1. Colts vs Dads match this Friday which starts at 18.00. The game is followed by a BBQ and Live Band folk band called 'Mango Walk' who not only play wild Irish jigs but varied music such as Slovakian stomps, Andrews Sisters WWII sing-a-longs, silly 1950s drawling drunken ballads and folk reworkings of 1980s classics. We are charging £10 per adult and £2.50 per child but your BBQ is then free. This will be a very popular and a fun evening, so if you are interested please let Andy (07538 911103) or Mandy (07951 701086) know directly. All members are welcome. Please let Ben Conway (07737 946880) know asap if you can play in the game. These Social Events are crucial to our existence and I ask you to please support if you are in any way able.
2. I can now confirm that we are going to have a Nets Opening Day on Sunday 15th September. A very rough plan for the day as I type is as follows
Colts match starting at 10.30 to finish at around 12.30 while other Colts are using the nets, followed by food for players and families
13.00 - nets to be formally opened by our local Councillors and the first 'official' balls to be bowled and batted by TBA guests
14.00 - playing an adult match, probably 35 overs an innings. All spectators are of course welcome
19.00ish - finish with a BBQ
3. We are also holding two other important events on that weekend in September. Friday 13th September will be our Colts Presentation evening. All members are encouraged to attend to celebrate an unbelievably successful and enjoyable colts season. Please mark it in your diary now.
4. Also on Saturday 14th we are holding a 6 a-side tournament at Strayfield Road. This will be a very social day, so if you can get a team together with mates, family, work colleagues etc then please do and let me know.
5. We hosted a Hertfordshire County Under 14 Boys game vs Cambridgeshire last Sunday. Huge thanks to Mally, Alex Williams, Del Boy, Phil Jones and Darren Atkins for getting all the arrangements right on the day. Our youth Club Stumps were a huge attraction too I understand...... All visitors were very impressed with our club and setting and Herts Cricket are very keen to visit us again next season which is great for extra revenue on a Sunday and for our profile within Hertfordshire. This is the first time we have hosted such an event, so thanks again to those who made it happen. Incidentally the game went down to the last ball and Herts won!
6. We at Management continue to make small improvements to our club. Some recent examples are:
we have just bought a new bar fridge. We have needed one for a while, but have waited until we had enough money. This will give us more space for greater choice and cold refreshment for longer on busy days/nights
staying with the bar we have just moved breweries. We are now with Carlsberg (We don't make Cricket Clubs, but if we did, we still could not better NECC!!). You will notice very little difference, with the draft lagers being the same, but we do have new bitter and cider and we will also get a new Guinness 'surger.' Main benefit for us is a cheaper barrel price. Thanks to Mark Ricketts and Andy Mac for managing this
we are now turning our thoughts to the close season and getting some quotes for jobs. Our gutters need some TLC, we really need some new flooring and are keen to smarten up the bar / main pavilion in general. If you have any ideas or contacts then please let me know. The weekend of the 5th/6th and 12th/13th October are our Work Rota weekends. Please mark them in our diares now and come along for at least one day. Dads, mums, colts, sons, daughters, wives etc are all welcome.
7. On the pavilion front we did fully refurbish the ladies toilets last year (yes I know the Gents and Disable loos need doing too). We purposefully redesigned them so the far right cubicle has a baby-change ledge. I think this was a very necessary and considerate idea. Only thing is we are having to continually close the toilet to unblock it as nappies and wipes are being flushed down it. Please who ever does this be considerate to us and stop it, you would not do it at home so please do not do it at NECC! Thank you.
8. I know Stuart Halley is looking at options for our Dinner + Dance. I will update you on progress soon......
9. Both League teams are doing really well and so is our Sunday team. Please let captains know when you are available so make their demanding positions easier. Thank you.
Finally two more important things. Firstly we do have neighbours and in the summer noise travels further and windows are open. Please continue to be considerate in the evenings and keep all noise to a minimum. Secondly NECC is as much your club as it is mine and all of us on Management. If you have any ideas, suggestions, observations of thoughts about anything re. North Enfield CC then please let me know.