GOING STRONG Generally speaking we have so far had a good spell of weather for a change and some of our star players have been taking advantage of this to “make hay” in the Surreys. See later.
FRIENDLY MATCHES (Another plea) The old problem of encouraging members to put their names down was aired by both the Men’s Captain and the Ladies’ Captain at the June Management Committee meeting. It has always been apparent that, when the renewal package is circulated at the start of the season, members are happy to put their names down, and matches are often oversubscribed, but that there is a lull later. Though pleas have been made to volunteer, this does not always produce results, and it was decided to try a different approach by using the Newsletter to bring forthcoming matches into your “front room” as it were! So, as an experiment, a separate sheet is enclosed with this Newsletter showing the matches scheduled for the period until the next issue to make it easier for you. And you can get in touch with any of the Playing Sub-Committee to put your name down.
MATCH RESULTS (To Date)
Friendlies In Mixed matches we have had some good wins recently, first over Castle Green and then Bookham, Pippbrook and Walton-on-Thames. As a result we now have a very healthy shot difference. Let’s keep it up.
Of the four Men’s matches played we lost both the first two by large margins, but went on to WIN the next two, though we are still left with an unhealthy shot difference. Sadly our evening match against Walton-on-Thames had to be cancelled as we could not raise a team.
The Ladies have had two matches cancelled recently. These were against Castle Green and Albury. In both cases the opposition were unable to field a team of two triples. Whilst our shot difference to date is -35 Audrey emphasises that this represents a substantial improvement on last year.
Leagues To say we have had “mixed results” in the Leagues would be to put things in their most favourable light. It is probably better to limit any remarks to the minimum.
Harding Cup Our record is - played 4 lost 4. There is one match remaining v. Puttenham on 14th July, but no miracles are expected. Very disappointing as everyone tried hard, but better luck next year.
Thursday Triples We have played 8, and 1 was cancelled for lack of players. Our record is won 1 lost 7. With a shot difference of – 171 as at 2nd July. These stats speak for themselves and, not surprisingly, we are currently in bottom place here too. Whilst expressing disappointment at this Mary Phipps, never one to give up, points out that all is not lost as we are only at the half way stage and maybe can turn things around. So please do look at the new sheet and put your name down when you can. Let’s get ourselves off the bottom!
West Surrey League Here again not good news. Of the 8 played we have lost 7 and won just 1. Shot diff -63.
Surrey Advertiser League We had a very good win against Ewhurst 24- 11, and have played 6 games so far – lost 4 and won 2. With 2 games to play we will need to win both to stand any chance of getting any further in the competition. We play Holloway Hill next and last year they won!
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS Club competitions are progressing well following the scheduled dates. However, it might be helpful to issue a reminder to those still competing, and to ask you to arrange your matches in good time
Competition Round Deadline Men’s Singles ¼ finals - 24th July Semi finals - 14th August Ladies Singles Semi finals - 14th August Men’s Pairs Semi finals - 14th August Ladies Pairs Semi finals - 31st July Mixed Arranged Prs Semi finals - 7th August Mixed Drawn Pairs Semi finals - 31st July Wilton Cup Semi finals - 14th August Rogers Cup Semi finals - 7th August
Judging by some of the results recorded so far there could be some new names appearing on the trophies this year.
Friday Triples: Mid way through this league Team B are leading with 8 points followed closely by Team C with 6 points. There are 4 more rounds to play. The introduction of a mid afternoon break in play for tea has been welcomed.
And Now Two Very Important Messages from our Coach
FIRST, please note that good Green and Game Etiquette should be observed for everyone’s enjoyment of the game of bowls. The following list is a reminder of how we can achieve this. 1. Always dress correctly. 2. Avoid standing or sitting with feet on the edge of the green. 3. Do not disturb a player’s concentration: • Talking and moving when a player is about to play can be very distracting. • Remain well behind the mat when it is not your turn to play, or well behind the head if not directing play. • Avoid standing directly behind the jack, and try to avoid obstructing boundary markers. • Be careful that you do not obscure the progress of a player’s bowl by walking up the green. • Avoid walking behind a head when bowling is in progress. • Be careful that your shadow is not over the jack or mat. 4. You lose possession of the rink when your delivered bowl comes to rest, therefore you must be clear of the mat and not between the mat and head when it is not your turn to play. 5. Please do not criticise – nobody plays a bad bowl deliberately. 6. Be interested in the game, it is a team effort and you can learn from situations that develop. 7. Show a good spirit – Always be sporting in your remarks about opponents’ bowls and compliment them on a good bowl. 8. Changing Ends: • When changing ends leave a bowl by the mat for the next player. • Walk reasonably quickly and keep towards the centre of your own rink. • Walk round the head and not through it. 9. Please follow the Skip’s instructions 10. Skips should – Be encouraging and set an example in etiquette - Clearly indicate the shot required. 11. Stand well back when a ‘Firing’ shot is coming your way, not forgetting to warn other players including those in adjacent rinks 12. Learn the Laws of the game
SECONDLY It is essential for Markers to know the laws of the game. A Marking Session will be held on Monday July 20th at 5.30pm in the Pavilion for members that haven’t attended a session before and also for those who would like a refresher session. Please put your name down on the list on the Coaches’ Notice Board if you would like to attend. Question papers will be given out to those on the list as soon as possible, to enable you to look up the answers in your Law book so that we can have a good discussion at the meeting. Basic measuring will also be covered. Looking forward to seeing you there.
NEWS OF MEMBERS All reported on so far are making progress, if slow in some cases. However Brian has been feeling rather poorly of late and, following extensive tests, now learns that he has to undergo early surgery. However the good news is that, following a CT scan there are no further complications and he is due to go in for the operation on 20th July. We wish him all the best and look forward to seeing him soon.
SURREY COUNTY COMPETITIONS This is where we can be justly proud of our record, and perhaps all of us can bask in reflected glory at the efforts made by our entrants.
Men’s In the last issue of the Newsletter we reported that Doug and Ian beat Farnham on 28th August. – which should have been May, but nobody appeared to notice the deliberate mistake. In their next round, on 4th June, they had another spectacular win (20 – 19) against a particularly strong pair from Guildford …. and headed for Cranleigh. This was where they met their match, but not without a very strong fight in another close game. Altogether a very creditable run for the two of them. Many congratulations. Meantime Oliver had been keeping the flag flying in the Under 25 Singles, but went on to lose a very close match at home coming back from 10-16 down to draw level at 16-16 and eventually fall at 21-16. Again congratulations on your good run Oliver.
Ladies The ladies have also been having a magnificent run in the Fours. After beating a formidable team from Egham, our four of Mary, Marilyn, Stella and Christine went on to win at Farnham. In this game their opponents built up an early lead but our ladies clawed their way back to come through. This set them up for a battle with Knaphill. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Christine had more problems and we had to field a substitute. Janet bravely agreed to step in, and many thanks to her for doing so. In the event Janet shone (as did the rest of the team). They quickly built up a large shot lead and, after a “wobble” towards the end won through by seven shots. This took them to the last sixteen, and on Monday 6th July they set out early for Croydon. At this point the format changes and teams play one match in the morning, to enter the last eight, followed by a match in the afternoon for a place in the semi finals. Janet nobly joined our party as a reserve but by this time Christine was feeling better and the original team beat Priory Park in the morning. However this is where our dream ended and we lost out to Cheam in the afternoon. The weather was not kind with torrential rain, high wind - and 42 ends of bowls! Everyone was tired but happy. Hearty congratulations to them all. (As a matter of interest it is worth recording that this is not the first time in recent years that we have been in the last eight of this competition. A few years ago Valerie joined Mary, Marilyn and Stella to reach this point).
