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Our history Although now based at the Old Lyonian Sports and Social Club, Harrow Pétanque Club (incorporating the OL Pétanque Section) originally met at the Harrow Heritage Centre. The terrain there was created in 1989 and officially opened by the mayors of Harrow and Douai so that a pétanque match could be played to mark the twinning of the two towns. There was only one piste, so some of the games had to be played on a nearby gravel surface. It soon became apparent that a larger space was required. So the club moved to the Bessborough Cricket Club, where the mostly unused high jump and long jump areas were utilised. This increased the number of pistes to four. The connection with the Old Lyonians can be traced back to the occasion when an OL parent wanted to 'borrow' the bar to host a lunch for the Douai club, who were playing Harrow Pétanque Club (HPC) in a return visit. Some OLs participated in an evening match against HPC and soon became 'hooked'. HPC continued to grow in size and ability; so much so that a Harrow Open competition was held at the Bannister Sports Centre. At this competition, an OL played and this led to the Old Lyonian Association inviting HPC to move to the OLSSC ground in Pinner View. However, a terrain was required. The defunct hard tennis courts were pressed into service, but first some earth works were needed...           The pictures above tell the story of all the hard work: first the diggers moved in to remove the topsoil in preparation for the gravel to be laid; next Jack Baron can be seen here helping create the piste, along with Sheila Slowe driving the roller; finally, the Thames Valley Pétanque Regional Chairman, John Roberts, watched by Jack, cut the ribbon to officially open the terrain. Club activities Today Harrow Pétanque Club has around 50 members, some of whom have played since the early days while some are new to the game. Ages range from people in their 80s down to teenagers. We have had members playing for England and the United Kingdom in national and international competitions, as well as in the English Pétanque Association (EPA) inter-regional championships held at Brean Sands in Somerset. Recently three members of Harrow qualified as Great Britain One and represented Great Britain in the World Championships at Grenoble. HPC members also play in competitions in the Thames Valley. In addition to club events, we hold three Opens, where players from all over the South East compete. Further information
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