CLUB HISTORY
Formed in 1900, the bowls section of the California Social Club has in its 125 years achieved some outstanding successes at national and county level plus success within the local leagues on our 5 rink floodlit green behind the main California Social Club in Foxhall Road Ipswich.
In 1906 the Bowls green was extended at a cost of £10.
The years between 1992 and 2016 under the Chairmanship of Ray Love have proved to be the clubs most productive in terms of achievements. As well as its playing successes, the club has been privileged to provide two County Presidents for the Federation code, George Youngman in 1982 for the Suffolk County Bowls Association and Joyce Love in 1995 for the Suffolk County Women's Bowls Association.
County records show that the club has provided numerous male & female players for Suffolk County’s representative teams of both codes.
California were one of the founder members of the Ipswich & District Bowls League in 1926, one of the Country's early and strongest leagues, since then other leagues have been joined. The club won the league in its inaugural season and has gone on to become league champions on 40 other occasions, this together with SCBA Senior Cup successes in 1994 & 2006 and the Junior Cup in 1960 & 1973.
Individual success in EBF & EWBF have been plentiful; the club has provided 1 National and over 35 County Champions since 1927. Staying within the EBF code the club has won several Samford League titles, the Samford K.O. Cup 5 times and the Samford Millennium twice this coupled with some successes in the Ipswich & District Triples League, becoming league Champions for the first time in 2016 a feat that was repeated in 2017 & 2019. Sadly we had to withdraw from the Samford Afternoon League after a few enjoyable seasons.
As for Bowls England code California joined what was the then Suffolk County (EBA) Bowling Association in the early 70’s followed by the Ladies in the early 2000's. Men's County Men’s Triples League titles being won in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010 & 2014. Major cups eluded the club until the Bert Edward's Four’s was first won in 2001 followed again in 2006, 2010, 2017 & 2018, the Norton Cup in both 2005 & 2006 and also the Millennium Trophy in 2006, 2008 & 2017. Until 2011 the Quinton Bowl was the one major local team prize which had eluded the club, thankfully this situation has now been rectified winning in both 2011 & 2015.
6 Bowls England County individual titles have also come along in the form of a Men’s Singles, Mixed Pairs and Novice Singles each twice, together with 1 Eastern Counties Triples title.
Currently the club enters 5 league teams, 4 of which are within the Ipswich & District Federation Bowls League structure, with 2 being in the 2 Bowl section and 1 each in the Samford Evening & 3 Bowl sections. Within the Suffolk Bowls England set up 1 team is entered in the Men’s Triples League, again sadly we had a successful Mixed Fours League team but had to withdraw due to a variety of factors.
CALIFORNIA BOWLS CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS FROM 1927 TO 2024
SUFFOLK COUNTY BOWLS ASSOCIATION
Year Competition
1927 Woodbridge Sun Challenge Cup ( W Meadows, W Friend, A Gage)
1930 2 Bowl Singles (W Friend)
1953 Mens Pairs (W. Cuthbert & R. Harsant)
1960 Junior Cup Winners
1964 2 Bowl Singles (R Martin)
1966 Under 25's Singles (R Hambling)
1967 Singles, Pairs & Triples Winners (S Taylor, R Hambling Jnr, W Flatt, J Freston, M Martin)
1969 Mens Pairs (W. Wardley & R. Harsant )
1970 2 Bowl Rinks (W. Wardley, S, Taylor & R. Harsant)
1973 Junior Cup Winners
1976 2 Bowl Singles (R Martin)
1978 Under 25's Singles (P Allen)
1986 2 Bowl Rinks Winners (B Cooper, J Catchpole, E Gaynor)
1988 EBF Stoppard Trophy & SCBA 2 Bowl Rinks (C Love, D Cousins, A Roberts)
1990 2 Bowl Rinks Winners (R Kennedy, R Simpson, N Coote)
1991 Mixed Rinks Winners (R Simpson, A Simpson, P Wildon)
1994 Senior Cup Winners
1995 3 Bowl Triples Winners (N Coote, R Simpson, R Kennedy)
1996 2 Bowl Singles Winner (I Wiseman)
1996 Pairs Winners (P Peakman, C Love)
1998 4 Bowl Singles Winner (I Jay)
2000 3 Bowl Triples Winners (I Wiseman, D Cousins, C Love)
2003 2 Bowl Rinks Winners (Chris Wiseman, A Catchpole, Colin Wiseman)
2004 2 Bowl Singles Winner (Chris Wiseman)
2004 2 Bowl Mixed Rinks Winners (K Halls, Mrs P Noble, S Wildon)
2006 Senior Cup Winners
2007 4 Bowl Singles Winner (K Bassett)
2008 Mixed Pairs Winners (D Overton, Mrs J Patternoster)
2009 Mixed Pairs Winners (Mrs A Baxter-Smith, D Overton)
2010 U 25 Open Pairs Winners (Adam Page, M Debman (Norbridge)
2011 2 Bowl Singles Winner (Brian Green)
2016 U25's Open Pairs Winners (A Page, M Milam (Norbridge)
SUFFOLK COUNTY WOMENS BOWLS ASSOCIATION
Year Competition
1978 3 Bowl Triples Winners (Mrs J Payne, Mrs J Allison, Mrs J Davey)
1990 Champion of Champions Winner (Mrs J Love)
1993 Secretary's Singles Winner (Mrs J Love)
1994 Secretary's Singles Winner (Mrs J Love)
1995 Novice Singles Winner (Mrs J Paternoster)
1997 Over 60's Singles Winner (Mrs J Love)
2009 2 Bowl Singles Winner (Mrs J Paternoster)
2025 3 Bowl Triples Winners (Miss H Brooks, Mrs D Allum, Mrs M Brooks)
SUFFOLK COUNTY BOWLS ENGLAND
Year Competition
1999 Singles Winner (C. Love)
2001 Bert Edwards Fours Winners
2004 Triples League Winners Division 1 & County Winners
