1906 British /Canada Bowls Tour

"Heading off across the Pond" was how it was described in Europe as lawn bowlers of both sides of the Atlantic prepared for a two Month Lawn Bowl Tour of Canadian Lawn Bowls Clubs by United Kingdom lawn bowl clubs.

In the spring of 1906 the Canadian Ontario Lawn Bowls Association,  on behalf of several Canadian Clubs, was communicating with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales ( then called  the International Lawn Bowls Board) as they approached the final steps of preparation for the 1906 Canadian Lawn Bowl Tour.  This was to be a tour of Canadian Clubs by eight British  teams following  a similar type of trip to England  by Canadian Club teams two years earlier (1904).

Blog's Author note - I have indicated when the contents of the blog are quotes (italic text) from the Canadian archives and have been inserted. Because of the early  1920's storage and copy procedures; these quotes have created  problems of line length .  If you want to attempt to read the archives, which are difficult to do, but interesting go to  "The British Bowlers in Canada 1906 " (May 2017)


During the 1906 Tour by the eight rinks of British Bowlers, one of the more than 20 Central Canada's  Canadian Lawn Bowls Clubs visited  was the Montreal "Westmount Lawn Bowls" club which still operates on Sherbrooke Street in  Montreal. The below photo, from an earlier  web page posting of the club may even show some of the players who participated in welcoming these visiting bowlers.  On  Saturday 28th July 1906 at 3pm; the bowlers met and the local newspaper  quoted the event  as "Westmount Club made Gallant but Ineffectual  Struggle. "

 "After the visitors

 had indulged in a little

 preliminary practice,

and the indispensable

 photographic ceremony 

for the Standard had been 

undergone, the match was begun".

 (Above Photo from a publication when Westmount LBC did their Centennial celebration in 2002.)

"There were six rinks a side, each rink playing 21 ends. 

 From the very outset it was apparent that the local club

 would have to go ' all they knew' to beat their opponents". 

"The visitors, without exception, showed that they were 

thoroughly proficient exponents of the game, and gradually,

 but surely, the disparity in the aggregate scores increased

 in the British team's favour"

How did this Tour of Bowlers and this Diary get to be.??.

 The Journal writes  "I have a long talk with Mr. Hamilton. ... and he wants me to write an official description of our tour, but I am loth to undertake such a task, as there might be more expected of me than I would be able to perform. I told him I was keeping a diary of our trip

Quote from "  The British Bowlers in Canada, 1906.

While one is reading this journal the author writes about an interesting game of Bowls they played while doing their trip across the Atlantic. 

This "on board Ship" game which the journal writes about the teams trans-atlantic trip on the SS Virginian and how they played  their daily Bowls Games.

 "TUESDAY, 24TH JULY. Another dull and hazy morning, but there are quite a number of the early risers 

on deck before breakfast time. 

There is to be a bowling tournament to-day, and the entry money is sixpence each. I join, of course,

 along with the others. The drawing for partners is to take place after breakfast time. This is quite an

 interesting event. How little amuses us when cooped up like this !" 

It cleared up beautifully about mid-day, and we had a delightful time of it on the upper deck playing

 .... at what.... we called bowling. Fog came down about three o'clock, and tended to make things unpleasant

 for us. The foghorn kept roaring every few seconds, and speed was slackened, but this didn't prevent us 

having our game. (at what is called " shuffle-board," but which we called bowling.) Rinks were drawn and 

allocated as follows:

   Scotland v. Canada, and England v. Ireland.

 The ties were entered into with the greatest spirit, and many onlookers watched the progress of the game

 with the keenest interest. The tie betwixt Scotland and Canada was a very keenly contested one, only one

 shot being declared in favour of Scotland at the last end. The game betwixt England and Ireland was also

 closely contested, and resulted in favour of 

England by a small majority. This left the final to be played off betwixt England and Scotland, and the 

champions or rather representatives of the two countries  were each sanguine of success. The onlookers were 

very fairly divided in their 
sympathies, and the players in either rink were encouraged to do their best by their several well wishers".

