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We’ve had a fantastic sunny start to the cricket season this May – rather different to last year! The first and second XI have both enjoyed a sunny home game each – did that happen at all in 2007? The bar takings on Thursday nights at the club also show that the temperature has meant those parents walking their children up to the cricket have worked up a thirst. If you haven’t noticed so far that cricket is at the very heart of the Hook Norton community just come along on a Thursday night between 6.30 and 7.30 and see the hundreds of boys and girls being coached by Paul White and his ever growing band of coaches.
Young or old we hope to see you up at the field over the summer.
Contacts, Seniors Tim Lunel, Juniors Paul White
Hook Norton Tennis Club first in Oxfordshire to achieve Tennis Clubmark
Tennis Clubmark is the LTA’s club accreditation programme. All types
of tennis clubs are eligible to apply, including traditional tennis
clubs, clubs based on school sites and commercial clubs.
Achieving
Tennis Clubmark means that club members, potential members and
parents of juniors in the tennis programme know that the club is
managed effectively, we are providing a safe environment at our club
and a great on-court tennis programme. Hook Norton is one of only 11
tennis clubs in the country to have achieved Clubmark and is the
first tennis club in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
There was a celebration of this achievement on Tuesday 3rd June at the Club when Ash Taylor, tennis development manager for Oxfordshire and Berkshire Lawn Tennis Association presented the Clubmark to Matt Hill, junior development officer.
Junior membership for the summer holidays – just £10
Why not play tennis in the summer holidays? You need to pay in advance (see any member of the committee to join), and the fee just covers the summer holidays.
Adult and full members and coaching would take priority.
Junior coaching
Two primary schools tournaments were held at the tennis club in March and April. This was a result of five weeks worth of tennis coaching for year two pupils at seven primary schools with two boys and two girls selected to participate in the tournaments. The first tournament was held on 27th March with Hornton, Shennington, and Sibford Gower all participating. The second tournament took place on 24th April with Great Tew, Holy Trinity, Middle Barton, and St Mary’s taking part. Sibford Gower and St Mary’s were the respective winners. Many of the children have now become involved within the coaching programme. Coaching sessions are currently taking place for all ages during the week and at the weekend.
We have entered a Boys and Girls 14&U team into the Oxfordshire National Junior Club League for the first time this summer. Our juniors will be competing in singles and doubles matches against other clubs throughout the county.
If you would like more information please telephone Marc Gilkes or email: marcgilkes@fsmail.net
Adult Coaching:
The ladies coaching sessions are on Tuesdays from 10.00am-11.30 am; the cost per session is £7.50. Please contact Marc if you would like to attend.
Steve Bone continues his weekend coaching every third Sunday – contact Sean Callery for more details. Email: sean@caller.demon.co.uk
Junior Design Competition
If any juniors would like to design a plaque for the new Sports & Social Clubhouse, get your design ideas to Kerrie or Colette by 14th June.
You need to include all of our sports activities (tennis, football, cricket and harriers) as well as social. The words ‘Hook Norton Sports & Social Club’ must feature in your design, and 2008 – the year it is opening.
Entries on A4 sheets please. There is a small fee of £1 per entry – don’t forget to put your name, age and the sports or social section you belong to on the back.
Men’s Singles
Chris Butcher won the Men's Singles Tournament in a closely fought match.
Rai Wahlen was winning at 6-3, 5-5 but Chris unexpectedly did the splits when going for a particularly difficult shot, and the sharp pain made him more alert. Rai was so surprised by Chris’s antics that he then lost the match.
Wimbledon Draw
The draw for Wimbledon tickets was held on Tuesday 20th May at the tennis hut.
Annual Tennis Dinner
This will be held at The Sun on Friday 27th June – contact a committee member for more details.
Club Nights
These are held on Tuesday and Friday evenings from 7-9.30 pm and on Sunday mornings from 10 to 12. If you’d like to have a game of doubles, do come along.