2004 Mixed Pairs Winners (Mrs J Love, C Love)
2005 Triples League Winners Division 1 & County Winners
2005 Norton Cup Winners
2006 Norton Cup Winners
2006 Bert Edwards Fours Winners
2006 Millennium Trophy Winners
2008 Triples League Winners
2008 Millennium Trophy Winners
2009 Mixed Fours League Winners
2010 Bert Edwards Fours Winners
2010 Triples League Winners
2010 Mixed Fours League Winners
2010 Singles Winner (S Wildon)
2011 Mixed Fours League Winners
2011 Quinton Bowl Winners
2012 Mixed Fours League Winner)
2012 Novice Singles Winner (L Powell)
2013 Novice Singles Winner (A Turner)
2014 Triples League Winners
2014 Triples Winners (C Allum, S Wildon, K Halls)
2015 BE Mixed Pairs Winners (D Allum, S Allum)
2015 Quinton Bowl Winners
2017 Bert Edwards Fours Winners
2017 Millennium Trophy Winners
2018 Bert Edwards Fours Winners
OTHER CUP ACHIEVEMENTS
1996 E.A.D.T Mercury Charity Shield
1999 E.A.D.T Mercury Charity Shield
2002 E.A.D.T Mercury Charity Shield
2004 Camel Cup Winners
2005 Camel Cup Winners
2007 Daniels Plate Winners
2002 Stan Wright Trophy
2003 Stan Wright Trophy
2014 Stan Wright Trophy
IPSWICH AND DISTRICT LEAGUE ACHIEVEMENTS
YEAR
1926 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1927 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1928 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1929 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1930 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1957 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1958 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1959 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division D
1961 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1962 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1965 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1968 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1969 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1969 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1974 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1977 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division B
1979 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1987 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1988 Samford League Winners Division E
1989 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1990 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1990 Samford League Winners Division C
1991 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1991 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division D
1992 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1992 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division C
1993 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1993 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division D
1993 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division B
1993 Samford League Winners Division B
1993 Samford League Winners Division G
1994 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1994 Samford League Winners Division F
1995 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1999 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
1999 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
1999 Samford League Winners Division A
2000 Samford League Winners Division A
2001 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2001 Samford League Winners Division A
2002 Samford League Winners Division A
2003 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2003 Samford League Winners Division A
2004 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2004 Ipswich & District Bowls League Victor Ludorum
2004 Samford League Winners Division F
2005 Samford League Winners Division E
2006 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
2006 Samford League Winners Division A
2007 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2007 Samford League Winners Division C
2011 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2011 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
2013 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2013 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division C
2014 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2015 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
2016 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division A
2017 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division A
2017 Samford Afternoon League Winners Division 2
2018 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division A
2019 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division C
2023 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division B
2025 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division B
2025 Ipswich & District Bowls League Winners Division D
2025 Ipswich & District Triples League Winners Division C
Samford Cups
1999 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2001 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2007 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2008 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2008 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2014 Samford Knockout Cup Winners
2010 Samford Millennium Cup Winners
2015 Samford Millennium Cup Winners
Within the 125 years we have won 107 team competitions i.e Divisional League Winners,
County & various other Cup Winners.