Well about the Trip.. "We are now under way and gliding along the Northern coast of the Emerald Isle. Letters 

had been posted at Moville to friends at home and, as the rugged headlands of the Irish coast receded from view,

 we felt that the last connecting link that bound us to the old land had been severed for a time, and we 

settled 

ourselves down to face the future buoyant, hopeful and happy.

Of interest from the journal to  Richard, a good friend and the Greens keeper today at 4895 rue Sherbrooke ouest Montreal, (when this blog was written in 2013)

(photos from http://bowlswestmount.ca/ site) 

 is the following extraction of  the 1906 Diary.

  

Extract from Canadian paper received (by passengers when their ship docked at port at Rimouski.

" At Rimouski we had some Canadian newspapers handed on board, and they contained some interesting reading. Here is a cutting from the Montreal Daily Herald, dated the 24th July,

Westmount Enthusiasts Getting their Greens into Shape

 " Westmount green bowlers are busy o' nights preparing for the reception of their brother players now on the voyage from the old country to make a tour of the Canadian greens.

" The local turf is admittedly in a wretchedly bad condition this season, worse probably than since it was laid. For this the Westmounts are, however, in no way to blame. 

Since the growing weather set in, in the spring, much time and labour has been devoted to getting it into shape, but so disastrously had the turf been served by the remarkable weather of the winter, that the task from the beginning seemed almost a hopeless one. 

Sudden thaws and succeeding frosts had played havoc, and when the snow cleared, there was a series of bare patches that gave the enclosure more the appearance of a huge checkerboard than of a bowling green.

" In the interval much has been done. For days the patient keeper worked laboriously picking out by the roots rank growths of grass that so plentifully showed as the springtime advanced ; for days he sanded and rolled alternately, and played the refreshing hosepipe in long spells of drought.

 " Last night many of the members, including ' Jimmy ' Wilson and ' Willie"' Brown, spent much time with sand and roller eradicating ' lumps/ and testing the various rinks running both ways of the green.

Because the archives (scanner errors) it is difficult to read complete sections but what I found  as extracts of the diary I have attempted to patch here. There is of course bits about the trip.

"The sea is a little lumpy, but not bad, even for a landsman. Our ship is making steady headway, and during the last  twenty-four hours we have

 

Bowls Commemorating the 1906 Canadian tour

Updated (September 11,2014) - During the weekend while I , the  blog author, was participating in the 2014 Atlantic Bowls competition in PEI, a gentleman approached me saying 'Would you like to see some really old bowls ?'
 He explained he was painting a house nearby and although not a lawn bowler, he had received these bowls from his grandfather estate during a recent visit to England. His great great grandfather's lawn bowls which were handed down to him as he was living in Canada and they were about the Canadian Tour of 1906.  He explained that his great great great grandfather, George Cousin was with the visiting  British team and  had bowled out of Illowa LBC (UK). Following the 1906 two month Canadian Tour; his club had presented him with these bowls as a gift from the  club to commemicate his participation.

Further in the Journal we find the following entry about the delay of shipping in 1906 and the need to change arrangements to meet the bowling schedule arranged.

"" After correspondence with Mr. Postlethwaite, the secretary of the Ontario Bowling Association, the International Board have arranged that the team should leave Liverpool on Saturday, 2ist July, by the Canadian Pacific Railway Steamship Empress of Ireland, which is due to arrive at Montreal on 28th July, and that they should return by the same steamer, leaving Montreal on 1st September, and due in Liverpool on 8th September" So writes on the 8th of June 1906 A. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. for the British Organization  Quote from "  The British Bowlers in Canada, 1906.

