That's not to say an injection of new blood, in the form of younger players, wouldn't be appreciated, though.

Eddie Dudgeon, secretary of the Jack Clark Park bowling club in South Shields, said: "We want more juniors, from seven years old up to 18. The juniors will replace the seniors who are leaving us.

"The average age of our members is about 60, and we are losing them year on year."

Apart from the obvious explanation – that bowls players, like Coronation Street viewers, are dying off – Mr Dudgeon believes there is another, less mor-bid reason for that fall in attendance.

"There's more to do outside for older people nowadays," said the 75-year-old dad of three.

Mr Dudgeon has been a member of the club since it opened in 1982, and he is keen to stress that indoor bowling's reputation for being an OAP-only activity is undeserved.

He said: "Bowls is called an old people's game, but we cater for everyone. We have a five-year-old and a 94-year-old."

Though this youngest member wasn't present for the Gazette's visit, we did meet the next best thing – seven-year-old Katy Donkin, a member for the last six months.

"I really enjoy it," said the youngster, a pupil at Mortimer Primary School in South Shields. "I like it because you have to bowl around the green instead of straight ahead."

Confused as to what that meant, I was taken through the basics of bowling by junior coach Bob Bell, 77, who, like Eddie, has been with the club since it opened.

Apparently the trick is to think like England footballer David Beckham when he's about to take a free kick.

Instead of just hoofing the bowl straight towards the small white jack, you aim away from it and then hope it curls inwards before stopping.
The amount of swerve is determined by how much the bowl has been shaved on one side to give it bias.

Ranging from zero to six, the more bias a bowl has, the more it will curl.

The No3 balls I used were right in the middle range, and after duly placing one foot on the plastic mat, I released the ball, aiming some 6ft to the right of the jack.

Thankfully it curved back in at the last moment to come to rest 3ft from the jack. Though this effort earned an appreciative nod from Bob, there was no cigar forthcoming as it wasn't the closest to the target and so earned me no points.

"It's harder than it looks," said Bob. "It's all about getting your release right. Get that, and you'll do well."

Standing aside, I was shown what to do by another junior the club has high hopes for, Kai Gray. Unimpressed by the Beckham analogy, the seven-year-old, a pupil at Harton Junior School in South Shields, reckons bowls requires far more craft than football.

"In football, you just kick the ball, but in bowls, you get to use more skill," he said. "If you don't know which bowl has the right bias, you can ask people which one to use."

Having watched his great aunt playing the game, he took it up about a year ago.

"He just wants to beat her," his mum Gemma Gray laughed. "He enjoys it, and it's a lot better than him playing on the streets."

The club's juniors have taken to the game with some aplomb, and Bob has great expectations for them in the future.

"We took them to Scarborough recently," he said. "We mixed up the all ranges and had a match with a club there.

"It was a good experience for them playing against new teams. We won by five shots.

"We have two or three who started as juniors here who now regularly play in open and national competitions."

Playing alongside these novices was the club's oldest member, 94-year-old Les Hall, who's been bowling for 32 years.

"A lot of good players don't come now. Perhaps they're too old or gone," mused Bob, of South Shields. "It's a great thing to get children involved."

Remarkably sprightly for his age, he believes his hectic schedule of playing in both the morning triples and morning fours league is his secret to staying young.

"It's a great way to keep fit and meet people," he said. "There's nothing to stop people in their seventies and eighties coming here and having a try, rather than just being sat watching TV. It's the best thing for older people."

Eddie added: "If you're interested in trying bowls, come along to the casual day on Wednesday for £1, which includes bowls and shoe hire.

"It's a nice environment, it's warm, and this is one of the best indoor rings in the country. It's a game easily played by anyone of any age."

For details, call 454 2023.