A LOCAL family's historic connection with bowling was highlighted when a £124,000 clubhouse was officially opened at Bedale on Saturday.

Members of Bedale bowling green society and guests from other clubs saw the culmination of almost four years of planning and negotiations as Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse, their president, cut a tape across one entrance to the clubhouse in Wycar.

It was Sir Henry's ancestor, Henry Peirse, who gave the original Wycar site for bowling in about 1790. In 1888 his great grandfather, also called Sir Henry, gave a silver trophy to mark the 300th anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The society still plays for the trophy each year.

The original green was created from unpromising beginnings after months of work to clear a site which had been partly used as a rubbish tip and where willow trees grew in pools of water used by children for skating during freezing weather. The 208-year-old society is believed to be the oldest in Yorkshire still playing on the same green.

About 100 people attended the opening of the clubhouse, the biggest single project undertaken by the society since the green was levelled and reshaped nine years ago with voluntary labour, grants and members' loans and donations at a cost of £8,400.

They included representatives of the national lottery sports fund, which gave almost £80,000, the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Hambleton District Council, the town council, the Rector and Four and Twenty of Bedale and other organisations and individuals who gave money or sponsored fundraising functions. Society members gave several thousands of pounds in loans and donations.

The clubhouse, which has replaced an earlier and smaller building, was approved at the third attempt in 1997 by Hambleton planning committee after members overruled officers who claimed the building would look out of place in the Bedale conservation area.

The project then fell a year behind schedule because internal design changes had to be made during protracted negotiations for the lottery grant and a second application had to be submitted.

Once the final hurdles involving building regulations were cleared, work was begun in February this year by Randall Orchard, of Richmond, to designs by Mr Michael Barningham, of Bedale.

Sir Henry, who outlined his family's connection with bowling and gave a brief outline of the history of the society, paid tribute to the work of leading committee members in guiding the clubhouse project. He said the building fitted in well with its surroundings.

The clubhouse will have more room for a growing membership, which stands at more than 100, and will take the society into the new millennium. It will meet the needs of disabled bowlers and has an indoor carpet bowls rink, a kitchen, toilet and changing areas and better heating and lighting.

Society chairman Mrs Mary Jones said the new clubhouse would increase the enjoyment of both members and visitors to the green.

"It has been a real struggle, but now it has been built there has been an amazing response from both players and visitors.

"We have a thriving membership and for many of the people who come this is their only way of meeting people and socialising, so it was important that we kept on fighting for permission and funding for the new clubhouse.