In the Summer of 1906, with the total planning finished the sailing trip was suppose to be on the newly build Empress of Ireland  but at the last minute due to departure delays it was changed to Allen Line  SS Virginian . Below are the story of the life of these two ocean liners and the  SS Virginian   was later named SS Drottningholm which I found had an interesting story of it`s relationship with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

At the time of this letter by Mr. Hamilton the Empress of Ireland was delayed by shipyard delays as WIKIPEDIA says " RMS Empress of Ireland   was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering 

at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland and was launched the 29th of June in 1906.  The liner was commissioned by Canadian Pacific Steamships (CP) for the North Atlantic route between Quebec (Montreal) and Liverpool in England.
(Update July 2022 - Youtube  Sinking of the Empress of Ireland - YouTube 

Today  the wreck of the Empress of Ireland lies in 40 metres (130 ft) of water at the mouth of the St-Lawrence River after an accident 8 years after it`s building, A Canadian Shipwreck now accessible to divers, it is today one of a few Eastern Canada Diver accessable wreck sites. and because of the removal of artifacts,  "the Canadian government has passed legislation to protect the wreck .

The Empress of Ireland, had just begun her 96th sailing when she sank in the Saint Lawrence River following a collision with a Norwegian collier in the early hours of 29 May 1914. Of the 1,477 persons on board the ship, the accident claimed the lives of 1,012 (840 passengers, 172 crew The number of deaths is the largest of any Canadian maritime accident in peacetime.

Further into the diary of  The British Bowlers in Canada, 1906. Mr. Hamilton further writes

As previously intimated, arrangements had been made for the team leaving Liverpool on Saturday, 2ist July, by the Canadian Pacific Railway Steamship Empress of Ireland, but the date of departure of that boat has been postponed until 27th July.
 As all arrangements had been made by the Ontario Bowling Association on the assumption that the team would arrive in Montreal on 28th July, the committee of the International Board have decided that it is impossible to delay departure until 27th July.
 It was necessary, therefore, that other arrangements should be made." I have now completed arrangements with the Allan Line, whereby that company accept the party on the same terms as those which had been previously arranged with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, viz. 25 143. first-class return from Liverpool to Montreal.
 The team will leave Liverpool by the turbine liner Virginian on Thursday or Friday, iQth (19th) or 2Oth July, and it is expected that the boat will arrive in Montreal on 26th or 27th July. The tour will extend to 3ist August, when the Virginian is posted to leave Montreal for Liverpool."

 Another interesting fact found in WIKIPEDIA,  about these ships involved in this Canadian Lawn Bowls Tour is that  the Virginian was Built in 1905  in Glasgow for the Allan Line of Canada and commissioned as SS Virginian, ...... In 1912, she was one of several ships in wireless radio communication with RMS Titanic, giving iceberg warnings, and at one point "erroneous wireless messages"  had Virginian towing Titanic to Halifax, Nova Scotia and that all on board Titanic were safe. (Such a report appeared in the Daily Mirror on 16th April 1912).  She operated from 1920 to 1948 for the Swedish American Line as SS Drottningholm 

At right is a photo from Wikipedia of Greta Garbo & Mauritz Stiller on board the SS Drottningholm in 1925 en route to the United States.

Next blog...The cost of such a trip,  A list of Canadian Clubs involved in welcoming the 1906British Tour and the unique costume that was designed for the bowlers.

Bowls' Future and You.

In Lawn Bowls when we speak of the "Head" it is usually the location of the Jack and Bowls. However, another topic is worth blogging and mention. We must realize that every organization,especially the Lawn Bowls Clubs, needs a head.  The Club executives as the Head executives are usually quite overworked even if our sport is only a half-year sport in most countries..
    We see two interesting news stories on the Twitter bowls site this week.  One is of the Welsh Bowls Association Secretary Brian Rogers'  intervene into the closing of 6 clubs by the  Cardiff council as a budget cutting method. (below)  The other is of a idea to promote Lawn Bowls with the Bowl in One idea (lower down)
This news article reads

