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Nairn bowlers roll up their sleeves at St Ninian Bowling Club at Viewfield as they look forward to the first full Highland season since the Covid pandemic


By Donald Wilson

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St Ninian BC members hard at work. Vice-President Steven Whittlestone (front centre). Left to right Jenny Botto, Carol Macacskill, Chris Lilley, Joanne Whittlestone, Alan Ewing, Dave Watson
St Ninian BC members hard at work. Vice-President Steven Whittlestone (front centre). Left to right Jenny Botto, Carol Macacskill, Chris Lilley, Joanne Whittlestone, Alan Ewing, Dave Watson

A group of Nairn bowlers have been rolling their sleeves up and getting their hands dirty as they look forward to their first full season as the Covid pandemic eases.

Members of St Ninian Bowling Club at Viewfield have been carrying out improvements to the area surrounding the green which sits in the leafy Viewfield Park in the shadow of the statue of Dr John Grigor who played a key role in developing the town as a resort in the Victoria era.

Vice-President Steven Whittlestone said. "We have a small membership of 25 but we all work hard together doing this work has been enjoyable and getting us all together again after the lockdowns during Covid.

"We hope to be at full capacity in terms of competition next year and we want to ensure the green and the surrounds are in tip top condition.

"There has been a lot of shrubbery which was taking over around the green. That's been removed along with a lot of slabbing. We had to dismantle seating planks from the benches surrounding the green to do the job properly but these will all be painted and replaced.

"Now we can see what we are looking at we can work out a plan. Because we are doing the work ourselves its keeping the costs down."

In the longer term Mr Whittlestone said they hope to follow the lead of the Nairn Bowling Club and seek charitable status which they hope may open doors to additional funding.

"Many of our members are also members at the Nairn club at Albert Street and we have some inter-club competitions. We own the clubhouse and Highland Council owns the green but we are responsible for its upkeep. All the members are involved and Fraser McBean is our greenkeeper.

"The social side of the club is important to our members and we are all looking forward to getting together again more regularly. We have regular bingo sessions in the clubrooms which generates funds and we also have a race night planned soon.

"It's a beautiful setting in the summer but there's a lot of hard work goes into maintaining it in the winter."

READ: NHS Highland musculoskeletal (MSK) physio service in Inverness to temporarily take up a retail unit in the Eastgate Shopping Centre


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