THE BURGH OF CROSSHILL WAS BROUGHT INTO THE ORBIT OF EXPANDING OF GLASGOW IN 1891,BUT 34 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS PERIOD GLASGOW ACQUIRED THE BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC PARK OF QUEENS PARK.AT THAT TIME IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE SITUATED TO FAR AWAY FROM THE CITY BOUNDERIES,BUTGLASGOW SINCE THEN HAS DEVELOPED SO RAPIDLY THAT IT NOW ENCIRCLES THAT IT NOW ENCIRCLES THE QUEENS PARK WITH TENEMENTS AND VILLA'S TEEMING WITH POPULATION.THE WHOLE OF QUEENS PARK IS NOT ENTIRELY FREE FOR USE OF THE PUBLIC,FOR WITHIN ITS BOUNDS ARE HOUSED THREE PRIVATE BOWLING CLUBS,AMONG THEM THE WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB WHICH IS THE OLDEST CONSTITUTED BOWLING CLUB IN GLASGOW .WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB IS SITUATED IN A QUIET CORNER OF QUEENS PARK,AT THE CORNER OF BALVICAR DRIVE AND QUEENS DRIVE.IT IS SCREENED BY A THICK GROWTH OF SHRUBBERY AND TALL STURDY TREES,AND GUARDED AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE BY PERHAPS THE MOST UNUSUAL TREE IN GLASGOW.IT HAS A HUGE CHESTNUT TREE SO PECULIARY FORMED THAT IT'S FOUR STOUT SYMETRICAL BRANCHES FACE SOUTH,NORTH,EAST AND WEST RESPECTIVELY,AND FURTHERMORE,NO MATTER WHAT ANGLE FROM GROUND LEVEL YOU OBSERVE THE TREE,THE BRANCHES FORM A GIANT "W" WHICH OF COURSE IS THE INITIAL OF WELLCROFT.
THE QUIETUDE OF WELLCROFT IS FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE THE FACT THAT IT LIES IN THE SHADOW OF WHAT ONE MIGHT CALL THE CHURCH CORNER.FIVE CHURCHES ARE SITUATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY EACH DESIGNED BY A DIFFERENT ARCHITECT AND REPRESENTING DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS,INCLUDIG BABTIST,CHURCH OF SCOTLAND,SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST AD A JEWISH .........
WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN 1835 BY 31 GENTLEMEN IN TH WHEATSHEAF INN,THEN SITUATED AT CLYDE TERRACE,GORBALS.
THE FIRST BOWLING CLUB WAS OPENED IN SURREY STREET IN THE LANDS OF WELLCROFT,ON 13TH MAY 1835.WELLCROFT PLACE A SHORT STREET THAT RUNS OFF EGLINTON STREET,PERPETUATES THE NAME.
IN A SENSE,THE 13TH OF MAY PROVED UNLUCKY FOR THE CLUBFOR THE COMING OF THE CALADONIAN RAILWAY TO THE GORBALS NECESSITATED TH AQUISIITION OF THE WELLCROFT BOWLING GREEN,AND IN 1851 ITS REMOVAL TO EGLINTON STREET TO THE SITE OF THE EGLINTON STREET RAILWAY STATION,AND AT THAT TIME NEAR THE OLD CAVALRY BARRACKS WHICH LATER BECAME THE PREMISES OF THE GOVAN POORHOUSE.
ONCE AGAIN IN 1876,DUE TO A FURTHER EXTENSION TO THE CALADONIAN RAILWAY,THE CLUB HAD TO MOVE A SECOND TIME TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN QUEENS PARK.EVEN ON THIS SITE IT WAS AGAIN THREATENED BY A RAILWAY EXTENSION,BUT THE PLAN WAS DROPPED AND THE CLUB HAS ENJOYED UNDISTURBED PEACE EVER SINCE.
THE WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB IS THOUGHT BY MANY TO BE THE PREMIER CLUB IN THE WORLD.IT GAINED THIS REPUTATION NOT ONLY ON ACCOUNT OF ITS LONG HERITAGE AND TRADITION,BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT WAS HERE THAT THE RULES OF THE GAME OF BOWLS WERE FIRST DRAWN UP FOR GENERAL USE,WHICH HAVE SINCE BEEN UNIVERSALLY ADOPTED ALTHOUGH THE RULES HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY MODIFIED.
BOWLERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE VISITED THE WELLCROFT AND THEY ALWAYS RECIEVE A HEARTY WELCOME.VISITING CANADIAN BOWLERS IN 1924 WERE GREETED BY THE FOLLOWING STANZA IN THE CLUBS RECORD BOOKS.
"AULD SCOTIA GREETS YOU WI' A WINNIN' SMILE
TH WHIN WI' COWDEN BLOSSOMS LIKE A FLAME
WORMS TAE YER VERY HERT WHISPERS IN THE WIND
WE'RE GLAD YE CAME"
WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB IS JUSTLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THEY WERE THE FIRST TO WIN THE MOST FAMOUS BOWLING TROPHY OF THE BOWLING WORLD,THE EGLINTON OR AYRSHIRE CUP,IN 1857.IT IS REGISTERED IN THE UNBROKEN RECORDS OF THE CLUB THAT WHEN WHEN WELLCROFT CLUB WAS SITUATED IN EGLINTON STREET,THE MEMBERS OFTEN SAILED DOWN THE NEARBY GLAGOW, AND PAISLEY AND ARDROSSAN CANAL,BY BARGE IN ORDER TO PLAY THE PRIORSCROFT BOWLING CLUB AT PAISLEY.THE CANAL WAS LATER INFILLED AND FORMED THE BED OF THE EARLY GLASGOW AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.THE CANAL TERMINAL KNOWN AS PORT EGLINTON,ABUTTED THE WEST SIDE OF EGLINTON STREET,BETWEEN CUMBERLAND STREET AND CAVENDISH STREET.WHEN WELLCROFT WAS IN EGLINTON STREET THE LADIES WERE INVITED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUGUST,1884,BY THE MEMBERS TO ENJOY AN EVENING DANCE ON THE BOWLING GREEN.THIS SOCIAL EVENING WAS CALLED A PROMENADE,AND THE FORERUNNER OF THE MODERN LADIES DAY.
IT IS LITTLE WONDER THAT A RENOWNED CLUB SUCH AS WELLCROFT DULY ATTRACTED MEN OF,AND THERE LISTED AMONG THE PAST MEMBERS SIR HUGH ROBERTSON,WHO WAS LEADER OF THE CELEBRATED GLASGOW ORPHEUS CHOIR.STRANGELY ENOUGH,THE ONE TIME FAMILY BUSINESS OF JAMES ROBERTSON AND SON,LTD.,FUNERAL UNDERTAKERS AND MOTOR HIRERS,AT 450 EGLINTON STREET,WAS LOCATED ON THE PREVIOUS SITE OF THE WELLCROFT BOWLING CLUB.SIR HUGH WAS A PUPIL OF ABBOTSFORD SCHOOL IN THE GORBALS.HE DIED IN 1952 AT HIS RESIDENCE IN 56 QUEEN MARY AVENUE,CROSSHILL,GLASGOW.
ANOTHER MEMBER WAS THE LATE JACK RADCLYFFE,WHO LIVED ON THE DOORSTEP OF WELLCROFT AT NUMBER 6 BALVICAR DRIVE.THE WELL KNOWN VARIETY ARTISTE AND COMEDIAN WHO ACTED WITH HIS CO-PARTNER HELEN NORMAN WAS NOT LONG AGO FEATURED IN THE TV SERIES HIGH LIVING.
ALSO SIR JOHN GILMOUR ,Bt.,GCVO,DSO,MP,MINISTER OF SHIPPING AND A FORMER SECRETARY STATE FOR SCOTLAND.HE WAS AN MP FOR POLLOK CONSTITUENCY OF GLASGOW,AND HE DIED IN 1940.IT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO KNOW THAT THE LATE THOMAS PEARSON,FOUNDER OF THE WELL KNOWN PEARSON STORES,VICTORIA ROAD,WAS A PRESIDENT OF WELCROFT BOWLING CLUB.
THE CLUB REMAINS A WORTHY AND LASTING LINK WITH OLD GLASGOW ,IN SPITE OF THE FACT IT WAS HOUNDED FROM ONE SITE TO ANOTHER BY EARLY RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.
THE FUTURE AUGERS WELL THAT THE CLUB WILL STILL YET ADD LUSTRE TO THE GLASGOW BOWLING FRATERNITY.
