Bowls is for the young, says 99-year-old club star

"Bowls is a young person's game," says 99-year-old Richard Gill - the oldest member of his bowls club.

Gill joined Longthorpe Bowls Club in Peterborough with his wife, Margaret, in the 1990s because they were looking for something to do together.

He hopes younger people can keep the game alive, but believes attracting them into the sport is becoming a "challenge".

"It's not an old people's game, it's a young people's game," said Gill.

"You can watch it at the Commonwealth Games, it's great to see the youngsters."

The club has been at the heart of the village since it was founded in the 1950s.

It has 75 members, most of them in their 80s, and runs league teams in the Peterborough Bowls League alongside regular social events and club competitions.

Member Richard Harrison, who joined in 2004, said the club faced the challenge of an ageing membership and was keen to encourage younger people into the sport.

Gill, who grew up in Peterborough's Cowgate area, served in the Navy during World War Two before joining Perkins Engines.

Margaret, who he has been married to for 69 years, introduced him to the game.

He said: "We've never regretted joining because we've had a very good social life and a very healthy life, it keeps the joints going."

The game, he said, has "changed quite a lot" over the years.

When he started playing, balls were made of wood and were black, while today they are made from composite materials and come in many colours.

The quality of the bowling green has improved over the years, he adds.

Asked whether bowls was a dying sport, he said: "I don't think it is... trouble is you can't attract youngsters.

"The club gets maybe five new members each year to top up the people who are dropping out because of age and other mobility problems."

The couple, who are great-grandparents, remain active club members, regularly supporting social and fundraising events.

The volunteer-run club is self-funded and faces annual maintenance costs of about £8,000.

"It costs a lot of money now to keep the green going, so a lot of the social activities now are fundraising," Gill said.

Gill will be celebrating his 100th birthday in November and puts his long healthy life down to "luck and genes".

"I think it's having a loving, caring, beautiful wife, who does everything for you, and tells me what to do and I do it quickly," he added.

"I used to love coming home from work to the smell in that kitchen. And we've both had very active lives doing different things."

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