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April 2023 Newsletter

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Newsletter April 2023

Alas, we reach the end of the indoor bowling season, as we await the arrival of sunshine and warm weather to add to the enjoyment of playing bowls outside.

The last season of indoor bowling has been great, with a large number of players significantly improving their game during the season.  This has contributed to our successful season in the Wessex league, with our highest league position for over 10 years and also for the leagues and internal competitions where a number of newer bowlers were evident.  Congratulations to Gloria Watson and Mary Maull in particular for their achievements and congratulations to Steve Gould for reaching 5 finals in various internal competitions.

We had 54 teams in the leagues this year within 8 separate leagues and awards were presented to the winners of each at the annual Presentation evening, which was well supported. Congratulations to the following for winning their leagues:

Mon PM – Ladies Triples League – MARIGOLDS     – team captain         Val Harris

Mon Eve – Open pairs league        – TRISTARS      -    “             “         Kevin Alder

Tues AM – Mixed Rinks league     -  TIGERS            -     “           “         Derek Hamilton

Tues Eve -  Men’s rinks league      - BADGERS        -     “           “         Alec Shepherd

Wed AM  - Mixed Triples league   - VENTURERS     -    “           “         Paul Killackey

Thurs AM – Open Rinks league     -  MODESTS       -    “           “         Andy Cullington

Fri AM  -    Open Triples league     -  INCREDIBOWLS   “        “         Ken Lamacraft

Fri Eve  -   Men’s Triples league    -  BARMEN         -     “           “         Martin Shepherd

 

In addition, the North Oxon League, for outdoor clubs (playing indoors) finished with a fixture between the two leading teams on the last Saturday with West Witney BC narrowly beating Witney Town BC to take the title.

             ‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

It is never too early to register a team for playing in the leagues, next season, starting in October 2023 and 33 teams have done just that, so far. This helps to secure your players before they are attracted to other teams.  If you want to enter a team, please let me know.   Next season will see 5 leagues being handicapped, following a successful trial on Tuesday evenings for individually handicapped players. This promises to make all games closer, with good players having to concentrate more to produce their best games. I suspect there may be a few surprises !

Best wishes to all indoor bowlers for the coming outdoor season and to those returning to different clubs for the summer, why not tell your club players about the pleasures of indoor long mat bowling and bring them along too.

Finally, we are part way through gaining planning permission for a new clean air heating system which will be quieter and more cost effective in due course. We anticipate this work starting in June and it will be operating from the start of the new season.

Thanks to all members for supporting this club through the winter season and I look forward to meeting up with everyone again in October.

John Hurren, Chairman of the Indoor section.

Indoor Section Newsletter

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Chipping Norton Indoor Section  -  Newsletter – Mid March 2023

The indoor committee met recently to discuss the closing requirements for the current season and to reflect on the season we had.

We currently have 143 members, which is an increase from last year, whilst other bowls clubs in the county have not done so well. John Cook reports that a full list of fixtures has been secured for the new season starting on 1 October 2023.

Members will be pleased to learn that a decision has been reached for replacing the out-dated gas heating system and ventilation arrangements during the summer months, subject to getting planning permission from WODC. We are replacing the tired and expensive gas heating system to an energy efficient air to air heat pump electrical system which will not release carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Whilst retaining an element of fresh coming in through the ventilation system, 75% of our heated air will also be recycled to reduce energy costs. The new system will be much cleaner and quieter than the existing system, so players can communicate better with each other. The Capital cost of this is a big investment for the club, but we feel the longer term benefits will reduce our risks and hopefully our costs.

Aware of the costs involved to replace the heating, the indoor committee will be recommending that membership fees should increase to £75 for the next indoor season, although green fees may remain at £3 per session and fixture with other clubs, including tea and biscuits will be £5 for all participants.

The league season is now into its’ final weeks and the standard of play has shown significant improvements for many bowlers from the start of the season. This has reflected in the club’s performance in the Wessex League as well as performances in county comps, plus 19 individuals have been selected to represent the county during the season. Well done to everyone.

Over the next week, I will be passing registration forms out to all Team Captains from the 55 teams in our internal leagues, so that they can start planning for the next season. Watch out for these forms in the pigeon holes on the way into the club. Early preparations made now are a good way of securing your squad before we all return to our summer outdoor clubs and reduces the frantic action required next September.

At the Indoor Section’s annual meeting on Thursday, 6 April at 7 pm, there will be a proposal to extend the handicapping system to four more leagues next season to make the games closer and more enjoyable. This follows a trial this year on Tuesday evenings for an individual based handicapping system and this has been successful. The addition of handicaps may apply to the Monday open pairs League and three triple leagues on Wed mornings, Friday mornings and Friday evening. If you have any views on this, whether supportive or against, please come and voice your thoughts and join in the discussion and cast your vote.

The end of season Presentation Night will be from 7 pm on Thursday, 13 April at the club, where refreshments will be available. League and Competition winners will be recognised and this will be a good social evening marking the end of the indoor season. A notice will appear shortly on a notice-board so that we know how many to cater for. May I appeal to all winners from last year, to return any club trophies that were taken home, before the end of March please?

Paul Demczak, our Wessex team selector, recognises the outstanding season enjoyed by Chipping Norton players, after defeating the Cotswold B team 15-1 with over 100 shots for our team to secure third place, which is our best performance in the last ten years and put us above local rivals Carterton BC.

I hope you found this newsletter informative and I’d like to encourage you all to attend the annual meeting and to contribute to building on this for the next season. Thank You.

John Hurren

Chairman of the Indoor Committee.

Information for Team Captains

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Team Captains of Indoor league teams are asked to ensure their players know when they are supposed to be bowling. There has been too many non attendances on the day recently for league games, which causes disruption and annoyance from opponenets who arrive but then can't play. The problem is communication with team members and some referring to the various versions of the team roster. Please can you ask players to delete old versions and to pay attention to whatever is the correct information about when they should be playing.................Thanks.

Also, would Team Captains please advise their players that the house within the car park may soon house a nursery school and work is underway to fence off an outside area which will be lost to parking. In addition, the parking places along the hedges on the left of the house, when looking at it, will be reserved for the Nursery's use and nobody else in the daytime, so please park elsewhere. Please comply with this requirement as we don't want to fall out with our new neighbours. Thanks.

John Hurren, Chairman of the Indoor section.

Latest Updates

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Internal Leagues

The year has started with 55 teams competing over all competitions which is 3 more than at the same time last year. Most teams have an extra player or two over the basic requirement, so more people overall will get the experience of playing in our leagues.

The new handicapping system is working well on Tuesday evenings and individual handicaps will be reviewed during the Xmas period, as stated previously.

Following Percy Hickman’s withdrawal from bowling this year, our Friday night league still requires a volunteer to take the league Secretaries role (details from J.Hurren for those interested)

County and Club competitions

The county competitions are well down on previous years, but Michel Grossnickel will still take late entries. We have some very good bowlers at Chippy, so don’t be shy, you may have a good chance of glory at County level.

Similarly, the number of club entries are down on last year, so please enter soon. Draws were to be made on Friday 4 Nov, but have been extended another week to allow for late entries, There will be some additional competitions this year, but please be aware that we need a minimum of 8  Participants for these competitions to go ahead. Forms are available on the table near the green, but please be quick to avoid disappointment.

Friendly matches

In the absence of a club captain, we seek experienced club bowlers to take charge of matches on a monthly basis. If you are prepared to act as Captain for a month only, please enter your name on the poster displayed on the noticeboard. If you want to know what this entails, please speak with Roberta or John Hurren for details. Thanks.

Christmas draw and Fun bowls afternoon

Donations of prizes for the annual Christmas draw would be much appreciated from members and please drop these into the club over the coming weeks. The draw will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, 10 December. There will also be a fun bowling contest, using none of the normal rules, but equally enjoyable. If you’d like to join in, we hope to start at 2 PM, so pull on a Christmas jumper or dress up for the occasion and bring your bowls.  For those with other commitments in the evening: we think all activities will be concluded by 5 PM at the latest.

Christmas shutdown of the club

We hope many of our members and guests will continue to play social bowling over the festive period and perhaps this could be a good time to get the odd competition fixture played. To help your planning, we will not be opening the facilities on the following dates: 24-27 December (inclusive) and from 2 pm on 31 December until the end of 1 January. League matches resume on the 2 January, so if you will still be away, please inform your team captain.

May I wish all members, family and friends a very Merry Christmas and an enjoyable and successful new year.

Autumn 2022 Newsletter

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Outdoor players will soon complete a sun-drenched summer season and their thoughts will be changing to the fast approaching Indoor season at Chipping Norton Bowls Club, where they can reconnect with many old friends.