“Well, that’s it” is an expression that invariably means that something has been brought to a conclusion and, in relation to our club, the expression could now be uttered for at least three significant reasons.
“Well, that’s it” means, firstly, that season 2007/2008 has finally ended. It has been a season of “success and achievement”, according to Chairman Mike Barlow, with the First Team once more competing and holding its own in the Premier Division of the Hellenic League and the Second Team finishing in 9th position in its league. Also, apart from the club’s achievements on the field of play during the 9 months just ended, the season was significant for the installation of the facilities for which the club has fought so hard and waited so long: covered spectator accommodation, dug outs, perimeter hard standing and, of course, the floodlights, all of which have received many complimentary remarks from both home and visiting spectators. Furthermore, many matches and other events have been notable, none more so than the informal naming and opening of the Ian Willoughby Stand by the late Hooky player’s nine years’ old daughter, Hannah in the early part of the year. As always, at a season’s end, the club owes an enormous debt of gratitude to all of its sponsors, (especially its main sponsor, Smiths of Bloxham), helpers and supporters, without whose backing the club would not be able to survive at this level of football. Having said that, practical help is also invaluable on match days, particularly at home, and in this connection the club has been blessed by having the regular services of Colette and Kerrie in the clubhouse; their loyal services were deservedly recognised with the award of Club Persons of the Year at the End of Season Presentations’ Evening when local young player Pete Moulder scooped no less than 3 awards, including the Spirit Award presented by the Lee Stratford Community Trust.
“Well, that’s it” is something that Ben Spiero surely uttered when the end of the season also brought to an end his 4 years’ most successful reign as First Team Manager, thereby allowing him to enter imminently into marriage with Hannah, whilst still remaining with Hooky as both a player and a director of the club. Continuity for next season and beyond has been maintained by the appointment of Karlton Stratford as Ben’s successor. Karlton is a popular choice, having begun his football career in the village many years ago and, apart from this aspect and his local connections, his footballing pedigree is second to none in the area.
“Well, that’s it” was something that I, also, said as the season came to an end. Having worked with the club for the past 7 years, five of them as club and match secretary, I have decided that it’s time to hand over to someone younger. That person is Garnet Thomas, a most popular and respected Hooky ex-player whose roots are well and truly entrenched in the village. Garnet, with Mike and the rest of the committee will look after our club and, with your help and support, will develop and safeguard its future.
Next Season begins on Saturday 16th August (away, of course!). Up the Hooky!
“Well, that’s it”
As I am sure everyone is aware the new pavilion is well on its way to completion and all the money raised has been well invested into a fabulous new building that so many people are going to enjoy using.
A huge amount of fund raising has taken place in order to finance the build of the pavilion but further funding is required to continue to furnish the club.
A scheme called ‘BUY A BRICK’ has been set up in order to raise the necessary funds but also allow people the opportunity to leave a message or their name upon the walls of the pavilion for years to come.
There will be framed and mounted pictures of ‘bricks’ on the walls of the new pavilion with the names and any messages from each contributor. Examples of messages could be; “from the Bloggs family”, or “where Tom scored his first hat-trick 2007”, “in memory of ……” or just a name.
Each contributor will also be entered into a raffle and given the chance to win £250 and be invited to the opening of the Pavilion.
Obviously the more money that is raised the better equipped the Pavilion will be – something that will be of benefit to so many people. Each brick costs a minimum donation of £10 but you can obviously buy more than one brick.
So please if you have ever used the sports and social club or think you may use the new pavilion in future, please buy a brick and help us to furnish the property to a standard we can all be proud of.
Please complete the form below and return it to Cathryn at No 1 or Bridget at No 5 Ironstone Hollow. Please fill in your phone number in case we need to check any spellings for the inscriptions or if you win the £250.
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‘BUY A BRICK’ campaign
Name…………………………………………………………………………
Telephone Number…………………………………………………………..
Message on brick………………………………………………………………………….
Please make cheques payable to ‘buy a brick fund’
Return to Cathryn No 1 or Bridget No 5 Ironstone Hollow