Banned bowlers given green light

Mar 19 2007 By Jane Tyler, Birmingham Mail

A BOWLING club booted out of a Birmingham pub amid claims members did not buy enough drinks has been welcomed back after a change of landlord.

Jamie McManus has taken over as boss of the Baldwin Arms in Hall Green. He said he "loved bowling" and wanted the pub's team back in the fold.

The Birmingham Mail told in January how his predecessor, Tom Reidy, banned the bowlers, claiming they brought their own drinks onto the premises and left them for pub staff to clear away. He even changed the locks on their clubhouse and padlocked the gates. But Mr Reidy then left the pub and it was closed until last month, when it re-opened with Mr McManus at the helm.

Mr McManus said he had been on the bowling club committee of his last pub in Scotland.

"I've spoken to one of the chaps already and told him they can come back in - as long as they let me have a game!" Mr McManus said. "For the life of me I couldn't see how banning them benefited anyone. They do a good job in keeping the green clean and tidy and bring in custom to the pub."

The Baldwin Bowling Club, which has 60 members, has been based at the pub for 25 years, paying a peppercorn rent of only a penny a year in return for maintaining the green.

Club secretary Chris Bird said he was "delighted" at the new landlord's view.

"It's great news because we were getting worried we wouldn't find anywhere in time for the start of our new season at the end of this month," he said.

Mr McManus also announced he would be encouraging the bowling club to bring in new members.