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Winter is NOT a quiet time at Tetbury Bowls Club. From October through March, a great deal is happening. There’s the green renovation – scarifying, sanding, feeding, seeding, aerating, brushing, cutting, and repairing (the foxes love our green!). All this is needed to give Tetbury a lawn bowls green that we can be proud of, that meets county play standards, and that visitors enjoy playing on.
We carry out maintenance projects like renovating the slabs at the far end of the green, doing a little gardening or painting, and fixing niggling little things in the building itself. And this winter, we’re installing new honours boards to showcase our competition winners and club successes and to document the history of club officers.
Oversight of the club’s operations falls to a management committee, with elections held at our annual general meeting at the end of October. This group of new and re-elected volunteers hit the ground running and held their first meeting in mid-November. Offers to play 2023 fixtures have started to come in, decisions about men’s and ladies Gloucestershire league structures are being made, and plans set up for next year’s season of open days and club events.
Then there’s the need to ensure that the club remains financially sustainable. Every week there’s something going on – usually on a Friday evening. Our Halloween Party combined optional fancy dress with a game of bingo, fun food prepared by our volunteers, and dancing. In early November, teams from Frampton joined us for quiz night and recognition of our Junior Shield runner up and winner, Jack Garland and Austin Wood respectively. And we had a lot of cheering and lively fun at our always popular annual Race Night.
At our annual dinner and presentation evening, we celebrated club competition winners at Minchinhampton Golf Club (new) with a wonderful 3-course meal with trophies and prizes being awarded by our President, Alan Harris. Particularly impressive this year was Tim Perrett. Although this was just his second playing season, he partnered with Fraser McGeoch to win the 51 up Cup, won the Novice Singles, and was voted Most Improved Player. Well done, Tim!
Throughout December, you’ll be able to see our tree displayed at Tetbury’s annual Christmas Tree Festival at St. Saviour’s. We hope you take a few minutes to stop by and admire not just ours but those of many of Tetbury’s clubs and local organisations. And we’re planning a couple of Christmas events along with bingo and quizzes at the club. In January, after New Year’s celebrations, many of our members will be enjoying the World Indoor Championships both on the telly and with a few going to the venue Potter’s Resort near Great Yarmouth.
If you’d like to know more about the club, visit our website at www.tetburybowlsclub.co.uk or email us at tetburybowls@gmail.com. From the members of Tetbury Bowls Club, we’d like to wish all readers a very wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Susanne Knaus
Tetbury Bowls