Congratulations go to Alan and Catherine V! Phil H pulled their names as the winners from the bag, They were both chuffed to bits with the cup and the prize and have cleared a suitable space on their mantelpiece! On accepting their awards both Alan and Catherine were of course very emotional and wanted to thank some people. “Thank you so much for this incredible honour we are truly humbled to stand here in our garden and accept this prestigious award. First and foremost, we would like to express our deepest gratitude and thanks to our manager, our training staff who have worked tirelessly all year for this moment. We know how Luke (The Nuke) Littler must have felt Saturday evening after winning his match. This is proof that if you dream big and dreams do come true, ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you’re past your prime”

Trudi one of the club’s quiz masters said. ‘Many thanks to all of you who bought the 2025 Christmas Quiz and handed them in, you made a profit of £83 for the club. Lots of very near misses and lots in the bag, so well done all and I hope you had hours of fun working out your answers. Special thanks to last year’s winner, Rich Thomas, who was in the bag again this year, for selling 10 quizzes in the run up to Christmas. Alan & Catherine, that’s your challenge for next year!’

The answers are up in the clubhouse on the social board, until the end of January.

On New Years Eve thirty plus members and guests braved the elements to indulge in the bowling club bash rather than being warm and cozy at home!

The dress code of a special hat was met with some stunning originality.

They arrived to a glass of fizz or fresh orange and settled down to our pub lounge layout for four hours of games and activities. Guess the price of five properties around the UK was challenging.

Halfway through the night a sumptuous buffet of roast potatoes was served alongside turkey, beef and ham with pickles, sauces and a cheeseboard.

There was a game of prick the balloon through a box and the ever popular 3-minute quiz. The highlight of the night was Pictionary on the whiteboard.

Don Bridge (Club Chairperson) launched us into the New Year with a melodious opening of Auld Lang Syne and the crowd dispersed into a misty -2.5 degrees.

The guests ranged from new members to social and established ones which will help cement our club for the future.

None of this is possible without the support and dedication of a few hardy souls. Thank you to the team who rolled the mat and set out the room. Trudi helped with setting the scene and white boards.

Terry and Jim manned the bar all night and cleared up by 1am.

A very, very special thanks go to Rita and Alfie Dibble who planned, shopped, cooked and laid out the food. They also decorated the clubhouse with balloons. If that wasn’t enough, they turned up the next day to help the clubhouse clear up.

There will be several more social nights through 2026. If you haven’t experienced one yet – give it a go.

Michael Squire – Event Coordinator

Entries are now open for 2026 competitions. Take a look on the SBA website and see if there is a competition you would like to enter. Entries are made on line via the competitions portal.

Match timetables are displayed at the Club. Food will be available from 12-3 on both days and the bar will be open. Spectators welcome, please come along and support the players who have reached the finals.

Sunday 27th July club players will play the first part of the Yard Stick competition. Why not pop along to watch! Entries taken up until 6pm Saturday 26th July. The second part of this competition is on Sunday 10th August.