Welcome to this edition of your Club’s Newsletter. We have had a busy start to the season as usual. Disappointingly, we have the usual number of suspects who ‘forget’ or refuse to pay their subscriptions until the last moment or well past it. These folks are making the Committee think of imposing late fee surcharges next year. Strangely, these are often the same people who I hear complaining abut all sorts of things in the Club!!

Postponed games: a reminder : the defaulting team must inform their opponent and also the Office – the latter MUST know the re-arranged date ASAP as free rinks are at a premium some days/nights.

Car Parking: we are receiving a fair bit of grief over ‘illegal’ parking by members. The Disabled and Committee car spaces are self explanatory. Fit and able members, and visitors, are asked to kindly park at the rear of the Clubhouse.

The Bowls Shop I am glad to say is doing good business; anybody selling second hand bowls see either Tom or John (private notices around the Club are not permitted).

The Macmillan Cancer Relief Coffee Morning raised £823.15p – a magnificent effort.  Many thanks to Greta Jeffers and her team (pictured below) of ladies for their contribution.

Appeal for old mobile phones – for Meningitis Research Foundation (but we will make some money also!).

The PBA matches were held in the third week of September. Our own BIBC members did extremely well – Maurice McKeown lost on Sunday in the Welsh Final and John McCullough lost in the Scottish Final on Monday.  Well done. Connected to this – we were very short of markers for this event, and while we were not responsible for organising it, it did reflect poorly on the Club. SO – we are doing two things. Firstly, the Club’s umpires are going to organise a little course for markers.  Secondly, the Club next year will offer a voucher for one night’s free bowling if they sign up to mark occasionally when required during the season.

Xmas Raffle- I know, I know, its only October, but the Club will shortly be raffling a set of Classics - £1 per ticket.

The Irish Seniors (containing some of our own ‘old hands’) won the British Isles Trophy – for the third year running – at Bodellwyddan in Wales.  But late news!  Apparently a scorecard was marked incorrectly and Scotland has been declared the winners- a week after the event. Some organisation there! Sorry boys.

DRESS CODE : REMINDER – greys and whites for both sexes. NOTE : jeans of ANY colours are not permitted. Players who persist will be asked to leave the green after two warnings.

No Coaching advice this month, but if anyone is interested in BECOMING a Coach please see the Notices about the Club – I am running a Course here ( for the Belfast region) on 19th 20th and 21st November.

Coming up on Saturday 23rd October- the Restaurant is running a Bistro Night – cost of tickets is £15.50. See separate menus on the tables. BOOK EARLY!  Late night with music afterwards.

Editor