DRIVES AND SOCIAL The Drive on 26th June was enjoyed by all. We had all been somewhat apprehensive about the weather forecast, which threatened torrential rain in some places, but it turned out to be perfect for bowls - if not for gardeners. We were particularly pleased to welcome some of our new members who found the format of the drive (with our familiar movement of rink) an ideal opportunity to get to know fellow members. After the Drive a lot headed for the bar to quench their thirst, and Ken Aitken and Peter Morrison were kept very busy. Our thanks to them for keeping the wheels oiled. By 7 o’clock we were all good and ready for the barbeque which went down very well. Once again we had the old faithful team of Ian Phillipson, Charles Dyer, and Ken Fenn as (head cook) to thank for helping us to round off the day with such a fine spread. What would we do without these volunteers? Many thanks to them for giving up the opportunity to win ‘valuable prizes’ in the drive for our enjoyment and, as ever, thanks to Isabel Goodrick-Meech and her helpers for coming up with the goods in the form of strawberries and ice cream. And let’s not forget all those who, quite spontaneously, set about clearing up after the meal! The Chairman thanked all those involved in the day’s activities and a loud round of applause showed everyone’s gratitude. Coming up (on 26th July) we have President’s Day, always a happy event, and an opportunity for all members to take part. We expect to have the traditional ‘spider’ followed by a Drive. New members will be wondering “what’s a Spider”?. Well wait and see, but suffice to say that it is all over in the time it takes for a spider to cross the room. There will also be a raffle, and members are asked to donate prizes so that we can make it a ‘Grand Affair’. Again Barbara Newell has agreed to sell tickets – we think she gets a ‘kick’ out of it. There’s no accounting for peoples’ taste in how to enjoy themselves! But here comes the best bit. After the drive our President has promised to make sure that everyone has a glass in their hand by buying their first drink and invites them to join him in refreshments. Worth making a note in your diary.
Ladies’ Day will be on Saturday 8th August when they will be battling it out amongst themselves, and enjoying more refreshments. We all hope they have a successful event. This might be an opportunity for them to practise for “Ladies v Gentlemen” at the end of the month. It’s time they had a win and here is a little story for them to help things along. A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. ‘House’ for instance, is feminine: “la casa”. ‘Pencil’ however is masculine: ‘el lapiz’. A student asked “what gender is ‘computer’?. Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation. The men’s group decided that ‘computer’ should definitely be of the feminine gender ‘la computerdora’, because: (1) no one but their creator understands their internal logic; (2) the native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to anyone else; (3) even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and (4) as soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your salary on accessories for it. The women’s group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine ‘el computerdor’, because: (1) in order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on; (2) they have a lot of data but still can’t think for themselves; (3) they are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem; and (4) as soon as you commit to one, you realise that if you had waited a little longer, you could have got a better model. The women won.
STORAGE OF SPARE BOWLS The access to spare bowls for coaching or hire has always been a problem. Retrieving them from the old ‘seat locker’ in the men’s changing room required removing the heavy cushions and then finding that the bowls were often all jumbled and mixed with spare shoes. But the ‘flood’ in the Clubhouse and the ‘write off’ of the ‘seat locker’ introduced renewed urgency to find a more satisfactory system. This was discussed at a recent meeting of the Management Committee and it was agreed that the most satisfactory all round arrangement would be to have them stored in spare lockers in the Men’s changing room. We were able to isolate 16 empty lockers without putting them beyond use should we, one day, be in the happy position of demand exceeding supply. We were able to keep the disruption to a minimum and those occupying any lockers that required relocation were very cooperative. The result is a tidy and well referenced collection of spares. …and HOUSEKEEPING SUPPLIES etc. A similar situation had also manifested itself in respect of these sundries which had previously been stored in the ‘seat locker’ in the Ladies’ changing room. Although they now have a new ‘upmarket’ locker, there was still a need for some additional space for these sundry items and (as in the Men’s) empty lockers are now housing these items. As a result the ladies changing room is restored to a much tidier condition. Altogether a good outcome. Lets worry about the (problem?) of demand for lockers in both rooms when we come to it.
EQUIPMENT Many members will have seen (and used) our new bowls pushers. They are certainly popular with players. Thanks must go to Vera Weale who kindly made a donation which enabled us to purchase them.
CONTACT INFORMATION Editorial Content: Ray Newell 01483 283438 Deadline for next issue. Copy 10th August Issue date 15th August
“HIGHLIGHTS” FROM 2008 The SCWBA Benevolent 2 Woods Triples final featured high in the events of the year and was covered at length in the September Newsletter but who were the NATIOAL Champions? We learn that it was Hertfordshire with Leicester the runners up. Surrey came 7th which is their best for some time. On the domestic front, 2008 turned out to be the year in which Oliver (not Ian) Dixon exerted his influence by appearing in three finals, and coming out on top in two of them. To this tally Oliver added the title of Club Champion. He will be hard to dislodge, but Christine is back on the Green again this year and no doubt she will have something to say about that. Meanwhile what about “evergreen” Vera who appeared in no less than three Pairs finals on the same day!! This would be a tough physical challenge to many of the men (not least the Editor) but Vera emerged triumphant in two of them. It looks as though anyone lucky enough to be drawn with Vera as their partner can start rejoicing before the competitions commence. On the question of matches it would perhaps be best to gloss over the friendlies, but in the leagues we did much better and with just a little more effort in 2009, who knows, we may come away with some honours. As for weather, it was not one of the best years, but those playing (and watching) on the last two days will remember that it was an exceptionally good finale to the season. Sadly, through illness, President John and Mary were unable to be at the Annual Dinner and Trophy Presentation on 17th October, but Chairman Brian agreed to welcome the guests with Angela. Mens Captain Doug also helped out by presenting the trophies. All went well and the dinner was a great success. …..and “LOWLIGHTS” OF WINTER Just after our first Coffee Morning of the year, came the coldest spell many of us can recall for many years. According to the Met Office the temperature at Wisley (our nearest temperature observing site) went down to -8.9 C (16 F for those who prefer it) on 7th January. Our frost stat failed resulting in extensive flooding of the Clubhouse. Ceilings were down in a number of places, carpet ruined throughout and the kitchen completely destroyed. Naturally everyone was devastated, but we all thought that, with over three months before the start of the season, all would be well. Guildford Borough Council had accepted responsibility but as the weeks went by with little progress being made our patience was severely tested. Led by Brian Pointon our negotiating team began to get matters moving and, on the side of the Council, Bill Gill was most cooperative and much to our delight we started to make progress. The Council workers moved out about the end of March having done all the major repairs and, though there are still some jobs for us to do, the Clubhouse is finally useable again. As if the problem with the Clubhouse was not enough the weather also caused problems with the Green. In early spring last year Fred Scott was feeling quite excited for the green’s prospects. It was the first of a new five year programme aimed at rectifying some of the problems which had developed. In the event all went well with an early start being made and all objectives pretty well achieved on schedule. Things have not gone so well in the run up to this season. The GBC greenkeepers started work promptly after the end of the season and made good early progress in getting scarification, tining, top dressing and seeding carried out. They even managed to achieve the first draw of the 10 ft lute across the green but, before the second draw could be achieved – essential to get the dressing and seed into the tine holes – the weather turned against us and continued so for some time. Continual heavy rain, flooding, hard deep frosts and deep snow all contributed to partially nullify the previous good works, and it was not until the early part of March that progress could be made. Only then did it become possible to put down some replacement dressing, fresh seed could be applied and spraying carried out to deal with diseases which had started to take hold. This too failed to redress the problem, and as recently as 24th April a third reseeding was carried out and we need to await full germination and consolidation in order to have a reasonable playing surface for the rest of the season. It is hoped that play can resume in approximately three weeks – i.e. about 15th May – but all will depend on the weather. The position will be reviewed in about two weeks time, after which further information will be available. Even then the green will be in a very delicate state and to this end we have managed to transfer our first two home games to away games, and the Charity Drive has been rescheduled to Sunday 31st May.
