The story of the origin of Ardmillan goes back to a stroll which two members of the West End Club were enjoying as they wended their way slowly westwards after a game on their green at Hailes Street, Tollcross. They both halted simultaneously as they came upon a vacant piece of ground at the west end of Dalry Road, two minds seemingly reacting to a single thought, here indeed was a possible site for a green. It seems this vacant area had been left when the surrounding tenement buildings were built and had been used, informally, as a public park.
These two prospectors, visionaries, planners – call them what you will – were James Hay and Davie Craigie, and while details are, obviously, a bit vague about the immediate events, it is certain that Messrs Hay and Craigie built up a following from professional men and businesses in the Dalry/Gorgie district who signified their support of the venture, and so the germ of the Ardmillan Club was born. The piece of ground was purchased from the then Edinburgh Corporation for the sum of £760 and although it was in 1882 that James Hay and Davie Craigie were impressed with the possibilities of that bit of ground it was not until some two years later that their vision was realised and the eventful day was the 17th May 1884 when Ardmillan Bowling Club was officially and formally “Born” by the green being opened for play.
Baillie Roberts, Senior Edinburgh Baillie, performed the ceremony of throwing the first jack, and the club presented to him, as a memento of the occasion, a pair of silver-mounted bowls. Many years later in 1957 Mr Ian Roberts, grandson of Baillie Roberts, returned to the club these self-same bowls, which to this day are kept in a separate display cabinet in the clubhouse.
The members of the West End were delighted that two of their number should show this pioneering spirit and went further by showing their practical interest in the venture by presenting Ardmillan with their first trophy in the shape of a medal. This is an excellent example of the silversmith’s art, and, with its enamel decoration makes a beautiful award and initially was played for as the “Challenge Medal” and later renamed as the “Rink Medal”. The inscription on the medal reads: “Presented by Members of the West Edinburgh Bowling Club as a mark of their sincere respect for Ardmillan’s first President and Vice-President Mr James Hay and Mr David Craigie, 19th July 1884.” Unfortunately, this medal went missing in the late 1990s and was a sad blow to the club.
Once on its feet Ardmillan prospered and made many friendships, which, in the main, have stood the test of time. Membership of the Edinburgh and Leith Association followed and the first success to be registered under the banner of the parent body was the winning of the Tait Trophy by G. M. Wilson. First winner of the Private Clubs’ Singles Championship the year before being
J. McBean of the West End Club.
In those early days Tait Trophy winners G. M. Wilson and W. Hogg were prominent and successful members. Wilson won the Championship in 1886 and 1891, while Hogg won it in 1888, 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1905. Another “well kent” personality on the green was Dr. Bannerman (President 1889), an enthusiast who was liked by all his fellow bowlers and revered in the district by his many patients.
(Here we must interrupt the original story with a development, which occurred in 1994, but relates back to 1894, when an ornate horn trophy was handed into the club from a resident in Cramond Village. It seems that when renovating a house in the village the trophy, dating from 1894, was discovered wrapped in sacking in the roof eaves in the loft. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the club in 1894 and was presented by Mr William Robertson, SSC (a solicitor with premises at 14 Young Street) with the winner being Mr William Gray. It seems very fortunate indeed that this trophy should have survived years of obscurity within the club itself only to be returned to its rightful home some 110 years later.)
The First World War was responsible for Ardmillan losing one of their great bowlers of the day, the man in question being John Arnott. John was “capped” in 1913 and he won the Club Championship four times in the years 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1914 alongside numerous other trophies, including the Tait Trophy. He was the first member to achieve the feat of winning the championship three years in a row, a feat which has only been achieved on three occasions during the 125 years of the club. With wins in the years 1927, 1928 and 1929 Mr A. Taylor became the second bowler to achieve this while in more modern times this was achieved by John Scott who won the Championship no less than 13 times with his “three in a row” coming in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and while there have been other players who have come close these remain the only three members to have achieved this all-important and elusive success. To mark his three-in-a-row in 1997 John Scott was presented with a wrist watch bearing the Ardmillan Crest on the watch face.
To return to John Arnott, he joined the Black Watch at the outbreak of World War I and it was his fate to die in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. A sad and premature end to what would, undoubtedly, have been a brilliant career in the world of bowls. His father, George Arnott, was also a member of Ardmillan and was Green Champion in 1904, 1913 and 1922.
