I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who turned up today and helped to tidy up the green surrounds
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March Newsletter
NEWSLETTER – march 2022
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Members are reminded that subscriptions for the 2022 season are now due :-
Membership subscription – £30.00
Team Players’ subscription – £45.00
The basic membership subscription is now £30.00. Members playing for one or more of our league teams pay an additional £15.00 i.e. £45.00 in total.
Payment can be made online directly to the Club’s bank account :
Sort Code : 30 97 88 Account Number : 01007849
If paying by bank transfer, please notify Mike Milne by text (07752352065) or email (michaelmilne66@outlook.com)
Alternatively, subscriptions can be sent to Mike Milne (Treasurer) at the following address :-
Mike Milne, 20 Coudray Road, Southport PR9 9NL
EARLY PAYMENT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED SO THAT THE BULK OF THE WORK IN RESPECT OF SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE START OF THE SEASON
GREEN OPENING
The green is currently scheduled to open on Saturday 2nd April. This will be confirmed nearer the time.
ROUND ROBINS
The popular Tuesday and Friday Round Robins will continue in 2022.
Hosted by Peter and Lynne Smith, these sessions are an ideal way of meeting other members of the club. Bowlers of any standard, both experienced and players new to the game, are very welcome to take part.
The first midweek Round Robin will take place on Tuesday 5th April, 10.00 am start.
CORONATION CUP
Entries are still being taken for the Coronation Cup. The deadline for entries is Friday 18th March. So far, we have received 10 entries. If your name is not on the list below and you wish to enter, please contact Mike Milne asap (07752352065 / michaelmilne66@outlook.com ).
Bill Bloor ; Terry Corfield ; Chris Harding ; John Hughes ; Chris Lancaster ;
John McCabe ; Mike Milne ; Chris Porter ; Mark Rowlinson ; Roger Van Beever
Once the draw has been made, we will text, phone or email players with the name and contact details of their opponent. The full draw will be emailed and posted on the website asap after that.
CLUB COMPETITION DATES
Saturday 16th April – Spring Pairs – random doubles, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 1st May – Blowick Cup Champion of Champions – invitation singles for club competition and merit winners from the 2021 season (12.00 pm start). Spectators, markers and measurers will be very welcome.
Sunday 15th May – Rose Bowl – singles handicap, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 29th May – Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy – non-random doubles, enter as a pair. No plate. (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 10th July – President’s Cup – singles handicap, with plate (start time TBC)
Sunday 17th July – Championship Cup – men’s singles, played off scratch – no plate (12.00pm start)
Saturday 30th July – Ladies’ Championship – singles handicap, with early stages being played in a group format. (12.00 pm start).
Dates for our remaining club and open competitions will be posted as soon as possible.
In addition to the competitions already advertised, the Chairman’s Shield, Floodlit Trophy and Last Chance Cup will be held in August / September.
GREEN CLEAN UP HELP REQUIRED
THURSDAY 10th March 9:30 onwards
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
We need to clean and tidy up the green and its surrounds to get ready for our opening.
Please help if you can. Bring a leaf rake.
If you are able to dispose of the full bags please do so, if not please leave under shelter for disposal
MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK
COMPETITION NEWS
CORONATION CUP – SINGLES HANDICAP
In the last two seasons, while we were unable to run one-day club competitions, we played the Coronation Cup singles handicap on the basis of players arranging their own games. We propose trying this again as an alternative format to all our other club competitions to ascertain how popular this is during more “normal” times.
The following details will apply :-
· Entries to be submitted by Friday 18th March.
· Entries to be sent to Mike Milne (07752352065 / michaelmilne66@outlook.com)
· The draw will be made during the weekend of Saturday 19th March / Sunday 20th March and published as soon as possible after completion.
· Each round of the competition to be completed by the date provided.
· It will be the responsibility of the first named player to contact their opponent to arrange a mutually convenient time to play the match.
· Games can be played using own jack(s) and mat(s) if players are unable to access the clubhouse.
· Games up to the semi-finals can be scored by the players themselves if no marker is available.
· Players to agree to a procedure to determine the counting bowl if no independent measurer is available. If no neutral person is present and an agreement cannot be reached, the end should be replayed.
· Results to be sent to Mike Milne (07752352065 / michaelmilne66@outlook.com) as soon as possible after the completion of the match.
· Failure to fulfil a fixture before the deadline set could result in both players being scratched from the competition. The decision of the competition organisers will be final.
