Bowled over at bowling green

Bowled over with new steel railings at bowling green: refurbishment of fencing panels around 18^th century bowling green in Cannock.

Cannock Bowling Green, which dates to 1760 and sits in the centre of Cannock Town Centre in Staffordshire, has recently undergone a project to refurbish its steel fencing, surrounding the Green. Joseph Ash Walsall was pleased to play a part in the project.

Cannock Bowling Green sits in the centre of Cannock Town Centre in Staffordshire and dates to 1760. Its members include people from the local community, some of whom have been enjoying everything the Club offers since the 1970s.

Members take pride in the green and decided it was time to repaint the railings surrounding the Club. The Bowling Club Committee originally obtained quotes to have the railings sanded down and repainted, however the Walsall plant of Joseph Ash Galvanizing suggested an alternative solution involving shot blasting, galvanizing and powder coating, to protect the steel and avoid further expensive maintenance expenditure for many years. Stan Williams, a life Honorary Member of the Club, and former MD and Chairman of two galvanizing plants in Walsall and Netherton, was an advocate for a full treatment as he knows the benefits that galvanizing and powder coating can bring. 

• Shot blasting: Before metal is galvanized it needs to be cleaned to give it a smooth surface. One of the most effective ways to create this surface is to shot blast it. Shot blasting fires a high-pressure spray of abrasive steel materials onto a rough surface to create a smooth surface.
  
• Hot dip galvanizing: Hot dip galvanizing has been used worldwide for well over a century because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack. Applying a hot dip galvanizing process to steelwork provides fabrications with a robust, durable and corrosion protective finish that under normal conditions will last for many years without maintenance of any sort.
  
• Powder coating: Powder coating is a type of paint that is mainly applied to metals to provide a harder finish than a normal paint. The paint is applied as a powder electrostatically from a spray gun and is cured in an oven under a high heat to form a tough, durable skin. Powder coating paints come in many colours and can be used to create different finishes such as textured or metallic.

As well as providing shot blasting, galvanizing and powder coating, Joseph Ash also offered to provide the transportation for the steel – weighing in at about 1 tonne – as part of their competitive quotation.

For Joseph Ash Walsall to treat the steel, the heavy panels had to be cut free from the wall surrounding the Green, taken away for processing, and refitted to the wall.

President of the Bowling Club, Tony Rose, purchased the necessary tools to free the panels and new galvanized bolts to replace the rusty old bolts which snapped because, for decades, they had been painted over several times. Permission was also obtained from Staffs County Council for Joseph Ash Walsall to park their lorry alongside the Green in the pedestrianised area to load and unload the material.  Arrangements were also made for enough strong members of the Club to be available to help the Joseph Ash Walsall driver lift the panels from the Green onto the vehicle for processing at the Joseph Ash Walsall plant.

The local Conduit Trust offered a grant of £1,000 towards the overall cost of the project, and with a contribution of expertise from some members, the club funds and the cooperation of the Joseph Ash Walsall, the project has now been successfully completed.

The tips of the black panels have even been painted gold to match similar fencing around the town which is maintained by Cannock Council.

The cost of running and maintaining the Bowling Green Club is covered by an annual subscription from members and contributions from events, but most of the work, cutting and fertilising the grass, and tending to the flowers and surrounding area is done by a few dedicated members.

A trust deed dated 1896 establishes that the land is to be retained as a bowling green, in perpetuity, providing there are at least 15 members available to maintain the green in an attractive and practical condition.

The green is an attractive area in the town, creating a pleasant ambience where the public can see over the wall or can enjoy a peaceful rest on the ancient snake benches when members are playing bowls.

The team at Joseph Ash Walsall enjoyed working on this project and are delighted to see how stunning the newly refurbished railings look in the centre of Cannock.