 " THE meeting of Cardiff council to finalise its budget cuts it was decided to postpone the closure of six bowls clubs for a year.
This will allow in-depth negotiations to take place to find the best possible options for the clubs involved to become self-managed. The Welsh Bowling Association requests Newport council also to postpone its self-imposed deadline to allow similar discussions to take place. We do not recognise its estimate of £19,000 being a true figure for maintaining a green when it actually costs some £7,000. Had the clubs scheduled for closure opted for self-management on October 5, in practice it would have been very difficult for them to complete the process by the end of the month. So please delay the closures for several months and enter into a proper consultation process signed by Welsh Bowls Association Secretary

The Australian Illawarra's newspaper MERCURY 
 reads "The game involves rolling a lawn bowl down the green, aiming to sink it into the flagged hole.
"Even those who have never stepped foot on a green can easily pick up the game," Mr Jordan said.
"There were a couple of young guys up here who have never bowled and they jumped in and had a go, and loved it," he said.
Each week, the prize money jackpots until someone sinks the bowl in one roll.
I's part of the plan to help the club get back on its feet after being placed in administration last year. It is no longer in dire straits but it is eager to attract more patrons to the club.
Bowl in One is rolled out on Fridays, from 5pm."

Now think about it..  In the far corners of every green, for about 1 meter square this green seldom gets used.  Bowling Corner to Corner can make it any lenght you want and not really interfere with Games.  (an idea)


Some of the Tweeter Remarks are (below)

Greens closing all over the place.
This is not new...happening all over the country..The truth is my own area, we just lost a club when the town council decided the land could better used.
 And as  the second  club in our region of three clubs was in danger of being lost to low membership.So in belief that bowls must survive, we (three new members) took to the executives to build up this club from 12 to a more acceptable membership.
We discovered this winter that the local Hockey League was asking the town to give them the Lawn Bowls Greens area for the building of a new Arena.  We just got involved at the right time. Never too soon.

The problems are the same.  always the same doing all the work.


 The same executives since several years and not new blood getting involved. It is always a "I have paid my dues,  so I just want to play" and "Someone else can do the executive work!!"

We all must work to develop our club.  Join a committee or even get involved in coaching.  The club of tomorrow is your responsibility.

Measuring Which Bowl is Shot?

   First, while watch the World Bowls 2012 in Adelaide, Australia, (on line streaming),. I saw for the first time an official using of a Lawn Bowls Trammel Measuring.  All these different devices for Bowls measuring can be found on .lawnbowlsonline.com.au   I was surprise to see the officials use this device in the measure as I thought only a Bowls Tape was permitted. I now see  this tool, the Orbital Measuring Tool . (Each cost about $330 Au) and  even Telescopic Measure Tube.(below) for sale  in Australia.

 To those following this Bowls Blog,  I guess it is your Christmas time early. This blog  is the gift of a life time. But,like the MP3 I bought and never use because I still have not figured how to download free music .(really that is true); the gift is as good as you make it.  And if you get to know how to use with accurate results, it will allow you to measure  your bowls with an  unbelievable skill and allow decisions for that next bowl.
 In Rosemount, LBC , Montreal Quebec, during the semi finals of the Provincial Single Qualification , I was trailing 19-20 and the two bowls were said to be a measure by the marker.  The decision of next bowl (last bowl) was important.  If he had shot than game was over unless I attempted to remove Andy's bowl. If I drew for shot it would be only 20-20 score  and if i missed  the tap-back or removed mine own, Game over.
 Walking to the head, and with the use of the below mention  system of measuring, I saw that I had shot and only need a draw for 2nd shot and win the game. After the draw, the bowls in question were measured and it was close but my evaluation of shot was correct and I went on to the finals against Johnny, who won and represented Quebec in that years Nationals.

 " How do you measure two bowls when rules prevent you from using a measure before the end of the game ?"

