Sports Club Reports up to 2008

Hallmark 2008. Report by Geoff Gomme. Some of us former players feared at one time that the club would collapse as the older hard-working members faded away. Now I believe our fears were groundless. There is hope.

First, we have the young and delightful Stephanie Dell as club secretary (Pay me later, Steph) who I'm sure will come up with good ideas for fund-raising, etc. she recently coordinated the 60^th anniversary of the ground hand-over aided by the committee and others.

Hallmark May 1999. report by Joan West (President)

Hot off the press! - news from the Sports Club. We are re-vamping our clubhouse with new toughened glass and a transformation inside. This should all be finished in time for our President’s Day which this year is an extra special day to celebrate 50 years since Lady Bateman leased us the ground.

We are planning a family fun afternoon for all the community - please don’t be like the lady who told me she didn’t play sports. I don’t play sports any more, but I'll do all I can to see we don’t lose this wonderful amenity. Do come and join us on the 13th June. Just consider yourself one of us - see you there!

Oh, by the way, it’s my birthday too, so come and have a piece of cake on me, bought with my first-ever cheque from the Inland Revenue. Goodness knows I’ve spent enough time working out VAT, PAYE and accounts for them, over the years, it’s time they paid me something back. Now doesn’t that idea just grab you? - it does me, and I will be delighted to share it with you.

The tennis Summer season is under way and the cricket also, the football club* has three more matches to play at the time of writing, but we have more players this year so things are looking promising.

* Readers will be disturbed to learn that the Hallmark Asst. Editor has been barred from watching future matches of the “Green Machine” this season; reason being, he arrived at half-time one Sunday morning to find our men leading 4 - 1. By full-time we had lost 6-4, and pausing only long enough to identify an urgent need to sign a taller goalkeeper, it was suggested he should keep clear for the time being at least.

Hallmark August 1998. Report by Joan West – President

The Annual General Meeting of the Sports Club was changed from Autumn to Spring, in the hope that more members would attend. This was to some degree successful, and we now have a broad spectrum of experience and new blood on the committee.

As the showers needed urgent repairs it was proposed to hold four car-boot sales over the summer to raise some extra money for this purpose, but so far two dates have had to be cancelled because of heavy rain. It was showers for the cricketers we needed, not an overdose of rain – must have got the wrong message Over somewhere!

The children from St. John’s school have excelled themselves with their cricket, and we can only hope that they are able to keep it up as they progress on their way.

The tennis section goes from strength to strength, but they have a report of their own to send in, so no more here.

The annual President’s Day was blessed with the lovely summer weather of which one dreams. The President’s cricket team gave the club team a good run for their money but lost in the end, which I suppose is how it should be, or we would want to know why!

Grateful thanks to all those who worked so hard with the food, tombola, book-stall and ferret racing, tennis tournament and cricket match. This is our main fund-raising event of the year, so a well supported day makes all the difference. Thanks to all who came along, and to those who helped.