in its proper turn". This means should a player send their bowl inadvertently after setting a mark following the original block being sent off by their opponent - that player gets their bowl back.

Rule 5.13 covers the instance when a bowler delivers their opponent's bowl. In this instance the offending player forfeits their bowl and the bowl is returned to their opponent. The wording of the rule is "If a player, in turn, delivers a bowl of another player, it shall be returned to the proper owner to be played, the offender forfeiting a bowl." This means the bowl sent incorrectly is not replaced by the correct bowl - it is lost and removed from the end.

Please make sure you read the rules. The rules are printed in the Lancashire and BCGBA Official Handbooks. Your Club should have new copies of these handbooks annually.


(Thursday 1 June 2023)