Finger Measure  I know you have all  seen those crossed fingers at the chest as the skip walks around the head measuring the bowls. How accurate is this method?   Well first it is important to understand how  it work, and then I will explain  why  I believe my Center-to-jack system is better  for accurately knowing the shot before the bowls are measured after the last bowl..

     Using the spread fingers at the chest;l the Fingers must be placed at the inside of the first bowl to be measured and without moving the hands position on the chest moved to the next bowl and jack.It is important to learn to use a perspective vision of the bowls. Remember that your two eyes see the bowls differently.

 Placing the left (or right) finger on the inside of the bowl, then  check how the other finger appears to the jack. Now here is the trick to proper measure.. Use the left eye when checking the left finger and similarly for the right side.Yes it works quite well. At the end is a suggestion for the photo above from NZ photo collection.  It is a combination of the finger and the Center to jack measure explained here. Not having used this finger method of measurement I appreciate the readers comments like what is found  at the end of this blog, by Colin Griffin'  helpful and interesting. His comment states "I think the finger method needs the toes halfway between the bowl and jack and aligned with an imaginary line. The reason for this is to reduce the variables when you move to compareaa the next measure.")

Center to Jack measuring system    This measuring, which I will suggest here,  comes from the french Bowls game of Petanque. Because, in Petanque, you must play again if the last palyed ball does not capture shot, we can measure which bowl is shot when ever we want in the game. But imagine how long a game would be if we were  to always be measuring. As a Captain, you learn to be extremely  precise making the decision on which bowl is shot and if still in doubt, then  we kneel with tape and measure.
 Over the years of Petanque (every winter I still play) I have worked to develop confidence in this system of measure. YOU can  also with practice have confidence too.

First, let us start with basic math. Gemetery and the right-angle triangles says that when two triangles are placed with the common side together the opposite sides are of equal distance.  So if the Jack is at the center of the apex (as in the bottom part of the photo); the two bowls at each end are at equal distance from the jack. 
There is an important part of this photo.  This apex of the triangle and line of the 90 degrees, up from the base of the triangle, indicates equal when it runs through the exact center of the jack. (if there is the least difference off the center of the jack, then the bowl closest to the center side of the jack is shot.  (look at the below example photo of the foot below)

Secondly, To have this method work accurately it is necessary to find the exact middle between the two bowls. (not a guess but with confidence that left and right of the foot are the same distances. So Photo 1 below.. Find the Middle point between the two bowls.  If worked properly, the individual will be moving their foot left and then right developing an evaluation of the left and right bowl distance from the middle of the toe of the shoe. (I wear a black felt mark line on my white bowling shoe for this reason)

2017 Indoor S.Finals 

Once the middle point between the bowls is found.. move your heel left or right to point the toe line at exactly 90 degrees. It may seem difficult but forgot about the jack and think of the line between the two bowls and 90 degrees out from you. 
 I am going to mention a problem at this point because it is important.  In the sport of petanque the balls are completely round.  In bowls the bowls may not be round and the way the bowl sits may be against the Bias.  One must find the point on the bowls which represents the closest point to each other. (not toward the jack. Although u may like in photo 2 (below) find it necessary to use different parts of each bowl (because of the bias and how one is closer to the jack than another. (Update May 2017 to add photo of Claire Johnston of Scotland during the 2017 Indoor Mixed Pairs Semi-Finals checking which bowl is shot with foot. Umpire was called)

In the pictures below we see that the bowl on the right (measurer left) is closer because one notices that more of the jack is on that side of the 90 degree line.  I have learned that, in time and practice,  you can see which bowl is shot to within fraction of a jack (In the photo (3) the 90 degree line passes to the left of the centre of the jack, this is the difference in the measure. (1/4 jack width for the bowl on the right) . Remember, the closer the 90 degree line passes to the center of the jack the closer the measurement will be or the distance will be the same)
When the bowls are both on a straight line which passes near the jack, your evaluation will be easily. .However, the weakness of the method is when the bowls are farther apart and especially if they are on like a clock 1:50 hands  (opposite side of the jack ) When practicing this method for learning, use bowls that are sitting flat so you can see their positions.  In time u will also know which part of the standing bowl to use for the eye finding the mid-distance evaluation.

