Welcome to this edition of your Club Newsletter.
Let’s start with some great news: our Belfast Ladies had a clean sweep of all the titles at the recent Finals in Ballybrakes Community Centre.
Junior Singles Winner : Chloe Watson
Singles Winner : Chloe Watson
Pairs Winners: Sandra Bailie and Cliodhna Eadie
Triples Winners: Sandra Bailie, Cliodhna Eadie, Chloe Watson
Fours Winners: Sandra Bailie, Sharon Jess, Cliodhna Eadie, Chloe Watson.
Congratulations to all of them: well done for a fantastic result. (see photo below).
The AIIB Finals were played at the Club in January also: congratulations to all the BIBC players who represented the Club -- results were:
Darren Atkinson beat Jamie Watson in the Junior Singles Final.
Stephen Kirkwood lost an enthralling Final to GMcKee.
SElliman’s rink lost to a Ballybrakes rink in the Senior Fours.
JMcCullough and SMartin lost in the Final of the Pairs.
Roy Battersby’s rink lost to GMcKee’s rink in the Fours.
Request from the Restaurant : if you are playing in the 11.30 leagues, and intending to have a meal at 1.30pm, please order your meal prior to the start of your game.
Please do not use the paper cups for water. Plastic cups are provided for that purpose.
In a similar vein may I appeal to male members not to leave half empty coffee cups on top of the lockers. Please make the effort to return them to the restaurant.
Scoreboards: If one of the scoreboard monitors ceases to work, please return it to the Office. It probably requires a new battery.
Gurning: The subject of ‘gurning’ or complaining. Normally this is something we tend to accept or ignore; it is, after all, an Ulster tendency. However, in recent weeks the intensity of the gurning has reached a new level. Can I assure members that the Management Committee takes all complaints seriously – about the heat, or lack of it; about the speed of the green, or lack of it; about some aspects of cleaning, or the lack of it. We do our best to keep things running smoothly and our Manager continues to work hard to satisfy all our customers. Please remember the building is over 50 years old, and if you wish to complain there is a Suggestions Box in the foyer – but anonymous notes will not be read.
Now a bit of gurning from me: not for the first time either!. Some members are persisting in parking in Committee and Disabled spaces at the front of the building. Starting next month, Duty Officers will call anybody guilty of this off the green to move their cars.
Please do not walk from your car straight onto the green. We have just had them(the greens) cleaned.
Short Mat : Saturday 18th February : Junior Inter-Zone competition.
The rep from Miglio will be here on Monday January 30th from 10am until 2pm.
The Internationals are nearly upon us. I am still appealing for contributions for our daily raffle; please leave anything into the Office. I thank you. In the same vein, I am asking for help as volunteers in a number of capacities eg. Anyone with bar experience; we need help selling the daily raffles at the front; we need stewards on the stairways; we need help with car-parking; markers for singles games.
The tickets for the Internationals and Championships will be available and for sale very shortly. The dates are as follows:
1. Ladies Internationals – 10th, 11th and 12th March.
2. Mens Internationals – 16th, 17th and 18th March.
3. Championships – 13th, 14th and 15th March.
Can I appeal to all our members to support the matches especially those involving our own players. Remember we only get to host series like this now and again, so take the opportunity to see the UK’s top players in action, and support your Club at the same time.
Ballot: The Ladies Committee of the Club are running a ballot for two drinks hampers – in aid of our own ladies participating in the Irish International team matches and Championships.
The same folk will be running their annual Quiz on Friday March 3rd – for the same reasons. This starts at 8pm and entry is £5 per person (4/6 people on team). Light supper will be provided.
Leagues: Obviously all BIBC League matches and casual play are cancelled for these dates – from Monday 6th March to Sunday 19th March. Speaking of which, can I appeal to all League players to complete ALL their matches – cancelled games cost the Club a lot of money.
Email addresses: As usual we ask if you have an email address, please let the office staff have it, so we can email out your summer pack and save some postage costs. Also, if we have your email address and you have changed it recently, can you supply us with your new one!
Editor
Ken Armstrong