Alexandra Meadows, at the top of the precipitous Dukes Brow in Blackburn, is home to the men and women of the East Lancs Crown Green Bowling Club and has been ever since the club’s establishment in 1867.

In 2017, after over 269 years as an independent club, they were joined there by the members of Blackburn Subscription Bowling Club (the worlds oldest) following a merger with the East Lancs, bringing with them their impressive haul of silverware and centuries of memorabilia. Together they are a force to be reckoned with in Lancastrian crown green bowling.

Hand linking socks is both expensive and time consuming but creates a seamless perfectly flat finish giving the greatest comfort and durability. The art of hand linking requires skill, experience, enormous manual dexterity, and excellent vision.

Desmond Castle began his career in textiles aged just 15 at D. Whitefords, manufacturers of underlay for carpets. Today he works at Century Dying, part of British Millerain, in Elland, UK where he operates the stentor which uses high temperature and pressure to coat and cure the cotton fabrics used in our waterproof outerwear.