SUPERMARINE Bowls Club's revamped clubhouse has been officially opened.

Thanks to the generous funding provided by Zurich Financial Services, the official opening of the extended clubhouse took place on Tuesday.

John Wilks, President of the Wiltshire Bowling Association and Pete Steer, Director Human Resources, Zurich Financial Services, unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

Following that Supermarine and their president, John (Jack) Peterson, an ex-Wills BC member, played a match against the Wiltshire Presidents Executive side.

Due to the rain the match was curtailed at 18 ends with Supermarine leading by 24 shots and registering an 117-93 success.

Supermarine took the honours on five of the six rinks. Their only loss came on rink three where Wilks won the battle of the presidents with a 27-14 victory.

"Apart from the weather it was an excellent day, " said Richard Gardiner, a former Wills member, Wiltshire's assistant county secretary and now a Supermarine committee member.

"As John Wilks said in his speech, the day was not really the opening of the extension but the cementing of the Supermarine and Wills Bowls Clubs.

"The integration between the two clubs has been a happy one and worked well.

"Supermarine is now a very successful club with very good facilities."

In 2001 Wills Bowls Club celebrated their 75th anniversary with a match against the EBA but in the September they closed their green in Ocotal Way.

The club was situated in the Dunbar Club complex and was the only remaining part of the old W D & H O Wills factory and sports site.

Gardiner recalled: "The club held negotiations with Zurich Financial Services, the owners, prior to the sale of the land to Tesco's.

"They offered a two-year lease on the green and up to £50,000 towards relocation costs, provided the money was spent on land, buildings or facilities.

"The officers of the Wills Club took legal advice and were told that they did not hold a strong negotiating position, as they did not actually own anything.

"After several meetings with club members a decision was made to approach other clubs in the Swindon area with the view to either sharing the facilities or merging.

"When all the options had been examined the majority of members voted for an amalgamation with the Supermarine Bowls Club and about 85% of the Wills BC members joined Supermarine at the start of the 2002 season."

Gardiner continued: " With the sudden influx of new members and a ladies section to provide for, it was soon realised that additional changing and cloakroom facilities were required.

"Plans were drawn up to extend both ends of the old clubhouse. At one end there were to be new men's and ladies changing rooms and at the other an extension to the kitchen, new toilets and a garage to house the machinery.

"Work on the extension began later than anticipated and club members had to struggle with building work going on around them during the 2002 season.

"All of the external work was finished by the end of the summer and the internal work was completed by a small band of members during the winter months."