So to review.
  Three different steps are required to accurately use this method of  visual bowl measuring.
          1 - You must move your foot to the location which is half way  between the two bowls to be measured. Take the time to find this center point. of the bowl's centre. Maybe even cover the jack with your hand if seeing the jack is a distraction.
           2. -  You  then fine tune your evaluation , finding this  center point take time to refuse it and re-evaluate it again as you move your foot left and right until you are confident that you have the exact center.     
         This center point will show you which bowls side is nearest. Known as the Center Point (CP) between the two bowls. This is also the clostest point to the jack. (experience of mistakes here will eventually fine tune your judgement )
          3.  -  Having found the point, now look straight up (a 90 degree on that line between the bowls) toward the jack.  I myself use a small black marker spot on the toe of my bowling sneakers or a white spot on my black bowls shoes. to find the exact mid point when I am looking toward the jack..  If you get extremely good you can see the center line passing to the left or right of the center of the jack and have confidence in such a fine measure.

Practice this measure method in a non-game situration and use the above triangle of right angle triangles. (  take two right handed drawing squares (plastic) and tape the short sides together.  The number along the lower side will help you find the half way point.  This tool should be only used at the beginning to develop confidence in your foot placement in the middle between the two bowls.   Using this tool is only suggested to help you to know where to put your foot (mid-way) and verify  your method of fine tuning. (moving your foot left and right until you have the ability to find the center point and see the 90 degrees;

Update May 25 2017 Stats

I've added the stats (left) for this blog. After 5 years and over 20,000 views, this blog has been the most popular each week. (was written 11 March 2013) Updated with stats photo 2017

 1.After finding your midway point between the two bowls use the tool to verify how accurate you have found the midway point. Without looking at the jack or the point of the tool toward the jack. place the marked side of the square on the Closest point (CP) of each bowl. Your taped joint should arrive on your marked toe spot.
2.  After you have decided which bowl is closer,to verify how accurate your are, use the practice tool to check how the 90 degree line compares to your 90 degree to the jack. It is by using the practice tool that you will fine tune your ability.
3.  Measure the bowls to jack with a Bowls tape and find the closest bowl.

  Combined Finger/ Center of Jack Measure
  The center to Jack method described above  is rather difficult to use when the bowls are on opposite side of the jack, As you see (above) the  fingers are too close for a good finger measure; but a combination of the finger measuring and the center to jack method  is suggested now  using the above. NZ Bowls Photo.
 

One hand hides the jack while the other
hand (finger) finds cehter. Foot placed
so 90 deg passes along line.  Hand
to see how jack fairs to line.

 Using the above photo and bowls to be sighted here I have attempted to modify the photo to show how it is possible to have a combined sighting method (finger and center of the jack sighting).

 1 - Place one hand to hide the jack and then sight the centre of the two bowls with your finger without seeing the jack. (a small finger helps)
 2 - Placing your foot where the center passes between the two bowls (can even have your mate stand on opposite side of jack and be second position of 90 degree line.
  3 0 Now remove the hand which is hiding the jack and see how the center to jack passes through the jack...
 3  - You should be able to see how the 90 degree line passes to the left or right of the jack.
To the left of center mean the that the right side is closest to the jack. (largest half of the jack)
The idea of the center to jack method is to find the center of the two bowls and see how the 90 degree line  they pass through the jack.  But in the photo it is clear you can not put the foot half way between the two bowls to be sighted.  So do the next best thing.  Place it back away but find another method to find the half-way point.
Hope this suggestion helps with skip measuring, but to use the center to jack method requires fine tuning your ability to see center line. If you use finger measure all the time and then try this.. it may not work because you must fine tune your eye to center to jack line.
   Good luck , have fun.