THE 90th anniversary celebrations of the Wiltshire Bowling Association have brought the memories flooding back for one Trowbridge bowler.

Cliff Stroud, 88, is Wiltshire's only ever international bowls gold medallist, winning the fours at the World Championships in 1972.

He was at Westinghouse Bowls Club when the English Bowling Association visited in the first of a series of special matches lined up to mark the anniversary, giving Stroud the chance to meet up with some of his old friends.

Stroud, a life member at the Trowbridge Westbourne club, said: "It was a brilliant day that did bring back a few old memories. It was the furthest I have driven for three years, but it was worth it.

"I saw some friends who I made in my 63 years of playing bowls, including David Bryant who I played with in the World Championships in 1972.

"I have had some good times playing for Wiltshire and I am looking forward to the rest of the celebrations."

Stroud was born in Tottenham, North London, in 1916 and having been born in the shadows of White Hart Lane it was inevitable that Tottenham Hotspur were to be his first love.

"I didn't even like bowls when I was younger," said Stroud.

"I was more of a football and cricket man and even played for Tottenham Boys.

"If someone had told me then that I would go onto win a gold medal in bowls I would have though they were joking. It certainly was not my intention then.

"My father, George, was a keen bowler and he made me start playing when I was about 12 even though I didn't really want to.

"He played bowls until he died at the age of 93 and even won his club championship at the age of 92.

"I am very grateful to him now because you can keep playing bowls all your life. I owe him my gold medal. He was a great man."

The outbreak of World War Two in 1939 saw Stroud join the forces and after training with the Royal Artillery he was transferred to the Army Physical Training Corps, based in Sutton Veny and he has lived in Trowbridge ever since.

He met his wife Nancy on his first night in Trowbridge and they are celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary this year.

Stroud, who worked as a manager at a monumental masons in Timbrell Street, first joined Trowbridge Town bowls club but after a few years he moved to Trowbridge Westbourne, where played for 40 years before retirement three years ago. He is now a life member

He made his first Middleton Cup appearance for Wiltshire in 1951 and then represented the county for 32 consecutive years. He has played in 28 Wiltshire finals and has won all the main titles at least twice, including five singles crowns, but for Stroud the highlight of his career has to be his England appearances.

He played over 115 matches for his country, including the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970 and the World Championships in Worthing two years later where he was a member of the fours championship winning team.

He said: "It is hard to explain what that moment felt like. Ted Hayward, Norman King, Peter Line and myself made up the team and we were all good friends.

"I also represented England in the triples, alongside David Bryant, that year, but to win the fours was a great experience.

"When I was on that podium hearing the national anthem being played I could not believe what was happening to me, it was a very emotional time."

Three years after his retirement from bowls, Wiltshire is still waiting for another gold medallist but Stroud is confident the future is bright for bowls in the county.

He said: "It was disappointing to stop playing because I had intended to keep playing longer than my father, but in the end the woods were just not going where I wanted them to.

"I would love someone else from Wiltshire to win a gold medal and we have some very good players coming through who may just do that.

"Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) looks a good player but I believe the player with the greatest chance is young Neil Hope."

The 90th anniversary celebrations continue on Monday with the visit of Dennyside Bowling Association to Cooper-Avon Tyres and the Barbarians Bowling Association will be at Melksham Town on July 13.