Two local entrepreneurs have reopened the Peckham Bowls Club after it was left abandoned for eight years – and it’s proving a surprise hit with twenty-somethings.
The club in the middle of Peckham Rye Park fell into disrepair after much of its old membership passed away. Without members, there was no cash, and nobody to manage the club.
Lewisham-raised Seb Morley and Sam Moulton saw it going unused and, after three years of discussions, convinced Southwark Council to lease them the site.
Since re-opening the lawns in June, Seb said business had been “quite incredible” and that “mid-twenties seem to really enjoy it”.
The 35-year-old business partners aim to make the club “more accessible” – free of the membership rules and dress code often associated with lawn bowls.
Seb said: “We’re trying to make bowls a bit more accessible. You don’t need to be a member, wear whites or special shoes. You can wear whatever you like.”
“Mid-twenties seem to really enjoy it. We thought people would try it out as a gimmick but the amount of return business we’ve had is quite incredible,” he added.
Seb and Sam have backgrounds in construction and breweries respectively and have now decided to embark on this new venture.
They opened the clubhouse – now converted into a bar – in March but only opened the lawns in June.
While lawn bowls games can last over three hours, they offer 30-minute sessions to encourage casual players to get involved.
Seb said families were also flocking to the club: “It’s the fact that everyone can play on a level playing field.
“If you were to play football with your grandad, it wouldn’t be a fair contest, it wouldn’t be fun for either of you.
“[In lawn bowls], gender and age don’t affect skill levels. You’ve got kids playing against their parents and grandparents.”
The UK’s summer has been a wash-out – with July the sixth wettest since records began – but that hasn’t dampened the guys’ spirits.
“We’re obviously very weather dependent and the last month hasn’t been great for us but we’ve had people playing in the rain. It’s been better than we’d imagined it would be,” Seb said.
The lawn still isn’t in great condition and will need to time regrow after years of neglect, but Seb said it was great for amateur players.
The club almost became a mini golf course after Southwark Council received an offer from an operator, according to a 2020 council report.
But consultations revealed local concerns that a mini-golf course was not in character with the Grade-II listed park and that it had enough children’s play facilities already.