This story starts in the late 1960's.  I was reaching the age where I started to properly notice things, news, sports, television and girls.

I was a 14 yr old  apprentice motor mechanic and totally oblivious to the important things in life. However this soon changed when I discovered the joys and misery of crown green bowling.

I had a taste of team play a lot earlier, I was 8 years old when my dad threw me into the team when they were short of a player for a league game in Huddersfield.

Denby Dale Bowling Club had a very strong bowling team and there were players down at the club every evening practising. I was encouraged to start playing by not only my dad ( who had been a regular team player for many years ), but also all the other players.

At the time, to me they were just a bunch of old men who bowled. What I didn't know or realise was these 'old men' were keen and dedicated bowlers who trained and practised most days at Denby Dale Bowling Club. These same team members were in the top Huddersfield leagues and local Dearne & Don leagues.

So my dad gave me a set of woods from one of the old wooden lockers in the clubhouse and slowly but surely I started to play, both on my own, and regular doubles practise with the members.

I always remember that my interest peaked fully when my dad had my own clubhouse key cut ! I could get in whenever I wanted and play whenever I wanted.

At that time, I can't remember the club having a dedicated greenkeeper and the members hopped onto the mower on a regular basis. Every week day I got back from my  job and wolfed my tea down and was down at the green most nights by 6pm, as was the majority of the members. Practise hard and practise often. I have to admit I didn't do my turn on the mower, I didn't trust myself to do a good job, but players like Brian Sharp, my dad, Ernest Daniels, Fred Fisher , Harold Thackra and others did a great job without me being nervous about it.

What was happening, without me realising it was I was getting involved with bowling. My game was improving and I was starting to win some friendly games.

Weekends were spent going with my dad to the games, mainly away games I remember, and I learned how to score a card and check every few ends with my opposition marker. Something I was to realise the importance of in later years.

My dad, Brian Sharp , Eric Lockwood , myself and others made a rockery at the far end of the green, all down the side that separates the bowling green from the cricket field and they did a great job too, most Sunday mornings, although I have to be honest and say I did as little as possible as gardening just wasn't and still isn't, my thing.

I remember my first foray into playing for the team was in the Skelmanthorpe Sunday league, which involved Denby Dale, Skelmanthorpe Central and Windmill bowling clubs, I think Clayton West BC might have been involved too. The team struggled for players on a Sunday morning and I did get half a dozen or so games, didn't win any though.

Undeterred I carried on practising, I can always remember the late great Eric Lockwood once put a fatherly arm around me , he had just thrashed me in a friendly game and he said "Andrew lad, always remember there are two roads to every jack." Wise words indeed as at the time I didn't really take much notice but as years went by I did realise the importance of 'turning over' when needed.

I kept getting picked for the team on a regular basis, I seem to remember the captain of the Saturday team was Harold Thackra , and the captain of the Dearne & Don team was Ernest Daniels. Captains change, of course, but those two were the two who I remember as captains. 

I was getting keen, with disappointment registering on my face when I raced down to the green after work to find I wasn't in the team ( not withstanding the fact that I had probably been beaten the previous week , that didn't matter to me ).

Here is a photo of our Dearne and Don team , section B winners in 1970, and section A winners in 1971

I'll remember as many names as I can, left to right at the back we have :  1. Gary Firth  2. Fred Fisher  3. Cyril Tingay :4. Geoff Watson 5. Harold Thackra 6. Derek Whitwham 7. Ernest Daniels 8. Eric Lockwood 9. Brian Sharp 10. Andrew Whitwham.

My apologies for not remembering all the names, maybe if anyone could help they could let me know and I can update the photo.

Quick mention regarding Eric Lockwood there. That huge trophy is presented to the winner of the Scarborough Individual Merit. Well Eric and his wife used to take holidays in Scarborough regularly and Eric, keen bowler that he was always took his woods on holiday with him. Well that particular year he entered the Scarborough Individual Merit and only went and won the whole event !! No-one from the club knew until he came down to the club as usual the week after to practise and plonked this huge trophy on the clubhouse table. What a player!

My biggest success in those days was reaching the grand final of the Huddersfield Mugs Merit, a competition held for registered club players throughout the Huddersfield leagues who had never won a regional event or a regional singles competition. I got through to the finals day after a few heats at various bowling greens, and I don't remember too much, this was back in the mid 1970's but as the day turned into night, I won about 3 games ( I did have 8 points start too as the event was handicapped) and suddenly found myself in the final. I was on my own from Denby Dale BC as I foolishly didn't mention to anyone I had made it to the final day. I experienced on site betting for the first time, I didn't realise it went on but a proper bookmaker was on the site, cant even remember the green but I do remember it was played under the floodlights. I lost 21-15, the other guy played better than me and deserved to win. I did get £80 for finishing runner up though and a mention in the following Monday's Huddersfield Examiner. I was presented the prize money by local celebrity Tony Capstick. I was told off by the other DDBC members for not telling them I was in the finals.

The other success I had was winning the Dearne & Don doubles competition sometime in the 1970's with my playing partner Fred Fisher. I got a lovely little shield, which I still have to this very day.

I also won a couple of the club competitions , namely the Presidents Cup has my name engraved on it at least twice, first time was in 1965 ( I think )

I was playing bowls a lot, most evenings and I joined Penistone bowling club in the Sheffield Parks league which had their league games on a Thursday evening. My captain was the late great Donald Champion, a Penistone stalwart , Champion by name, champion by nature, Donald was a brilliant bowler.

So I was regularly bowling Sunday mornings, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays and Saturdays..and practising the days we weren't playing a league game.

I was in my late teens and by that age I was beginning to have a few distractions away from bowling, football, drinking, ladies all came into my thoughts not necessarily in that order. I enjoyed exploring romance, especially as I was now the proud owner of the key for the clubhouse !

Denby Dale Bowling Club were one of the strongest teams in any of the leagues we were in, however I did leave the village in 1981 to pursue my career. However the team did win another league cup competition, the Beaumont Cup, not sure which league that was but here is a photo of the successful team :  1981 BEAUMONT CUP WINNERS