MEMBERS of Orange Ex-Services’ Bowling Club will wear black armbands when they roll their last bowl at the venue next week, as a sign of respect for the “death of the green”.
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Orange Ex-Services’ Women’s Bowling Club president Gloria Formby said the armbands were a fitting reminder of how the members felt about the Orange Ex-Services Club’s decision to close its Anson Street green.
“This is the demise of something we’ve had for so long, I’ve played here for 36 years,” she said.
Mrs Formby admitted shedding a few tears since March 11 when the members were informed of the closure and invited instead to play at the Ex-Services Country Club green at Bloomfield.
“When my husband Les and I found out about the closure we were absolutely shocked, we were up all night ... I’ve got a lot of good memories of this place,” she said.
“It really hit us hard.”
Like many of the club’s older members, Mrs Formby and her husband enjoyed their weekly bowls game at the club as a social focal point of their week. They’ve been forced to find an alternative.
“I’ll go and play at Millthorpe but it’s harder for my husband,” she said.
“If I couldn’t take him to bowls then he could get there on his gopher but there’s no way he could make it to Bloomfield.
“Also, to get a taxi out there would cost about $11 or $15 one way, and that makes it a very expensive day.”
Mrs Formby insists wearing the black armband and attending the “wake” on April 28 is not about being rebellious.
“It’s just about fighting for what’s right,” she said.
tracey.prisk@ruralpress.com
