Ember Bowls Club
Tennis
EMBER BOWLS CLUB
MARCH NEWSLETTER - SYLVIA JONES
Diary Dates
Friday, 4 May, 2.15 for 2.30pm – Training Session for All
Monday, 7 May, 2.15 for 2.30pm – Bank Holiday Drive
Monday, 14 May, 6pm - Evening League Start up + Roll up + Fish & Chips
Tuesday, 22 May, 2.15 for 2.30pm – Martin Trophy (Men’s captain v vice-captain) greys
Monday, 4 June, 2.15 for 2.30pm – Bank Holiday Drive
Tuesday, 5 June, 6pm – Club Night (no snacks!)
Monday, 11 June, 6pm – Underwood Trophy (Men v Ladies) greys + Fish & Chips
Please refer to your fixture card or the website for all Racal Decca mixed league and all club friendly matches and special events. Spare fixture cards have been left in each changing room.
Use of The Green
To ensure even wear of the green it is essential that the rink markers are moved daily as shown on the blackboard in the bowls shed. Whenever you step onto the green, even if you come along just for a quick practice, it is essential that you are certain that all the rink markers are in the correct position on all the rinks, not just the one you will be playing on.
Pre-season Meeting
An excellent attendance and a delight to see so many members again eager to get out on the green.
Thank you to those who generously contributed towards plants for the pots and beds. £68.72 was collected and will be well spent. Rumour has it that colourful flowers improve our game!
The Captains announced that their chosen charity for the year was to be The Princess Alice Hospice.
Fees for Ladies Matches
Following concerns raised at the Pre-Season Meeting the Bowls Committee has reviewed the issue of fees for ladies’ matches. It has been agreed to revert to the long-standing convention, for the current season, whereby match fees are not charged for Ladies Matches but participants continue to provide, at their own expense, the high quality teas for home matches for which they are renowned.
Club Training Session
Don’t you wish you could bowl better and be more consistent? Then make sure, ladies and gentlemen, you are down at the Club on Friday, 4 May; you will certainly pick up some handy hints from the team of experts led by Jenny Baird and Maxine Glazebrook. Please arrive by 2.15pm for a prompt 2.30pm start. If there is an area of your game that you think needs improving please let Jenny know beforehand so she can add it to the programme.
Club competition entries – final call
You must be in it to win it! Completed entry forms and fees must be in the hands of your competition secretaries, Linda Pillman or Peter Thorogood, by the deadline of Sunday, 6 May. Finals Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 September so please only enter if you will be available, particularly if you enter singles competitions. No Club Competitions are to be booked for a Monday evening but External Competitions can be booked.
Bank Holiday Roll-ups
These are being organised for Mondays 7 May and 4 June. To be included, please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time of 2.30pm, put your name down and help prepare the rinks for play.
Evening League Start-up
The evening of Monday, 14 May will be the start-up meeting for the evening league. Remember to bring your diaries to the meeting to help the team leaders sort out the games. The evening will commence with a roll-up, for all members, with a prompt 6.00pm start, to be followed by fish and chips. This club mixed triples league is for players of all standards and is played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the season starting at 6:00pm (6:15pm in June and July). The teams are drawn but players are seeded by ability so that the standard should equal out across the teams. There are usually eight teams of six to eight players per side, depending on numbers. This is a good introduction to competitive bowling and is a nice sociable way to spend a summer evening.
The sign-up sheet which is on the notice board will be taken down on Friday 4th May. Anyone who misses putting their name down but would like to play should contact the organiser, Ken Homewood on 01483 282384 or kenhomewood@btinternet.com as soon as possible and he will try to fit you in.
Martin Trophy (Men’s captain v vice-captain)
Gentlemen, please put your names down and support Captain Malcolm and Vice-Captain Bill for this annual battle, in greys. Tuesday, 22 May is the day with a 2.30pm prompt start. Please arrive by 2pm to enable teams to be sorted and help prepare the green.
Sweatshirts
Some of our members are now elegantly dressed in new sweat jackets and tops embroidered with the Club badge. A second batch of orders will shortly be placed with the supplier. Sylvia Jones has all the samples so please contact her if you would like to check them for size and fit. The costs vary depending on style etc., the average being £21. Embroidered badges, for sewing onto existing items, are also available at a cost of £4. The deadline for new orders is Monday, 7 May.
Beginners’ Course
Classes, which are free, have now started with more to come on the evenings of Wednesday 2 and 9 May and Sundays mornings, 6 and 13 May. For more information contact Jerry Ingham on 020 8398 0885 or jeremy.ingham@tiscali.co.uk. He will be happy to talk to anyone who might be interested. Details are also available on our website www.embersportsclub.org.uk/Bowls/Bowlsbeginnerscourse.html.
Volunteers Were Wanted!
Thank you to everyone who distributed copies of our wonderful new leaflet. Through your efforts we are delighted to welcome many new faces to our Beginners’ Course and we hope to go on to introduce them as new members. We want to carry on with the recruitment campaign so, if you are aware of any local premises where potential new members might gather (e.g. clubs, surgeries, pubs, or similar public areas) please take some leaflets and place them in a strategic location where they could attract public interest. Leaflets are available from Jerry Ingham, Sylvia Jones or Dave Bardsley.
Jobs for the Boys and Girls
Yes, many of you have sent in your replies and many thanks to all who have volunteered to help in various ways. No, many of you have not returned your form. Even if you returned one last year you still need to complete a new form and return it to Sylvia Jones. By volunteering and sharing everything gets done and no-one ends up doing too much. If there are any problems just have a quiet word with Dave Bardsley or Sylvia Jones.
Bar Duty
Many thanks to those of you who have put your names on the June and August Bar Duty Rosters. The remaining gaps have now been filled so please check the lists on the notice board to check for your allocated shifts.
Catering Rosters
Pat Cooke and Pat Homewood will have now finalised by now the catering rosters for our match teas and Monday evening snacks. Please, both ladies and gentlemen, check the notice board to see when it is your turn.
Seats and Benches
Please see the list on the left-hand notice board to find out how the seats and benches have been allocated to the members who kindly volunteered to paint them. The seats and benches are all discretely labelled A to T on the top back surface. Wood stain and brushes will be available in the old bowls mats shed together with an old groundsheet which should be used to prevent spillage on the paths. Please do not paint the benches in-situ. They should be moved to the garage area, to avoid any possible damage to the Green, and returned once they are fully dry. Any queries, please ask Sylvia Jones.
Practise…practise…practise
An important reminder to all with competitions due to start soon: If you want to practise early in the day, when the grass can be quite wet, it is essential you sweep the green beforehand. If you are fortunate the ‘dew busters’ team will have done the job for you but, if not, it will be down to you. Thank you for your co-operation.
Peter Mart
Those who knew him will be saddened to learn of the death of Peter Mart, a former member.
Membership subscriptions – last call!
Membership subscriptions for 2012/2013 were due on 1st April so, if you have not already paid yours, please do so as soon as possible. If you have mislaid your renewal invoice or did not receive one, please contact Malcolm Baird on 0208 398 4622 or malcjen@ntlworld.com as soon as possible.
Ember Bowls Club
21A The Drive
Car park next to 2 Grove Way, Esher, Surrey KT10 8HL
(off Ember
Lane)
Phone 0208 398 2145