On behalf of the club, I’d like to welcome all returning players and new bowlers to Chipping Norton Bowls Club for what we all hope will be an enjoyable season ahead.  The threat of losing members to the Covid-19 virus has receded significantly and we have adjusted our playing protocols accordingly. However, we strive to keep our members and guests safe and in good health, so we continue to ask anyone who tests positive for the Covid virus or shows symptoms associated with the virus to kindly stay away from the club until your feel better.  Should you have a problem, kindly inform your team captain if in the league or one of our committee members.

Bowlers will notice some positive changes at the club in the bowling hall, as many of the breeze block sections of wall have now been insulated with 100mm insulation boards and redecorated to make it look smart. The contractors, led by Martin Acock are thanked for their excellent workmanship. This was done to assist with retaining heat within the hall, this reducing the energy needed to create warm air constantly. This will also reduce the costs of heating which are predicted to be 3 times higher than last year.

Regrettably we still have the same heating system that was installed many years ago, due to the significant rises in the cost of the alternatives considered, but will continue to seek an affordable remedy in the coming months. You will also notice that the lighting in the hall has been rewired to allow individual rinks to be illuminated separately, and we hope for your support by shutting down any lighting which is not needed when other rinks are not being used.

We hope all members will cooperate with us for reducing energy costs for both heating and lighting, so that we can continue to offer bowling at low prices. As we have confidence in your support with this request, we are pleased to inform you that the membership fee will be £70 this year, with £3 for each 2 hour session played. This represents one of the lowest prices for club membership and engagement in the whole region, but relies on your help to keep gas and electricity costs down.

Our season officially starts on 1 October, but if you are keen for an early roll up, the facilities will be open from 26 September, with most leagues starting during the second week in October.

We have a few new enthusiastic committee members this year and they look forward to accommodating a range of bowling activities to suit casual, social and competitive bowlers and we hope you enjoy the company of fellow enthusiasts and have fun on the greens.

Other new information that you may be interested in:

·       The mat is to be stretched on 15 September

·       The Tuesday evening league will be trialling a new handicapping system to make games more competitive and to give any team that plays well, a chance to win. Three wise men have been invited to consider the handicaps of individuals for Tuesday evenings, and I thank them for doing this on behalf of the committee. This will be displayed on the noticeboard for all to see.

·       You will also see a new TV monitor by rink One, which will keep you informed of many activities around the club throughout the year.  Yes, we are getting more “techy”!

I look forward to greeting everyone at the Bowls Club during your re-acclimatisation to indoor bowling and hope all your aspirations for the next year can be fulfilled.

Happy bowling.

John Hurren, Chairman of the Indoor section at CNBC

 

 

Internal league 2022-23

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The new indoor season is approaching fast and I need all your help to ensure those that want to play in our many leagues, get the opportunity to do so.

Many of the Team Captains confirmed their teams to me at the end of March, but I have noticed the names include people that I don’t think will be joining, so can you update me please.

Currently I have vacancies for each league and you can either enter a new team or join an existing team, so let me know what you want to do. This needs to be done in the next week, as we want to get the league information in the handbook (which all members receive) and to the printers by the end of next week. (before Wed, 7 September ideally)

Just to remind you we run the following leagues:

Monday 1400-1600 hrs   Ladies league (Rinks)

Monday 1900-2100 hrs    Open pairs League

Tuesday  1000-1200 hrs  Mixed Rinks league

Tuesday  1900-2100 hrs  Men’s rinks league (handicapped)

Wednesday 1000-1200 hrs   Open Triples league

Thursday 1000 – 1200 hrs  Open Rinks League

Friday 1000 – 1200 hrs  Mixed Triples league

Friday  1900-2100 hrs  Men’s Triples league

Please contact me, preferably by Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by SMS or telephone if you want to play in any of these teams and have not already confirmed with an existing team captain.

THANKS          John Hurren ( stand-in League organiser)

 

Special General Meeting

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CHIPPING NORTON BOWLS CLUB (Registered CASC no. 01991)
 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special General Meeting of Chipping Norton Bowls Club ("the Club”) will be held at the clubhouse at 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday 4th May 2022 to consider and, if approved, to pass the following Amendments to the Constitution and Rules of the Club ("the Constitution").

The need for this has arisen because following a review of the Constitution by the CASC Team at HMRC, they require these amendments to be made "as a matter of urgency", so the matter cannot wait until the 2023 Annual General Meeting. As a registered CASC, we enjoy certain tax benefits which the Management Committee regard as too valuable to put at risk.

Amendments to the Constitution and Rules :
Objectives
Clause 2(a) now reads :
"To promote both the Indoor and Outdoor game of flat green bowls in the Chipping Norton area and provide ancillary social facilities."

This is required to be replaced by:
"The main purposes of the club are to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of indoor and outdoor flat green bowls in the Chipping Norton area."

Membership
Clause 3(b) now reads :
"Candidates for membership to either the Outdoor and/or Indoor Sections must be proposed and seconded by current members of the Club.  The full name and address, age if under 18, and the name of the proposer and seconder must be notified in writing to the appropriate Outdoor or Indoor Section Membership Secretary, who will ensure these particulars are exhibited in the club premises for at least seven (7) days prior to consideration by the appropriate Committee. Such process being in place to ensure all candidates are afforded full and equal opportunity to access to membership.  Candidates so approved for membership will be elected by the appropriate Section Committee."

We are required to delete this clause in its entirety because it fails to conform to the present "guidance" re discrimination when dealing with applications. We are directed that "A club must ensure that its membership procedures are open, transparent, and objective and must not have unfair restrictions requiring applications for membership to be proposed and seconded by existing members or displaying applicant details for comment by members on club notice boards".

Finance
Clause 6(b) now reads :
"The Club will operate as a Community Amateur Sports Club and as such is a non profit making establishment. 
Any financial surplus at the end of the financial year may only be used for the betterment or improvement of the Club.  No form of dividend shall be made to members or any other persons."

This is required to be replaced by:
"The Club will operate as a Community Amateur Sports Club and as such is a non profit making establishment. 
All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties."

Winding up of the Club
In Clause 14(c) which reads as follows, we are required to change the word "Club's" in line no.3 to "sport's" :    
"After selling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
1.    to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a charity and/or
2.    to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered CASC and/or
3.    to the Club’s national governing body for use by them for related community sports."

Roberta Jarvie
Secretary

6th April 2022

Update on the Indoor Bowling Scene

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We are into the last month of the Indoor season and what a good season it has been, with many members showing considerable improvements in their game compared with a year ago.

Work is happening between the scenes for two dates coming up:

First, the Annual Meeting of the Indoor Section is on the evening of 7 April, 2022, when you can provide feedback on how things have been managed over the last year and elect your officers for the next year, commencing on 1 October. Yet again, we seek committed individual’s who will share some of the workload of organising leagues or competitions. I appreciate that many of you “just want to bowl”, but if all members just did this; nothing would happen and it would be rather dull doing roll-ups only.  Some fresh energy on the indoor committee would be appreciated and we seek people to fill a couple of gaps as League secretaries. If you are interested, speak to one of the current committee members to let them know.

We would love to see you at the meeting and hear your views on a couple of new proposals:

1.     We want to try an alternative handicapping system for the leagues that are handicapped. We want to move away from providing 2 shots for every position below the top team and depending on your league position at the time. I want to trial a year of handicapping individual players from 0-6 shots depending on playing capability. Each week the totals for each team player will be added together and the team with the lowest figure will be awarded the difference in shots. This is a fairer way of handicapping and will result in very strong teams providing a big start for the new “up and coming bowlers”. We will ask 3-4 people who are aware of most of the league players at the club to agree a handicap for each player in the handicapped leagues and this is their personal handicap for the year, subject to a review at Christmas.   You can find out more by attending the meeting.

2.     We’d like to persuade more people to join the Pairs league which has been very enjoyable this season. We hope to get 16 teams (3 people only in each squad) and then we can create two leagues – division 1 will play on Monday evenings and division 2 will play on Wednesday evenings. Two will be promoted and two will be relegated at the end of the season. This format is the best for improving your personal game, as you have 4 woods each and someone to lean on when things go wrong !

3.     The other date for your diary is Thursday 14 April 2022 which will be our Presentation evening. We hope all those in winning league teams will come along and all those finalists for our internal competitions will also receive their awards and recognition. However, this is an evening for celebrating success and many of you who haven’t won a league or reached a knock out final will still have achieved personal targets and improved your game, gaining confidence and new friends. We hope you will choose to come to this event also to help celebrate your re-engagement in a sport we love after the turmoil of the last two years.  The ladies will be providing a small meal on the evening and of course the bar will be open. A list of people interested will appear on the notice-board shortly.

