A Potted History 
There was certainly a bowls club in Kislingbury in the 1930's as we have copies of minutes going back to 12th February 1935, sadly this club folded in 1953 when, due to a lack of fixtures and the cost of maintaining the green becoming too much for the small membership to finance, and although by this time there was a also a ladies section there was insufficient funds to even pay the green keeper. The clubs green was situated at this time behind
"The Chase" Mill Road.
In 1971, four men from the village started to teach themselves how to play bowls in Delapre Park, Northampton. They were in due course joined by eight others, some of whom already played in a park league.
These twelve founder members were:
Horace Homer, Graham Collins, Robin Davis, Geoff Hammersley, Harold Collins, Dick Collins, Jack Archer, Terry Warren, John Donnelley, Reg Collett, Harold Heeler and Harold Thornton.
The subscriptions for the first year was 50 pence (10/-) per member and the total income for the year was £38.40 (£38/8s).
Eventually these men joined the Delapre League and enjoyed a certain amount of success.  Unfortunately due to a disputed decision concerning the League winners one year, which resulted in the Kislingbury team being denied the winners place, the team decided to withdraw from the League, at this point several of the team joined West End Bowls Club for a short time.
It was at this time that one of the team expressed disappointment there was not a Bowls Club and green in the village.
In 1977 the playing field had been established for some time and it was decided that the Playing Field Association be asked if sufficient ground could be made available on which to build a bowling green.
After discussions and surveys, the Playing Field Association allocated an area suitable for the purpose of a bowling green and on 11 November 1977 the Playing Field Association gave permission for this to be laid. The only mechanical equipment used was a tractor and plough to break up the turf and top soil prior to the actual start of building the green. The perimeter was laid out and approximately 400 tonnes of top soil removed by wheelbarrow, spades and shovels.  The area was then marked out in 10 yard squares and each square had the top soil sifted back on and levelled up using a water level.
Many sceptics would look over the fence not believing that the work would ever be finished, but with hard work, tenacity and a lot of commitment by the members, who gave up virtually every weekend for 2 years the green was finished, it was ready to play on by 1980 and membership had grown to over thirty. 
The only items of any interest found during all of this excavation were the three horse shoes shown on the club's shield over the bar and incorporated into the club's emblem.
Although grants were requested to the Sports Council and other organisations, the only grants received were £50 from the Parish Council and £75 from the Highways Charity, all other costs were met by the members themselves.
The first game played was on 4th May1980 between the Club President and the Club Captain.  History does not record the result but most likely the President (Harold Thornton Esq.) won (as he very rarely loses of course!).
In the fullness of time some of the member's wives with friends asked if they could form a Ladies Section. This they did and have enjoyed a certain amount of success.
The membership at this time stood at 48 Men and 12 Ladies.
During the winter months of 1980/81 the first club house was built.
The main part of this building started life as a hospital outbuilding in Bedford and was purchased by Travis Perkins (a local builders merchant), to be used as the Reception area and offices on their site in St James, Northampton.
In 1980 it came to our notice that building was available to anybody prepared to take it down and remove it from this site.  We were prepared to do this and paid £150 for the pleasure.
Again, with a lot of hard work and a lot of help from our resident joiner Terry Warren, the building was re-built. 
The floor was rescued by Terry from what used to be the Anglia Building Society offices in Abington Street.  Laying the floor was probably the most arduous task of all, a great deal of it being laid by Dick Crossley (sadly no longer with us).  Each individual block was laid on a bed of bitumastic and it did not matter how careful you were, you always ended up with bitumastic up to your eyeballs!!
We could not afford proper toilets, therefore the men's toilets were the closest hedge, the ladies toilets was a "Port-a-Loo", this was emptied every Sunday morning by Peter Saunders, who would put the "Loo" in the back of his car and take it to the bottom of the playing field and empty this down the sewer, then filling with Elsen Fluid for the next week.  (We used to hate him going on holiday!)
Eventually we acquired a mobile toilet caravan and joined this onto the clubhouse and installed a sceptic tank.
Fred Saunders (another member who has sadly passed on) installed the hot water system and although somewhat a Heath Robinson affair it worked quite successfully for a good number of years.
What was the beer cellar, started life as the kitchen?  The first time Cambridge Park Middx.  Came to Kislingbury, they received a four course cooked lunch for 65 members and guests plus the traditional salad tea after the game. 
The Greg Room was kindly donated by Ron and Grace Snary, this mobile home was owned by their son before being tragically killed in a road accident. It was connected to the rear of the club house and converted into extra lounge room and Ladies changing rooms it has been a very useful annex to the club house.
Another important donation made to the club is the automatic watering system donated by Pam and George Duckett commemorating their joint Captaincy in 1993/94.
Kislingbury Bowls Club has gone from strength to strength over the past 24 years, recognised by many of our contemporaries as a Club that does not rest on its laurels but strives to improve its facilities.
We have now come to a very important landmark in the clubs history, the old wooden club house has seen better days and we needed to desperately replace it. The following chapter give an indication on how this was achieved.