March is almost here and with it some pre-season activities, starting with a plea for help with clearing up the grounds this coming weekend. If you can spare a hand anytime from 11am it’ll make lighter work for the rest. For those on you unable to make it there’ll for further sessions nearer opening time over the weekend of 5-6th April, or anytime throughout the season!

Next week sees the last of the winter socials – a night of Bingo hosted by Neil on Tues 4th at 7:30pm. All welcome, including family & friends. Our signing-on evening is planned for later in the month and then it’s not long until the bowls action starts from Sunday 13th April. There’s been a couple of additions to the season’s fixtures which you can catch here .. Calendar. There’ll also be the usual Fixtures booklets available at sign-up too.

This month’s winter social went well with Quiz Night hosted by our ever popular compere Gary and ably assisted by Chris. This time round we had to answer such devilish questions around the longest migrating bird, beer consumption in the UK and Dick Wittington! The top team negotiated the questions well and carved out a healthy win .. congratulations to Andrew, Anthea, Colin, Julia & Tarun who all won scratch cards. Colin also won last month’s game of Slippery Anne so he’s the one to watch out for next time, which is likely to be Bingo on Tues 4th March 7:30pm.

As we near the start of the bowls season, just a shout out for help around the club to tidy up the grounds and get everything sorted .. more details soon and also about sign-up and opening, etc..

Thanks to Eileen, our Fixtures Secretary, the calendar for 2025 is shaping up nicely. Alongside the usual mix of South Middlesex League (SML) games and friendlies we have a couple of new fixtures at home to Heathervale and away at Wraysbury on their all-weather surface. The day-long club competitions have also been added. All the dates are available on the website .. Calendar 2025

There’ll be further reminders but please be aware you must be available on at least one of the two Finals days to enter the season’s Club Competitions .. Sat 30th & Sun 31st  August.

Our winter socials continue next week on Tues 4th Feb 7:30pm with Gary compering the ever-popular Quiz Night. Everyone is welcome, including family & friends. NB: this year’s newly crowned world indoor bowls champions are the Scottish pair of Jason Banks and Julie Forrest 

The Cricket Club is hosting a Valentine’s Disco on Saturday, 15th February, with local DJ Eddie Collins on the decks. With the aim of raising more much needed funds for further improvements. Eddie is a very talented and entertaining DJ. He’ll be playing 70’s, 80’s & 90’s Soul, Funk and other floor-fillers to get us all up dancing. You never know he may even teach us a few new moves! There will also be a raffle plus a few other surprises on the night. Tickets are just £10, with a Special Offer of 4 for the price of 3 until the end of January. Just click on this link to buy yours now: Cricket- Valentines-Disco We also have a COMEDY NIGHT booked in for Saturday, 22 March, please put this in your diaries. Tickets will go on sale in mid Feb.

It is with great sadness that we relay the news from his granddaughter of the passing of Vic Collings. He was a mild-mannered guy with some stories to tell, in the mould of recently departed TonyL. Although he never picked up any playing trophies he was an enthusiastic member of the club and was awarded the Club Trophy in 2014. His activities on the bowls green were curtailed when his wife, Barbara, suffered some health issues and he moved to be with family in Norfolk when she passed away. He always kept up to date with news at Sunbury Bowls via email. We say goodbye to another good guy. RIP Vic.

Just a reminder that we continue with the Winter Socials on Tuesday with an evening of cards in the form of Slippery Anne .. all are welcome from 7:30pm.

We’ve said goodbye to the shortest day of the winter, Christmas is pretty much done and 2025 is just round the corner. As we await to see what Trump and AI brings in the new year we have a winter programme of bowls socials to look forward to, starting on 7th Jan with an evening of Slippery Anne (or Black Lady); Gary’s Quiz will be back in February and possibly another go at Bingo or Skittles before spring activities ramp up on and around the bowls green. We await planning permission for the Barbara McQuade Summer House even though it’s understood to be permitted development! I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing everyone well in the coming months, especially those of us who are currently below par. Happy New Year!

Tues 7th Jan 7:30pm – An evening of Slippery Anne (game rules here .. Slippery Anne)

Tues 4th Feb 7:30pm – Gary’s Big Quiz

Tues 4th Mar 7:30pm – tba

Other news/dates from the Cricket Club including a New Year’s Eve party and Valentines party ..  Cricket Club news

At the recent AGM we heard about proposed changes to the SSA building and around the green. Both are subject to planning approval but should result in improved facilities going forward.