INDOOR SEASON Many of our members play indoors in the winter either at Wey Valley (Guildford) where there are 9 rinks or at Mole Valley (Leatherhead) where there are 4 rinks. Wey Valley has a thriving junior section of over 20 members, called ‘The Vikings’, aged from 8 to 18yrs. They meet weekly throughout the season for a programme of coaching, skills practice and games. Led by a team of dedicated coaches and helpers (which includes our own Stella, Don and Marilyn) they are encouraged to go forward with confidence to seek success within the bowling world. The juniors have friendly matches with other clubs, play in a Surrey U18 league and also participate in Club activities. Some of the Vikings both ex and present have achieved national success and two ex Viking girls play at international level. Our Ollie Dixon (currently Club Champion) was a product of this excellent ‘school’ but for us it didn’t stop there; Ollie’s father Ian had the job of ferrying him to and fro each Saturday and, one day, thought “I might take up this sport”. The result – Ian is now one of our star players. Our match against Mole Valley at the end of October was very closely fought, the final score being a draw 65-65, though there was some disappointment that the fixture had to be cut to four triples rather than rinks. But we do have some very encouraging news to report. At the beginning of April we had a winner in the Beginners Cup. Don Hope fought his way through four rounds and came out winner of the final 22:12. Many congratulations to Don.
MIKE ADAMS Mike has reluctantly decided that the time has come for him to step down as an active playing member of the Club. Over the years Mike has given wonderful service to us, not only as a regular playing member, Trustee, and later Chairman, but also, and especially, as a good friend to everyone. We shall of course miss his company on the green but, in recognition of his contribution to the Club, the Management Committee has unanimously decided to appoint him an Honorary Life Member. We sincerely hope that he will continue to join in our activities and social occasions whenever he can, and, of course, as a Life Member may feel like having the odd roll-up. Meanwhile we extend to him our sincere thanks and affectionate good wishes.
NEWS OF MEMBERS First the really good news. One of our founder members, Elsie Wilton was 98 “years young” on 17th of April. Elsie is still as sprightly as ever and we all send her many congratulations. Good news about Barbara Templeman who has made a good recovery from the operation on her hand and expects to play a full part in activities this season. Jeff Absalom has been through a difficult time but is now making good progress. Mike Moore has had an operation on his neck to relieve a trapped nerve, and is making a good recovery. Raymond Badrock is struggling with balance problems and John Gould is out of hospital and making progress. Doris White is still undergoing tests. Doris keeps cheerful but confesses that she wishes the medical people could get to the bottom of things. Arthur Hodge may have to have some surgery but keeps cheerful, as does Pauline. Another casualty is Dennis Neale who has decided that he can no longer play. Members will remember that he had a stroke some time ago and this, together with the need to nurse his wife, has led to his decision. We wish him all the best. Doug Jordan’s wife Jean had a fall some weeks ago and has now had to be admitted to a nursing home. For the benefit of those who do not know Doug it is worth mentioning that, until he had to put his bowls down to care for Jean, he was a star player for the Club. He is also a County Coach. We may see more of him this year. Sadly we have to report the death of Alan Watts who, though not a frequent player, was nevertheless a valued member.
2009 BOWLING SEASON Captains Doug and Audrey join the rest of the Management Committee in welcoming all to the new season and are looking forward to some fine weather. Both express sympathy with those who have found it necessary to give up active play, and thank them for services to the Club over the years. With playing numbers down again, the Captains stress the importance of putting names down for matches. So, especially the newer members, please put your name down. Matches are a lot of fun and you will find members of other clubs very friendly, all much the same as we are. We all went through the phase of saying “I am not good enough” but bite the bullet and give it a go. Your Club needs you!! Good luck in competitions and have a very happy season.
COUNTY COMPETITIONS Once again we have a much greater contingent of ladies entered than men. Happily, this year, in addition to Stella Babington, Mary Phipps, Marilyn Murphy, Audrey Lewis and Angela Pointon, we are pleased to see that Janet Martin is joining their ranks and, as reported earlier Chris Wooler is again involved. Doug Templeman, and Ian and Oliver Dixon will be carrying the flag for the men. John Carr will be playing in the Secretaries Competition. The Ladies have the following fixtures in the first rounds:- • Mary Phipps – Champion of Champions. • Chris Wooler – 4 woods singles and 2 woods singles. • Stella Babington – 2 woods singles. • Marilyn Murphy – Unbadged singles. and in the second round • Two teams in the pairs. • One team in the triples. • One team in the fours. Fixtures for our men’s contingent are:- • Oliver Dixon – Champion of Champions. (Versus M Carpenter – Bramley) • Ian Dixon – Unbadged singles. (Versus M Medhurst – Guildford) • John Carr – Secretaries. (Versus T Prentice – Camberley) • One team in the pairs. (Versus Burpham) Please do try to spare some time to support our representatives if possible.
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS The draw for all Competitions except the September Cup are on the Notice Board. Please note that in view of the uncertainty about the Green it is not yet possible to schedule the timings for rounds. This will be announced as soon as possible. The draw for the Friday Afternoon Triples will take place in the middle of May and then posted on the Notice Board. Please note play this year will be 18 ends with a break for tea in the middle. A list of telephone and email numbers is on the board but if any playing member should wish to have a copy please get in touch with Ray Newell.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Bowlswear Direct will be visiting the Clubhouse on Saturday 9th May at 10.30 a.m., when they will have their usual array of clothing and accessories available. The Club will benefit from a share of the takings
NOTICE BOARDS It was agreed by the Management Committee last November that a more logical and disciplined approach was required in the use of the Notice Boards, and to this end Angela Pointon and Ray Newell were asked to review their configuration. This is in progress and new temporary “headers” have been introduced to identify their use. The underlying principle is that each should be used for the intended purpose and none other. Changes will not be in any way revolutionary but aim to introduce an element of “housekeeping” so that the main information does not get cluttered with inappropriate matter. The intention is to still devote some entire boards to the main activities of the Club and to subdivide others for a particular, but equally important, use. Nothing is yet “cut and dried” and it is proposed to use the 2009 season as an experimental period. One important development could be to dedicate one section for the use of members for such things as thank you notes, photographs, for sale items etc. In this way such items will not distract from the intended use of any particular board. We may also find it appropriate to have part of a board reserved for the use of the Management Committee. For example nominations and voting requirements. It is also intended to have notices reviewed regularly so that all information is relevant and not out of date. Comments from members would be appreciated. Please direct them to either Ray or Angela.
CISSIE’S NO SISSY How many of us know we have a “celebrity” in our midst? – for that is the only way to describe Cissie Hughes. Anyone reading the article in the winter edition of Around & About Horsley cannot help but wonder at the versatility of this very modest lady. Sportswoman, fundraiser (with a capital F), youth worker, gardener, linguist and now (sadly) carer. Yet she still has the ability to have our members in stitches with her stories at functions!! And we have the privilege to count her one of our members. If anyone has not seen the article, do get hold of a copy and read the account written by Daphne Padfield!
IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTICE At a Management Committee meeting at the end of last season Doug drew attention to the fact that the key to the Captain’s locker in the men’s changing room had been left in the lock on more than one occasion, and a notice to this effect was inserted in the September newsletter. Members are reminded that they MUST see that they lock it after use.
START TIME FOR PLAY During last season some members questioned the need to have a specific start time for competition or roll up at 2.30 or 5.30. This has been reviewed and it has been agreed that:- • It was not necessary for any competition or roll up to start at 2.30 or 5.30, but • It was still necessary to book the rinks in the book. • Competitions have priority over rollups. In principle this could require a roll up to have to move rink in mid play; this should not be necessary if players follow the guidance of the Green Steward on the ‘rink board’ as to which rinks should be used for which purpose, and • If a competition is starting at a time other than 2.30 or 5.30, but would still be in play when another competition was starting at 2.30 or 5.30, it would need to draw for rinks with those others.
CAR PARKING Attention is again drawn to our parking responsibilities. We have three dedicated spaces in the St. Martin’s Court car park and, if these are already filled when you arrive, you must use the lower car park. It was noted last year that this was ignored by even some long standing members. Cooperation is most important if we are to retain our friendly relationship with our neighbours.
DRIVES AND SOCIAL On Thursday 30th April there will be A Bridge Tea in the Millennium Room of the Village Hall which has been organised by Joan Harris and Angela Pointon, to help with the cost of the winter flood damage. The one held last year was very successful and we hope that this one will be equally popular. Joan and Angela hope to hold another at the end of the season. More details nearer the time.
Our annual Charity Drive was scheduled for 4th May but (as you will have read earlier in this Newsletter) the problems with the Green has necessitated postponement of our opening. At present it is hoped to hold it on Sunday 31st May, but this too is dependent upon fine weather the previous day (two woods day) so do please keep your eye on the notice boards. Whenever it takes place it will be in aid of Surrey Air Ambulance. This worthy charity is supported entirely by volunteers. As ever, in common with most charities, this is one which we all hope we will never need to call upon But what a comfort to feel that it is there to help just in case. Do come along (players and social members alike) to support our efforts. For the players, bear in mind that Doug is always trying to think up more ingenious ways of relieving us of our cash so be on your guard.
Meantime Don and Stella continued with the programme of Whist Drives. Unfortunately the water problem in the Clubhouse occurred just before the scheduled January drive which had to be cancelled, but later ones were at St. Martin’s Court. Don and Stella willingly arrange the series of these each year, and those who are regular attenders do appreciate this very much but those who are not also recognise their hard work.
WEBSITES Thanks Oliver for keeping our website up to date. The site is very useful for promoting the Club – but it is interesting to note that, at least one of our former members uses it to keep in touch. Those who remember Roy Brown (for many years Secretary of EHBC) will no doubt want to send their best wishes. Roy moved to Suffolk 8 years ago. The new Bowls England website was launched on 20th March. It is very informative and offers guidance for people new to the sport. Worth a look. The address is www.bowlsengland.com. Whilst on this subject ‘electronic information’ it is worth noting that we are able to keep in touch with nearly 75% of our members through email. This is a very convenient means of communicating quickly, reliably and cheaply. It can be very useful for arranging Competitions. How often have you phoned someone only to find there is no reply? An email detailing dates offered can be left for your opponent to consider and return. If there are any members who do have email but are not on the list please consider letting Ray Newell have your address.
CONTACT INFORMATION Editorial Content: Ray Newell 01483 283438
Deadline for next issue. Copy 31st May Issue 4th June
NEW MEMBER RECRUITMENT With our membership renewal substantially down this year, we all need to look among our family, friends and neighbours to recruit much needed new members. Supervised pay and play For a trial period starting in June we are allowing members to invite guests to play a game of bowls, for a small fee, to allow them to experience the fun and excitement of bowls, and the friendliness of our club. These games must be organised and supervised by existing members. It will be their responsibility to ensure the guests have an enjoyable experience whilst adhering to the rules as detailed on the notice board.
1. Members must supervise guests at all times. 2. Members are responsible for the actions of their guests. 3. Visitors book must be completed before playing. 4. Guests can only play a maximum of six times. 5. Smart casual dress required (not necessarily greys and whites.) 6. Flat soled shoes to be worn- some sizes available to borrow in the clubhouse. 7. ‘Pay and Play’ only available on non-match days. 8. Only rinks one and six to be used for ‘Pay and Play.’ 9. Green protectors must be used as necessary.
Fees will be £3 per adult and £1 for under 18’s per 2-hour session to include all equipment.
OPEN DAY It is also planned to hold an “Open Day” on Saturday 6th June starting at 10 a.m. when anyone can come and try their hand.
DUTY ROTA REMINDERS Teas Sat 16th May 2.30 P Patrick & J Stevenson Helper D Langley
Sun 17th May 2.30 V Weale & D Weston Helper A Fellows
Thur 21st May 6.30 I Dixon & O Dixon
Wed 3rd Jun 2.30 M Longstaff & S Moy
Sat 6th Jun 2.30 M Phipps & M Lupton Helper E Lupton
LAST LAP By the time members are reading this final newsletter for 2008 we shall have passed the autumn equinox and some may have already had their first ‘roll up’ indoors. As you read on you may agree that the last few weeks of our outdoor season have, arguably, been the most hectic and eventful.
MATCHES (Final Results) With all our fixtures now complete it is clear that we have had ‘mixed’ success in both friendlies and leagues. Doug and Audrey reflect on what a poor season it has been . Neither can recall such a bad summer and our results, when play was possible, left a lot to be desired. Having said that, they will no doubt agree that, with the exception of Ladies Day, the weather has been kinder where the gala events are concerned. (See later).
Worthing Pavilion This annual match on 3rd September proved to be a fine day and was again a pleasant and enjoyable event. Although we had our second biggest loss against them, -59, the day was enjoyed by all who participated. We fielded a team of 29 for this six rink game which meant that some of us could play in only half a game, either 10 or 11 ends. On reflection this arrangement works against us as it means that those playing in the second half do not have the opportunity of playing trial ends. Most found the green difficult to play and fast, even after the heavy rain they had experienced early that morning. Stella managed to keep the flag flying for East Horsley. Her team won by seven shots – the only rink to win. The rest we’ll gloss over. We did have an amusing incident with a fox. We were told before the game that this fox usually came and watched the bowls from behind a low electric fence, and sure enough there it was all the afternoon laying in the sun with its nose to the fence watching us play. What can we say to that? It was probably giving our efforts the thumbs down. The afternoon ended with the usual hot meal and a social chat with our opponents before we made our own way home just after 7 p.m.
Ladies Again not one of our most successful years. The ladies fixture list finished with a match against Pippbrook. This was to have been a match of three triples but, late in the day, they were not able to raise a full team and asked us if we would mind them playing three men, and as we had enough players, we readily agreed. The men all played in the position of lead so, as you can imagine, we had a lot of long jacks. Needless to say we lost but we did have an enjoyable afternoon with lots of good humour.
Men This had already been completed before the last Newsletter was published.
