Sporting activities from past times

BOURNE ATHLETIC CLUB

Organised sports were first held in Bourne at the Abbey Lawn on Whit Monday, 10th June 1878. The Bank Holiday meeting was organised by the Bourne Athletic Club that had been formed a few years before. The Stamford Mercury reported:

Hitherto, bank holidays have been very quiet days in Bourne and it was thought desirable that some amusements on these occasions would be acceptable to the public. Consequently,  the gentlemen connected with the club formed a committee with that object in view, the result being a really good programme containing fourteen events with numerous entries. The sports altogether were of an entertaining character and the committee are to be congratulated upon the success that their efforts have met with, for considering that similar sports and entertainments took place in several neighbouring towns on the same day, the result is thought to be quite satisfactory. The receipts taken at the gate amounted to £37 11s. The Boston Borough Band enlivened the proceedings. The first event was announced to take place at half-past one and though a smart shower of rain came on between 12 and 1, the weather afterwards was favourable and the ground, which had been well rolled for the occasion, was in good condition.

The events included throwing the cricket ball, handicap running races over distances of 100 yards, 440 yards, quarter-mile, half-mile and one mile, high jump, long jump, 250 yards hurdle handicap, 10 hurdles, bicycle handicap, one mile walking handicap, quoits handicap and pole jump. The latter event was by far the most exciting because competitors were equally matched but the pole broke and after a second one gave way while being tested, the event was abandoned and so no award was made.

Half of the proceeds went to defray the costs of the meeting and the balance used to launch a new fund to encourage the development of cricket, football and athletic sports in the town. The athletic meeting, later combined with equestrian events such as trotting in harness and jumping, and became an annual event every Whit Monday.

One of the biggest meetings was held on 29th May 1882 when the top athletes from the country and county competed and the organisers made arrangements with the Great Northern Railway Company to issue cheap day tickets from Stamford, Spalding, Sleaford and intermediate stations, with return trains leaving Bourne at 10 pm to coincide with the end of the festivities. The band of the Lincolnshire Volunteers was also engaged to provide the music throughout and there was much competition for the sale of refreshments from local tradesmen, the rights having being auctioned to the highest bidders by Mr John Shilcock during a meeting at the Crown Hotel in April. Four tents were rented out in this way, No 1 tent for high quality general refreshments which went to Mr Robert Bliss, landlord of the Crown Hotel, for £4 10s., No 2 tent for temperance refreshments to Mr James Neal, proprietor of the refreshment rooms in South Street, for £2 5s., No 3 tent for cheaper general refreshments to Mr Bliss for £3 5s. and No 4 tent for temperance refreshments to Mr George Elvidge [for Mr Neal] for £1. The event was one of the most successful ever held in Bourne and the Stamford Mercury reported:

The weather was beautifully fine, the number of spectators exceedingly large, the amount taken at the gate being over £70. There were 16 events on the card of which 11 were confined to athletics and the remainder to trotting in harness and jumping and the value of the prizes, which amounted to £70, attracted a very large number of entries, some of the competitors in the more important events coming from London, Lincoln, Stamford, Spalding, Wisbech, Holbeach, St Ives, and other distant places. The task of the judges was not an easy one but we believe their awards gave general satisfaction. The last five [equestrian] events tended very materially to swell the admissions at the gate. At the close of the sports, the prizes were presented to the successful competitors by the vicar, the Rev H M Mansfield, MA, who in a few appropriate words, congratulated the respective recipients thereof. The field was shortly afterwards cleared for dancing, there being an additional charge to all those who had a desire to re-enter the grounds for this purpose, and also to witness a grand display of fireworks by our enterprising townsman, Mr John Evans. We are pleased to add that the field was thronged with visitors and every one appeared to try their best to make the most of the day's outing. The fireworks were given at about 9 o'clock. There was a magnificent discharge of rockets and set pieces and the whole gave universal satisfaction. The company finally separated at about 10 o'clock.

The 11th annual sports in 1888 were also a notable occasion with 113 entries, an increase on the previous year when there had been 106. The Stamford Mercury reported:

The Great Northern Railway offered facilities for visitors from Grantham, Sleaford, Spalding, Stamford &c. by the issue of cheap tickets. About 3,000 paid for admission to the sports at the Abbey Lawn and the interest of the spectators was maintained throughout. The grandstand was again erected in its old locality and was well patronised. The value of the prizes offered this year was £70. There is evidence of established popularity as is also the fact of the increasingly wide range whence competitors were attracted. It may be interesting to state that these came, not only from the town and its immediate vicinity, which always furnishes a very fair proportion, but from London, Lincoln, Stamford, March, Wisbech, Peterborough, Spalding, Boston, Hull, Derby, Nottingham, Gainsborough, Holbeach and King's Lynn.