OTHER SPRING COMPETITION DATES
Saturday 16th April – Spring Pairs – random doubles, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 1st May – Blowick Cup Champion of Champions – invitation singles for club competition and merit winners from the 2021 season (12.00 pm start). Spectators, markers and measurers will be very welcome.
Sunday 15th May – Rose Bowl – singles handicap, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 29th May – Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy – non-random doubles, enter as a pair. No plate. (12.00 pm start).
The Club’s PRESIDENT’S DAY will be held on SUNDAY 10th JULY. Please make a note of this date in your diary so that we can support PETER SMITH in his first year as President.
Dates for our remaining club and open competitions will be posted as soon as possible.
February Newsletter
HESKETH ARMS BOWLING CLUB
NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2022
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
A COPY OF THE MINUTES HAS BEEN SENT OUT BY EMAIL, ANY MEMBER WISHING TO HAVE A HARD COPY PLEASE CONTACT THE SECRETARY.
Many thanks to all those members who attended the Club’s Annual General Meeting, held at the Churchtown Conservative Club. It was pleasing to see several new members in attendance. We welcome them to the club and hope they enjoy their bowling at the Hesketh Arms.
The Committee would also like to thank the Conservative Club for allowing us to use their facilities.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Annual General Meeting has set the following subscription rates for the 2022 season :-
Membership subscription – £30.00
Team Players’ subscription – £45.00
The basic membership subscription is now £30.00. Members playing for one or more of our league teams pay an additional £15.00 i.e. £45.00 in total.
Payment can be made online directly to the Club’s bank account :
Sort Code : 30 97 88 Account Number : 01007849
If paying by bank transfer, please notify Mike Milne by text (07752352065) or email (michaelmilne66@outlook.com)
Alternatively, subscriptions can be sent to Mike Milne (Treasurer) at the following address :-
Mike Milne, 20 Coudray Road, Southport PR9 9NL
COMMITTEE
The Chairman, Chris Harding, thanked John Hughes, for fulfilling the role of Club President during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. John is pictured below receiving a memento of his time in office from the Chairman.
The new President for 2022 is Peter Smith. Congratulations to Peter, we hope he enjoys a successful year. John Unsworth was elected to the position of Vice-President.
After being Vice-Chairman for a number of years, Bill Nowell has decided to stand down from the Committee. Bill has been involved in the running of the Club as a committee member and previously a team captain for many years and played an important part in keeping the club going during some difficult times. We thank Bill for all he has done for the club and hope to see him down at the green during the course of the season. Bill’s successor as Vice-Chairman is Jason Chapman. Jason is well know to members as a regular player for the Ospreys and the Owls, having also been a successful captain of the Harriers in the LV League. We thank Jason for accepting this important role in the club.
The Chairman (Chris Harding), Secretary (George Hitchmough), Treasurer (Mike Milne) and Project Manager / Greensman (Graham Meadow) were all re-elected to their positions.
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS
Congratulations to Mike Burrill and George Hitchmough on being awarded Life Membership of the Club.
Mike is a long-standing member who has been involved in running teams and serving on the committee for many years. He has worked as our liaison officer with Mitchells & Butlers and negotiated the renewal of our current lease. He was also instrumental in the planning and building of the shelter on the churchyard side of the green.
George has been Club Secretary for over ten years and looked after our website since it was created in 2011. In addition to the many other tasks which he undertakes, George captains the Merlins and Hawks in the afternoon leagues and attends numerous league delegates’ meetings on behalf of the club.
Mike and George are worthy recipients of the award of Life Membership and are pictured below with their certificates.
SOUTHPORT LV LEAGUE
In 2021, the Club was successful in winning both the Premier and 1st Division championships in the Southport LV League. The trophies were presented at the recent LV League AGM and the team captains Chris Harding (Eagles) and Jeff Brown (Falcons) are pictured with the trophies.
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NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2022
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Club’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday 21st February, at the Churchtown Conservative Club. Further details, including the agenda, will be sent out in due course.
CLUB COMPETITIONS – SPRING 2022
We will again be organising a full programme of club competitions for the 2022 season. As in the last two years, we will run the Coronation Cup on the basis of players arranging their own games. This is a singles handicap open to all members and entries will be taken well in advance of the season, so that the draw can be made before the end of March. This will enable people to arrange a competitive game at the earliest possible opportunity in the season, once the green is open and available to members.
Other dates set so far are : –
Saturday 16th April – Spring Pairs – random doubles, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 1st May – Blowick Cup Champion of Champions – invitation singles for club competition and merit winners from the 2021 season (12.00 pm start). Spectators, markers and measurers will be very welcome.
