History
The Club is situated at 18 Northdown Avenue, Cliftonville, Kent CT9 2NW and has been here since it moved in 1922 from its original site, thought to be in the near vicinity of Dane Park.
There is photographic evidence that the Margate Bowling Club was in existence before 1904; when on 1st May 1904 the Club presented two mounted bowls to the Margate Mayor, J.J. Hermitage J.P. Furthermore, when the English Bowling Association was initiated in 1903 by Dr W.G Grace, perhaps more famed for cricket; Margate Bowling Club was almost certainly a founder member.
At the inaugural meeting of the Kent County Bowling Association held on the 1st March 1911, two representatives of the Margate Bowling Club were present and on the 26th April that year the club was affiliated to the Kent County Bowling Association. The original Margate Bowling Club green is thought to have been on the site now occupied by the Gasworks, then within the confines of Dane Park, under the control of the Margate Corporation as it was then called.
Following the First World War representations were made to the Corporation to provide better greens and when these proposals were refused some members set about to provide a Cumberland Turf green of their own. Early in 1922 the Margate Corporation subsumed the site for the Gasworks and gave over the site now occupied by Dane Park Bowling Club to Margate Bowling Club. A condition though was that the new green should allow women to play bowls. This was not acceptable to some members at the time, so on the 20th February 1922 a delegation of Margate bowlers met at the Arcadian hotel and decided to form a private club with their own green. A Private Company was formed with a capital £2,000. Here tribute must be paid to the energetic Honorary Secretary Percy Snow who purchased land at Northdown Avenue for this purpose and he had the land conveyed to the Company accepting a mortgage on the land as security. Messrs Poven and Son of Scotland laid the green, at a cost of £900 and Messrs Rice and Son of Margate and London erected the pavilion at the cost of £530. The Margate Bowling Club hence transferred as a private (men only) club to its present site in Northdown Avenue. In later years and in hindsight perhaps changing Margate Bowling Club to a mixed club named the Percy Snow Members Club was most inappropriate!
The official photograph taken at the opening of the new Cumberland Turf green in May 1922.
Councillor Harry Belham Smith, Margate Mayor 1922 - Opening of Margate BC Green, May1922
In May 1922 the green was formerly opened by the Mayor of Margate and a match followed between Members of the Margate Bowling Club and the Kent County Bowling Association led by the President of the Association Mr W.A. King. The result was a win for the Association of 24 shots. After the game the Club entertained the Association and other visitors to tea with the old Club President Mr E. Newcombe in the Chair. The association of the Town Mayors and Aldermen as President of the Margate Bowling Club has been quite marked with that of Councillor Harry Belham Smith (Mayor in 1922) and Alderman Charles Edward Doughty (Mayor in 1921) as Club President in 1922 and 1923 respectively. William Charles Goodrich (Mayor in 1969) was Club Chairman in 1962 & 1963. Also worthy of note is Mr F.D.B. Cobb who was Club Chairman in 1933. In more recent years, Tony Regan (Mayor in 1992) has been a member of the Club with responsibility for press relations.
Percy Snow 
Alderman Charles Edward Doughty, Club President 1929 & 1936 to 1955
Margate Mayor 1921 Club Chairman 1933
Mr F.D.B. Cobb, Chairman 1933
The Club has been on this site since 1922 and is of historic interest in that the clubhouse is an original brick and timber roof building. Indeed it has retained much of its exterior design having a porch with wooden patio style glazed doors along its front aspect overlooking the (bowling) green. The original timber roof has been over-felted in the past, but it is the Club’s intention to replace this with a pseudo-tiled roof to align with that of neighbouring properties, when funds allow. Apart from the building, the Club itself is of great historic interest as it is one of the earliest Bowling Clubs in the South of England. In the clubhouse now there are pictures on display showing the development of the Club from the early 1900’s through to present day. This has proved to be very popular amongst the Kent County Bowling Association in tracing their own history.
The Club has thrived successfully and apart from a three-year interval during World War II (1939 to 1945) has continued to be very popular, producing many good players of high standard. However during the War, due to the hostilities, the green suffered bomb damage but reopened for play in 1943. In February of 1945, in his capacity as Club President, Mr Percy Snow handed over to the Club the deeds of the land free of any commitments. After the 1945 season, the green was re-laid by Messrs Maxwell Hart with Lancashire sea-washed turf at a cost of £735. It has been maintained in a good condition, in no small part by the work of various Green Rangers and green-keepers, including Mr Cyril Weston and Mr George Smith.
The link between the Margate Bowling Club and the Kent County Bowling Association has always been strong and special and in this connection the enthusiastic work of Mr Percy Snow will always be remembered particularly his work and association for the Benevolent Fund. In 1930 he prepared a report and submitted a scheme for the formation of the Fund, which was adopted. In 1932 he presented a Triples Trophy to be competed for in aid of the Benevolent Fund, following which the English Bowling Association adopted the Triples game as a National Competition. In 1945 the Benevolent Fund Triples became the County Triples. Since the formation of the Benevolent Fund, many thousands of pounds have been subscribed to and distributed to bowlers and their dependants in need.
