Category: News

The lawns are closed today, 29th Nov, and probably for the rest of the week as the cold weather continues. We’ll confirm reopening as soon as possible.

Today’s one ball competition is cancelled due to frost on Lawns 2 and 4.

However, Lawns 1 and 3 are playable if members still want to play a game.

Alan Mayne

Entertainment and afternoon tea at our Christmas 🎄 Concert, comprising of 10 “acts”, sandwiches and mince pies, what’s not to like!.

It starts at 2 pm on Sunday 17 December.

Please sign the notice in clubhouse or let Kay Martin know you are coming to make sure we have enough sandwiches 🥪 and mincepies.

Kay Martin

At the AGM on Saturday 4 November, the proposal below for maintaining the non-playing areas of the grounds, was accepted with enthusiasm, and resulted in nine volunteers coming forward already. Another three or four would be welcome but I want to give members who were not at the AGM the opportunity to join the team if they are interested. If more come forward they will be kept on a reserve list and invited to help when needed, especially during the Summer.

A willingness to be trained to operate a medium sized mower and a substantial petrol driven strimmer would be particularly useful. Safety will always be paramount and we will only do jobs for which we are trained, confident and competent to do.

Major hedge cutting during the year will be undertaken by external contractors so only minor hedge trimming will be done by us.

Anyone interested in joining the team, or requiring more information, please contact me by mobile, text or email before 22.00 hrs on Friday 17 November.

You can read the proposal I made to the AGM here

Fred Owen                                              
9 November 2023

To ease the major ground keeping workload and the looming cost increases, for 2023/24 the site is being divided into 2 distinct sections:

• the lawn playing surfaces within the white boundary boards.
  Alan and John will continue to do these as now.

• all other non-playing areas, eg hedges, verges, paths, embankments, fences etc but excluding flower borders/pots and buildings.
  Volunteer members will be sought to form a team to be trained to carry out the wide variety of jobs to maintain the whole site to the standard to which we are accustomed. Fred Owen has agreed to attempt to set up and manage this for a transitional period of up to 12 months.

Basic Outline

To get things started Fred will:

• Encourage member participation in a team of, say 10/12, to support Alan
• Seek team volunteers and arrange training to suit
• Organise the team to a work schedule agreed with Alan
• Arrange for the work to be done at times (as closely as possible) to suit team members availability. This could be during the day and in daylight evenings, for example.
• Try using doodle.com to organise the teams on dates when work is planned

Safety will be paramount. We will adhere to jobs we are competent to do safely.

We will adapt the way we organise ourselves to make the experience enjoyable, satisfying and rewarding. What we learn could inform how we proceed in future seasons.

Playing members are requested to be tolerant if we happen to be using power tools during your games!

Who knows, we might yet discover that elusive Assistant Groundkeeper!

Your support will be appreciated.       

    
Fred Owen  
29 October 2023

Following the success of the golf croquet practice sessions so far, in addition to the ones in November (see below), there will be more sessions in December:
11-12.30 Saturday 9^th
11-2.15 Friday 15^th
11-2.15 Wednesday 20^th.

All are welcome to come and improve our play, or to learn this enjoyable form of croquet. Book on the website.

Golf Croquet is a sociable game. Players go around the lawn together, taking it in turn to play one stroke. There is no sitting out, which makes it a good winter game. Games last around 45 minutes to an hour. They give plenty of practice at scoring hoops and hitting other balls, but the strategy is different from that of Association Croquet.  There is no roquet and croquet.

We are planning some sessions of Golf Croquet, where those new to the game can learn, and others can improve our play. Some experienced players have offered to act as tutors when they can.

Would you like to join us?

So as not to exclude anyone, we shall meet on different days of the week.

The dates in November are:
Friday 10^th 11-2.15
Monday 13th 11-2.15
Sunday 19^th 12.45-4.00
Friday 24^th 11-2.15
Wednesday 29^th 11-2.15.

If possible, email margaret@nutritionandallergyclinic.co.uk to let her know you plan to come.

This years handbook is now available for you to collect from the Club House.

The handbook includes a few pages celebrating the club’s 150 anniversary, and has a rather special front cover!

As the Handbook is late out this year, it’s unlikely that we will produce one in 2024, so please keep this years copy handy until 2025 issue is released.

If you spot any errors or corrections that I need to be aware of please drop an email to me at: bowdoncroquet@gmail.com

Country, Far Country and some non local Non-Playing members have had their handbook posted to them.

Many thanks

Mike Flannery
Membership Secretary.

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher try golf croquet on Sky. Click on link for how not to play GC.