Sunday 15th May – Rose Bowl – singles handicap, with plate (12.00 pm start).
Sunday 29th May – Vice-Presidents Pairs Trophy – non-random doubles, enter as a pair. No plate. (12.00 pm start).
Dates for our remaining club and open competitions will be posted as soon as possible.
TROPHY ENGRAVING
If anyone holds one of the Club’s trophies or plates, which requires engraving, please could they bring it / them along to the AGM. Alternatively, please contact Mike Milne (07752352065 / michaelmilne66@outlook.com ) to arrange collection.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022
A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR MEMBERS, BOWLING FRIENDS AND COMPETITORS
AWARDS EVENING
AWARDS EVENING
The Club enjoyed a successful evening on Saturday when members gathered at the Churchtown Conservative Club to recognise individual and team achievements during the 2021 bowling season.
The evening was again compered by our Chairman, Chris Harding, who announced the winners of the Club’s eleven competitions and thirteen team merits. These have been reported via the website and regular newsletters throughout the year. The final presentations are usually made to the Team of the Year and Club Member of the Year, which this time were done slightly differently. As some leagues ran shortened seasons or different formats due to the ongoing pandemic, it was decided not to declare an outright winner of the team award, instead recognising our three teams that ended the season as champions of their league or division. These were : –
Eagles – captained by Chris Harding, winners of the LV Premier Division for the third successive time.
Falcons – captained by Jeff Brown and winners of the LV 1st Division for the second time in four years.
Merlins – captained by George Hitchmough and champions of the Southport Veterans’ League 2nd Division.
In 2021, it was impossible to pick out an individual as Club Member of the Year due to the outstanding contribution made by the group of volunteers who ran the Bowls for Health sessions. This initiative introduced sixteen people to the game of crown green bowls and it has been pleasing to see interest continuing beyond the six-week course. Special thanks therefore go to George Hitchmough, Peter and Lynne Smith, Brian Sutton, Jim Halsall and Janice Hobson, who guided the participants through the course and not forgetting our popular poster models Jason Chapman, Chris Harding and Noel Morgans.
The awards were followed by a buffet, prepared by George Hitchmough and Sue Andersen and a quiz set by George. Many thanks to George and Sue for again doing an excellent job and for providing such an enjoyable and successful evening.
Thanks also to : –
The Conservative Club Steward, Gill and Brian Whitley for their hard work behind the bar on the night and the Conservative Club Committee for allowing us the use of their excellent facilities once again.
Darren Edgerley and Fergal Wright for their help selling raffle tickets.
Finally, thank you to all those who supported the evening by attending, bringing raffles prizes or sending donations. The evening made a surplus of £331.30 which was a slight increase on our last Awards Evening. Considering the ongoing circumstances, it is very pleasing that the Club continues to receive the loyal support of it’s members during difficult times. We look forward to seeing everyone again for another successful season in 2022. Watch out for news of our AGM and competition dates early in the New Year.
SEASON REVIEW – 2021
HESKETH ARMS BOWLING CLUB
SEASON REVIEW – 2021
INTRODUCTION
Following a very limited season of league bowling in 2020, it was pleasing for our team players to be able enjoy a fuller programme of fixtures in 2021, after a delayed start due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Below is a review summarising our teams’ performances in the various local leagues. The full league tables can be found on each league’s own website but if anyone would like to receive a printed copy of this review, including the league tables featuring our teams, please contact Mike Milne : –
For the 2022 season, we look forward to a first for the Hesketh Arms, when we are applying to enter a team into the Southport & District Ladies’ League. Fixtures for this team will take place on Thursday afternoons.
SOUTHPORT LV LEAGUE
The Club enjoyed another successful season in the Southport LV League, with both our teams winning their respective divisions.
The Eagles, captained by Chris Harding, won the Premier Division for the third time in succession, finishing narrowly ahead of runners-up Fleetwood Hesketh ‘A’ by just five points.
Jeff Brown’s Falcons also finished top in the 1st Division, ahead of second placed Fleetwood Hesketh ‘B’. Well done to the Falcons, who previously won this title in 2017.
Eagles Merit Winner – John Baker
Falcons Merit Winner – Phil Kitchen
BURSCOUGH &LATHOM LEAGUE
Both our Burscough League teams had a fine season. In the highly competitive 1st Division, the Vultures again finished 4th, having done so in their first season in this division in 2019. They won 14 out of the 18 matches, just one fewer than champions Banks St.Stephen’s and runners-up Bretherton ‘A’. For much of the season they were in touch with the leaders and will be looking to make a strong challenge for the top positions in 2022.
