a brief history of...

Petanque in Kirklees

2006
A local man who is a member of Leeds Petanque club tries to get a terrain in Mirfield where he lives. Driving to Leeds is difficult especially in peak times. There are a few interested people including Mirfield Sports Council  but because real life gets in the way it doesn't get very far.

2007 to 2008
Not a lot happens. Leeds Petanque Club thrives and Kirklees residents who like the game travel to Leeds to play.

2009
A few locals think again about playing petanque in Kirklees only to find there isn't anywhere to play. We start looking for a patch of land. There aren't many places that fit the bill. We gallantly look at a few pubs.

What do we need? Minimum of 12m by 12m flat piece of land; car parking would be nice; sharing a clubhouse with a sports club; near to a friendly pub that does real ale and lunches. A few tons of gravel and some railways sleepers at some stage.

We don't want much.

2010
We find out that Algernon Firth Park in Heckmondwike is being re-developed as a new health centre is being built  there. We have informal discussions with the Council's architects and the Parks Dept and find out that a petanque terrain is proposed there.

They have provisionally planned a 15 by 4 metres international size piste. Research suggest they are might be changing a tennis court into a petanque terrain. That could be 36m by 18m. Hmmm...

In November they confirm they have the money ring fenced and are going to spend it in 2011. We ask how much is available and if they want us to help them spend it.

2011
Honley Village Hall committee meet to decide if they can put a small terrain together next to the village hall. They have the land, they have the money. They are thinking of 2 lanes side by side. Starting to look promising - 2 new terrains in one year.

Heckmondwike now looks like 30m by 10m patch of land that could have about 6 lanes available. We are invited to discuss its design with the council.

Back to the future
Autumn and we start to feel despondent. Honley has been told to apply for planning permission... for a patch of gravel with some sleepers on it...

...and Heckmondwike's ring fenced money has disappeared. The council is now hoping to "do something on the back of something else" but it's all very frustrating.

Suddenly out of the blue...
Honley gets the go ahead on 21st November.

and a casual visit to Heckmondwike shows a half built 6 piste terrain.

Want to join us? Email Petanque in Kirklees
We'll keep you informed about any developments in Kirklees. If and when any clubs or terrains spring up they will probably be autonomous but this site will hold details of them.