CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS SHOULD BE SENT TO OUR EDITOR: TONY BAKER (thetonybaker@gmail.com)
DIARY DATES
3 May (Sunday 10am): Beginners’ Course starts.
4 May (Monday 2.30pm): Bank holiday roll up.
5 May (Tuesday 6pm): Club night instead of the usual Monday with fish and chip supper to follow.
11 May (Monday 6pm): Evening league start up (please ensure you have signed up to join the league before then)
17 May (Sunday 10am): Prospective new members roll up. Members, please come to play and meet them.
24 May (Sunday 2.30pm): Bowls England Big Weekend at the Club.
25 May (Monday 2.30pm): Bank holiday roll up.
1 June (Monday 6pm): Ladies v Men for the Underwood Trophy with fish and chip supper to follow.
11 December (Friday 7pm) Music Night with These Days Rock Band.
THE GREEN (IAIN GREGG)
Below are photographs showing the work which was carried out last Thursday in connection with the remedial works on Rink 6 Long. We laid 15 new rolls of turf on the day and obviously removed the equivalent quantity of 15 old ‘rolls of turf’.
This material is currently in the 5 No 1 tonne bags which are located beside the hedge in front of the Bowls Garage and covered with a tarpaulin to prevent rainwater from soaking the contents. We are speaking to Ross and seek his advice on how to dispose of this material.
Ian Gregg organised everything and wanted to thank Dave Bardsley and John Hamilton Martin for their assistance on the day. They were extremely lucky to have Ross (the Sports Club gardener) and Peter his father, who contributed massively to the day’s activities; not only picking up the new turf from our supplier near East Horsley, providing a mechanical turf lifter / cutter but importantly, brought their skills to the fore in laying the new turf. They all as a team, carried out a very professional job.
This is only phase 1 of the work needed to bring rink 6 (L) back in play. Further phases will comprise:-
- The next 3 to 4 weeks irrigate and roll the area on a daily schedule;
- After 4 weeks hopefully begin to mow the area starting with a 11mm cut going down to 6mm (being the current cut height on our green) and at the same time, continuing with irrigation and rolling perhaps on a 3 day cycle;
- Only then, all being well, can we consider playing long on this rink.
We will do our utmost to get this rink back in play as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will be playing long until further notice: for information we can get 6 rinks (L) in play on colours white & dark blue whilst the remaining 4 colours will give us 5 rinks (L) in play.
We will look at playing short, but this will mean short jacks (and long mats) with players not walking on the areas under repair.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Until otherwise informed the protection mats must be used for all rinks at all times….practice sessions, Club night etc. This is to protect the green as we are watering heavily to settle in the new grass and the small areas where seed has be placed.
NEW MEMBERS/BEGINNERS COURSE (PAT COOKE)
Please talk to any friends or neighbours who might be interested in joining the Club. Our free taster/training course for beginners is as follows:-
Sunday 3 May 10am – 12noon (1st session)
Thursday 7 May 6pm – 8pm
Sunday 10 May 10am – 12noon
Thursday 14 May 6pm – 8pm
Sunday 17 May 10am – 12noon Welcome Roll Up. Sets of bowls will be provided to use.
Please would members tell anyone that they think might be interested to call Pat Cooke on 07984714061
OR just turn up wearing flat soled shoes. People should come to as many sessions as possible to get the full benefit. Word of mouth is the best way of spreading the joy of playing bowls!
CLUB FRIENDLIES (STEWART PALMER)
Excited for our first two games for the season and wishing our players a happy and successful bowling season, the 1st is a mixed game on Sunday 26th against Sunbury and the next on Thursday 30th against Malden Manor at home.
Please do sign up for the club friendlies or, if you have any problems, speak to Linda Pillman or Stewart Palmer.
LOCKERS (STEWART PALMER)
Could the men with lockers please check the allocation list in the men’s changing room ASAP and confirm their locker in order for redundant lockers to be re allocated to members who do not currently have a locker.
If you have a bowls bag at, or near, the lockers please ensure it has a label with your name on it as we are having a sort out of the changing area and there seem to be bags there that are surplus especially from bowlers who have left where we want to clear them out.
CLUB COMPETITIONS (MARY BAKER)
The last day for competition entries is looming, 4th May, so get your forms in by then. Mary will be around on Monday 27th April and 4th May to accept your entries and payments.
As many participants as possible are needed, to make for exciting competitions. Don’t think you’ll never win, last year more than one outsider made it to the finals and won. As they say, you have to be in it, to win it.
HARDY’S OF HAMPTON COURT 100 COMPETITION (JOHN LE MAIRE)
The preliminary round of this new competition is now underway. Is is in the name of one of our new sponsors.
The draw is on the noticeboard, and everyone has been informed about the first matches. Please put who wins your match on the noticeboard so the draw for the first main round can be held in due course. Good luck to all those still in the competition: the great majority of members!
BOWLS TO SELL? (TONY BAKER)
If you have any sets of bowls, you do not want and would be interested in selling contact Tony Baker who will arrange ‘advertising’ among the members and can advise on price. Most in demand are smaller bowls with good grips. Regrettably nobody wants size 4 bowls, but we have lots of available sets!
Take a look at these websites to keep up to date with bowls at county and national levels.
www.bowlsengland.com
www.surreycountybowls.co.uk
www.ladiesbowlssurrey.co.uk
