EASTER heralded the start of the 2004 outdoor bowling season and the end of the competitive indoor season.

Many clubs in the Swindon area have now opened up their greens and staged or re-staged their traditional drive-ins.

Clubs will also be holding open days when they hope to attract new bowlers of all ages.

Highworth's open day takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 3, from 10.30am to 2.30pm.

Anyone wanting to try to play bowls can go along for tuition and can borrow the necessary equipment.

The club are also seeking new social members as well. For future information contact membership secretary John Morgan on (01793) 763615, or visit their web site at www.highworthbowlsclub.org

Shrivenham will be holding their open day from 10.30am on Saturday, May 8, and everyone is welcome to attend.

The following day, Wroughton stage their open day.

Unlike a lot of clubs they can only enlist Wroughton residents or people from the neighbouring villages.

They are particularly keen to increase their junior section and tuition will be available from 2pm onwards.

THIS week all clubs began their 2004 league campaigns in earnest.

The Swindon & District League men's and women's sections will again be operating, but the mixed league has been dropped through a lack of enteries.

The annual Eddie Wells charity knock-out competition continues, with the final scheduled for September 12 at a venue to be confirmed.

S & D men's competition finals day will be staged at Wroughton on September 5, while the women's finals day will be held a week earlier.

The S & D men's representative team, led by 2004 president Ken Downton (Shrivenham), will play 12 special games throughout the season beginning on May 2 against Wiltshire Executive at Wootton Bassett.

Wiltshire Bowls Association open their campaign on May 2 against the Swindon & District League.

They are followed by two Middleton Cup trial games against Somerset and Oxfordshire on May 8 and 9 respectively, and Hampshire away at Atherley on Sunday, May 16.

The Middleton Cup, national inter-county championship, sees Wiltshire, who reached the sem-finals in 2003, competing in the South Midlands section again this year.

They face Worcestershire and Warwickshire on June 5 and July 3 at Wootton Bassett respectively, while they visit Ross on Wye on June 19 to play Herefordshire.

The county also have special matches scheduled for May 19 at Westinghouse to mark the Moonrakers association 90th anniversary, June 6 at Calne (90th anniversary) and July 18 at Spencer Melksham (80th anniversary).

The county championship semi-finals in national singles, pairs, triples and fours will be held at Westlecot on July 25, and the finals six days later at Highworth.

The county competition finals day will be held at Wootton Bassett on Sunday, September 12.

The annual Wiltshire Bowlers Joint Council mixed galas in aid of the men and women's benevolent funds will take place on Sunday, August 22, at a provisional three venues.