Latest Covid update  

You will be aware that all mandatory restrictions have been removed and we are being encouraged to learn to live with the virus, however we know that many of our members are in higher risk bands, so we are continuing most of the hygiene practices to reduce the risks, like providing hand sanitisation, wipe downs for hard surfaces etc. If members would prefer to retain a mask when at the club, please do so, however do not criticise those who choose to do otherwise. We would prefer anyone with a transmissible illness to stay away until they feel better and please stay away if you know you have been tested as positive, hopefully to return again when testing negative again.  Of course this will remain under periodic review in case new variants get introduced which could be harmful.    THANK YOU to everyone that has supported our endeavours to provide a safe environment to allow bowling to continue.

We are expecting an announcement on the heating/ ventilation system in the next couple of weeks which should be positive.   In the meantime, this is a good time to consider what teams you want to play with in next year’s leagues and commit your name before going back to outdoor bowling, so that you have something to look forward to when the days become shorter again.

My very best wishes go to all those that swop for the grass greens in April onwards and I hope to see many of you at inter-club matches. For others, enjoy the opportunity to take a holiday again, without all the restrictions.

John Hurren, Chairman of the Indoor section.

COVID UPDATE 2nd FEB 2022

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Unfortunately misinformation is being circulated at the club, risking a lack of confidence in using our facilities. I therefore wish to put the record straight without naming names.

Since the start of the season (1 October) we are aware of five members who have contracted the virus and tested positive. Each of these people, despite their age and health conditions, has experienced cold-like symptoms only and recovered within 3-10 days. None have needed to refer to the hospital. Currently we know of four members with Covid who are each self isolating and we hope they recover fully soon. In all but one case, the person involved is sure of where they have contracted the virus and only one suspects it may have been at the club. As a result we have tightened up our cleaning and sanitisation routines, with changing rooms being cleaned and sanitised daily and surfaces within the bowling and bar area being wiped over and sanitised between each organised session. Despite legal restrictions being lifted, we recommend face coverings are still used around the club, until you start bowling on the green.

We have a policy of informing all those present when a person may have been contagious, even though they may not have been tested positive at that time and recommending each person takes a lateral flow test to be sure they have not picked up the virus whilst at the club. We are confident that no infections have been passed on whilst at the club. However, we can only take these actions to inform members in a timely fashion if anyone contracting the virus and testing positive lets us know ASAP and we respectfully ask this to happen every time.

The current variation of Covid, appears to give cold like symptoms and because some of our members are reluctant to test themselves when there is doubt, we respectfully ask anyone experiencing cold like symptoms to stay away from the club until they are feeling better or have tested negative.

We are doing all we can to provide a safe facility at the club and enable maximum usage for those in good health that wish to bowl, but need your support:

·       by informing us if you get the virus,

·       by staying away while you are unwell

·       and by testing yourself, if you are not sure.

Thanks in anticipation of your support.

John Hurren

Chairman of the Indoor section.

COVID Update

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New guidance has been received from the EIBA due to the new Omicron variant, following the Govt announcement for "Plan B" yesterday. As a club we have always been pro-active rather than passive when it comes to protecting the health of our members and guests, so we will be accepting the recommendations with immediate effect.

 

From Friday, 10 December it is a legal requirement to wear a face covering when entering and moving around the clubhouse. However, face coverings may be removed when they are on the green and bowling and when having a drink and/or meal.

 

If anyone should come into contact with someone who has been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant they should stay away from the club and self isolate for 10 days, even if they have been double or triple vaccinated.

 

This will apply for the next six weeks (up until 21 January 2022) and will be reviewed in three weeks by the Govt, when more is known about the Omicron variant and it's implications in the UK.

 

The support of all members is essential to follow comply with this requirement, which will help us continue with a full bowling and social programme.

 

May I also assure you that we have excellent heating and ventilation arrangements at the club which significantly exceeds the requirements for fresh air input into the clubhouse and I thank all members for supporting our safety recommendations in the past.

 

The indoor committee will be meeting when necessary if further advice or instructions are forthcoming, but aim to retain the many opportunities to bowl at the club whilst building confidence about personal health considerations.

 

Thank you in anticipation of your support.

 

John Hurren

Chairman of the Indoor section. 

 

Covid Guidance

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COVID PRECAUTIONS from 25 OCTOBER onwards

As a result of the rising cases of the Coronavirus, we wish to be proactive by improving our hygiene measures to retain member’s confidence and ensure a safe environment for bowling. Your support is crucial for supporting this initiative:

·      Avoid shaking hands with other bowlers

·      Only handle your own woods, use your feet to move any woods which are not in use.

·      Jacks only to be handled by the Leads, skips to centre with their foot.

·      Mats and jacks must be returned to the box provided and should be sprayed with disinfectant between games.

·      Lift bowls out of the ditch with a cloth or other indirect implements.

·      Bowlers are encouraged to use a face covering, although this is not compulsory.

·      Use the hand sanitisers made available.

·      Please leave all bags/ clothing in the dressing rooms, don’t bring to the green surrounds

League secretaries will support this by:

üSpacing teams to provide more space when only two rinks are being used.

üWiping down rink barriers, tables, scoreboards and other hard surfaces between sessions.

The risk to bowlers of passing the virus on to others is low if you have had two jabs. Our heating and ventilation system uses only fresh air from outside and we don’t recycle any air, so please be confident when visiting us.

THANKS FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION for KEEPING EACH OTHER SAFE.

 

John Hurren, Indoor Chairman

On behalf of the indoor committee

2021 Indoor Season

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Welcome back to Indoor bowling at Chipping Norton in October 2021

Congratulations to all those that have received two jabs and thanks for assisting us in getting bowls back with minimal changes compared to pre-covid days. All restrictions are now lifted and most of the covid legal requirements no longer apply, so we are opening all four rinks and will play all normal formats for bowling as before. However, we want to continue to give you confidence in Bowling inside, so we will keep some of the hygiene precautions in place, to minimise the risk of passing any contagious disease to other players, including coughs, colds and flu, as well as covid of course. We will also respect personal concerns that some of you may have, so if you want to continue to socially distance or wear a mask or log your attendance for track and trace reasons, you can do so if you wish, but please respect the decisions of others that feel more confident in the company of others.

The bar, kitchen and changing rooms are all open and are sanitised regularly, just to be sure. We will retain hand sanitisers for your use and will wipe down hard surfaces that may have been touched , mats and jacks will be sanitised after each session.

First the bad news,...... we respectfully request that anyone who has been tested with a positive result for Covid should stay away from the club until they have subsequently been tested again with a negative result. We would also encourage anyone with potential symptons, even though it could be a cold or flu, to stay away until you feel much better. This will allow others to enjoy bowling while they feel healthy and minimise the risks.

There are lots of good news..............

We will be open from Friday evening, 1 October for a social night where you can roll up with friends. We will be on hand to welcome new and returning bowlers all day on Saturday, 2 October, so come along to get your eye in early and say hello to other bowlers. The coffee machine and bar will be open.   We will be reinforcing the ditch for your first half dozen ends as you smash your “gentle woods” into the ditch after playing outside during the summer (only joking ! but we all do it)

For the first week in October, feel free to come as frequently as you like to get used to the inside green which will be stretched next week. The first games of a new open pairs league start on Monday 11 October, so you don’t have long before you try to be competitive again.

We are encouraged by the number of teams in leagues that have pre-entered and hope you all have an enjoyable season. The club has a full programme of matches against other clubs mainly at weekends and the internal competitions will start in November, so get your entries in during October to participate. We also will be completing the unplayed finals from the 2019-20 season in mid November, so Dave Freeman, who has taken over as the Competition Secretary will liaise with all those involved in the run-up.

We have decided to suspend the online booking system, so will be reverting to a folder in the bar area again where you can reserve a rink for your competitive or social bowling.

The heating system has been serviced for a further year before we plan to replace it in 2022. This has the benefit of also providing excellent ventilation as well as heat.

The subscription fee for this year has been reduced to £65 for the season and the rink fee, when playing, will be £2.50 per session for all members. Please pay your subscription, which will ensure you are insured  by Mid October at the very latest. Please also bring cash for rink fees throughout the season, as our card payment system does not receive a good signal and gives us too much hassle!

