IT's the bowling season again, and the local greens are full of men and women playing in the leagues, or just for fun. It's a pleasant way of passing a few hours ...

It was only recently when I came across two pictures in the Bolton Evening News' files that I realised bowls were once made in Bolton.

There was no indication of the name of the firm involved, but on the back of one of them it did mention Rupert Street. Looking through an old Bolton Directory, I discovered that the firm was called Peter Boardman and Sons, 43 Rupert Street.

There seems to be little more recorded about the firm, apart from an article which appeared in the paper in March, 1935. So I decided to let you see the article in full:

YESTERDAY, in a little workshop in a back street of the town, writes a correspondent, I saw dozens of bowls, "woods" is the technical term, I believe, being prepared for the popular summer game.

Bowls is one of the oldest pastimes in existence, having been played from the time of the Norman Conquest. But Bolton's bowl-making industry, although probably the oldest in the kingdom, is only in its infancy.

The three Boardman brothers of Great Lever are the last of a family that has plied the craft since 1850. Here are some of the details about bowl-making, given to me by Mr Peter Boardman. The founder of the firm, also Peter, started in a cellar somewhere near Gregson Fields. Machinery not being immediately forthcoming, the turning was done by a hammer and chisel. Bias was judged on the principle of trial and error.

Having assimilated these facts, I was prepared to find almost anything in Boardman's little factory. Particularly after being told that lignum vitae, from which bowls are made, is one of the heaviest of woods.

But there was nothing crude about the business-like machines I saw, all of which have been constructed and erected under the supervision of the three brothers.

It seems that only one-fifth of the lignum coming from Cuba or Santa Dominga, is suitable for bowl-making. And of this only the heart of the log is used, the first process being a giant punch which neatly chops out the required block.

I had rashly assumed that bias had some connexion with lead shots, cunningly secreted in the ornamental pegs.

Mr Peter Boardman, at work on his high-speed lathe, soon showed up this fallacy. Bowls, instead of being round, are more egg-shaped. It is this skilful shaping that creates the bias, so Mr Boardman told me.

But bowl-making is full of surprises. Who would imagine that the nice, shining coat of black was other than for ornament? Actually is serves as a protective. Just one coat too many would be sufficient to play havoc with the bias.

But what do Bolton's bowl-makers do when they are not sending their "woods" to South America, Italy, or Australia? Where do they go in winter time?

The answer is that these enterprising brothers have introduced a new industry, not only to the town, but possibly to England. During the winter months they manufacture dominoes.

Mr Boardman told me that, faced with the inactivity of the close season, they cast about for an alternative to bowl-making.

"We discovered," he said, "that almost the whole of the manufacture of dominoes was centred in the Central European countries. As the bulk of these were low-grade mass productions, we turned our attention to making a better quality."

Boardman's have introduced many interesting ideas in their new products. Highly-polished backs prevent the dominoes being intentionally marked, while coloured spots to supersede the old black-and-white are intended to make revoking impossible.

The dominoes have found a steady sale, many Bolton clubs having sets now in use.

So, a fascinating story about an old Bolton business, obviously out of existence for many years, although it is possible that "woods" made by Boardmans are still in use.

Nowadays , Mr Keith Andrews, secretary of the Bolton Mills Bowling Competition, tells me, some bowls are still made out of wood, but others are "plastic" - composition plastic which comes in granual form, heated, and moulded. But when made out of wood, why only one, lignum vitae? I wondered. "Because it doesn't float, and runs well if there is water on the greens", said Mr Andrews.

And just in case you are wondering, bowls for flat greens are bigger and heavier than those used for crown green bowling.