AFTER 170 years, the world's oldest quoits club has accepted its first female members.

Darlington Quoit Club, which was founded in 1846, has relaxed its men-only rule for the start of the summer season and welcomed Claire Harrison, 32, and Kay Price, 57, into the fold.

Club chairman Nick Hodgson said: “It was the last bastion of male dominance in the town, but over the years things have mellowed. We did a rule change at our last agm, because the rule book said “any gentleman who wishes to join…” and we changed it so now it says “any person who wishes to join…”.”

“There were a few words but no one voted against it,” said club secretary Robin Price, whose wife, Kay, is one of the first to join up, along with their daughter Kate, who lives in Newcastle.

Previously, women could only be signed into the town centre clubhouse as guests on 12 occasions a year, although they were also able to attend social events.

“I thought I would like to be one of the first because the club has been a big part of our lives, and it is good to keep it going and changing with the times,” said Kay, who works with the First Stop homeless project in the town. “Our names will go down in history – we may even get a women’s board on the wall.”

Claire Harrison also has a close family connection with the club, as her husband and brothers are members, as was her father, Kevin McKeown, who died in 2010.

“I have grown up hearing about the quoit club,” said Claire, a teaching assistant. “It was a big part of my father’s life and he would be very pleased that it is going from strength to strength and that there are now female members and his daughter is part of it.”

In 1967, a member of the Raby Terrace complained that “a lady representative of the BBC” had been allowed in the clubhouse to report on a trophy presentation, and in 1976, a stewardess was appointed after a male steward made off with £500, although the vice-president said “this did not mean women could be admitted to the premises”.