The rickshaw made its way down to Leamington Spa the home of Bowls England National Championships for a couple of days to sample the event.
Now in the past it has been “Open Season” whenever it comes to commenting on the Leamington experience which is fine everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Generally there is always a small social media presence that are critical of it but there are also a very large silent majority who make the pilgrimage and love it, so we thought let’s see what the crack is.
So after a 214 mile drive we arrived in Leamington, the nearer you get to Victoria Park the event is sign posted to the official car park which was helpful. Now there has been a bit of chat about the increase in prices and the inclusion of Blue Badge holders now having to pay. Anyway we coughed up £10 and was directed where to park.
On approach to the venue entrance the one thing that stands out is the yellow Aviva branding. At the entrance you receive a warm welcome, a quick scan of your ticket and a wrist band is attached….. a good start.
Walking into the venue you come to the various food outlets and the bowls retailers tent which looks like it is doing decent business.
You feel like you are now part of the experience, the main green looks immaculate, with the stands around, it actually could feel a bit intimidating for a new qualifier, when you eventually access all areas the green condition is replicated on the other four greens.
The only real gripe apart from it being in a wind tunnel is the space around the greens as it can get a bit crowded around B and C greens but that is due to the green lay out, with it being a real scorchio of a day the club bar is doing brisk business as is the ice cream seller.
The tannoy announcer is clear and informative and the winners presentation is well drilled.
The atmosphere during the day was great, the standard of play matched the atmosphere and the support the respective counties got was top notch. The passion on the green once again goes to prove this sport is anything but boring. The Quarter Finals in the Men’s Fours was a great example of how the game is played loud and proud.
Conclusion – Personally I cannot fault the way Bowls England have built up the whole 18 days, from all the volunteers donned in there yellow gear to the venue cleaning team, the umpires who have long sessions to cover and the Bowls England staff who are on the go all day to make sure the event runs smoothly. For an event that gets its fair share of critic it is packed out, does it tick the boxes as the sports National Championships…… it does for me.