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French Boules in Memorial Park

French Boules in Memorial Park

  • Location: Stockport
  • Project Type: Active Community
  • Area: North West
  • Awarded: £1000
  • Status: Completed 

Project Details

Pétanque is a form of Boules invented in 1907 by a Frenchman named Jules Lenoir, when rheumatism prevented him from running before he threw the ball. For that reason it is a gentle sport suitable for people of all ages and conditions, and a great way to pull a community together. Last year The Friends of Marple Memorial Park were approached by representatives of the Senior Citizens Hall, who asked for a Boules court to be installed in the park. They had compiled a petition with over 250 signatures showing widespread support for the idea so The Friends of the Park agreed to raise the money. The Senior Citizens Hall is quite near the park, so having a Boule Court there would encourage them to walk, exercise and socialise more frequently. And the court would be in an accessible public space, freely available to many other local groups. It’s Your Community thinks the whole thing is a great idea.

Project Updates

  • 18/07/2009 The Friends of the Park held demonstration games of French Boules during the Marple Locks Festival on Sunday 5th July 2009. Quite a few people came to watch and most of them were encouraged to join in. The new seating made it much easier for spectators to watch the boules.
  • 16/05/2009 On the evening of Monday 27 April 2009 Marple Business Forum held a French Boules Tournament on the court for members as part of their social activities. A great time was had by all and people played until it was too dark to see any more. We have included some photos taken in the sunshine and long shadows of early evening during the tournament.
  • 16/05/2009 We are pleased to advise that we managed to raise funds for three commemorative seats to allow participants and spectators to enjoy the Boules in more comfort and these were installed in May 2009. One seat was funded by local resident Mr. Jerrold Louth in memory of his late wife, Kathleen. The second was funded by Marple Civic Society, a registered charity that is always supportive of local community projects. The third seat was funded by The Friends of Marple Memorial Park ourselves and was dedicated to Leonard Romm, the gentleman who originally had the idea to build a French Boules Court in the park but sadly passed away before seeing his ambition achieved.
  • 13/11/2008 There was a great turnout for our French Boules Tournament on Saturday 30 August 2008 and everyone seemed to have a great time. It really is a most sociable game and was enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. We have uploaded some photos taken during the launch of the project. We are working with local community groups to raise funding for seating to improve the experience and we plan to install an interpretation board that will explain how the project was funded, and the history and rules of the game. Anybody wishing to give the game a try can borrow a set of boules from Bob Wilson, the Community Parks Officer who is usually in the park during normal hours. You will need to pay a £10 deposit, which is fully refundable providing that the set is returned to Bob complete and intact.
  • 31/07/2008 The boules court was completed very quickly after we received our award from O2 "It's Your Community" as the contractor happened to have a free period at just the right time. We are very pleased with it and although the original project to construct the court is now complete we are raising funds for seating around it to improve the experience for players and spectators. We would also like to add an interpretation board explaining the history of Petanque, why the court is there and how it was funded. We also plan to include the rules of the game so that people can play learn to play and hope to make arrangements for them to hire a set of boules nearby. The Friends of Marple Memorial Park will be holding a Petanque tournament on Saturday 30th August and after this we will provide a new update with photographs of the court being used.

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