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The Annual Village Gala takes place on Monday 29th August on the Croft, in St. Mary’s Church and at the Club. Unfortunately this year we have lost our sponsorship with local County Councillor Bob Fraser being unable to provide financial assistance from Staffordshire County Council. On behalf of all the Gala Committee members and supporters of the event we would like to offer our sincere appreciation to Bob for his support of the event in previous years.
The Club were delighted to be awarded a grant of £750 from the Burton Sports Council. A submission was made for four items of sports equipment to assist with the maintenance of our Bowling Green and surrounds. A modern scarifier, lawn spreader, fertiliser sprayer and strimmer have been purchased to replace loaned or outdated equipment. The Sports Council have supported Rolleston Club in the past and we would like to express our sincere thanks to them for their continued support. An article has recently appeared in the Burton Mail with Club Representatives receiving the cheque from a representative of the Sports Council.
Visitors to the Club Lounge may have noticed a large wooden spoon attached to the wall. This was awarded to the Club’s ‘A’ Team for their efforts in winning the ‘losing’ Crib League Competition. In addition there are two gleaming trophies in the Lounge which were awarded to Mick Cheetham/Tony Slater and John Bucknall/Kim Owen for their success in the two crib knock out competitions. A very successful first season for the newly formed Crib Teams. Hopefully they can go one better next year.
A decision has been taken to replace the cloth on both snooker tables and also to do some urgent work to the cushions and pockets prior to the new snooker league season. The tables are available to our three snooker teams on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and at other times members are welcome to use the facilities as long as care is taken to protect the cloth.
The Club is presently looking to form a Golf Society and a list has been posted on the notice board asking for interested members. In the near future another list will be available for anyone who wishes to form a Dominoes Team. We hope these will be well supported and add to Club activities.
Rolleston Club will once again be hosting Macmillan Cancer Support WORLD’S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING on Friday 30th September commencing at 10 am. There will be the usual raffle, tombola and various stalls including a sale of ‘Allsorts’ . Following the success of the handbag stall we are planning to sell scarves this year, so if you have any surplus scarves you are willing to donate to this very good cause please drop them in at the Club or see Jill Sharratt. Please call in on Friday 30th September, enjoy a cuppa and a slice of cake, have a chat and maybe pick up a bargain or win a prize. Last year £1400 was raised and we hope to achieve a similar amount this year.
The Club has a large function room available for hire and has received many favourable comments about the facilities during the past year. In the last three months we have hosted two wedding receptions and many other parties, christenings and Motown evenings. If you wish to book the room please reserve your date as soon as possible as dates get booked up early especially on a Saturday.
The build up to Christmas with the Entertainment Programme has started with a major tribute act appearing on the 24th September. The full Queen Tribute Band with the regular ‘Freddie Mercury’ and guitarist are booked for a special evening of music and entertainment. This is a ticketed event with a cost of £5 for members and £10 for guests.
We also have a further tribute band with Bonjovi appearing in November and New Year’s Eve sees the popular Silicone Taxis performing into the early hours of the New Year.
The full programme of bands for the next three months is listed below with a variety of groups both old and new are coming to perform at Rolleston Club.
The Club held its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 6th April at 7.30 pm. There were no changes to our organisation other than we were delighted to welcome Rob Sanders and Dom Ganley onto our General Committee. All existing members were re-elected and we now look forward to 2016/17.
The Main Room floor has been stripped and polished bringing its surface back to life. This exercise was last performed in 2010 and needed urgent attention. The surface is now very good and ideal for dancing the night away.
The Bowls programme commenced on the 2nd April with both Saturday teams starting their season. The Ladies section has also played their first games and Rolleston teams are underway for what we hope is an excellent season. Members are welcome to use the green when official matches are not taking place as long at the appropriate footwear is worn.
In comparison, the Snooker teams are nearing the completion of their season. A special mention to Tony Rushton who has now won the Jason Hyde Memorial Handicap Trophy. In the final Tony won by an emphatic 3-0 and immediately dedicated his victory to his late sister. The Club has three teams in the League and the A Team are well in the running to win the League. Congratulations to all involved in representing the Club and to those who have brought home the silverware.
The Crib teams are nearing the end of their programme and are delighted to have Mick Cheetham/Tony Slater and John Bucknall/ Kim Owen reaching their respective finals. These games are to be played in April and we wish them every success and hopefully winning the trophies on the Captains Cup night. Although neither team will win the League it has been a very credible performance by both teams and there is always next year.