We would love to see more Chippy bowlers representing the county this year and would encourage you to put yourselves forward. Most people are better bowlers than they think and you would enjoy the friendly environment experienced at matches and meet other like-minded bowlers from farther afield. The county scene needs re-energising following the pandemic, so let’s show the county the talent within our membership at Chipping Norton. Details can be found regarding matches on the notice-board near the office.

Whatever your motivation for bowling, may it be mental stimulation, a desire to meet friends, to get away from the repeats on TV, to achieve gentle physical fitness or because you have a competitive nature and wish to improve our own game, the club wishes you every success and much enjoyment for the coming season.

Keep an eye on our website, as this will display the current news and I look forward to seeing or meeting you throughout the season.

John Hurren. Indoor Chairman.

 

Outdoor Competition Results

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MENS SINGLES                                                                    LADIES SINGLES  

Winner         Percy Hickman                                                   Winner          Pat Brown           

Runner up    David Lattimore                                                  Runner up    Roberta Jarvie

 

2 WOOD SINGLES                                                              LADIES PAIRS

Winner         Bill Jarvie                                                        Winner          Ana Underson and Elaine Cook

Runner up   Martin Acock                                                     Runners Up   Roberta Jarvie and  Patsy Mardle

 

MENS PAIRS                                                                        OPEN PAIRS

Winners        Percy Hickman and Alex Fleming                        Winners        Cathy Sparks and Martin Sparks    

Runners up   Bill Jarvie and Martin Sparks                               Runners up    Bill Jarvie and Martin Acock

 

COUPLES TROPHY                                                   JOHN QUINN TROPHY           NEVER WON SINGLES

Winners        Pat Brown and Mike Townsend               Winner       Martin Sparks       Winner Tony Smith     

Runners up   Roberta Jarvie and Bill Jarvie                  Runner up  Alex Fleming        Runner up Pete Radbone

 

 

New Open Pairs League

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NEW OPEN PAIRS LEAGUE – Monday Evenings from 11 October 2021 onwards

Over the last two years we have received a lot of verbal support for a new PAIRS LEAGUE and we intend to commence with this new initiative on Monday evenings in the forthcoming indoor season.

Please register your interest, either by forming a team of three (only two will play each week though obviously) or by indicating an interest in playing, in which case we will match you up with others wishing to play. This is an open league, but we expect it to be rather competitive, so a great chance to improve your bowling skills and gain experience.

If we have more than eight teams register, which we hope will be the case, some weeks there will be rest nights, but this will depend on the size of the uptake. Interested?  (It’s better than watching Corrie or Eastenders !)  Please let me know: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or phone  07786 072937

Entries are required by 1 September please, so that fixtures can be arranged and published  ready for the start of the season.

Latest WestOx Results

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Indoor Bowling

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INDOOR LEAGUES – 2021/22 Commencing in October 2021

There is a lot of optimism that we may be back to normal for the indoor bowling season, so we hope that many of the people that chose not to join last year will have the confidence to do so this year, and those that played last year will want to continue this year. Potentially we could see a number of new members joining this year also.

All past team captains have been contacted and asked to register their teams for the upcoming indoor season and some responses are being received, however we would welcome new teams for any of the leagues, so if you have never been a team captain and would like to be, just find the required number of players to join your team, give it a name and let us know.

Set out below, are the proposed leagues we'd like to run, including a new pairs league on Monday evenings and have also indicated the "core number" needed for each league team, which I'd like you to provide details for, when you have decided to enter a particular league. You will have the opportunity to increase your core team later perhaps, when new members are looking for a team.

You are invited to enter teams in any of the following leagues and can enter as many different leagues as you wish:

  1. Monday Afternoon - Ladies Triple league - Core team: 5
  2. Monday evening - Open pairs league - Core team: 3
  3. Tuesday morning - Mixed rinks league - Core team: 6
  4. Tuesday evening - Men's Rinks league - Core team: 6
  5. Wednesday morning - Open Triples League - Core team: 5
  6. Wednesday evening - Open triples League - Core team: 5
  7. Thursday morning - Open Rinks league - Core team: 6
  8. Friday morning - Open Rinks League - Core team: 6
  9. Friday evening - Men's Triples league - Core team: 5

Please let me know at the earliest opportunity what your choices are and ideally, who will be playing with you (Please phone them to get confirmation rather than make an assumption). Please confirm the name of your team also. Thanks.

If you would like to join a team and currently don’t have a team to play in or you have never played in a team previously, please contact us to let us know you are interested and we will fit you into a team.

I regret to inform you that Brenda Shepherd stepped down as our League Organiser and currently we don't have anyone to fill this important position. So until we find a willing replacement, please contact John Hurren on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our internal leagues are the “life blood” of our club where people can have an enjoyable game of bowls and meet friends, old and new.  A league game takes 2 hours to play only and gets you out of house regularly throughout the winter.  After being kept indoors for so long, it will be great to meet with friendly people at the bowls club again.

Open Day 29th MAy

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Outdoor Season 2021

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5th April 2021

Dear CNBC members 

The Bowls Club was opened on 1st April to allow roll ups at the club and use the Clubhouse  toilets. So please come ready to play and change shoes outside. The key system will be the same as before.

On April 12th there will be further easing, we will take our lead from Bowls England.

From May 17th there will be more restrictions lifted and we will keep you informed.

Hopefully we will be back to normal by 21 June.

The first game is away against Hanborough, and the first home match is Hanborough on the 9th May. Please check board in the equipment shed and put your name down if possible, thank you.

Green fees will remain the same as 2019 and payable by May. You will also need to pay for any food costs and comps you enter. This later date for payment of subs will be for this year only due to covid 19.

The Monday league is to start on 17 May and charged at £2.50 and include tea and biscuits.   Keith is the League Manager.

Recruitment is going to be essential so please try and encourage friends and family to join. Coaching will be available when the season starts.

We hope that you will be able to join this year, but if that is not possible, please could you let me know so that we are able to plan the future.

While the club has been closed Martin was contracted to redecorate the club dining room, kitchen, changing rooms and bar.

Sue, Keith, Peter and Tony have put many hours on the green and surrounding areas and our thanks to them for an excellent job.

Roberta, Janet and Bill have cleaned the entire kitchen and a new cooker, dishwasher has been purchased, new flooring laid. Our thanks to them also.

The committee and I look forward to seeing you soon.

 Val Harris

October 2020 Newsletter

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Newsletter – 26 October 2020

Congratulations to all our bowlers for adjusting to the needs of bowling during the Covid -19 pandemic and we are pleased to see so many of you enjoying yourselves on the indoor green.

Your indoor committee has recently reviewed all the measures put in place and are grateful for the cooperation of members for abiding by the new rules and keeping each other safe. From Friday, 23 October, electronic scoreboards can be used again to assist you to keep track of the game. However we request just one person is nominated for each game to handle the scoreboard, thus reducing the risk of transmission to others. We have bottles of hand sanitiser located around the playing area if you forget, but please avoid any spillage on the carpet.

You will be aware that transmissions are still rising nationally and also in Oxfordshire, so we have decided that face coverings will remain mandatory to give people confidence to bowl. Currently we are in Tier 1 – medium risk, which means we can continue to enjoy our sport, but if Chipping Norton is required to move to Tier 2 – High risk, then regrettably we will have to shut the club until the risk is reduced, so please be aware of this. 

Returning to the subject of restrictions whilst bowling, as stated earlier, the majority of people are doing all the right things and getting familiar with how we can keep each other safe. However, we need to encourage the few that forget sometimes by not changing ends on the left side of the green,

By reminding people how to enter the green, by avoiding the area at the back of the green which is already occupied and only handling the jacks and mats that are the responsibility of one of the lead players. Social distancing also needs to be at the forefront of your mind when on the green.

In summary we are doing very well, but we are not perfect yet !

New opportunities to bowl

We have new proposals for both competitive singles or pairs leagues on a Monday or Wednesday evening and for a weekend super sixes contest and these have been Emailed to everyone we can. For those without Emails there are details on the notice-board at the club and also on this website.

Booking system

The new booking system is being well used and it is easy to use, via our website. This is our primary track and tracing tool and complements the NHS code scanning which many of you use and our handbook for signing in. As a reminder, you don’t need to scan or book in when playing league matches, as we do this retrospectively on the booking system, when we know who has played.

If you have booked a rink, then decide you don’t want it, please inform John Cox in plenty of time, who will cancel your entry.

Heating & Ventilation

You may be surprised, but our long suffering heating and ventilation system is one of the safest in bowls clubs around the country. Good ventilation is important for stopping transmissions of the virus and our ventilation rate is more than six times better than the recently increased recommendation for a sports hall.

