About Us

Club History

Thanet Indoor Bowls Club started life back in 1932. We were one of the first indoor bowls centres in the country and, called Margate Indoor Bowls Club, we had a small 3 rink mat in the Casino Cafe building in Margate.

This Club was so popular we had to restrict membership to 150 and our facilities were reputedly some of the best in the country.
In 1933 Margate and 8 other Clubs formed the indoor section of the English Bowls Association (EBA) and this section broke away from the main body to form the English Indoor Bowls Association (EIBA) in 1972.

In 1940 the Casino Restaurant was requisitioned for the war effort and was destroyed in 1946 by fire. We relocated to the Dreamland Cafe site where we remained until Dreamland changed ownership in 1979.

For the next 2 years the Margate Club were homeless until the Council offered us an old store shed in Hartsdown Park, which we grabbed with open arms.

In 1988, the increasing popularity of indoor bowls led the English national bowls champion, David Bryant, to form a consortium and build a new centre on the seafront in Cliftonville. Margate IBC and the separate Kentish Ladies Club played here until 2006 when, with debts of £170,000 and weeks away from closure, the members bought out the shareholders and started negotiating with the Council to relinquish its liabilities.

A grant was obtained from the Council and, with major investment from members, the Centre was modernised with air conditioning, new lighting and upgraded bar and restaurant facilities.

Finally in 2008, the separate clubs agreed to combine into one company and Thanet Indoor Bowls Club was formed.

This Club has weathered several turbulent years but is now on a sound financial footing with an ever increasing membership enjoying excellent bowling facilities, restaurant and social Club.

For full details of the Club contact : info@thanetibc.com