Famous Faces
Norma Shaw
Norma was born on June 8, 1937 and died on June 10, 2009, aged 72. She is by common consent England’s greatest woman bowler, won 26 national titles between 1976 and 1998, and won the women’s world singles title both indoors and out. Having made her first appearance for England in 1977, Norma played her last game for her country in Kilmarnock, where she helped to win the British team title in 2001 — but was still playing regularly at her Norton club until her death.
Norma’s contribution to the sport was recognised by the Queen in 1985 when she was appointed MBE for services to bowls. Norma moved to Norton in the mid-1960s.
Walking past the Norton bowls club, she and her husband Dennis stopped to watch a game and were invited to “have a go”. They were immediately hooked, and Norma was soon beating the best of the local talent, and moving on her way to the top of the game. Her first national title — the indoor fours in 1976 — soon led to her first international appearance for England, and she enjoyed a purple patch for the next seven years, winning 14 national titles by the end of 1983.
In 1988 she won the most prestigious title in English bowls — outdoor singles champion. After suffering a stroke, she recovered to full fitness, rolled back the years, and reached the semi-finals of the national outdoor fours championship in 2006. That there was a gap of 16 years between her winning the world outdoor singles title in Toronto in 1981, and the equivalent indoor title in Llanelli, South Wales, in 1997 is revealing, as was her qualification for the national championships, 33 years after her first major triumph. Norma was an active member of Norton Bowling Club and would spend many afternoons watching, encouraging, making tea and, of course, playing.
George Turley
George Edward Turley (1931–2010), was an English international lawn and indoor bowler and Middlesbrough footballer and a Member of NBC 1991 to 2006.
World Championships
Turley's finest moment came when he won the Fours gold medal at the 1984 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Aberdeen with Tony Allcock, John Bell and Julian Haines.
Commonwealth Games
He represented England in the fours, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia
National
He was the pairs champion with Mal Hughes at the 1983 National Championships bowling for Eldon Grove BC of Durham.
Turley made his England international bowls debut indoors in 1974 and outdoors in 1980.
Football career
Turley played professional football for Middlesbrough from 1949 until 1951.