(We again interrupt the original story to record that in 2003 a relative of John Arnott’s paid a visit to the club and handed in a portrait of John in his army uniform and yet again this was discovered in the loft during a house removal, and is illustrated here.)
Between the wars two players stood out. Mr A. Taylor who was champion five times and Mr
A. Armour, champion on four occasions. However, in post World War II, as previously mentioned, the name which stands out from all others on the Honours Board is that of John H. Scott who won the Championship on 13 occasions, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1995, 1996, and 1997 while he also won the Tait Trophy in 1985, was a Scottish Singles Championship Semi-Finalist, Edinburgh and Leith Bowling Association Senior Singles Winner and was the first President of the Edinburgh Top Ten Bowling Tournament while he also won an international indoor cap. An out-standing club record which will be difficult, if not impossible to surpass. John was one of four brothers, three of whom were keen bowlers and along with his brother Robert “Bob” who was a member of the Caledonian Bowling Club put up the Scott Trophy which is still played for today on a home and away basis against the “Caley”.
In 1963 Ardmillan joined the South of Edinburgh Bowling Association enjoying great success in their endeavours in that Association’s league fixtures and competitions. We won the 1st XVI title on three occasions, in 1965, 1983, and 2001 when we also won the Knockout Shield. The 2nd XVI were no less successful and in 2000 we won the 2nd XVI league title and Knockout Shield and narrowly lost the District Final by 2 shots to Sighthill and again in 2001 we won the league and Knockout Shield but again narrowly lost the District Finals to Goldenacre by 5 shots. The 2nd XVI were again successful in 2004 and 2006. The Club also won the SEBA “Top Ten” in 1982, 2001 and 2006.
Ardmillan’s most successful venture in the Scottish Bowling Association competitions was in 1964 when R. S. (“Bob”) Fairgrieve won the District Singles competition and went through to compete in the final stages at Queen’s Park in the same year.
On the occasion of the club’s centenary in 1984 a special programme of events was organised which commenced with a Members’ Game on the 17th May, and was opened by the Centenary President, Mr R. J. Telfer, with the same two bowls used to open Ardmillan’s green exactly 100 years previously.
In 1993 we had a Junior success when Michael Nolan won the District 12 junior title and went through to compete in the finals at Ayr Northfield.
In 1989 Ardmillan joined the West Edinburgh Seniors Bowling Association and we have achieved considerable success therein being league winners in 1996 and 1997, winners of league II in 2000 and 2004, winners of league I in 2001 and 2006 and been runners-up in league I in 2007 and 2008 while we have had successes in the Knockout Competitions winning the Singles on 3 occasions, the Pairs 8 times, the Triples 5 times and the fours on 2 occasions.
End of season 2006 saw the winding up of the South Edinburgh Bowling Association with the withdrawal from that association of West End and Edinburgh clubs to join the Edinburgh League and coupled with the earlier loss of Liberton, Parkside and Mayfield to the same league set-up it made the remaining SEBA set-up unworkable and Ardmillan applied to enter the West Edinburgh Bowling Association league and in our first season won the Singles and Pairs in the Knockouts while our “A” and “B” teams achieved respectable league placings in their first season. We are hoping to go from strength to strength in the future and are meeting many new friends.
In 2001 Ardmillan introduced lady members to its ranks and it is envisaged that as numbers grow they may eventually form a section of their own with their own competitions and Championship, while this year, 2009, sees the first Lady President, of the Club, Mrs Rose Veitch, who will share the 125th season with our “125 Anniversary President” Mr Tom Carlin.
Over the years major structural alterations have been made to the club premises. In 1956 work was commenced building a new bowl house using mainly expertise from amongst the members in the club and this was opened in 1958. By 1974 the old clubhouse (cover illustration) was in a poor state of repair and completely inadequate for the size of the membership, and so it was replaced with the present clubhouse, built on the same site, giving the members more modern facilities. In 1998 we entailed some considerable expense rebuilding the boundary wall to Ardmillan Place while in 2001 we had a small extension built to the rear of the club, when the old garage works were demolished and replaced with flats and modern “town houses”.
In March 2008 we received a letter from a Mr Ron Anderson of Queensland, Australia, enclosing photographs of an Ardmillan Bowling Club “President’s Prize” presented in 1888 by President Mr Jas. Scott and won by Mr Alex. Wilson. In the shape of a tray with swing handle this was another totally unknown item to the Club and is illustrated below showing the tray and its inscription.