SOUTHILL Short Mat Bowls Club has been celebrating its 10th anniversary.

A lottery-funded grant got the club going in late 1996 and now it has 46 members with two teams in the West Dorset League.

The club is based at the Southill Community Centre and that is where the anniversary was commemorated with Weymouth and Portland mayor David Harris and his wife Jennifer Harris both in attendance.

The official opening of the club took place on June 20, 1997 by then mayor Bob Beare who bowled the first ceremonial bowl. In similar fashion Harris did the same to mark the start of the club's second decade.

Club president Ernie Kerley and chairman Roger Dalkins took charge of the ceremony which was a great success.

Short mat bowls is similar to outdoor bowls only over a shorter distance and it is based indoors.

If anyone fancies having a go the club is open Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm and Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 10pm.

The first session is free.

For more information contact Dalkins on 772739 or club secretary Jean Turner on 784019.