Are the weeks rushing by or dragging?  They say time flies as you get older.  Have the last 15 weeks flown by for you?

Tomorrow (Saturday) a CP IX will be venturing down the A316 and onwards to play the Bishop Duppas Committee IX away at 1.30 pm.  Next Saturday different teams from both clubs play at Cambridge Park at 3.30 pm.  We’re looking forward to the challenges.

A list of ad hoc fixtures is on the calendar page and we hope some of you will be along to watch at least the home games.  The bar should be open for those.  I’m awaiting confirmation of other times/days it will be open.

On one of our work zoom meetings, the question was thrown into the ‘room’ re going to a pub tomorrow when they open.  The majority said “no” which sort of surprised me.  Sitting in a pub garden in the evening sunshine with friends and chatting sounds appealing to me but I wouldn’t want to sit indoors.  Do any of you have views either way?  There is no right or wrong answer.

The only things we all have to do is keep hand washing regularly, keep using anti-bac gel, keep sensible social distancing and stay alert.  It would be awful to go back into lockdown having worked our way through the easing of restrictions in the last few weeks.  It makes you feel very sorry for the people of Leicester.

Phone a friend and keep smiling!   Hope to see you at the Club soon.

Dawn

You can read the full Guidance here

02 July 2020 – Bowls England Updated Covid-19 Guidance for Clubs

First two relevant pages below

(f.i. Latest info from EIBA this morning is that are awaiting government information on indoor sports but for the time being, no indoor bowls permitted – sorry about that for those who only bowl indoors.  However, we need to stay safe and not encourage a spike.  I think you would all agree with that.)

My boss said yesterday was 100 days in lockdown but the radio said it was today.  If you have a few minutes on your hands, perhaps you could do a quick count up and let me know?!

It’s also 1st July … JULY!  It seems unbelievable we’re half way through the year, yet we haven’t had a year or rather we’ve had a year we wouldn’t have wanted.

What have we learned?

Stockpiling is selfish.  Shopping for your neighbour is selfless.  Cooking for someone else is more fun than cooking for oneself.

Jigsaws are great fun.  Oh, no, not another jigsaw.

De-cluttering is wonderful.  Aargh.  How did I collect so much stuff and where should I store it until the charity shops are open?

My kitchen cupboards are clean, tidy  and sorted.  I cannot find things in my kitchen cupboards now.

My freezer has been defrosted.  My freezer is now inefficient as there’s nothing in it.

My garden has never had such great attention.  There are no weeds in the flower beds.  Just a minute some more have grown overnight *sigh*

My vegetable plot is coming on nicely.  Er, who said they had space in their freezer as I cannot get any more in mine and I cannot bear another bowl of vegetable soup.

I’ve re-decorated my house.  From top to bottom.  I’m now starting again as I don’t like the colours I selected in April.

I have been washing my hands rigorously and regularly in hot soapy water with a good foam and singing happy birthday – it’s a good job we know so many people with birthdays in March, April, May, June and July!

I have been applying sanitising hand gel before I go out and when I come home.  I could commit a crime as I no longer have any visible fingerprints.  Where’s the handcream gone?

I’m good at texting and emailing.  I have learned that WhatsApp mutliple groups can be very irritating.  ping, ping, ping ….

I have been lonely in isolation.  I have been able to pick up a telephone and speak to my family and friends and realise that I need that comfort of hearing another human being’s voice just as much as they need to hear my voice.  We’ve shared stories, moments, memories.

On the other hand, I have enjoyed my own company.

I have learned how to use Facebook/WhatsApp/Zoom/Microsoft Team. Go To.  Sometimes I wish I hadn’t.

I have watched many videos online.  Some of my friends are very funny.  Some are angry.

I’ve sung with a virtual choir.  I’ve sung along to the radio.  I’ve listened to blogs.  I’ve read blogs.  I’ve enjoyed them.  Most of them.  I have an ‘Off’ switch so I have a choice.

I can watch football on the television.  I have an ‘Off’ switch!

I’ve laughed out loud.  I’ve cried alone.

I have sat on my sofa, eaten a lot, imbibed more wine than I thought I would/could and watched television for hours.  I am fat.

I won’t be fat for long.  I can go for a walk, I can now play bowls and I can meet family and friends in the garden, at the bowls club, down by the river, walking around Bushy Park.

