RICHARD Gardiner is the new county men’s president and has become the first member from the Supermarine club (formerly Vickers) in the club’s 68-year history to hold the prestigious position.

Gardiner, from Old Walcot, also joins a select band of only eight men who have also held the role of Wiltshire county president both indoors and outdoors, having been the 2001/02 indoor men’s president.

“It is a great honour to be the men’s county president and the club here at Supermarine have supported me in the role,” said Gardiner.

“If it had not been for Dave Richards, last year’s men’s president, I would not have become Supermarine’s first county president.

“It was in 2012 when the county were struggling for a men’s junior vice president I received an email from Dave asking if I would be interested in taking the role and becoming president in 2015 and also helping him in his year of office - Wiltshire’s centenary year.

“He had helped and supported me well in 2001 as indoor president so I agreed as I knew I was going to retire fully from work last year.

“After going to the Supermarine committee meeting and asking them if they would support me, which they readily agreed to, I became the 2015 Wiltshire men’s president.’’

The 70-year-old, who hails from Ruislip in Middlesex, spent his whole working life in the clothing industry and only retired fully last year, after spending more than 50 years in the fashion industry.

He moved from London (Streatham) to a village just outside Chesterfield in 1966 before changing jobs to cover the area of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire and moved to Swindon in 1975 with his wife Iris and two daughters Georgina and Yvonne living on the Oxford Road.

He took up bowls in 1992 with his wife Iris and they have been deeply involved in the sport ever since playing for Wills from 1994 until its closure in 2001 and switching to Supermarine the following year.

“In the autumn of 1992 we both went on a six week bowls beginners course at the Oasis,” he said, “That was followed by a six-week improvers course the following spring - we were hooked.

“At the end of this course we were asked “which club are you going to join”. We were unable to decide as we had little free time, due to family and business commitments.

“By late next year these commitments had eased and we joined Wills Bowling Club for the 1994 outdoor season and started indoors at both Westlecot and the Oasis in the autumn.”

Gardiner quickly moved up the club ladder, becoming the 1996 vice-captain at Wills and captain the following year. Indoors, he was vice-captain at Westlecot 1997/98 and captain the next winter season.

He was appointed secretary of Wills BC in 1998 and continued until its closure, at the end of the 2001 outdoor season, while on the indoor front from 1999/2000 - 2004-05 indoor treasurer at Westlecot.

With the closure of Wills Sports Ground, Gardiner and Jack Peterson played leading roles in the club joining up with Supermarine - 95 per cent of their members moving across to a mixed club.

Gardiner was a Supermarine committee member from 2002-05 and took the role of chairman in 2006 until 2012.

At county level, he was Wiltshire men’s indoor president for the 2001-02 indoor season while outdoors men’s deputy secretary to Alan Woodland 2002-03 and in 2013 elected JVP Bowls Wiltshire (Men) and president this year.

He has been an England Bowls Union umpire since 2001.

Gardiner added: “We have just completed my presidents tour to Portugal from April 12-22. A mixed group of 41 people, from ten different clubs across Wiltshire, 33 bowlers, eight non-bowlers toured. Five eight rink matches where played - we won three but lost two.”

In the winter Gardiner and wife Iris, who has won several Swindon & District Ladies titles, have been members of Benitachell Bowls Club on the Costa Blanca, Spain and play regularly in winter and northern league sides.

2015 also sees the Gardiners celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in September.