LEAGUE MATCHES (Final Results) Surrey Advertiser Three clubs headed the table in our zone (zone 4) with 14 points, so the team to win through to the finals at Cobham was decided on ‘shot difference’. Holloway Hill had +39, Castle Green +38 and East Horsley +36. This is a graphic example of how important it can be to fight for every shot in the leagues. Nevertheless a very commendable outcome for the ladies. Well done to all who played and especially to Marilyn who arranged the fixtures, having to fit them around all the other commitments. The overall winners were Woking Park. Thursday Triples Here again thanks go to Mary Phipps for steering East Horsley to a very creditable performance in this league. Mary, in turn, wishes to thank all those who played for their support. Here is a synopsis of the league table:- P W D L Shot Diff Points
Harding Cup This was won decisively by Merrow who beat Puttenham in the Final. Congratulations to them.
SCWBA BENEVOLENT TWO WOOD TRIPLES FINAL. On Thursday 21st August EHBC staged the above event which takes place under the auspices of Bowls England. It was the culmination of a competition, held annually, to find the Surrey Champions, and ultimately the National Champions. It had started many weeks earlier and the last 8 teams fought it out on our Green. We had all been looking forward with pride (and perhaps a little trepidation) to hosting this prestigious event. We need not have worried because not only was the weather very kind to us but our ladies, assisted by some of the men, had ensured that all eventualities had been catered for and we have since received some glowing tributes from the County but also from some of the individual bowlers. The final was between our near neighbours Oxshott and Temple (from South London). After a hard fought game Temple came out the winners by the narrow margin of 11 – 10. Many of our members wondered how the event is organised and when the National final will take place? In fact no final is played and the National Champion emerges from an analysis of the games already played. This is how it works:- Right from the commencement, early in the year, each game consisted of 15 ends which were played ‘through’ whether or not the winning team has established an unassailable lead earlier than this. The cards were retained and the Surrey champions’ card (Temple) was aggregated with all those from their earlier rounds to give an overall shot difference. This gave them an aggregate of +57 shots. Their card was then forwarded to Bowls England to be compared with those from the other Counties. The team with the best shot difference become National Champions. Effectively it is decided by “overall shot difference” which means that every single shot was very keenly fought. The outcome will be known in November. Altogether a very successful day but not without extra effort from some of our members and also co-operation from non-members. Isabel and Vera had already bought all the food to ensure that our visitors were well looked after, and together with Audrey, arrived very early and were ‘on duty’ until about 5 p.m. The other members of the ladies committee worked in shifts to give them strong support. Fred, Doug, Ron, Peter Challens and Paul had also volunteered to come very early to see that the green was set up for play and help with the erection of the marquee. Marie Elleker (Manager at St. Martin’s Court) had, very kindly, made extra parking available to us, and John Phipps and Don Babington acted as parking marshals to limit disruption. Previously Ron Martin had done a ‘special’ clean and Joan had tidied up the garden outside the front doors. Also the overgrown shrubs round the water tank had been cut down by Trevor and removed by Doug. Alan Fellows opened the bar at lunchtime, and with the assistance of Chairman Brian were able to satisfy the thirst of players and visitors alike. All deserve our grateful thanks for their contribution. But we have to reserve special thanks to Ian Lowe our green keeper. Probably the most important thing to the players was to have a good playing surface, and Ian was at the Club long before anyone else to make sure that it was in ‘tip top’ condition. What’s more, because Thursday is not a normal mowing day he came in on a prearranged day off. Many many thanks Ian.
LOST PROPERTY Nobody really wants to see the Men’s Captain on the green without his trousers!! We mean of course his wet suit trousers. Doug put a notice on the board seeking return of his wet gear which went missing. The jacket finally turned up but he is still without trousers. Please look to see if they have inadvertently turned up in your locker.
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS – FINALS DAY 23RD AUGUST With the distinctly cooler days, it is hard to believe now that we woke up to glorious sunshine which lasted the whole day for our Club Finals. As a result all went smoothly with 4 finals taking place in the morning – a break for a welcome lunch – and on to the afternoon when 4 more finals took place. The results were as follows:-
Winners Runner(s)-Up
Men’s Singles Oliver Dixon John Phipps Ladies Singles Mary Phipps Marilyn Murphy Men’s Pairs Oliver Dixon & Ian Dixon & Eric Lupton Alan Fellows Ladies Pairs Vera Weale & Joan Harris & Angela Pointon Audrey Lewis Rogers Trophy Ray Newell Paul Weston Wilton Trophy Peter Broadbent Trevor Faris Arranged Mixed Pairs Vera Weale & Janet Martin & Ian Dixon Ron Martin Drawn Mixed Pairs Audrey Lewis & Vera Weale & Alan Fellows Mike Smith
There were some close matches – two going right down to the wire on the last ends. Other matches ebbed and flowed and there was some good bowling for the many spectators to applaud. Vera Weale was involved in all 3 sessions of bowling having reached 3 of the finals events: a long day for her. Thanks are again due to Paul Weston and Fred Scott who willingly undertook to prepare the green for the players. Also to the markers – Doreen James and Don and Stella Babington. And a special thank-you to Stella - our Finals Day Umpire who stayed into the evening to see the last wood bowled. We are nearing completion of the September Cup: the Mixed Singles Competition which keeps players on their toes for the last few weeks of the summer bowling season. We look forward to the final of this event which will be played at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, September 28th. This will be followed by the Final between Oliver Dixon and Mary Phipps to find our Club Champion. It will start at 2.30 p.m. on the same day. Special thanks are due to Angela Pointon (Competitions Secretary) who managed all the arrangements throughout the season so expertly. And this in addition to her duties as Ladies Vice Captain.
DRIVES AND SOCIAL Ladies v Gentlemen The ladies and gents match again proved to be a fun afternoon with the teams picked by their respective captains and evenly matched. The afternoon started with the usual presentation of buttonholes to the five lady skips; the ladies started with high hopes of a victory. Tea was taken after ten ends with the match balanced, and our ladies served by the men the sandwiches and cakes they had prepared. The tea was kindly made by Ann Morrison who was unable to play but wished to help, much appreciated. The match resumed with the scores fairly even but unfortunately those rotters in trousers and shirts ran out winners again, but by only seven shots. Perhaps next year it will be the ladies turn to win. Candlelight Drive As most members will have seen from the notice board, notwithstanding what is on the Fixture List, the Management Committee decided that the Candlelight Drive, which created quite a lot of merriment last year, will be repeated this year. We are hoping for a good attendance on Saturday 27th – and of course good weather. As members will remember there is quite a lot of preparatory work to do in setting up the green for the Candlelight Drive. Any help from participants would be very welcome. Following the drive there will be a supper for which we have the ladies to thank. The bar will be open for those who wish to have something a little stronger to drink.
IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTICE The Management Committee are extremely concerned about security lapses which have been discovered recently. The key to the Captain’s locker in the men’s changing room has been left in the lock on more than one occasion. A notice is to be posted on the door of the locker to remind members that they MUST see that they lock it after use.
BENCHMARK Just a thought: how many years is it since we went to Cyprus? Remember the “Athena Beach” at Paphos – and that excellent French restaurant just up the road? Oh, and we did a bit of bowling of course, just to fill in the time… T’other day I received P.T.’s brochure for ‘08/9. They have expanded its scope mightily. Yes, you can still go to the Costas, Tenerife, the Algarve, Cyprus, Tunisia and the Balearics – all the “local” ports of call – but you are also enabled to spread your wings and bowl in South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Canada! Are we all getting too old, too earthbound, to revive interest in such trips? Surely not. Give me a buzz if you’d like sight of the brochure.
