Trafford Publishing: Bees in my Bonnet

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Bees in my Bonnet

by Enid Grimshaw

138 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0434; ISBN 1-4120-2606-7; US$16.50, C$18.90, EUR13.50, £9.50

What can be achieved by women if given equal opportunities.

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about the book about the author excerpts catalogue info

About the Book

My years of service in the old Colonial Government in Africa convinces me of the importance of lifelong learning, equal opportunities and justice for each individual.
I abhor discrimination in any shape or form and so the present marginalisaton of women in some parts of the world encourages me to write this autobiography.
Section 44 of the UK Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 excludes women in sport from its protection and thus private clubs, the media, sponsors and even our national lottery administrators ignore their activities.
As an octogenarian I consider myself qualified to preach on the subject of the necessity of move with the times. To all you old Lawn Bowlers who have succeeded in conquering the intricacies of 'dry-surfing' and web sites, my congratulations.
Rugby, soccer, cricket, snooker, and darts have all matured nicely creating the biggest businesses in the modern world. I am sure you'll all agree that our historical English Heritage Game deserves recognition, media coverage and sponsorship.
My prayer for the day is 'go forth to your AGMs and proposition your governing bodies to endeavour to resuscitate our dormant World Bowls Council.'

About the Author

At 88 years of age, Enid is still thoroughly enjoying indoor bowling during the wintertime and travelling the world in support of the dedicated young participants involved in the International outdoor game.

Excerpts

Equal Opportunities

For ten long years I've had a fight to get Welsh
women basic right
To play games and get some fun and share their
workload in the sun
I'm a keen competitive sort, in Wales denied a right
to sport
Conspiracy of silence rules, basically begins in
schools
Boys can play but girls look pretty, ruled by bosses in
the City
Press & TV Associations ignore women's aspirations
On the sporting fields of Wales, cover is reserved for
males'
U.K's a single sex nation for each sporting operation
Yet Radcliffe and McArthur's fame proves
discriminatory shame.
An unfair share of Lottery funds given to our macho
sons
Plus 32 million grant to males in this corner of South
Wales
But search and you'll not find that women have been
treated kind
They give weekly raffle prizes to finance their own
exercises.
Strength is gained through healthy living, fun and
games is life giving
Competition is a must to avoid muscle rust
Couch Potatoes all beware, obesity is in the air
So lobby all the powers that be, for equal opportunity.

