The Bath Grand Cru Pétanque Club owes its origins to the enthusiasm, vision, and commitment of Chris Garratt, who founded the club in 2012. His journey with pétanque began much earlier, inspired by holidays in France and visits to friends who introduced him to the game’s relaxed yet competitive spirit. The charm of pétanque — its mix of skill, strategy, and sociability — captured Chris’s imagination, and he began to recognise its potential not just as a pastime, but as a community-building tool.

In Bath, pétanque had already started to take root through the growing popularity of the annual Bath Boules event, which had become a highlight of the city’s summer calendar. This vibrant event showed just how much the game could bring together people of all backgrounds and ages. Chris saw in it an opportunity: pétanque wasn’t just a sport — it was a unique way to create connections, build community, and even foster informal business networking.

Back in 2002, while working as the Sports and Activities Participation Officer at Bath College, Chris began to explore the idea of establishing a regular local pétanque league. He sought support from the business community, and eventually connected with David Keith, then Chief Executive of the Bath Chamber of Commerce. David saw the potential, and with his backing, the Bath League de Pétanque was launched. It was an immediate success.

As the league grew in popularity, a regular group of players began to emerge — particularly from the Tuesday evening sessions — many of whom were showing both enthusiasm and talent for the sport. With momentum building, Chris floated the idea of forming a formal club to give structure and future direction to the growing community.

Once again, Chris approached David Keith, who agreed to help move the idea forward. Chris drafted an initial club constitution, sought advice from more established clubs, and held a few informal meetings to lay the groundwork. The culmination of these efforts came with the official inaugural meeting to establish the new club, complete with a founding committee.

Among the first to step forward were Don and Thelma Grimes, who agreed to serve on the Steering Committee. David Keith took on the role of Chair for the first year, while Chris Garratt became Captain and Secretary, and Peter Ostli-East was appointed Treasurer. Thus, in 2005, the City of Bath Pétanque Club was officially formed — the first dedicated pétanque club in the city.

However, a few years later, in 2012, for personal reasons Chris made the difficult decision to step away from the City of Bath Pétanque Club. Though it was a significant departure — having founded the club and invested so much into it — he felt the sport had grown enough in popularity to support more than one club in the city.

Seeing an opportunity to continue growing the game and broadening its appeal, Chris founded the Bath Grand Cru Pétanque Club — a new chapter in Bath’s pétanque story. With a focus on inclusion, enjoyment, and excellence, the club quickly became a thriving part of the local sporting and social scene, continuing Chris’s original mission: to bring people together, one boule at a time.