NEWS OF MEMBERS Doris White has spent one or two days in hospital but is feeling a little better which meant that she hoped to accompany Len at their granddaughter’s wedding which they were particularly keen to do. Margaret Longstaff is making progress. We may even see her at the supper on Saturday!! It was particularly encouraging to see Christine Wooler on 21st August for the SCWBA final (reported on earlier). Also on 23rd for our own Competition Finals Day. Chris has made tremendous strides and came to the Club under her own steam!!. Sadly we must report the death of Bill Alderman (father of our dear departed Carol). Bill joined as a playing member for a while, but had to revert to social membership for the last couple of years. A few long standing members may recall Harry and Dorothy Routledge though they have not been members for some years. John Phipps reports that Dorothy died recently having had Alzheimer’s for a number of years.
DIARY NOTES – DO IT NOW!!!
Annual Dinner and Trophy Presentation This is on Friday 17th October 6.45 for 7.30. It will again be at The Drift Golf Club. Raffle prizes would be welcome.
The usual programme of Whist Drives will start soon after the end of the Bowling season. The first of these will be on Saturday October 18th at 7 p.m. in the Clubhouse. Then monthly on November 15th, December 13th 2008, January 10th, February 7th, March 7th and April 4th 2009. These have always been tremendously popular so do remember to make a note. All levels of play welcome.
A repeat of last years well supported Bridge Supper is planned for Friday 31st October at 6.30 p.m. The format will be the same – a two course supper with a glass of wine, followed by bridge until approximately 10.30 p.m. Cost £12.50.
Don’t forget the Annual General Meeting on Friday 21st November at 7.30 p.m. at East Horsley Village Hall..
There will be four Coffee Mornings to help us all keep in touch, meet new members and potential new members, as well as enjoy a general ‘get together’ and pick up where we left off at the end of the 2008 season. The dates (all Saturdays) are 6th December, 3rd January, 7th February and 7th March.
HAVE YOU MADE A NOTE?
AND FINALLY……. Do please remember that all lockers should be emptied by the end of the season.
Contacts Ray 01483 283438 or Email Vic 01483 284158
AUGUST NEWSLETTER:
* An outstanding success for EHBC at Leatherhead! * The return of ‘Benchmark’ – (under a temporary guise).
FRIENDLY MATCHES Mixed Unfortunately we have lost more than we have won so far, and at the time of going to press we have lost 12 won 6 and drawn 3 and at the last count had an adverse shot difference of 66. Two matches were cancelled, one for rain and the other for the funeral of one of our founder members, Kathleen Geddes, which we reported in the last issue of the Newsletter. Looking ahead Doug wishes to remind members to put their names down for the annual Worthing Pavilion match. This has always been a popular fixture and everyone who wishes to go will get a game, or part of a game, so make a note, or better still, enter your name now. Men The mens section have had a poor showing this year. Of the eight matches played we managed to win only two and one was cancelled through lack of support. Doug will be reporting the sad situation at the next Management Committee meeting. This unhappy state of affairs has been mentioned by him on more than one occasion and comment sought. The lack of any response to his pleas through the Newsletters would seem to underline the general apathy. Ladies We hope to give the final outcome in the September issue of the Newsletter.
LEAGUE MATCHES Surrey Advertiser Here again final outcome in September. Thursday Triples (Mixed) As at 24th July we had won 9 matches and lost 6, giving us 18 points and a shot difference of +35. We have since won one match and lost one. As a result we are 5th in the league with a shot difference of +29 – and there are 3 matches remaining. Harding Cup We finished 4th in this but always hope to improve next year. The 2008 final is between Puttenham and newcomers Merrow. It will be played at Shere on Sunday 7th September at 10 am. There are usually a fair number of people at the final and anyone is welcome to just go along and enjoy some good bowling.
DRIVES AND SOCIAL Since the last issue of the Newsletter on 20th July a lot has happened. President’s Day turned out to be a very successful occasion. John gave a warm welcome to all who attended and commented that he was particularly pleased to see new members well represented. The ‘Spider’ was won by Diane Faris with a very skilful delivery of her bowl? It wicked off quite a few others on the way but finished up nearer to the jack than anyone else, and the Drive which followed was won by Stella Babington, Pam Patrick and Isabel Goodrick-Meech, all of whom played consistently well throughout. Later John presented them all with their prizes. We will spare the blushes of the team with the lowest score by not mentioning their names, but they did have the consolation of a booby prize from John. Meantime we had all enjoyed a cup of tea midway. After the drive the President kindly treated everyone to a drink and we all tucked into a good spread. Chairman Brian thanked John on behalf of the members, and then we proceeded to the raffle. The first ticket was drawn by the President. Whose ticket would it be? Why his own of course! How is it done? We couldn’t tell. It was all done so deftly. What we all need from him is a lesson in ‘sleight of hand’.
Colchester on Tour On the following Friday (1st August) we entertained Colchester Bowling Club who were on tour. Everyone made the visitors very welcome and they seemed to enjoy themselves. We fielded five rinks of triples and had a very enjoyable match in an extremely friendly atmosphere. Doug particulaly enjoyed his game – after being all square at 17 ends his rink narrowly sneaked home by 2 shots against visiting Captain and President Brian Moore. EHBC came out winners overall by 7 shots. However on two rinks there were some very substantial margins, one in favour of Colchester compensated by one in our favour. Many thanks to Alan Fellows who came along at 1.30 pm to open the bar for ‘pre match’ drinks and also Brian who later joined him to deal with the rush of thirsty bowlers at the end. It was altogether a very enjoyable departure for us. Maybe we can repeat something like it another year. Colchester emailed later to let us know how the remainder of their weekend turned out. A précis of this appears below. Dear Ray We really had an excellent tour in your lovely county, and were made most welcome by one and all. Our first day saw us splitting our members between yourselves and Cobham where we had a very friendly outcome with a draw at 83 shots all. The rest of that days fixtures you know. The next day (Saturday) we were warmly welcomed by Leatherhead and had an enjoyable game which we won by 129 to 94 shots. On Sunday we were playing Godalming and got pipped at the post losing 97 to 90, but we put this loss down to the marvellous lunch they had arranged for us before the game. Right blown out we were, but again made very welcome. And then came Mondays match against Guildford. Well I wont mention the score, but we were hammered into the ground. Even so, all had a very enjoyable game, especially seeing partially sighted members of their club playing alongside us – marvellous. They also gave us our evening meal before we set off for Colchester and Home. All in all a very enjoyable tour thanks to clubs like yourselves. Ray Seath– Colchester Club Tour Manager.
Ladies’ Day Sadly this had to be abandoned because of rain, but the Ladies improvised well with quizes, plenty to eat and, no doubt, plenty of “chatter”. One of the highlights was to see Christine Wooler, who came up on her mobility scooter. Lovely to hear that she is making progress. We understand that she also has plans to make an appearance on Finals Day.