As a result of the drive for women’s cricket at the club there is a proposal to change the “bowling club” end of the building to provide women’s toilets, showers and changing room. In so doing our space will contract but will result in a more usable space with additional facilities, nicer decoration and ready access to the bowls green! The target date for the work is next winter. Separate to this is a new facility by the green .. a summer house in the name of Barbara McQuade, who kindly provided the funds for this in her will. Other topics discussed were expenditure for a new mower; fresh ideas for club competitions and the debate between round-robin or knockout for the day-long ones; proposals for a drive to remove cash payments and for tiered membership schemes; a request for some Monday night “how to” and coaching sessions. We also have a new President in the shape of Diane Saunders .. not the first woman in the role as that honour went to Miriam McDonald back in 2010, but very welcome anyway. There are also a couple of new faces on the committee .. Andrea Edwards as Safeguarding Officer and Gary Langford as a general committee member.

Our December winter social on Tues 3rd December 7:30pm will have a Christmas theme – everyone is welcome.

The SSA AGM is Thurs 28th November 7:30pm.

Safeguarding documents are available here .. Safeguarding

It must be the season for Annual General Meetings as we have two coming up in quick succession. First up is our own Bowls Club AGM on Thurs 21st 7:30pm; followed by our umbrella organisation (SSA) the week after on Thurs 28th 7:30pm. All are welcome to hear about this year’s activities and what’s planned for 2025 and further ahead.

Last Friday saw a bumper attendance at the annual Bowls Club Dinner and Presentation of Awards. Thanks to everyone who made it a success from the organisation of the dinner itself, to the raffle and printing of certificates, etc. Thanks Diane, Eileen, Cassie and Nikki. All the recipients of the trophies were decided beforehand so congratulations to those collecting them, but a special mention to those revealed on the night .. the season’s Club Night winners Sandy Richardson and Nathan Wigg.

All the photos captured on the night are available here .. Club Dinner 2024

We’ve received the following message after Tony’s funeral last week  ..

It was Neil Fowler’s night at November’s winter social. After hosting a very well received night of Bingo he was then awarded this year’s Club Trophy, ahead of a few other worthy contenders. Congratulations to all the winners on the night, especially to the lucky winners of Full House .. Alison, William, Peter, Jenny, Bindley, Nikki and Hilary.

November is turning into a busy month with a couple of other planned events coming up.

Friday 15th 6:30pm – Club Dinner & Presentation of awards. Any donations for raffle prizes would be gratefully received (please hand to Eileen on the night). Please plan to arrive from 6:30pm for a 7pm start.

Thurs 21st 7:30pm – Club AGM. Details will follow soon. Everyone is welcome to attend to review the past year and hear what’s planned going forward.

Our next winter social takes place on Tuesday 5th November from 7:30pm and it’s sure to go with a bang! Neil will be calling the numbers as we play Bingo .. everyone is welcome including friends & family.

We’ve now received details of Tony Latchford’s funeral on Wednesday 13th November .. Church Service at St Mary’s at 1:30pm; Committal at SW Middlesex (Hanworth) Crematorium at 2:40pm; Reception afterwards at the Bowls Club (SSA). Full details are here .. Tony’s Funeral

All are invited but please try and let his daughter know so she can gauge numbers for the Reception. Email: sarah_claffey@yahoo.co.uk.

Finally, the Cricket Club are hosting an evening with Michael Jackson on 30th November ..

We are delighted to welcome Jay Styles one of the UK’s top tribute acts to our Club on Saturday, 30th November to perform his fabulous Michael Jackson Tribute Show. Jay will deliver two incredible live sets featuring the best songs of Michael Jackson and The Jacksons. Jay’s not only a great singer, but also a fantastic dancer, with all those ‘Thriller’ moves to ‘Show You the Way to Go’. So be ready like ‘Billie Jean’ to ‘Enjoy Yourself’ and ‘Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)’ and ‘Don’t Stop til You Get Enough’. You know that ‘I’ll Be There’ to ‘Rock With You’. The tickets are £12 each, but for a limited time you ‘Pretty Young Thing’s can ‘Beat It’ with our 20% discount offer using this link: Michael Jackson

We recently received the sad news of the passing of Tony Latchford. Up to this year he was an enthusiastic bowler despite his sight issues, always keen to partake whenever he could. He certainly had a good life and was blessed with a way to recount stories of his past endeavours, having travelled in a golden time and particularly in the Far East. So far as bowls honours are concerned he was unlucky to lose out in the finals of both the Presidents Plate and Men’s Pairs in 2017. Tony will also be fondly remembered for hosting the Sunbury Bowls’ 50th anniversary celebrations in 2018 alongside his wife Janet. RIP Tony!