On Monday 29th May 1898, the event celebrated its 21st anniversary, attracting almost 2,000 spectators, and the Stamford Mercury reported:

The weather opened fair but the best two horse classes were exhibited under the depressing influence of a persistent downpour. Though rain militated against the prospect of the evening local sports, there was a good attendance. The events proved very interesting, both bicycles and foot races bringing out a good show of talent. Some of the heats were very closely contested. The horse classes were a great success, the average quality of the exhibits being very high.

The event continued until the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, and the prizes on offer were put on public display in the preceding weeks to stimulate public interest, usually in the window of Mr Francis Clarke's ironmongery shop in the Market Place.

BOURNE QUOIT CLUB

Quoits dates from the 15th century and was played principally in Lancashire and the Midlands and is a game that has some resemblance to the ancient practice of discus throwing although it is reckoned to be more skilful and does not require so much strength. It is played with circular metal rings weighing 7-9 lb. and not more than 8½ in. in diameter and the object is to hurl or throw them at two iron or steel pins known as hobs, each sited in the middle of a three foot circle 18 yards apart, with the objective of encircling the pins or landing as near to them as possible.

Bourne Quoit Club was formed in 1873 at a cost of £100 and by 1888, the club had 56 members, all male, who met for an annual dinner at the Crown Hotel in West Street [now converted into shops as Crown Walk] on Friday 21st September. There was a large company present under the chairmanship of Mr Robert Shilcock, a brewer, from North Street, with the president, Mr Frederick Green, a coal merchant, from South Street, also in attendance. It was a jolly occasion to celebrate a successful season, as the Stamford Mercury reported the following week, although the principal guests reflected the membership of the club as one being drawn mainly from local business and trade:

A toast to “The Army, Navy and Volunteers” was proposed and responded to by Sergeant William Hall. The chairman proposed “Success to the Bourne Quoit Club” and Mr Green, in responding, said that during the 15 years of the club’s existence, the financial condition had never been more satisfactory than now. The formation of the club cost about £100: of that £60 had been paid off and this year they hoped to pay off another £10. Although the present season had not been very successful, he hoped that next year they would be able to congratulate themselves on a victorious career. (Cheers) The toast “Success to the Town and Trade of Bourne” was entrusted to the chairman who said: “You have really put me in a fix regarding the trade of Bourne. I think it is nearly defunct.” (Laughter). Mr Joseph Arnold [a coach builder of West Street]: “Keep your pecker up”. (Laughter). Being requested to support his disclaimer, Mr Arnold said they had no cause to complain. There were other places than Bourne doing half the trade. A voice called out: “Speak of facts.” He was, said Mr Arnold, speaking of his own trade with which he was well satisfied. From what he could hear, others were doing well. If they were not satisfied, then they ought to be. (Laughter).

The chairman, continuing, said the trade appeared to be as near defunct as possible. They were working in the hope of better times. (Hear, hear!) He said the liberal support the town received from Grimsthorpe Castle, from Lady Willoughby and the staff, made an immense difference to the trade. Sergeant Hall [a cabinet maker, of South Street] proposed “Success to the winners in the Quoit Handicap” and Mr A Mann replied. Mr Green proposed “The Host and Hostess” to which Mr Henry Hardwick, landlord of the Crown Inn, responded. The president thanked the officers and committee for their services. The proceedings were then enlivened with songs.

The club played mainly at home, usually at the Abbey Lawn, on the ground used by the Bourne Bowling Green and Tennis Club, and frequently entertained visiting teams. On Friday 9th August 1878, for instance, there was a match between the Peterborough and Bourne clubs which the visitors won by 15 points. The summer of 1883 was a particularly busy time with an evening match against Sleaford at home on Friday August 10th, each team playing ten members, and a final score of Bourne 73 points, Sleaford 100, and a second evening match later that month, on Friday August 24th, against the Carlby village club which Bourne won by four points. A team from Baston was also entertained on Tuesday 10th August 1886 when the visitors won by 33 points.

Members also knew how to enjoy themselves socially, and were prepared to pay for it, with regular entertainments such as the smoking concert held at the Corn Exchange on Saturday 26th January 1888, as reported by the Stamford Mercury:

The room was tastefully decorated. There was a good assembly. Bourne Brass Band played several selections. The affair, we hear, was not a financial success.

Bourne Quoit Club continued in existence until the early years of the 20th century and in 1906 it was known as the Hereward Quoit Club, holding its meetings at the Red Lion in South Street, but interest declined and it folded through lack of support soon afterwards.

REVISED DECEMBER 2011

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