CHAPTER 18. 1979
Campaign for Equal Opportunities.
I have played competitive Lawn Bowls in membership clubs wherever I could find facilities for women to play this British heritage game.
Wales has had women's International squads that have played matches and won gold medals in venues all over the world. They are well organised by experienced voluntary administrators. I travelled to Brisbane, Australia, to support them in l982 and to Malaysia in l994. I have organised Touring teams visiting Spain and Portugal and, in September 2004, accompanied the Welsh Squad to South Africa.
Our Welsh National Newspaper's 24-page 'Sport Supplements' usually ignores all reference to women. Television channels are the same. 95% of telly-time is devoted to macho sport.
I arrived home from Africa in 1970 where I had been Secretary of the Lusaka Gymkhana Bowls Club, which boasted a hundred men and women members of equal standing. I was granted membership of the St. Mellons Ladies Bowling Club and became aware of the marginalisation of women in sport in Wales.
There were 16 bowling clubs and innumerable golf clubs, which would not allow women to join, or even play, on their Greens and I resolved to do something about it.
I researched the subject of Equal Opportunities and wrote letters to my M.P, and the press highlighting the inferior quality of life for women who were denied the right to play competitive games.
I became a Bowling fanatic and found that mastery of the game has provided me with recreation, companionship and a challenge, resulting in development of self -confidence. In l979, when competing for national honours at the Rhondda Indoor Green, my team was a few shots down but on a winning streak when an official of the Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowls Association ordered us off the public green at 5.55 p.m. This was because a man's club game was due to start. I was forced to concede the match.
During weekends facilities are usually reserved for men's matches.
There is an unwritten law in Wales that women play in the day, during men's working hours. This ruling eliminates women in full time employment from participating in regular county matches. which are also organised during normal working hours.
I wrote to the Sports Council for Wales, complaining of discrimination and lack of facilities for women bowlers in Wales. A reply was received indicating that the SC (W) was an 'advisory body' and could not assist in changing the rules. I was advised to approach the governing body direct. I did so and was victimised and threatened with expulsion from my Bowling Club 'for writing letters to the Press and bringing the game into disrepute'.
This did not deter me. I sent an invitation to Ms Esther Rantzen of 'That's Life' programme on the BBC to come to Wales and learn of the difference in the quality of the lives of Welsh women. I spent an enjoyable day at Lime Grove Studios but subsequently the proposed sketch of a fun match, 'Women v Men' Bowlers was never screened.
The BBC later invited me to Sir Robin Day's 'Question Time'. Before the Programme went on the Air, I lodged the Question..."Do Women get a fair share of recreational facilities provided for their menfolk". An opportunity to pose the question never presented itself. The conspiracy of silence prevailed.
Sweeping changes in the economy of modern society has resulted in a worsening situation for women generally. Most wives help to pay the family mortgage in addition to doing all the household chores.
Statistics prove that more of them are contributing towards public revenue than ever before; but they are not getting a fair share of the goodies on offer to their menfolk. In l985 I read of the founding of an organisation by a group of women in Sheffield and London who, recognising the unjust situation, resolved to lobby for a change in the Law. I joined them, was co-opted on to their Organising Committee and eventually, in l987 was elected Hon Co-Secretary of the Women's Sports Foundation, with an office in London. I was also elected Regional representative for Wales.
In l989 this organisation was hi-jacked by the Greater London Regional Sports Council who offered a grant conditionally that our Foundation would accept two Sport Council officers * i.e. one field and one policy officer to work with us. The incoming officers attempted to change the Constitution by eliminating our original objectives which were 'and to gain equal opportunities and options for women".
I would not agree to the change and sought legal advice from a Constitutional Lawyer who confirmed that the original Objectives could not be changed. Despite his ruling being sent to their new Executive Committee, our Chairwoman was made Head of Development at the London HQ of the National Sports Council and our Logo has appeared on some of their publications, whilst I continued in my quest for equality in a personal capacity in Wales.
On the 17th April 1991 at a formal Dinner organised by the Women's Legal Defence Fund, at the Café Royal, I had a two-hour discussion with Mr. Tony Blair before he became Prime Minister. Incidentally, he impressed me so much I switched my political allegiance from Conservative to Labour and, even today, with all the criticisms he has to contend with, I remain convinced of his integrity and policies.
The Sports Council, we are told, is primarily concerned with three areas of development * first, 'Sport for all,' second 'Encouragement of Excellence and third 'Provision of facilities'. Men can earn a luxurious living in all our heritage games.
* Few women can barely scratch an existence.
In connection with the third concern, The SC (W) 'Winter Magazine' 2003, lists a total of £31 million, National Lottery grants which were distributed, (mostly to Local Authorities) for the provision of facilities for Welsh rugby, soccer and cricket clubs.
Voluntary sports organisations received nothing in their attempts to improve the quality of life for women and the elderly.
CHAPTER 19. 1989
Talygarn.
Since 1985 I have founded three new clubs, two of which are for women which have become affiliated to the Glamorgan County Women's Bowling Association and a third one, for men and families, at Talygarn in South Wales. The latter effort was an unbelievable fiasco. This is what happened: - In 1985 the local National Health Trust occupied a listed building site, known as the 'Miners Rehabilitation Centre', Talygarn. Within the grounds was a beautiful but derelict bowling green.
At the time I was teaching a group of people with learning difficulties how to play indoor bowls and was seeking facilities for them. The Foundation for Sport and the Arts offered a grant of £75,000 for the restoration of the lawn green but the Trust would not give a ten-year lease on the Talygarn ground. The offer was, subsequently, withdrawn by the Foundation. Ten Years on, in the new millennium, the National Assembly for Wales sold the Estate with its sporting facilities to land developers. The new owners on hearing of my abortive efforts to restore the facility offered me the necessary ten-year lease at peppercorn rental.
Funds to resurface the grass lawn were again sought from three sources, Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council's 'Community & Voluntary Action Fund', 'The Foundation for Sport and the Arts', and the 'Sports Council for Wales' Each Application necessitated the completion of approximately 25 pages of information and each had to include estimates of costing for the necessary work.
The new Talygarn Social Bowling Club of 30 men and women members was properly constituted to discuss the applications for grant, and the necessary bank account was opened. Over a period of two years, the club hired facilities for meetings and bowling practises were held. All this time and effort has been wasted. The club is being disbanded.
Our Local Authority rejected our request for funding on the grounds that they had no money. The F.S.& A., funded by the football pools complained that the Nation Lottery had affected their ability to help, and the Sportlot Fund, distributed by the National Sports Council for Wales rejected our application on the grounds of: -
(a) No identified facility need in the area, and
(b) Limited sports development impact.
At the last AGM of the Welsh Women's Bowling Association held at the Park Hotel on 7th December 2003, there were six propositions tabled by the Welsh Executive Committee, the West Wales Ladies B.A, and the Mid Glamorgan Clubs all appertaining to lack of facilities for women. This was hampering promotion of the game.
Complaints about rejection of our application for grant aid were addressed to our representative at the Welsh National Assembly. This resulted in the receipt of a sympathetic letter from our Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language. He informed us of the Assembly's inability to interfere in the distribution of the National Lottery Funds and advised that we should appeal against the decision.
Further meetings of the new club were called and an Appeal was lodged. The Appeal failed. It was rejected on the same grounds as the original application.
Cardiff, our capital city, has no suitable public facility to stage International or World Bowls events although they have wonderful shopping complexes, which could cater for supporters who travel to these events. Sport is big business today but the Welsh Tourist Board is blind to its potential for sportswomen.
Concentrating on building their own empires, unelected bureaucratic Quangos forget their original remit - to improve the lives of the People.
Sadly, these bungling bureaucrats (in their built-up Empires) have replaced many of the organising Voluntary Bodies that were once responsible for the quality of our leisure.

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