Here is our latest newsletter, with an update of news and comments from your club.
Members
Since our last newsletter we have welcomed two new members to the club and are hoping that a further four new bowlers will be completing their applications in the next week. Stuart Diamond is another South African who has joined our “overseas” contingent. He used to bowl in South Africa, but stopped when he and his wife started their family. They have three daughters – aged 13, 11 and 10 – and Stuart is now resuming his bowling at Oak Hill. James Moss, a friend of Sheila Solbe’s, has also joined the club.
The four new bowlers are Pete Headland, Naresh Shah and Julian Shulman, all of whom will join as full-playing members, and Annika Stranberg, who will join as an Associate member. We continue to coach a number of prospective new bowlers, on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings, so hope to have news of more new members in future newsletters.
Medical Bulletin
Alastair Lang recently had a leg amputated below the knee and is recuperating in Finchley Memorial hospital. David Bowler has visited Alastair, who is typically up-beat and we hope we will soon see him back at Oak Hill on club-nights. It is good to see David Mason and Jason Laurence back playing at the club after their recent surgery, and we are pleased to hear that Joan Conway has now returned home after her hip surgery and period of recuperation. Tom Hobden is recovering from a recent infection. Sylvia Hobden has also had surgery, but now requires an operation to remove her gall-bladder. We wish her well for this further operation.
East Barnet School
Our project with East Barnet school will be starting on Friday 10th June, when 24 year-10 students will be coming to Oak Hill for tuition in lawn bowls as part of their PE curriculum. The training will take place over four successive Friday afternoons and we are planning to run an “after-school” club for these students and any of their friends from 4pm for about an hour on Friday afternoons. We have trained a team of instructors to help with this coaching, but would be delighted to have additional helpers, particularly on the first Friday afternoon. If you feel able to help, please contact either David Bowler or John Abson.
Coaching Day
We had a successful training afternoon on 18th May, when five coaches from the Hertfordshire Bowls Coaching Society came to the club. 15 of our members came along and enjoyed a number of separate sessions. We have already tentatively booked a similar training afternoon for next season.
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
We will be holding a special club-night on 2nd June, the exact date of the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. Satish Parekh, one of our social members, will be providing live entertainment. Some of our members have seen Satish perform his repertoire of Elvis Pressley songs and we believe he and a friend will also be singing a range of Beatles songs, so a good night is promised. Members are asked to provide a dish towards a buffet supper, or to pay £5 towards the cost of the food. Please contact Janice Ford if you require more information.
Social
Thursday club-nights continue with the barbecue supper on the following Thursday. If you wish to come to any club-night meal, please add your name to the list by the Tuesday prior to the meal. Volunteers to cook a meal are always welcome and help is available if needed.
Janice Ford is considering organising an outing, probably for a few days in the autumn, to the new Potters Five Lakes resort at Maldon, near Colchester in Essex. If you would be interested please see Janice for details.
Because of the recent increase in food prices, the committee has agreed to increase the cost of post-match refreshments to £2 for tea and biscuits, and to £4 for a supper. Regular club-night meals will cost £6 and the charge for the barbecue is £7 per person. The price for fish and chip meals will vary depending on the cost.
Opening / Closing the Clubhouse
We have had a couple of instances recently when members have been unable to get into the clubhouse because it had been locked incorrectly. Please note the following –
- If you come to the club during the day and there are no other members already there, you will need to release the padlock on the main gate by entering the correct combination code. If you are not sure of the combination, please see any member who should be able to help.
- You then need to use your clubhouse key to enter the clubhouse. Please hang the combination padlock from the main gate on the hook just inside the clubhouse door.
- If you are the last person to leave the club, first ensure that the string gates to the electric fence are all connected and the electricity circuit is switched on. Collect the combination padlock from the hook inside the clubhouse door, lock the clubhouse door with your key, and finally put the combination padlock on the main gate and scramble the combination.
It is crucial that all members use the guidelines, to preserve the security of the club and also to ensure that other members can use the club safely.
With best wishes to you all – we hope you continue to enjoy your season’s bowling.
John