In the 2nd Division, the Ospreys, captained by Mark Rowlinson, had their best season since the team was formed, having been strengthened by some new recruits. They won 9 out of their 16 games to finish 5th in the division, only 9 points behind runners-up Zetland ‘B’.
Vultures Merit Winner – Kez Adams
Ospreys Merit Winner – Peter Smith
SOUTHPORT PARKS LEAGUE
The Kites, again under the captaincy of John Unsworth, had another competitive season in the Parks League 1st Division. They finished 3rd for the third time in four seasons, having been challenging for the top spot throughout the season. They will be aiming to push for one of the promotion places in 2022. The team also did well in the Knockout Cup to reach the final before losing out to London Sphynx ‘A’ at Scarisbrick Bowling Club.
Kites Merit Winner – Jim Halsall
MAGHULL & FORMBY MINI-LEAGUE
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the local leagues were unable to start at the beginning of April as they usually would but the Maghull League, in a joint venture with the Formby League ran a “mini-league” which got under way on 26th April. The league was for teams of eight and we were able to enter two teams. The Owls (“A” team), captained by Mike Milne, were placed in the 2nd Division and Sue Davies was captain of the new Sparrowhawks team (“B” team) in the 3rd Division.
Both our teams performed well in this league. The Owls won 11 out of their 14 fixtures to finish in second place, one point behind champions Scarisbrick NSC. The Sparrowhawks only lost three games out of eleven played to end the season in a strong 3rd place.
Owls Mini-League Merit Winner – Peter Smith
Sparrowhawks Mini-League Merit Winner – George Hitchmough
MAGHULL LEAGUE
Following the conclusion of the Mini-League, the regular Maghull League season commenced on 14th June, with the league being split into two divisions for teams of ten players and two divisions for eight-a-side teams. As a club we had enough interested players to enter two teams of ten, which were again captained by Mike Milne and Sue Davies.
The Owls (“A” team) were placed in the 1st Division, which is considered to be one the toughest divisions in the area. After a difficult start, the team found it’s form and won three matches as well as putting in some strong performances against the top teams. They ended the season with 50 points, only six points off a mid-table finish.
Sue’s Sparrowhawks (“B” team) competed in a strong 2nd Division but won three matches, including the final game against Victoria Park, enabling them to finish above their local rivals by a single point.
Owls Merit Winner – Jim Halsall
Sparrowhawks Merit Winner – Jeff Brown
AUGHTON SENIOR CITIZENS’ LEAGUE
The Club continued to run two teams in the Aughton League on a Wednesday afternoon, with George Hitchmough captaining the Hawks in the 1st Division and the Kestrels being led by Mike Burrill the 2nd Division.
The Hawks put in a creditable performance to finish the season level on points with Victoria Park ‘A’ in 6th position, while the Kestrels were runners-up to champions Aughton Institute ‘A’. Depending on the format of the league next year, this may see both teams competing in the top flight next season.
Hawks Merit Winner – Peter Smith
Kestrels Merit Winner – Brian Sutton
SOUTHPORT VETERANS’ LEAGUE
The Southport Vets League commenced it’s league programme in June and both our teams competed in the 2nd Division.
Congratulations to captain George Hitchmough and his Merlins team, on ending the season as champions of the 2nd Division. They won 12 out of the 16 games played to finish five points clear of runners-up Banks ‘B’.
The Hobbies were again led by Roger Van Beever and they also enjoyed a good season, winning nine games to take a decent 5th place in the final table.
Merlins Merit Winner – Brian Sutton
Hobbies Merit Winner – Dave Bedford
AWARDS EVENING
We are holding our 2021 AWARDS EVENING on Saturday the 20th of November.
Commences 7:30 to be held at CHURCHTOWN CONSERVATIVE CLUB.
Content:-
Awards to the league teams merit winners and winners and runners up in our Club Competitions. Team of the year, Club Member of the year.
BUFFETT, RAFFLE, QUIZ, and BINGO
All presented by our effervescent Chairman CHIRS HARDING
TICKETS ARE £5, please let me know if you are attending so we can plan the buffet numbers. (email, or text)
We would welcome your donations of Raffle Prizes.
PLEASE SUPPORT YOU CLUB
Regards
George Hitchmough Secretary
07977500131