COMING UP - A very busy week-end at the end of August. (Dare we hope for good weather)
On Thursday 21st August we have the Bowls England Women’s Benevolent Triples Final which should prove very interesting and enjoyable. Also a feather in our cap to be asked to host such a prestigeous event. Marie, at St Martin’s Court, has kindly agreed to make 3 extra spaces available for parking. Then, on the 23rd August, we have the Competition Finals and, on Monday 25th it’s the annual Ladies versus Gentlemen. Always a keenly fought match, but this year the ladies have a secret weapon (see below). WENCHMARK Ladies v Gentleman – August 25th Looking at the board one sees that the ladies appear to have won the first two matches, but ever afterwards the Gentlemen have dominated the scene… And I can’t think why. I would have thought that standards of play between the two sides was (is) nicely balanced. So Ladies! Remember the old saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the home”. What’s needed is an extension of that sentiment to bowling. Nobody can deny it’s high old time that feminine superiority was re-established and the fellows demoted. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you receive encouragement from the sidelines; Kathleen may have departed this life but remember – she never missed the “Ladies v Gentlemen”…
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS All the club competitions have been completed up to the finals stage: so we are all set for Finals Day which will take place on Saturday, August 23rd, starting at 10 a.m. in the morning. Hopefully the 8 matches – 4 singles and 4 pairs – will all take place on the Saturday during the morning and afternoon, but Sunday, August 24th will be held as a reserve day in case of need. The Friday Afternoon Triples came to a conclusion with a very clear winner in Team C, who won 6 out of their 8 matches. The team members were Ken Fenn, Joan Harris, Sheila Moy, John Moy, Peter Morrison, Ann Morrison and Mike Moore. Congratulations to all of them. Our next competition is the September Cup Mixed Singles event. The list is already up on the noticeboard in the Club House for anyone to add their name, if they were not able to enrol at the beginning of the season. Please do take this opportunity to keep your interest going right up to the end of September. This competition list of names will be taken down in the near future to make the draw, so keep your names coming! The entry fee is just £2.00. payable to Trevor Faris, our Treasurer. The format is slightly different from the other competitions and, in due course, Angela will put up the rules on the Competitions board for anyone who has forgotten them – or for any members new to the September Cup. Alternatively, she is very happy to explain.
COACH’S CORNER (with Stella Babington)
No ‘Rule’ to read in this issue, instead will you please try to come along to a general discussion in the Pavilion on:-
‘HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR RESULTS’ Tuesday 19th August at 6 p.m. Your contributions are vital.
Some of the areas that we may wish to consider:- * The importance of etiquette * Precise instructions at the ‘Head’ * Encouraging team-work * Purposeful practice i. On own ii. Organised
(Please put your name down on list in the pavilion or just come along) Looking forward to seeing you
ARCHIVAL GLEANINGS Barbara Templeman has released some interesting documents which are only now available following the sad loss of Kathleen Geddes. Here is an extract from the EWBA Year Book for 1977 to interest the ladies.
“Championship Bye-Laws” 6. Regulation Dress. – As authorised by the Council. Dresses Players selected for any EWBA match, playing in Championships, or attending any function in uniform, must wear ivory or cream terylene and worsted dress or skirt and cream blazer. Skirt length to be below the knee and below the crease at the back of the knee, and not less than two inverted pleats. Players wearing silk, cotton or knitted frocks or skirts, will be disqualified. Pin hole jumpers are allowed (not sleeveless) except for Internationals when blouses with collars must be worn, not sleeveless or transparent. Hats White or cream brimmed hats, no plastic; bow on left side. EWBA Hatbands and Ties to be worn only on Official occasions. At Trials, unbadged wear County hatbands, Badged wear National hatbands. At National Championships, all players wear County hatbands. Eyeshields may be worn, Sunglasses, hinged or otherwise can be worn. Shoes Brown or Black leather (heel-less regulation) shoes with brown pliable rubber soles. Brown walking shoes to be worn with uniform. Stockings to be worn.
LEATHERHEAD CLUB’S CENTENARY INVITATION TRIPLES DAY Saturday 9th August This competition has been run for a number of years as a rinks event but this year, to celebrate their centenary, it was reintroduced as a triples. We were invited to enter two teams which could have been mixed but, because it coincided with ‘Ladies Day’ at East Horsley, were all men. The ‘A’ team comprised Doug Templeman, Oliver and Ian Dixon and the ‘B’ team John Phipps, Paul Weston and Eric Lupton.. Teams had to play four games of five ends gaining points for win (3), draw (2) or loss (1) of each game plus points for each end won. Our ‘A’ team amassed 27 making them WINNERS and pushing our old adversaries (Epsom Park) into second place. Neither did the rain seem to put them off. Leatherhead put on a magnificent reception for the event with coffee and biscuits before play commenced at 10 am, and a three course lunch with wine from 1.30 pm. After the afternoon session there was a cream tea before the presentation of the Cup to the winning EAST HORSLEY team. Hopefully we will see it at the Clubhouse. A truly memorable occasion for all involved and a feather in our cap for a change.
WELL DONE INDEED
NEWS OF MEMBERS Kathleen Geddes. In the July issue we included an item on Kathleen’s contribution to the formation and progress of the Club. In that item we announced that the morning service on Sunday 20th September will embrace a commemoration of her life. Please note that the Sunday is 21st September NOT 20th. However it now seems that, with the Rector being away at present, the date is merely provisional and a firm date will be circulated to members as soon as possible. Most will have heard of the sad loss of Eric Daldorph on 29th July. Eric was a valued member of EHBC though having to give up bowling and become a social member some 4 or 5 years ago. But he was best known for his work in the County. He became a member of the Council of the SCBA in 1987 and was Junior Vice President in 1988 and President in 1990. Among his other posts he was a Middleton Cup selector for 4 years, and a County selector for 4 years. Eric also served on the Finance and General Purposes Committee for 11 years and used his Legal knowledge for the County for over 20 years. He was one of the 5 Hon. Life Members of the SCBA and an Hon. Vice President. There was standing room only at the Crematorium for his funeral including many representing the SCBA. Not surprisingly Eric will be sadly missed by all those of us lucky enough to have known him. Margaret Longstaff is feeling a little better and we also understand that Doris White is slowly improving. John Phipps has had a rodent ulcer removed which necessitated a skin graft but feels fine. Ken Paget-Brown had to give up driving after his stroke. We understand from him that he feels fine but cannot, of course, get to the Club regularly. Nevertheless he does hope to make an appearance on finals day.
Deadline for Copy 22nd Sept. next issue Issue date 27th Sep.
Contacts - Ray 01483 283438 Vic 01483 284158
MAY NEWSLETTER:
“MAY” BE GOOD? As this newsletter is being prepared we are in the middle of what we are told is the hottest May since records began. Reason: Global warming! At this time last year we were bemoaning our lot with rain day after day and the ritual of ‘drying off’ our waterproofs. Reason: Global warming! With gloomy weather forecast for this final weekend in May we begin to wonder how we will, in fact, look back on May 2008.
A WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS. During May we have seen a number of potential new members undergoing coaching with Stella and Don. They are most welcome and if they join we look to existing members to show them the ropes and make them feel at home. Our ‘Club Night’ at 5.30 on a Monday evening would seem an ideal opportunity for this. Amongst the new social members is Ron Chandler’s daughter Jane Broomfield. We welcome Jane and are so pleased to re-establish a link with Ron, who was so universally popular.
SURREY COUNTY COMPETITIONS Please make a note in your diary and try to support our players in at least some of these matches if you can. Men Well done to Ian Dixon who came through the first round in his Champion of Champions against the champion of Bourne. He will be playing his second round by 28th May. Ian’s first round of the Unbadged Singles will be against a player from Witley on 28th May at home. In the Pairs, Ian and Oliver Dixon played away on 22nd May to a pair from Burpham. In the Triples this same pair will be joined by Doug Templeman for a home match against Cranleigh on 24th May. Oliver was given a bye in the Under 25s Singles and is waiting to learn who he will play in the second round. Meantime Oliver has played 2 matches for Surrey under 25s. Ladies Stella’s first game in the 4 woods singles was played on 19th May at Windlesham (sadly she lost) and Marilyn’s Unbadged Singles was on 22nd May at Egham. Audrey and Angela were very disappointed that they had to withdraw from the Pairs because of last-minute illness. Angela, Mary (Phipps) and Stella played at home against Burpham in the Triples on 23rd May. These three will be joined by Marilyn in the Fours to play Horsell. (Venue and date not yet known). And finally, Stella will be playing in the ‘Two Woods’ on 30th June at Watchetts B.C.