New members and coaching

We will be encouraging new people to try the sport of bowling through advertising in the local media shortly and we would like to offer coaching at the weekends for younger people and those who work. We would like a couple of new coaches at the club and will sponsor any lady or gentleman who would be prepared to qualify for this role. Please speak to Bill Jarvie for details.

Leagues and Knock out competitions

Our leagues kick off their season after next week after getting acquainted with new players and changes to Covid safe playing methods and we wish everyone good luck. We will be displaying league tables on the nearest notice-board to the temporary changing area. Our outstanding Knock- out finals from last winter will be played in November and I will be persuading members to play in the current season’s Knock out competitions which start after Christmas.  Slips to make your interest known will be available in the clubhouse soon.

Christmas 2020

We suspect there will be less people going away this Christmas and fewer large family gatherings, so we will try to keep you entertained over the festive break. The green will only be closed on 3 days – Dec 25, Dec 26 and Jan 1, 2021.  We are planning a fun match for Saturday, 19 December, so watch out for details and we will be doing a Christmas draw on this day also. To make this covid safe, no prizes will be exhibited in the hall, as in previous years, but we would love to receive wrapped presents for prizes from members (like a secret santa gift) and we will put a large sheet of squared cardboard on display, where you can add your name for£1 per square. The board will be cut up into small squares for the draw on 19 Dec.

 

John Hurren, Chairman of the Indoor section.

 

CNBC Welcome Back Video

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Please look at the 'News' page for the latest newsletter

 

 

Indoor Bowling October 2020 - Part 2

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Preparations for Indoor bowling, commencing 1 October 2020 

Part 2 

For the safety of all concerned, bowlers must stay alert and follow this guidance when using the indoor green. 

In summary: 

  • We will be operating a one way system for entering and leaving the premises, to reduce close contact with others. You will arrive through the front door and go directly to the dining room, where you will record the fact you are on the premises (this is to meet our legal responsibility to assist with track and tracing, when required). 
  • Use the hand sanitiser provided as you enter the building. 
  • Our changing rooms cannot be used, so please come dressed to bowl and remove your coat and change into bowling shoes in the dining room. Bring a bag to put the shoes in and these can remain under one of the seats provided to avoid a trip hazard. 
  • Enter the green at the steps, with the leads and skips taking a jack or mat, as you will be the only person to handle this equipment throughout. Take a wide berth to your rink, to avoid close contact with others. 
  • At the end of the game the leads and skips will be responsible for sanitising the jack and mat before it is put back into the box provided 
  • When the match or session concludes, leave the green via the walkway at the coffee machine end, retrieve your outside shoes and change, then leave by the rear exit and through the gate. 
  • The bar will be available with similar rules applied in pubs and a nominated duty bar person will serve you, preferring card payments rather than cash. The practice of anyone going behind the bar will stop. 
  • When playing, you will be the only person that can handle your bowls. Anything else can be touched by the feet as appropriate, but not handled. 
  • Mats will be placed by the same people at each end, leads will deliver the jack using the jack they are responsible for. 
  • All bowls that enter the ditch will be “dead” even if they have touched the jack, so chalk is not required and the bowls will remain in the ditch until the owner has retrieved them. 
  • The jack will still be alive in the back ditch, but no bowls in the ditch will count. 
  • Please see the playing rules, further in this communication for each format. Someone will be prepared to explain this on arrival until you become familiar with the new way of playing. 
  • When changing ends always observe social distancing and walk up the left side of the rink to avoid those walking the other way. 
  • Unless you are playing a league game or in a inter-club match, you will always need to book a rink in advance, so don’t just turn up. We hope to have an on-line facility for this soon, but if not IT literate, you will do this through the booking clerk (details will be provided). 
  • Only one person can use the toilets at a time and you will be requested to wipe down any surfaces touched each time you use the toilet, to protect those that come later. 
  • Club Woods will not be available to club members who should have their own sets of woods. As many have gone missing from the cupboard and others are not put back in their rightful place, the cupboard will be taped off for the start of the season. If new members come along and the coaching sessions start up again then the situation could be reviewed”. These will be cleaned before and after being used. 
  • It is essential you stay away from the bowls club if you are unwell and should you be unfortunate and test positive for Covid-19 in the future, please let us know so that we can alert any of our members of the risk to themselves. 

 

OUR ALLIES ARE SOCIAL DISTANCING and GOOD HYGIENE, so be alert all the time. 

This is how bowls needs to be conducted, for information (you will be reminded before you start, until you are familiar): 

Two mats and two jacks will be required for each rink and the lead for each team will be responsible for the mat with the skip being responsible for the jack at each end. No other players will handle the jack or the mat. Mats are placed in position by the same person at one end and the jack will be set by the skip for the next end. The lead & skip of the opposing team will do the same at the other end. Face coverings are mandatory. 

Singles games (roll-ups or competitive) 

  • Both players will be positioned at the same end. Keep at least 2 metres away from your playing opponent at all times 
  • Each player has their own jack (and handles the mat) at one end; the opponent will do the same at the other end. If the other player has won the last end, they can direct the person placing the mat to the length they wish. 
  • The marker will centre the jack with their foot. 
  • T positions can remain at the 2 metre mark for a singles game. Mats can also be placed at full length. 
  • Only handle your own bowls and your specified jack, although jacks and woods can be kicked off at the end. 
  • Do not chalk a touching bowl. All bowls in the ditch will be dead and will be left in the ditch until they can be lifted out by their owner 
  • The marker will use a scorecard. 
  • Please be mindful about the time your session should end if others are due on the rink afterwards. 
  • Disinfect your mat and jack at the end of the game, wipe off and return it to the box or container. 

 

Pairs games 

  • Lead players will be positioned at one end and skips at the other end. Keep 2 metres away from other players. 
  • One lead player places the mat at one end the lead opponent will do the same at the other end. They will be guided by the opposing lead as to where to place the mat if appropriate. The lead will deliver the jack which will be positioned by foot on the centre line by the winning skip from the previous end in terms of the length of jack. 
  • T positions must be at least 2 metres from the ditch for a pairs game. Mats can be placed at full length. 
  • Only handle your own bowls and your specified jack, although jacks and woods can be kicked off at the end. Skips may also need to kick off mats at the end of an end. 
  • Do not chalk touching bowls. All bowls going into the ditch will remain there until their owner can lift them out. All bowls in the ditch are “dead” and cannot be counted in the score. 
  • Both skips will use a scorecard which must be handled by the skips only. 
  • Walk to the other end on the left side of your rink 
  • Please be mindful about the time your session should end if others are due on the rink afterwards. 
  • Disinfect your mat and jack at the end of the game, wipe off and return it to the box or container. 

 

Triples game 

  • Lead players and No.2s will be positioned at one end and skips at the other end. Keep 2 metres away from other players. One player from each team can step off the playing surface to create more space. 
  • One lead player places the mat at one end; the lead opponent will do the same at the other end. They will be guided by the opposing lead as to where to place the mat if appropriate. The lead will deliver the jack which will be positioned by foot on the centre line by the winning skip from the previous end in terms of the length of jack. 
  • T positions must be at least 3 metres from the ditch for a triples game at both ends. Mats must be placed at least 3 metres from the ditch also, but ensuring the minimum length of 23 metres applies. We believe this will allow 7-10 m of variation for jack lengths. 
  • Only handle your own bowls and your specified jack, although jacks and woods can be kicked off at the end. 
  • Do not chalk touching bowls. All bowls going into the ditch will remain there until their owner can lift them out. All bowls in the ditch are “dead” and cannot be counted in the score. 
  • Both skips to use a scorecard and only skips should handle the card. 
  • Walk to the other end on the left side of your rink maintaining 2 metres distance from other players. 
  • Please be mindful about the time your session should end if others are due on the rink afterwards. 
  • Disinfect your mat and jack at the end of the game, wipe off and return it to the box or container. 

 

Rinks (4 player) games 

Social distancing is more difficult to manage with eight players on one rink. Therefore it has been decided that we will play three’s up to reduce the number of people at one end at any time and when the first two players have delivered their bowls the two players will swop ends with the numbers 3 & 4 of the team. This is a variation from the norm, but will allow for safer social distancing. 

