Stone me – look what was under the clubhouse floor

The club will start the new season with a new look to the clubhouse after the floor in the dining area was ripped up and replaced in just two days.

The committee approved the improvement after investigations into replacing the old carpet revealed problems with the flooring underneath.

Members agreed that the surface should be relaid and new wood-look flooring laid on top.

The result is a smart, easy-to-clean – and flat (take note, short-mat bowlers – no more excuses) surface, all ready for the new season.

The clubhouse has been developed ad hoc over the years since the then separate Haywards Heath and Beech Hurst Bowls Clubs came together to share the former piggery in 1954, and captain Graham Brown was surprised to discover that the building was erected on cobble-like stone slabs.

He took some photos during the restoration process. Click here to see more of them.

Chairman John Milsom said: “I was a bit shocked. It looked like they had put paving slabs down and then filled in-between them. You’re probably going back to 1992 [when the previous flooring was laid], but it held together and we didn’t have any large cracks in it, so it must have been OK.”

He said the committee agreed to go for the new surface because of the difficulties in keeping carpet clean.

“It was getting so dirty and messy, and impossible to keep clean. With this, it’s a quick brush-over and a mop.”

Work began on clearing the old carpet and cleaning up the slabs on the morning of March 19 and the new floor was complete by the following afternoon.

Short-mat bowls resumed on March 23.