Newsletter
The Newsletter is published periodically throughout the year to keep members up to date with all the news from the Club.
Cribbage
Laura Edmonds and Marilyn Wheeler will be running a Cribbage Club every Monday morning (11am start) from 5 January. Please support them. The cost will be £2 entry fee, to include tea and biscuits. If you haven't played before, tuition can be provided. If you have your own cribbage board feel free to bring it along.
Quiz & Supper Evening
The next quiz & supper evening (cottage pie) will be held on Friday 9 January. A sign up sheet is up on the Noticeboard. If you’d like to come along, but are unable to sign up via the sheet in the Clubhouse, please let me know and I’ll add you to the list. Cost = £10 for supper + quiz, £5 for the quiz only. The bar will open at 6pm, food served at 6.30pm and the quiz will start as soon as everyone has finished eating.
Dementia Awareness Coffee Morning
We will be introducing a coffee morning for anyone that is suffering or experiencing the effects of Dementia. This can include carers and friends or family as well as those with Dementia. The first gathering will be Wednesday 28 January 2026 from 10.30am and will last about 1 or 2 hours. If anyone knows of someone that would benefit from attending please pass on the details or ask them to ring Sylvia McPhee if they have any questions. There will be a small charge to cover the cost of refreshments and we would appreciate a few cakes if possible. If you aren’t able to attend the first date they will be subsequently held the last Wednesday of each month.
Other Dates for the Diary
· Saturday 24 January – Bangers & Bingo 12noon - £10
· Friday 13 February - Quiz & Supper Evening
· Saturday 21 February – Subs Day 10am-12noon, followed by soup & a roll at 12.30pm and Stuart’s Quiz at 1pm
· Saturday 7 March – Spring Meeting
· Friday 13 March - Quiz & Supper Evening
· Saturday 21 March – Spring Coffee Morning
· w/c 6 April – working party to re-lay the ditch liners
· Sunday 12/19 April – Opening Game & Tea
County or District Competitions
If anyone would like to enter any of the above, please put your name down on the lists provided in the Clubhouse. County competitions cost £6 per person and District £2 per person. If you’d like to enter any National competitions, you’ll need to do so via the Bowls England website.
Club Shirts
Sylvia will be ordering new Club shirts during January - please let her know if you would like to purchase a shirt ready for next season and your size. We will be ordering standard short-sleeved shirts @ a cost of £25 or long-sleeved shirts are also available for an additional £1.50. The ladies’ shirts do not have a breast pocket, but our supplier is now able to manufacture a pocket in the side seam again for an additional £1.50.
Clothing in the Changing Rooms – if you own any of the clothing in either of the changing rooms (jumpers, jackets etc), please could you claim it and/or take it home. Anything left behind will be washed and tidied away over the winter.
The Club's AGM was held on Saturday 5 December. A copy of the draft Minutes is up on the Noticeboard, but the main decisions were:
· Club Competitions: the Men’s & Ladies’ Drawn Pairs and the Men’s & Ladies’ Handicap competitions have both been combined and the Club’s 2026 drawn Competitions will therefore be: Stuart Packer, Candy Cup, Open Drawn Pairs, Open Handicap, Ladies’ Championship, Men’s Championship and Ladies’ Invitation Mixed Pairs
· Membership – a new category of Social Playing Member has been introduced. A Social Playing Member may participate in organised bowling events such as Monday afternoon roll-up, but may not enter competitions, friendlies or leagues and may not use the Bowling Green for informal practice. No Green Fees are payable. Consequently, Social Members may not use the Bowling Green at any time.
· 2026 Subscriptions:
Existing Playing Members: £120 + £10.85 affiliation fees (£130.85 total)
Social Playing Member - £20 + £10.85 affiliation fees (£30.85 total)
Social Member - £20
Junior Member - £10 + £10.85 affiliation fees (£20.85 total)
Allotments - £15 + the appropriate membership fee
2026 New Playing Members - £60 + £10.85 affiliation fees (£70.85 total)
· All the proposed changes to the Constitution & Rules were agreed – a revised copy is available on our website and a copy is displayed on the Noticeboard.
· The Committee for 2026 will comprise of: Jim Collins (Chair), Alison Miller (Secretary), Steve Low (Membership Secretary), Sylvia McPhee (Treasurer & Match Secretary), Andy Blight (Green Manager), Keith Miller (Bar Manager), Stuart Adam (Competition Secretary), Steve Durham & Jane Cook (Elected Members), Roger Ebbutt (Men’s Captain)
We welcome Jane Cook and Keith Miller on to the Committee, and thank Lynne Griffiths, Ted Wainhouse and Martin Davidge-Stringer for their hard work and support over the years.
The following positions remain vacant: President*, Vice President*, Competition Vice Secretary, Women’s Captain*, Women’s Vice Captain, Women’s Selector. (*Committee position) If anyone is interested in filling any of these positions, please let me know.
Bar Opening
Whilst provision will be made for the bar to be open for all home league and friendly matches on the fixtures list, if you are organising another bowling or social event for which you would like the bar open, please let the new Bar Manager know at least 2 weeks in advance, to allow stock and staff to be organised: aubcbarmanager@gmail.com
The Christmas Draw took place after the AGM on 6 December. Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and special thanks go to Sylvia McPhee for organising it. Congratulations to the winners who were:
Free 2026 Membership – Karen Price
£100 Voucher for The Glasses Shop – Jan Lane
£50 Voucher for The Glasses Shop x 2 – Carol Greenwood & Alison Miller
Hamper – Sharon Blight
Bottle of Bailey Original Irish Cream – Roger Ebbutt
Oral-B electric toothbrush – David Thew
Baylis & Harding Candlelit Bathtime Set – Andy Blight
Bottle of Zonin Limoneto Spritz – Jan Lane
Meat Voucher – Steve Durham
Two Magnums of Charlemagne Premium Demi-Sec – Joan Flack
Magnum of Charlemagne Premium Demi-Sec – Sharon Blight
£10 National Garden gift voucher – Keith Miller
£10 Tesco gift voucher – Sharon Blight
£10 Marks & Spencer gift voucher – Cynthia West
Thanks to:
· Karen Swaden & Mark Duffy, who sourced the meat voucher, toothbrush, bathtime set and Limoneto Spritz;
· Lynne Griffiths who sourced the prizes from The Glasses Shop and contributed towards the cost of the Hamper; and
· Bruce & Sylvia McPhee who donated the Baileys
Supporting the Club Trying to think of additional ways of supporting the Club in 2026?
Do you do a lot of online shopping, or book your holidays online? Then why not sign up for Easyfundraising? It costs you nothing, but when you shop online with participating retailers they’ll donate part of what you spend to the Club. Whether you shop on your phone, laptop or tablet, you can earn free cashback donations. The Club has received £389 this year and for more information visit the Easyfundraising website: How it Works | Easyfundraising If you use the following “Refer a friend” link, the Club will receive an extra £1….. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-good-cause/step-1/?char=332102&invite=shecur&referral-campaign=s2s&utm_campaign=web-referral
You can also support the Club by signing up for the Rushmoor Community Lottery, with a chance of winning a £25,000 jackpot each week. For every £1 ticket purchased, 50p comes to the Club and another 10p goes into the central fund for the Rushmoor Community Lottery Grants. This year the Club has received £923 directly from the Lottery and has received two grants over the past 2 years: £260 this year and £1,000 in 2024. For more information, visit their website: Rushmoor Community Lottery
Wishing everyone a restful Christmas and all the very best for 2026.