Rinks games (4 a side) 

  • Lead players and No.2s will be positioned at one end with “threes” & skips at the other end. Keep 2 metres away from other players if this can be achieved 
  • One lead player places the mat at one end; the lead opponent will do the same at the other end. A Skip will place the jack on the centre line with his foot, with the previous winning skip directing to the required length. This will be repeated throughout the game. 
  • T positions must be at least 4 metres from the ditch for a rinks game. Mats must be placed at least 4 metres from the ditch also, but ensuring the minimum length of 23 metres applies. We believe this will allow 6-8 m of variation for jack lengths. 
  • Only handle your own bowls and your specified jack, although jacks and woods can be kicked off at the end. 
  • Do not chalk touching bowls. All bowls going into the ditch will remain there until their owner can lift them out. All bowls in the ditch are “dead” and cannot be counted in the score. 
  • Both skips to use a scorecard and only skips should handle the card. 
  • Walk to the other end on the left side of your rink maintaining 2 metres distance from other players. 
  • Please be mindful about the time your session should end if others are due on the rink afterwards. 
  • Disinfect your mat and jack at the end of the game, wipe off and return it to the box or container. 

 

Other matters 

1. Electronic Scoreboards are not to be used. 

2. Re-spotting applies when the jack leaves the side of the rink: when in the ditch, the person designated to handle that particular jack will lift the jack out of the ditch, then using the foot, place the jack in position. A Jack in the back ditch within the rink markings remains “live”, although all woods in the ditch will be “dead”. The skip will identify the location of the jack in the ditch with hand signals. 

3. Starting games from alternate ends from adjacent rinks may assist with social distancing, although this shouldn’t be necessary if only three rinks are used. 

4. Markers for singles games will be used for club games. 

5. Coloured location markers used for showing the bowls and jack in the ditch should not be used. 

 

We know there are a lot of changes, but this will be the new norm until the risk of Covid-19 has gone or a vaccination is available. Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything straight away as we will assist you to get used to this. 

We may organise some introductory sessions at the beginning of the year to show you what to do, team captains will brief you for league games initially and we may make a short video that you can view, to help you understand, but don’t let these things put you off. 

 

Indoor Bowling October 2020 - Part 1

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Preparations for Indoor bowling, commencing 1 October 2020

Part 1

For a few weeks now, we have been planning for when we can offer Covid-19 safe conditions for bowlers to use our indoor facilities and we have sought to comply with both the Government advice on the matter and with The English Indoor Bowling Association (EIBA). The outside green has been open since 1 June and although numbers using the facility have been relatively low, there have been no incidents which have caused us concern, whilst those bowling have had a great time.

We are pleased to inform you that we are confident about providing safe facilities indoors, but will need your individual cooperation to abide with our playing requirements, which have changed significantly from the playing situations you are familiar with. Bowling is a safe sport where social distancing can be achieved, making it one of the few sports that can be undertaken by people of all ages, providing gentle exercise, good friends and mental stimulation to balance the general negativity we have all been through in the last few months.

However, a number of changes to the sport and social facilities have been necessary to keep people safe from contracting the virus when engaging in our activities. We welcome members and new bowlers, but on condition that you abide by our new ways of playing and socialising, so that we all stay safe. Further changes may also occur as the Covid-19 threat gets less or if there are spikes in the future and we will update the following advice when this occurs

We have set out clearly how “bowls as you know it” has needed to be changed within our Risk Assessments to keep people safe whilst at the same time giving you a chance to enjoy your bowling, whether as a competitive player or a social bowler, but again things “ain’t what they used to be!”

For those interested in playing in leagues, we need to hear from you so that we can organise the various leagues dependent on the numbers prepared to commit to this. So don’t be shy, let us know by the end of August please. Expect some communication from your past team captain on this shortly and if you haven’t played in the leagues before, but want to....... let us know soon.

This is also an opportunity for people in existing teams to consider playing on additional days. Please let us know by going to our website: www.chippingnortonbowls.co.uk , click on “contact us” and enter your name, Email address and leave your message.

For your information, we have set out what changes will be made for the way we all play and what we will expect from you so that we can collectively keep each other safe. The detail is in Part 2 attached.

From 1 October, the indoor bowls green will be open, but with three rinks only, allowing us to provide 2-3 metres gap between rinks. We have decided that face coverings will be mandatory for all indoor bowling, even though social distancing will be a priority in addition to ensuring good hygiene, thus reducing or eliminating the risk of the virus being passed on to someone unknowingly.

As an incentive to return to bowling, the Management Committee have agreed to combine the membership fee and all green fees into one payment of £120 for the coming season only. This equates to just one game a week in financial terms, but for those many people who play more than once a week, this will be a significant saving on past costs. The fee can be paid in two instalments if you wish - £60 in October & £60 in January. It also means that there is no need to pay anything more whenever you visit the club.

A number of changes have been made as a result of our desire to keep everyone safe and these are detailed in Part 2 of this correspondence. Please take the opportunity to read this before you return to the club.

Other news:

  • Outstanding competition finals from last year are to be organised in November
  • The leagues for 2019/20 have been terminated
  • New club competitions are likely to start after Christmas, circumstances allowing.
  • No food will be provided from the kitchen whilst we have to use the dining room for changing
  • In the meantime think about whether you will be bowling in the upcoming season and let us know when asked, including the leagues when your team captain contacts you. We’d be delighted to see you.

There will be more news coming shortly so keep an eye on our website periodically.

John Hurren,

Chairman of the CNBC Indoor Committee

 

 

Outdoor Season Update

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FOLLOWING GUIDELINES FROM THE GOVERNMENT

AND DECISIONS MADE BY BOWLS ENGLAND

AND BOWLS OXFORDSHIRE HERE IS A

SUMMARY OF CANCELLATIONS FOR

OUR OUTDOOR SEASON

As at 27th March 2020

1.     The club remains closed and all club friendlies are cancelled until the end of June

2.     No club competitions will take place this season

3.     No decisions have been made at this moment regarding the Club Tour

4.     All Westox games are cancelled but dates will be rolled over to the 2021 season

5.     Oxfordshire’s Men’s League games are all cancelled and dates rolled over to the 2021 season

6.     OBA has cancelled its whole programme which includes friendlies, Presidential Celebratory games, Domestic Competitions and BE competition qualifiers, all Home Counties leagues and fixtures.  Also Past Presidents and Vice Presidents fixtures.  They have also announced that the 2020 Presidency will roll over to 2021.

7.     BOL have also cancelled all matches, leagues, meetings and competitions.

8.     BE having cancelled all its Domestic events now include the National Championships for cancellation.

9.     Bowls England and Bowls Oxfordshire will be reimbursing clubs with their affiliation fees already paid.

 

Please pass this information on to any member who you think may not have access to our website.

The important message to everyone is to stay safe and well and follow the official guidelines.

Quote from Bowls England “We would encourage members to support their club financially by continuing to pay their annual subscriptions in order that the clubs will be there for them when we are able to resume bowling”

 

 

 

 

3 Set Singles Competition

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3 Set Singles Competition – 23 February 2020

A big thank you to all competitors who entered the 3 set Singles competition this year. We hope you enjoyed the all-day event and appreciated getting at least two matches due to the lower number of entrants compared with last year.

Thanks also go to Janet and Roberta, for managing the kitchen during the day and for those volunteer markers who helped us early on Sunday morning. The players were also grateful for the many spectators who visited the Bowls club during the day and saw some very good, competitive games of Bowls. Two groups of 9 people competed for the top 4 spots in each group, which led to the knock out stage, quarter finals, through to the last two bowlers standing.

The photo below shows Percy Hickman presenting a trophy to the eventual winner, Martin Acock, with Runner-up John Hurren looking on.

24 hrs Bowls Marathon

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The total raised was a staggering £3,742.20.

Well done to everyone involved. Anna is now in America with her family and has started her gruelling treatment.

Our thoughts and best wishes have been relayed to her.

NEWSLETTER WINTER 2018/19 EDITION

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CHIPPING NORTON B.C.

NEWSLETTER

WINTER 2018/19 EDITION

Editor: Tony Backer-Holst 

A warm welcome to this first edition of the CNBC Newsletter. We aim to produce a quarterly Newsletter with the intention of keeping everyone up to date on news, events and issues that may be of interest or concern to members. Hopefully it will become a vehicle to allow members and other interested parties the opportunity to submit their views, suggestions for improvements etc. or simply to express their feelings on the Club. Contributions will be welcomed whether in the form of a letter, article or whatever

THE NEW ROOF

At a recent Extraordinary General Meeting the proposal to build a cover over the part of the roof which protects the Indoor Bowls Hall was discussed. As explained at the meeting the present roof is in a very poor state and professional advice advises us to take whatever action is necessary to guarantee the situation does not worsen and threaten even more major problems. Of the options available the Management Committee decided that the option of covering the roof at a cost of circa £50,000 would be the best course of action. Following the presentation by Mike Harris, who has represented the Club through the process of identifying the best solution and obtaining appropriate estimates and the various comments, a vote was taken which returned a unanimous agreement to proceed.

