Birth of a Legend.
In 1924 the newly formed committee were not idle. Whilst the bowling green was being laid, they were hatching a competition, worthy of the rapidly growing interest in the relatively newly organised sport of lawn green bowling in Wales and a first in the County of Pembroke. They settled on a singles trophy tournament par excellence.
First announced on 23rd August 1924. It was, what is now probably, a world famous singles bowls trophy:
“The Tenby Challenge Gold Cup”
A brilliant concept, made of solid 18 carat gold with the equivalent weight of 100 guineas and ordered through committee member and local jeweller, Mr W. Howells.
Being Tenby businessmen, they rightly felt that this new attraction would draw a different type of tourist and as the fairly short “high-season” was already saturated, they plumped for early June. The aim was to lengthen the season and increase trade in Tenby, whilst hotels could better cater for the expected influx of bowlers and their families.
The problem of paying for this very costly enterprise was solved by starting a “Subscription Fund” open to all generous minded locals and visitors, who all gave freely for what they conceived to be a great step forward in the affairs of Tenby town.
All of the subscribers’ names were given prominence in the Tenby Observer, regularly. A sure-fire encouragement for these generous people to part with cash for a very worthy cause.
Word soon got round of these ambitious plans especially amongst the ever-growing Welsh bowling fraternity. This was greatly helped when members of the “Limited Company”, joined the stars of the bowling world at the popular bowls centre in Llandrindod Wells, during their high season in 1923.
They received an enthusiastic welcome as the new kids on the block and left with many promises from the talented bowlers, that they would be entering this exciting new venture in Tenby in 1924.
The most telling publicity boost was the ‘weighing–in’ ceremony at the National Provincial Bank in Tenby in late January 1924, when in the presence of responsible members of the town and club, the newly made Cup was weighed in the scales against 105 sovereigns and approved. This superb publicity Coup was highlighted in all of the Nations newspapers, including the widely read Western Mail.
The best possible launch for any enterprise.
The first open tournament
Started on Monday 2nd June 1924 and ran for two weeks. It consisted of the singles “Gold Cup” tournament, which was completed in the first week, accompanied by a Pairs competition. There were several “ring” competitions (Better known as target bowls these days) during the tournament, particularly for members and visiting bowlers who were unable to enter the main competition.
Every effort was made to entertain the bowlers and their friends. There were special motor-car trips, motorboat excursions, bridge drives plus a carnival and concert on the Castle Hill, followed by a dance.
All competitors were made honorary members of the Tenby Golf Club.
Amateurism in Sport
Amateurism was very important in those pre-war days, so money prizes were always given in voucher form and were only redeemable at the local shops that had subscribed to the event. The tyros of the Tenby Club were not expected to progress far in the first “Open Tournament” so a special prize of a set of Bowls was presented to the Tenby bowler, who progressed the furthest before elimination.
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It was common practice for many years for the winners of the Gold Cup, Silver Bowl and the Five Arches consolation trophy, to take these away, after presentation, with pride and display them in their own club until the following tournament.
Tenby members were shocked one year, to hear that one winner had the prestigious Gold Cup on display, amongst the produce in the window of their local greengrocer’s shop.
The last winner, who was allowed to take the Gold Cup away after presentation, was Mr Cedric Brown of Hull in 1981. He solved the knotty problem of getting the trophy valued officially for insurance purposes. The “committee” were suitably amazed to find it was valued at £10,000. (Scrap value, £2,500).
It was never to leave the Tenby Club again. After the obligatory photo-call at the trophy presentation ceremony, it disappears into the banks vaults, languishing in it’s purpose built coffin, until the next tournament.
The original conditions covering the “Gold Cup” were couched in such a way as to tempt bowlers to enter by announcing that the Cup could be won outright if won in three consecutive years or over four years in total.
The impossible nearly happened.
The Rev. Howells of London won the Gold Cup in 1946 and 1947. He also entered the tournament in 1948 with the stated intention of claiming the cup as his own if he was successful with his third attempt. Naturally the whole club was on tenterhooks, watching his progress that week. Fortunately, he was knocked out by local fruit merchant come church organist, Mr Albert E. Bevan, one of Tenby’s more casual bowlers, who enjoyed a “roll-up” with the boys most evenings.
With considerable relief the management committee swiftly altered the Rules, making the Tenby Challenge Gold Cup Trophy the property of The Tenby Bowling Club in perpetuity.
Subsequent committees moved the “Open Tournament”, firstly to the first week in July 1928 and in 1950 to the main holiday period, the first week in August. It was reduced to one week, running from Saturday to Saturday. The entrants were by then playing for the “Gold Cup”, the secondary “Silver Bowl” and the new consolation trophy “The Five Arches Bowl”.
Silver Bowl
In 1936 one of our founder members, William Howells the Jeweller and his family presented the club with an additional trophy for the popular Tenby Open Week. To be known as the “Percy Howells Silver Bowl”, which is played for in a parallel tournament, dovetailed in with the Gold Cup and is equally sought-after.
The “Five Arches Bowl”
This trophy was introduced in 1950 as a singles tournament, open to all entrants of the main trophies. If they fell out of both main events by the Wednesday of the Open week, they were eligible to enter the “Five Arches”, which extended their active participation to the end of the week. Many epic struggles in the “Five Arches” finals have more than matched the high-classed bowling in the Gold & Silver finals over the years.
In the 1980s the “Open Week” was again changed to its current format Sunday to Saturday, inclusive, as near the first week in August as possible.