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS We are now under way with our Club Competitions and Angela wishes to urge all competitors, once again, to make sure that they leave plenty of time to complete their matches. Friday Triples. As a result of the decision to move this to the afternoon for an experimental period there has been a 20% improvement in ‘take up’ and the first matches were played on 16th May. Results will be posted on the Clubhouse noticeboard soon after each week’s event. Two Woods. This will take place on Saturday May 31st, starting at 10 a.m. – with Sunday June 1st as a Reserve Day, if needed. The draw for this event is posted on the noticeboard with starting times. Please make a careful note of these times, so that you are at the Clubhouse in good time. We hope to have two volunteers to ‘switch’ the green before the first games.
FRIENDLY MATCHES Mixed Doug reflects that, sadly, the first few matches of the 2008 summer season have not really gone our way. We have played four and lost two but remarkably two were drawn. An important item which Doug wishes to draw to the attention of players is the lack of names on the fixture sheets for the away games. As a club it is our duty to travel away, we cannot expect others to always travel to our ground. If there is a home and away game over a weekend and you want to play in only one of them please put your name down for both but put E/O against each entry. That way we will know that you can do either but only wish to play in one. Mens We have played only two so far but have lost both. Ladies This is an urgent reminder from Audrey to check your diaries and PLEASE, if possible, put your name down to play in matches. We have not started the season very well – our first game was cancelled owing to rain – our second with Cobham Ladies we lost by 47 shots, and in the third, at home to Woking Park Ladies, we finished 11 shots down. For both these games we had no reserves. All our new members would be very welcome, so once again please put your name down. Here is a reminder of commitments between now and the next Newsletter. Wednesday 4th June Hersham (Away) Tuesday 10th June Ewhurst (Away) Thursday 12th June Castle Green (Home) Wednesday 18th June Bookham (Home) Tuesday 24th June Guildford (Away)
LEAGUE MATCHES Thursday Triples Mary is very pleased with the support so far. With a few exceptions it has enabled her to select teams without too much hassle. Long may it last. Three matches have been played so far, but the euphoria of a splendid win in the first match against Albury was overshadowed by a loss in the following two. Time to pull our socks up!! Harding Cup The first match is coming up shortly, so ‘watch this space’ as they say West Surrey League Doug reports that having lost our first two we won the third quite convincingly. Ladies Surrey Advertiser League The Surrey Advertiser Invitation Trophy League was introduced many years ago to encourage new bowlers to play alongside established bowlers as a rink (4 people playing). There are approximately 24 clubs in and around Guildford and Woking who have entered the league this year. The clubs are divided into four zones. East Horsley is in Zone 4 and competes against Burpham, Castle Green, Ewhurst, Holloway Hill and Shere both at home and away on different dates. The season runs from 19th May until 27th July. The majority of the matches are in the afternoon but we do have two at 6pm against Castle Green. We score 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss but shot difference is taken into account should there be a draw for the winner of the zone. At the end of July the Zone winner goes forward to the Semi-finals, this year to be held at Cobham, on Sunday 17th August, as they won the title last year. Please help Audrey by putting your name down for these matches, the lists are in the Ladies changing room.
LET THERE BE LIGHT! For a number of years now the ladies have been overshadowed in their changing room by a large conifer hedge. From time to time attempts have been made to lessen the impact by trimming its size, only to have it grow seemingly faster each time. With the kind cooperation of social member Ann Bailey who lives next door to the Club this eternal problem has now been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both. The ladies’ changing room now has vastly improved light, and Ann’s garden has been ‘opened up’. We are suggesting some more ornamental planting for her. All this would not have been possible without the help of Paul Weston and Trevor Faris who brought along a chain saw. Between them they undertook the ‘heavy work’. Many thanks to them both.
LISTS OF MEMBERS There are two versions available for sale to members. 1. A short list containing names, telephone and (where appropriate) email addresses. It is felt that members may wish to have their own copy of this short version for fixing up competitions. 2. A more comprehensive version with full address of members, but not including email. Copies are available from Ray at 20p for the short version and 30p for the fuller version. THOSE WERE THE DAYS! (From Ray ) I was looking through the minutes of my first Management Committee Meeting the other day (as one does), and found this interesting entry. “The secretary reported playing strength to date as 81 men and 49 ladies (i.e. up to the maximum decided)” This was in January 1993. Dream on!
MORE NEWS OF MEMBERS Since the last Newsletter John Moy has had a chest infection. Happily he is now recovering and, if not fighting fit, is well on the way and we hope to see him on the green soon. Roy Johnson too is recovering from a bout of bronchitis, and Raymond Badrock has had to convert (temporarily we hope) to social membership as a result of a knee operation. It was particularly comforting to see Mike Adams playing in the charity drive. Mike is nearing the completion of his latest treatment. We wish him well. Doris White fell awkwardly recently and has been in considerable discomfort and Brian Pointon too is currently laid up with a recurrence of cellulitis. Since the last newsletter two of our lady founder members have recorded another ‘notch’ on their personal calendar. Kathleen Geddes celebrated her 91st birthday and Elsie Wilton a magnificent 98th.
COACHING A number of members contributed to a successful ‘Freezing the Head’ exercise on 10th May. Our team players bowled from short distances on the green to partially set ‘heads’ and openly discussed the alternative shots they considered could be played before each of their bowls were delivered. This is a standard coaching procedure used by the ‘English Bowling Coaching Scheme’ coaches to promote good all-round team work. Other coaching exercises will be displayed on the ‘Coaches Notice Board’ in the Pavilion throughout the bowling season. Everyone is welcome to join in.
DRESS CODE It is proposed to leave the box for ‘reply’ slips for a little longer to give members more time, but we will consider the position later in the season.
CLUB WEBSITE http://www.easthorsleybc.co.uk/ We must thank Colin Bell for initiating and financing the Club’s website. With the kind offer of help from Oliver Dixon we hope that it will soon be fully developed and maintained. More about this in the next newsletter.
DRIVES AND SOCIAL Thanks are due to everyone for their efforts and generosity in our Charity Drive on 5th May. All agreed that the “Help the Heroes” charity was very worthwhile. Attendance was good thanks to a mention in the April Newsletter and very strong advertising in the Clubhouse by Doug Templeman with posters and handout leaflets. Doug organised the Drive in his usual efficient way. His wife Barbara (still obeying doctor’s orders) did not play but was a tremendous help in collecting the entrance money. The ‘penalty pot’ introduced by Doug to boost receipts was also willingly supported. Barbara Newell, as ever, supervised the raffle for which all the prizes were kindly donated by members. All entered into the fun of the afternoon. As a result we accumulated a substantial sum which was rounded up to a record £400 by the addition of a very generous gesture from two of our ladies. Turning now to the next few weeks, the Drive on Monday 26th has been renamed. It will be called “Mens Captain v Ladies Captain” and will be a mixed drive. (It should not to be confused with the “Ladies v Gentlemen” fixture which will still come later in the year). Then, at the end of the week, after the ‘Two Woods’, comes the traditional supper. The Social committee is busy organising this and we hope it will be well supported.
Finally, on Friday 27th June we have another drive. Do not forget to enter your name to play, and bear in mind that, as usual, there will be two lists – one for the drive and one for the Barbecue.
Deadline for next issue Copy 22nd June. Issue date 27th June. Contacts Ray 01483 283438 or mailto:rayanbar@uwclub.net Vic 01483 284158