The Club is now looking forward to the Transport Festival and playing its part in making it a special day. John Morris and the Transport Committee work very hard in making the Festival a ‘big day’ and with visitor numbers increasing each year great credit goes to their organisation. The Club is to provide a barbecue again this year with other refreshments available inside the Main Hall.
Planning is also underway for Gala Day on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August. The programme of classes has been completed and will appear elsewhere in this edition of the Rollestonian. This year we would like to beat last year’s total number of entries and there are special extra sections for children in photography and vegetable classes. Entry forms will again be available from Starbucks and the Club so try your luck/skill by planning your entry/s and submitting them by the specified dates.
The Entertainment Secretary has put together a varied programme of bookings for the year with three Tribute Bands scheduled to appear. On the 11th June ‘Rod Stewart and Blondie’ will provide a lively evening and tickets are available priced £2.50 members and £5.00 for guests. In September the full Queen Tribute Band with our regular Freddie Mercury plus specialist guitarist are booked to appear. To complete the threesome Bon Jovi are scheduled for November. All Tribute Bands are ticketed events and prices vary dependant on booking fees.
There are also many good groups on the other Saturday evenings and you can either listen to the music or dance the evening away in a convivial atmosphere. We have also booked Silicone Taxis for your New Year’s Eve Programme. Just check the boards outside the Club or the entertainment programme available on the notice boards for more information.
Christmas is now a distant memory and we are well into 2016. During the festive period many members, their families and guests enjoyed a sociable drink over the extended holiday.
The Northern Soul/Motown evening and New Year’s Eve with local band, Dark Horses, played to full houses. The latter event was a change to last years disco with those present thoroughly enjoying the music and dancing the night away.
The Seniors Party took place in early January with forty-eight members enjoying an excellent four course meal. Kim and Ann prepared the food and worked extremely hard all day for the benefit of our senior members. Dave’s Disco and the picture quiz and games of bingo made it a special event for all involved.
Looking forward to the warmer weather (hopefully) and the commencement of the Bowls Season in April a lot of work has taken place on the green. Last year there were many bare patches on the green and Mick Groves, Stan Ebberley and his band of helpers have scarified and hollow tined the ground and added top soil/grass seed to the whole surface. Looking at the green shortly after Christmas the bare patches had disappeared and lush green grass had appeared. The Bowls AGM will be held at the end of February or early March so if you are interested in playing for Rolleston please attend the meeting. We are looking for new players on a Saturday and players can also advance to the mid-week teams. We also have three Ladies teams who play on a Tuesday and Friday and their AGM is usually held in February. If you are interested in joining the section please watch the notice board for the details.
The Club is delighted to have one of its snooker players reach the final of the Jason Hyde Memorial Handicap Trophy. Tony Rushton (The Cue) scored an emphatic victory in the semi-final and we wish him every success in the final which is to be played in the middle of March.
The Crib Teams have reached the half way stage+ of the season with our first team holding top position with the B team being the strongest team in the League. (At least there is only one way they can go). Mike Cheetham has been instrumental in forming the Crib teams and he and the other players are to be congratulated and encouraged by their performance.
It was a major disappointment in October to discover that our Dominoes team had withdrawn from the League. It is the Club’s intention to form a team next season and new members are needed. Two people have already put their names forward and if anyone else is interested please give their details to the Club Secretary.
A defibrillator has been located in the Main Hall and nine committee members and staff have been specifically trained in resuscitation techniques and its use. The Rolleston Parish Council provided the majority of cash towards its overall cost and we appreciate the contribution which has been put to good use. Although the defibrillator gives instructions on its use it is not a straight forward exercise when faced with an emergency situation. The two hour training session was provided by an external company and those attending felt it was time well spent.
The Coffee Lounge is now a permanent addition to the Club’s activities. Over the past twelve months there has been an increase in numbers using the facilities and sampling the various changes in menu provided by Kim. It is very pleasing to listen to the comments of some of our customers who use the Coffee Lounge and compliment the staff on their quality of food and friendly nature.
In April the Club will be holding its Annual General Meeting. The Financial Year ended at the end of December and the Treasurer is preparing the accounts ready to be audited by The Chartwell Practice. At the AGM all of the Committee are up for re-election and there are a limited number of vacancies for new members. We are always looking for additions to our Committee and younger members would be welcomed. If you are interested and welcome a challenge put your name forward on the nomination lists prior to the meeting.
Entertainment on a Saturday evening has an interesting schedule for 2016. Keith Norris endeavours to provide a varied programme and certain new groups have been added to our programme with some regulars re-appearing following popular acclaim.
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Last updated: 22 September 2016