Wotcha!
Did you spot the deliberate error last time? It was Dilligently.
Look out for this week’s delibarate error.
Let’s go.
Bowls stuff
Sunday 14 June 2026 saw the first match in the EIBA summer competition Fantastic 5s.
The MidGlos Centurions played against West Berks Select team from Newbury. The format of the game is a team of five players (mixed gender) play 1 singles, 1 doubles, 1 triples and 1 fours.
The results were:
Colin Prosser (singles) lost 4-22 against a very strong player from West Berks
Colin Prosser and Trevor Bartlett WON 8-6 in a very tight match in the pairs needing to hold the shot on the last end to secure the win.
Sue Blackwell, Cath and John Black lost 7-17 in a close match in which West Berks scored 6 in the last 2 ends to gain the points.
Sue, Trevor, Cath and John lost 2-12 against a very strong skip who scored most of West Berks points.
The final score of 2-6 for the match doesn’t reflect how close the games were.
The teams were supported by a few members of the club who came to support this new competition. Thanks to Angela who opened the club, provided tea and biscuits and ran the bar. Please keep an eye open on the fixtures board and come along and support your fellow members in future matches.
Help Needed!
We urgently need someone to open the club/bar for the next match on Sunday, 5th July at around 10 a.m. and closing around 2.30 – 3 p.m. Please let Layla or the office know if you can do it.
Youth Bowls
Bowls England have just announced their squad for the British Bowls Under-18 International Series which will be held at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa on Sunday 19 and Monday 20 July. I’m delighted to report that the squad includes our own Dylan Williamson, Josh Hodges, Louie Hodges and Erin Burke.
We wish them the best of luck and hope to be reporting on their future successes.
Board stuff
I’m very pleased to announce that we have appointed Avril Goddard to the position of Catering Manager. This still leaves two vacancies – Director of Marketing & PR and Director of Catering.
The new board is currently in the process of acquiring various marketing materials both for noticeboards but also for manned displays in Supermarkets. This is all part of our drive for new members and thereby to increase our revenue.
Gill has continued to do a sterling job on cleaning our remaining coffee machine. We will soon be ordering a second machine Would those volunteers who put their names forward to help with catering, please let us know if you would be happy to take a turn cleaning both the existing and new machines. Thanks in advance.
Liz has been working hard on finding ways for the office to generate less paper. Watch this space.
Social stuff.
Remember that Summer cribbage is now on alternate Wednesday mornings from10-12, with the next two being on Wednesday July 1st then July 15th. This will continue throughout the Summer.
The next quiz night is on Saturday, 18th July with Harold Grouse & Fred Croxton as the quizmasters. Cost is only £6 per person, £7 for non-members including a buffet! Enter on the notice board by reception.
Yoga is held every Wednesday from 12.30 – 1.30p.m. The cost is £10. Please bring your own mat.
The next session of Bingo will be on Sunday, 28th June, 3-5 p.m. Please bring a raffle prize. There will be a Summer Bingo break so it will restart on 27th September, (not 30th as misreported last time.)
Getting to know you.
Born in 1970 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire the first child of Chris and June. I have one sister called Clare who lives in Didcot. Sadly my Mum passed away in 2023, but my Dad is still with us and turned 80 earlier this year.I married in Witney to Michael Osman in 1992 on my parents silver wedding anniversary, and had two boys, Jarrod and Lathan. Lathan you may see at the club as he volunteers on reception in the winter. I divorced in 2011, remain good friends with Mike, but changed my surname back to my maiden name after my divorce. In my life time I have slowly moved westward from Hemel Hempstead to Witney to Gloucester. I bought my first house in Hardwicke in 1988 and bought my current house in Brockworth on Friday 13th 2002, lucky for some!
During my working career I have worked for the TSB, Wincanton, Boots and on 5th September 2005 I started at MidGlos. I have seen many changes here, most for the better and I really feel very passionate about the club. My life revolves around work and I regularly work outside of my regular hours, taking calls and emails throughout the day and weekends. I’d do anything to keep the club running smoothly and efficiently night or day, every member feels like extended family.
I have 6 dogs and 5 cats! Yes I am possibly quite mad! I do love the unconditional love animals give to you and they are far less messy than my two boys and eat less than them as well. I even have a vehicle that is dedicated to the dogs so I can take them all out together. I meet with other people who have Old English Sheepdogs twice a year at Weston Super Mare and try to raise money for Heroes the Old English Rehoming Charity, tin on reception.
Nature notes
Did you identify this which was found in the grounds of the club?
It is a Cockchafer which is also known as a Maybug and often nicknamed a doodlebug because of the loud noise it makes when flying.
Lockers Latest [from Yvonne Anderson-Foss]
During the last two months many hours have been spent checking lockers that, according to our records, don’t have owners. After checking half of the lockers, I’ve only managed to identify a few that are available for hire (i.e. empty lockers that have a spare key); I’ve attached magnetic labels to these to explain how to hire them. A third of the other lockers don’t have a spare key.
We were surprised to find so much stuff in lockers that we expected to be empty. Some of the lockers appear to have been unopened for several years. As well as fixtures booklets from more than twenty years ago, an opened packet of shortbread fingers with expiry date 2014, a couple of £’s worth of loose change, a few gloves, lots of pieces of chalk and lots of cloths we found several sets of bowls, bags/carriers, shoes, measures and a couple of bowls lifters all of which the club will be able to use or sell once we’re sure that they’re not going to be claimed.
I managed to return bowls, shoes and a Hot Shot certificate to the family of a member who passed away in 2018 and I phoned someone who last played in 2019 (he’s happy for us to pass his stuff on to anyone who can use it).Three lockers contained stuff that appears to be currently in use, but we don’t know the identity of the owners. (see photos).
As mentioned in a previous newsletter, LOCKER 35 contained two sets of woods, two measures, a pair of size 9 bowling shoes, a blue scorecard holder and sundry other items. A set of size 3 bowls and a pair of size 11 shoes were found in LOCKER 52 which we know was empty in late 2025. LOCKER 68 contained a set of size 00 bowls and pair of size 8 shoes. These and several other “Owner Unknown” items have been moved to different lockers. If you are the owner of any of these items please have a word with Kath or me. Anything not claimed by the end of September will be disposed of.
If you would like to rent one of the available lockers they are £10 per year or £5 for the remainder of this year (ends 31st August). If you’d like to swap your existing locker for one of the available ones (no extra charge), please do so before the end of July or after September as our focus during August and September will be on membership and locker renewals.
Punny Ending
A friend is trying to cure his fear of trolls – but not quite yet. He’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
In Closing…
The next issue is out on Monday July 6th
I’m always contactable at the email address below.
Bye for now,
Tony Letts.
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