Welcome to the Advent Calendar, day 9. Some say Harehills lack history and culture. That’s plain untrue – and one testament to that is Harehills Bowling Club.
Harehills Park opened in 1901 as part of the ‘lungs of Leeds’. Leeds being a heavily industrialised city, churning out pollution and cramming in a large population to staff the industrial facilities, there was a concerted effort to open up green spaces.
I think that’s fantastic logic, and it certainly gives Leeds a greener aspect.
Not long after Harehills Park officially opened, bowling came along. The history of Lawn Bowling is really quite fascinating. Still, I’ve only read a few notes on it – if you’re interested in sports history, it’s definitely a worthwhile topic. I have learned that versions of bowling were played back to Ancient Egypt, coming to the British Isles in the 13th century, and rising and falling in popularity until the Scottish started to play it on flat square greens and formalising many of the rules in the 19th century.
My own history with bowling was with my Grandad, primarily up at Manston Park, but I remember coming to Harehills Park with him. I’ve not played since he passed a long time ago, but I will make an effort in 2023.
Harehills Park does a lot of sessions for beginners and returners to the sport, as well as sessions for people with varying abilities. They make it a very open and inclusive sport, using their facilities for events and summer clubs, with a lot of support given over the pandemic.
The bowling greens opened, in Harehills Park, in 1906, with competitions taking place since 1907, making this year their 115th anniversary this Summer, which the bowling club celebrated with a round-robin event.
Bowling is a lot of fun, so if you get chance you should check it out – and you can join a multi-century history tradition right here in Harehills at Harehills Park.
Harehills Park Bowling Club has an active social media presence, and you can visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out what’s happening.
Harehills ❤️ Love 
Leave a comment