St Albans Bowling Club celebrate their 110th season with their opening day on Saturday.

The Mayor Eileen Harris continues the tradition of delivering the first bowl of the season at 2pm. Following this a friendly game is played by the members followed by tea in the clubhouse.

The club is once again running free courses for beginners. These are run by a Bowls Development Alliance (BDA) senior tutor and take place at the club in Clarence Park and start this week.

Each session lasts a maximum of two hours and is at the same time, on the same day, for four consecutive weeks. There is a choice of morning, evening and weekend dates to suit everyone. All the equipment is provided and participants should wear casual clothes for ease of movement along with flat-soled shoes to avoid damage to the green.

Bowls is a Sport suitable for all ages and abilities. There are more than 2,500 clubs across England and is a relatively cheap game compared to other sports.

If you are interested in joining one of the courses contact Tricia Gascoine by emailing a.gascoine@ntlworld.com or by ringing 01727 860298 to secure your place. There are limited spots available.

The Short Mat section of Harpenden Bowling Club has achieved excellent results this winter culminating in a busy finals day on Sunday.

Sue Murray won the open singles while Neville Darwin won the men’s competition. Eileen Prior won the ladies singles and also the league play-off.

Janet Hubball and Rick Catchpole won the four wood pairs while Pat Darwin and Gordon Burrows came first in the two wood pairs.

Four members were selected to play in the County semi-finals of the Inter County Cup against Devon and lost 171-168.

Those selected were Eileen Prior, Sue Murray, Ken Murray and Pauline Taylor.

Three teams of fours representing Hertfordshire got through to the National finals held in Birmingham. Members from Harpenden were Pauline Taylor, Murray, Prior, Liz Bradley and Diana Davies who stood in for Jan Reid who was unable to play. The teams played three games but unfortunately did not proceed further.

Meanwhile, Townsend Bowls Club starts their outdoor season on Saturday, April 20 and will hold an open day the following day between 10am and 12.30pm.

The club will provide bowls, refreshments, advice and tuition but require participants to wear comfortable clothes and flat shoes, such as trainers.

If you want more information then contact Jane on 01727 812385 or Tony on 01727 857520.