Work on this project will commence at the end of the indoor season and take some weeks. Scaffolding and various building systems will be employed to enable the work but we have assurances that safe access to both the Club and the outdoor bowling green will not be affected. The indoor green will be protected with an overall covering so will not be available for play by the “Indoor Summer Bowlers” for the period of the work.

Mike Harris assisted by Bill Jarvie has agreed to oversee the project on behalf of the Club for which we offer our thanks. We will try to ensure that Cub members are kept up to date on the progress of the project but meanwhile if you have any queries, both Mike and Bill will be happy to talk to you.

CLUB TOUR

As everyone will be aware Bill and Roberta Jarvie have organised a bowls tour for 2019. The dates and full details of the tour are well displayed within the Club. At present there are 40+ members and guests signed up and the necessary planning and arrangements for the games are well advanced. I believe there are still a few vacancies for both players and non- playing tourists but get in quick as I am sure the places will soon be claimed. I have stayed in the Hotel on many occasions whilst on tours and have thoroughly enjoyed myself. Many thanks to Roberta and Bill for their initiative and for the time and energy invested in organising this event. Best wishes for a very successful occasion and to all who embark on the tour.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

In past years the Club has arranged a variety of social events which due to a lack of interest and poor attendance for some of them, were not continued. Speaking to various members we have formed the opinion that there could be support from sufficient members to warrant Organising some social events. This was discussed at a recent Management Committee meeting and it was agreed that we will take more constructive soundings to enable a more informed judgement on the value of proceeding further. Meantime it would be Appreciated if members would share their thinking on the re-introduction of a social activities programme with the management committee members. We would particularly like to hear from any members who would be interested in participating in any social events, the type of events favoured e.g Quiz Nights, Bingo, whist drives, other types of card games, barbecues with short games, car treasure hunts etc. and whether or not simple catering as a

Cont…..

part of the events would be favoured. However, most importantly we would like to know who would be willing to help with these activities and of course ideas for other social events.

Please give some thought to this topic which if effected would give another dimension to the Club which would be of benefit to the Club and members alike.

COMPETITIONS

The outdoor Competitions were once again successful and concluded at the Outdoor Section annual Dinner with the presentations. Our thanks to once again to Nigel Siford for his efforts in organising the competitions and entertaining everyone at the Dinner with his gentle mocking and amusing repartee. Congratulations to all the winners and runners up and our thanks to all who entered the competitions. Our best wishes to all who enter then 2019 competitions.

The Indoor competitions are still in progress under the direction of the Organiser, John Hurren who is making a super job of the task. A big thank you to John. The current situation is displayed on the Board near the Bar. Some surprises but some good bowling is being reported which is always a pleasing feature. To those remaining in the competitions, our very best wishes and to those who have “retired” from the events – better luck next time.

MEMBERSHIP ISSUES

Some time ago the Management Committee identified the need for the Club to produce a new “Members Guide to the Club”. John Cox offered to take on this task and he has produced a very comprehensive booklet covering every aspect of Club membership and various issues around the game of bowls. We are hoping to get copies printed soon which will ensure that all future new members will receive a copy as part of their welcome pack. We will be posting the Booklet on the Club Website should present members or anyone else interested wish to access it. Our thanks to John for his labours.

In regard to new members, in common with every other Club we have to be conscious of the need to recruit and retain members in an effort to maintain a level of membership necessary to sustain the financial and sporting standards needed to ensure the viability of the Club. Over the past few years we have   suffered net losses on both fronts and the cracks are beginning to show. The Management Committee are doing all we can to reverse this trend and will continue to do so but it would be of great help if the Club members could play a part. Do you have any family members, friends or neighbours who might be interested in taking up bowls? If you do, please encourage them to come to the Club with you, show them around and explain the six free periods of play and the process of application. The Club Coaches – Bill Jarvie and Mike Harris are more than happy to work with you if this would be of assistance.

FINALLY

Please feed back your views on this Newsletter and if you are so inclined, please submit a contribution which would be gratefully received for the next edition (early Spring) - a  letter, a critique, a poem. Whatever! This is your Newsletter!

 Meantime please accept my best wishes for a Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Finals Report

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Finals Weekend – Competition Secretary’s Report

 

The weekend began on Friday evening with the Never Won cup. Contested between husband and wife, Cathy & Martin Sparks, it was an intriguing match with Martin getting the better start to go 8-1 in front after 5 ends.  The next 3 ends went to Cathy to pull back to 8-5 after 8 ends. Martin kept his nose in front and after 18 ends was leading 16-12.  A 3 from Martin on end 19 put him 19-12 in front and the winning line was in sight, however this was his last score as Cathy took the next 6 ends to clinch the title 22-19 and secure her first trophy.

 

Saturday began at 10am with the Drawn Open Pairs and Married couples.

The Drawn Open Pairs was between Sue Field leading to Malcolm Bowden and Pat Brown leading to Pat Griffin.  Sue and Malcolm took the early lead and were 8-2 in front after 5 ends. The Pats then kicked into gear, winning the next 5 ends to lead 14-8. A comeback from Sue & Malcolm saw the score at 15-15 after 14 ends. It was 18-18 at 18 ends and then Sue and Malcolm won the next 3 ends by 1 shot to win by 21 shots to 18.

 

The Married Couples match was Carol leading to Jeff Martin and Roberta leading to Bill Jarvie. The Martins led 2-1 after 3 ends however this was the last time they were in front. The Jarvies kept the lead and the score was 6-2 after 8 ends. The Martins picked up a 3 on end 9 to bring the score to 6-5 to the Jarvies. After 13 ends it was 8-7 to the Jarvies, and they won the next 3 ends to lead 13-7.  The final 5 ends saw 3 ends being won by the Jarvies and 2 by the Martins resulting in victory for the Jarvies with a final score of 19-10.

 

Saturday afternoon saw 3 finals all starting at 3pm.

The Two-Wood Singles was contested between Martin Sparks and Micky Boobyer, with Martin taking the first 2 ends to lead 4-0 before a comeback from Micky to bring the score to 5-5 after 6 ends. It was nip and tuck and after 9 ends the score was 7-7 and then 9-9 after 12 ends.  6 ends in a row for Martin saw him lead 17-9 after 18 ends. Micky took the next 3 ends and the score was 17-13 at 21 ends. It wasn’t enough for Micky though as Martin took 4 of the last 6 ends to triumph 21-16 and take his first victory.

 

The Ladies Pairs saw Roberta Jarvie and Pat Brown up against Sue Field and Carol Martin.  Sue and Carol got off to a flying start going 9-0 in front after 3 ends. Roberta and Pat fought back to bring the score to 9-7 to Sue & Carol after 7 ends. They kept their noses in front and led 15-11 after 15 ends. 2 ends in a row saw Roberta & Pat level the score to 15-15 after 17 ends. Ends 18 & 19 went to Sue & Carol followed by 2 shots by Roberta & Pat in end 20 to make the score 19-17 to Sue & Carol with 1 end to play. What a nail-biting end this was!  Roberta & Pat, who had not been in front all game, picked up a 5 to secure the title 22-19.

 

In the Men’s Pairs, Jeff Martin & Martin Acock took on Pat Griffin and Nigel Siford. Early exchanges saw Pat & Nigel lead 3-0 after 3 ends, 7-2 after 6 ends and 11-5 after 9 ends. The next 8 ends saw each pair win 4 ends with the score 16-10 to Pat & Nigel after 17 ends. A victory for the leaders looked in sight as they just need to keep the score tight for 4 ends. However Jeff & Martin took the next 3 ends to level the game at 16-16 after 20 ends.  A 1-end shoot out saw Jeff & Martin pick up the 1 shot they needed for victory. This was the only time in the match that the winners were in front, the same as in the ladies pair’s game.  

 

Sunday morning finals were all Singles matches - John Quinn Sets, Overs 60’s, Ladies Singles and Men’s Singles.

The John Quinn Sets between Mike Harris and Tom Granville was worthy of a final. Tom took a single to lead 1-0 in the first set but Mike was on fire in the next 3 ends to go 6-1 in front. Tom raised his game in style to take the next 3 ends and lead 8-6 after 7 ends. Mike took the next end with 1 shot to bring the score to 8-7. The last end of the set went to Tom by 1 shot and he secured the first set 9-7. The second set started the same as the first with Tom taking the first end with a single shot. Mike kicked into another gear and won the next 6 ends to lead 8-1 after 7 ends. Tom needed two 4s to win the set but only managed to take 1 shot on end 8 securing the second set for Mike 8-3.  Winning one set each, Tom and Mike had to play a 3-end tie break. First end went to Mike with 2 shots and the second end to Tom with 1 shot. The third end was won by Mike who scored 1 shot to take the tie break 2 ends to 1, and the title was his.

