A HARDWORKING group of bowlers are celebrating after successfully building themselves a new pavilion.

Members of the Manor Park Bowlers Club began work on the building eight months ago and on Friday the DIY builders celebrated the completion with a cheese and wine party.

Roger Brown, club chairman and one of the 14 members who helped with the building work, said they were all very proud of their achievement.

"It was hard graft putting it up, especially through the winter months when it was cold and wet," he said.

"The old pavilion was made of wood and asbestos so we demolished that and found an old Ministry of Defence building in London to replace it. That arrived on site in six ft sections and we put it all up and did all the plumbing, sewage and electrics - not bad for old ones!" said Mr Brown who, aged 63, was one of the youngest of the "builders".

The 62 members paid for £20,000 pavilion themselves with the help of £5,000 donated by the Manor Park Trust.

"Everyone just put their hands in their pockets and gave whatever they could," said Mr Brown.

The new pavilion was declared open by Chairman of Malvern Hills District Council, Pat Raven, Malvern mayor, David Williams, and English Bowls Association past president, John Hall.