Esclusham Bowling Club

Jim Ratcliffe’s Bowls

Jim Ratcliffe played for Esclusham Bowling Club between the 1930’s and the 1960’s. He appears in many of the photographs featured on this site.

His bowls may well have been used on our green as far back as the 1930’s.

The bowls, jack and bag featured below were donated by Eryl Jones. His father, Thomas William Jones was a great friend of Jim Ratcliffe. Jim’s widow gave the bowls to Thomas William upon Jim’s death and subsequently they were then passed onto Eryl when Thomas William passed away.

I recently spoke to Jim’s daughter and she fondly remembers polishing her father’s bowls every Saturday morning in readiness for his game in the afternoon.

As you will notice from the photographs detailed below Jim had his own match jack.

Eryl Jones recollects some interesting information as to how jacks were originally used in the sport of crown green bowling in the Wrexham area. “As far as I recall with the jacks, each player bowled his own jack when he won an end.  Otherwise the opponent bowled his jack.  I don't think you had to show the bias and you wouldn't know the strength of the bias, which used to vary (there were a lot of 2 1/2 and 2 1/4 biases around in those days).” 

So “tossing” for the jack in bygone days meant “tossing” to set the mark with your own jack!