 

The Over 60’s final was between John Hurren and John Benfield and more than lived up to expectation. John H took the first 2 ends and a 4-0 lead only for John B to take the next 3 ends to level the match at 4-4 after 5 ends. The close trend continued and the match was level at 7-7 after 9 ends. John H then took the next 2 ends to lead 10-7 after 11 ends, only for John B to take the next 3 and the lead with a score of 13-10. It switched again and John H took the next 4 ends to lead 16-13 after 18 ends. John B responded again and took the next 2 ends to level the match at 16-16 after 20 ends. John H then took a 2 and a 1 to lead 19-16 and only 2 shots from winning the title. John B had other ideas however and took the next end to make the score 19-18 to John H. The game could have gone either way with both men determined to get the last shots they needed for the title. It was John Hurren who held his nerve to pick up the final 2 shots needed to secure victory with a final score of 21-18.

 

Cathy Sparks and Sue Field contested the Ladies Singles final with Cathy getting off to a flying start with a score of 8-0 after 4 ends. Sue then won 3 of the next 4 ends to pull the score back to 9-5 to Cathy. It was nip and tuck for the next 5 ends and the score after 13 ends was 12-7 to Cathy.   Cathy then took a significant advantage winning 3 of the next 4 ends to lead 18-8 after 17 ends. Sue rallied and took 2 shots on end 18 to reduce the deficit slightly but Cathy was on fire and won the next 2 ends to secure the title 21-10.

 

The Men’s Singles final was between Malcolm Bowden and Martin Acock. Malcolm stormed out of the blocks to lead 12-1 after 11 ends. Martin then took 5 of the next 6 ends to make the score 15-6 to Malcolm after 17 ends. The next 4 ends were shared and the scoreboard moved to 18-9 to Malcolm after 21 ends. Martin then won the next 2 to pull back to 18-14 after 21 ends. 2 single shots from Malcolm in the next 2 ends saw him lead 20-14 before he conceded the match to Martin. Malcolm is unavailable to represent the club at the end of season Champion of Champions competition so conceded the game to give the club a representative in the competition.

 

I would like to thank the Green Team for producing a green worthy of a finals weekend. Also, thanks to Keith and Roberta for running ‘Keith’s Kitchen’ over the 2 days with delicious bacon rolls, and keeping everyone refreshed with drinks. It was great arriving at the club both mornings to the aroma of bacon!

 

Thanks to Pat Brown, Val Harris and Bill Jarvie for marking the finals, and to President Tony and all the spectators who came to support the finals. There were 10 people supporting on Friday evening and 20+ at each of the Saturday and Sunday sessions.

 

Finally, I would like to congratulate all winners, and commiserate runners-up who must remember there is always next year.

 

Nigel Siford

Competition Secretary   

     

 

Ladies and Mixed Pairs

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The last two knock out finals were played on Saturday, 7 April, which featured Sheila Wright and Carol Martin against Sheila Jones and Carol Thornhill in the ladies drawn pairs final and on a neighbouring rink, Shirley Crick and Paul Robbins were against Julie Singer and Martin Sparks in the drawn mixed pairs final. During the ladies final the book-keepers took lots of bets on Carol & Sheila to win ! C Martin & S Wright got off to a great start with 5 shots on the first end, but S. Jones and C.Thornhill got the game back to 5-6 in their favour after 4 ends, then for the first half of the final the scores were very close. In the second half, S wright and C. Martin started to dominate by winning 8 of the next ten ends and when the score reached 23-13 in favour of Sheila Wright and Carol Martin, their opponents conceded. The mixed pairs final saw Martin and Julie winning the first two ends by a single shot before Shirley and Paul found their range and took the next 8 ends to lead 12-2. However, Martin & Shirley rallied and gained the lead after 17 ends at 14-13. It looked like there would be a close finish and some great bowls were delivered by both teams, with Shirley and Paul coming out on tops over the last four ends to finish winners on 20-14. Congratulations to all finalists for their spirited performances and for entertaining the many watchers. The photos show the winners of the Ladies pairs final, Carol Martin and Sheila Wright on the right hand side with runners up Sheila Jones & Carol Thornhill on the left. The second photo shows winners of the Mixed Pairs title, Shirley Crick & Paul Robbins on the right with runners up Julie Singer and Martin Sparks on the left.

 

 

Men's singles and Never Win singles

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Two finals were played on 5 April. The Men's singles finals saw Martin Shepherd retain his title, with a comfortable win over Steve Witcombe. Martin dominated the game throughout with Steve struggling to find the range on this occasion. The "Never Won" Singles title was a close fought affair with Julie Singer taking a 13-2 lead after 8 ends, before Martin Acock rallied to get back to 13-9. However Julie gained a 4 shot end to move to 18-9 before Martin started to find his range and once on control of the mat, he shortened the jack and kept scoring to achieve a 21 -18 victory. Congratulations to all finalists. The photos show Martin Shepherd holding the Mens Singles Championship Shield with Steve Witcombe to his left and the second photo shows Martin Acock holding the "Never Won" Singles shield with Julie Singer to his left. 

 

 

Finals ladies singles and men's pairs

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Ladies Singles Finals 31 March 2018 - Finalists were Shirley Crick and Julie Singer. Shirley got off to a quick start, taking a 7- 0 lead after the first 3 ends before Julie started to get the distance and line and drew back to 7-6. Julie then took the lead 13-8 after 4 successive winning ends, but the Shirley came back with 4 winning ends of her own to get the score back to 14-13. From this point onwards both ladies found another gear and some magnificent bowling saw both moving to a 20-20 score, before Shirley was victorious on the final end by the single point required. The photo shows both finalist with Shirley on the right with the trophy and Julie on the left. The Men's pairs final was also played on 31 March and was contested by Steve Witcombe and Paul Robbins against Nigel Lidster and Nigel Siford. This was another close game with some excellent bowling. The two Nigel's took an early lead after 4 ends going 5-1 up and after a quick rally from their opponents went into a 9-4 lead after 9 ends. After a second rally the scores were tied on 11-11 and then went to 13-13, with little to separate the two pairs. However, a 4 and 4 on the 18 th and 19 th ends gave Steve and Paul a good lead and although the Nigel's won the last two ends, Steve Witcombe and Paul Robbins won the match 20-17. The two photos show the finalists and the winners after the event.

 

 
 

Men's County Singles Final

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Congratulations to David Leafield for getting to the County Singles Final in 2018. David was runner-up to Mark Sharland of City & County BC.

 

Indoor Finals

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Chipping Norton Bowls Club

Club Knock out Competition Finals

                                          All competitors would value your support  - Come and cheer them on !

Men’s Singles Final – Thurs, 5 April at 1900 hrs

                                          Martin Shepherd  v  Steve Witcombe

 

Ladies’ Singles Final – Sat, 31 March at 1400 hrs

                                         Julie Singer  v  Shirley Crick

 

Never Won Single’s Final - Thurs, 5 April at 1900 hrs

                                         Julie Singer  v  Martin Acock

 

Men’s Pairs Final -  Sat, 31 March at 1400 hrs 

                                          N Siford / N Lidstone  v  S Witcombe / P Robbins

Ladies’ Pairs Final - Sat, 7 April at 1000hrs

                                         Carol Thornhill/Sheila Jones v Carol Martin/Sheila Wright

Mixed Pairs Final – Sat, 7 April at 1000hrs

                                         P Robbins /Shirley Crick  v   M Sparks / Julie Singer

Triples Final -   Thurs, 5 April at 1900 hrs

                                        S Aldridge, B Jarvie, P Robbins   v    T. Smith, Shirley Crick, D. Stansfield

 

**National Over 60s Area Final**

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 CONGRATULATIONS

to

John Cox and Percy Hickman on reaching the

National Over 60’s Area Final

 

The final will take place at Oxford City & County

Bowls Club on Friday 2nd March at 7pm

 

please go along and show your support

National Championships, Area Semis

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National Championships,Area Semi Final Men’s Fours.
Steve Witcombe
Orren Bennett
Martin Shepherd
Shane Cooper
       V
City &County
Thursday 8th.Feb. 2018
6.30start at City & County Oxford.

National Championships, Area Semi Final Men’s Singles
Martin Shepherd, Chipping Norton
         V
Mike Titcombe, Westlecot.
Mon 12  Feb2018
6.30 start at Chipping Norton

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Saturday, 2nd of December 2023