Over the years, the Margate Bowling Club has continued in the traditions set by Mr Percy Snow and a number of County Associations and International touring sides have played on the Margate Bowling Club green. In 1988 and for several ensuing years, the Piscatorials’ Bowling Association were invited to play against the Club. As their title conveys they are associated with Billingsgate Market in London, raising benevolent funds to provide amenities and goods which otherwise would not be available out of ordinary funding. Regularly Kent County Bowling Association teams with their respective Presidents have played against the Club. In 1997 to celebrate its 75th Anniversary, the Club was honoured by visits of both President’s of the English Bowling Association and the Kent County Bowling Associations and also the Isle of Thanet Bowling Association and the East Kent Bowling Association with their respective teams. Again in 2007, a team from the Kent County Bowling Association and led by their President Leon King were entertained at the Club to mark the Club’s 85th anniversary. Club President, Fred Brasington welcomed the guests at the tea after the game.
Since the inception of the Margate Bowling Club, several members’ wives and girl friends have been involved with the Club mostly because of catering requirements. They were permitted to use the rinks subject to availability and some of the ladies had become shareholders in the Margate Bowling Club Ltd.. Then in 1963, some of the ladies submitted proposals to the Margate Bowling Club to establish a ladies’ bowling club, playing on the Margate Bowling Club green. Permission to use the Club's facilities was given on December 2nd 1963. As the name "Margate Ladies Bowling Club" had been previously taken by a ladies club based at St George’s Lawns, Cliftonville, they would be known as the Northdown Ladies' Bowling Club. At this time the ladies’ membership totalled 16. In 1964, the Northdown Ladies' Bowling Club was affiliated to the Kent County Women’s Bowling Association.
In March 1964 a changing room was erected for the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club as a result of a gift from their first President Mrs. Eva Collins. It can here be said that what Percy Snow is to the Margate Bowling Club, Eva Collins is to the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club. In September 1965, a silver cup was donated to the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club by the Margate Bowling Club. In 1976 a Mr. Wingrove presented a seat to the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club for the support given to the Margate Bowling Club over the years. He also made three score boards which were presented in gratitude for all the help given. This illustrates the friendly relationship that existed between the two clubs.
In response to an appeal in 1971, the members of Margate Bowling Club supported by the Northdown Ladies Bowling Club and other friends subscribed the sum of nearly £200, and this was used to purchase new furniture for the clubhouse. In 1979 new lockers were purchased for Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club members and in 1982 the roof of the changing room was re-felted; these costs being met by the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club membership.
In 2003 due to dwindling membership and consequent diminishing revenue, proposals were agreed to wind up the Margate Bowling Club Limited Company. This would be replaced by the formation of a non-profit making private members sports club, named the Percy Snow Members Club, incorporating Margate Bowling Club and Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club. Both clubs then operated as two sections of the same club. The Limited Company was eventually formally wound up in 2005. This is the case now and it has now become unified, i.e. a complete mixed ladies and gentlemen’s bowling club with membership open to all. The new club name "Percy Snow Members Club" was found to be confusing so in 2006, the club was renamed Margate Bowling Club and Northdown Ladies Bowling Club. Unfortunately this, too, did not adequately identify the club as a mixed club so in 2007 the club was renamed again as Margate, Northdown Bowling Club. Then in 2007, the original name of "Margate Ladies Bowling Club", previously taken by a ladies club based at St George’s Lawns, Cliftonville, became available as that club unified within the Cliftonville Bowling Club. As there still appeared to be confusion over the name "Margate, Northdown Bowling Club", it was agreed at the 2007 AGM to change the name finally and revert to its original name of Margate Bowling Club.
In 2004, a misguided attempt was made to apply for planning permission to redevelop the site for residential accommodation. This upset the Club’s neighbours and caused a lot of problems within the Club, resulting in a considerable loss of membership. The planning application was withdrawn in 2005 but significant expenditure was already incurred for development "consultants" and legal fees. This reduced the Club’s finances and over the past few years the accounts have shown an annual loss in operating income over expenditure.
Efforts have been made to reduce operating costs and most of the labour, to maintain the buildings and grounds, has been provided by volunteer members. In the last year the employment of a Green-keeper has been discontinued and upkeep of the green has been taken on by volunteer labour from one or two Club members, led by an enthusiastic Bob Taylor.
Development of improved facilities at the club continued in 2007 with the ladies changing room replaced by a new changing room at a cost of £3,250, funded from the balance of the Northdown Ladies’ Bowling Club accounts. The ladies toilet has also been enhanced with disabled access facilities; grant aided from the Kent County Council. Unfortunately funds did not permit the intention to replace the clubhouse with a pseudo-tiled roof to align with that of neighbouring properties, as this would cost in excess of £12,500. It has therefore been agreed to simply re-felt the existing roof at a cost of £5,250 and this was completed in 2008.
The Club is the only fully private bowling club in Thanet as the other local bowling clubs are owned and mainly managed by the Thanet District Council. It is common knowledge that funds are tight for the continued provision of bowling facilities at all the Thanet District Council sites. Continuation of the only privately owned local bowling club in Thanet is therefore essential, as closure of some Thanet District Council clubs is a distinct possibility.
Compiled by Roger D. Hayes (MBC Treasurer 2006 to present) with acknowledgements for inclusions from Ruby E. Holmes (MBC Secretary 2003 to present); Maurice Howard (MBC Secretary 1999); and Amy Jones (Margate Bowling Club Trustee).