We have been lucky.  Many haven’t.  Many families are still in pain and grief as everyone else is happy to be out and about again and trying to get back to some sort of normality.  Count your blessings, spare some positive thoughts and love for those not as fortunate.

Phone a friend today.  It’s still a difficult time for many and some still won’t have ventured outside their front door yet.  After 100 days, it is a frightening proposition and the January/February/March self-confidence is now hiding in a corner or in the cupboard under the stairs.  Offer a virtual arm or shoulder.  You’d be surprised how good a virtual hug feels.

Thank every person who has ‘given’ something.  The neighbours, the friends, the dustmen, the shop workers, the nurses, the doctors, the care workers, the teachers, the cleaners, the road sweepers, the delivery drivers.  People who have had to work and put their lives at risk for many others.  People who have caught the virus, recovered and returned to work for the benefit of others.  There are so many.

Smile – it uses a lot more muscles than frowning – and it makes you feel better.  You’ll also be surprised how many people will now smile back at you and not think you a completely mad!  That would have been different 4, 5, 12, 24 months ago.  They would have walked by on the other side of the road head down.  Now we all walk on the other side of the road, heads up and smiling.  It’s good!

Keep hand washing.  Stay alert.  It makes sense.

Come down to the club.  We’ll be pleased to see you.  Every single one of you matters to us.

We will need to wait for the Cambridge Park Board approval, as well as several tasks to be undertaken,  but the latest from Bowls England on allowing Club Bars (and Restaurants) to open is here.

30 June 2020 – Bowls England Guidance for Re-opening Clubhouse Bar

Front page for a quick read ….

Wishing Corale a very happy birthday.  I hope it warms up a bit and you can enjoy some outdoor social distance socialising!

Is the sun coming back this week at all?  It is flamin’ June after all, nearly flamin’ July!

I had a lovely email from Chris C following the match on Saturday which I wanted to share with you all …

Hi Dawn,

Great to see Teddington yesterday.  It was also good to see some spectators despite the weather not being as nice as last weekend.

All three rinks had good heads most end but Cambridge Park with their home advantage and having played a bit more often this summer came through.  Thanks to Dave Wilson who subbed for Teddington and to Ange for coming in for Jean at the last minute.  Needless to say Norman enjoyed dishing out the banter to both Stella and Ange, and Gibbo, from the next rink, was quick to point out to Norman that “skips should be up”!  Eileen B and Roger J from Teddington had particularly good games as did Chris C on the next door rink.  It’s always difficult to keep an eye on everyone but I did see Gym nipping in with some lovely draw bowls.

Thanks to Chris C for bringing her team across.  Most of the players are indoor members and it was good to see them again.  Both teams are looking forward to a re-match and a mug of tea or beer afterwards.  Roll on the day when Bowls England allow the bar to open!

Chris C is bringing her Teddington triples over this afternoon.  3.30 pm start.   Come and watch!  Bring your own drink and snack if you’d like them and don’t forget the hand gel too!

The green was fast last night – well for six ends anyway but we gave up because of the rain.  It needed the rain though as Trevor had put some new grass seed down.  The forecast seems to be ok for this afternoon, so you shouldn’t need an umbrella.

On a sadder note, please send some love and positive thoughts to Carol B, who used to roll up regularly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and the weekend afternoons, when we had them.  A lovely, warm, friendly lady who is very, very poorly (non-virus related).

Let’s hope Bowls England can get some good news for clubhouses even if we have to have a one way circuit and restrictions on numbers in the changing rooms.

As if I don’t spend enough time in front of a computer screen during the day, I embarked on an online H&S course last night, mainly relating to food “take-out and delivery” and the 2,001 procedures to put in place if premises have been shut for a while.  (It would be lovely to have a fresh mug of tea after a game.)

(The procedures for embarking on re-opening an office is even more of a nightmare which almost left me sobbing in despair after the webinar by our trade organisation that I attended.  Get a grip, woman – find solutions not problems – who told me that?!)

Anyway, the course stated for cash sales, the customer should put the coins AND notes into a provided bowl of hot soapy water which the staff member would then wash and place in the regularly disinfected till.  Has anyone come across this?  The Chinese takeaway in Crown Road wouldn’t take cards, only cash but I couldn’t see what happened it after I passed the money under the protective screen.

Supermarkets and Costco take cash which just goes into their till – maybe they do a big wash at the end of the day when they cash up?

Other shops only want card payments – preferably ‘tap’ rather than inputting a pin number.

As more and more shops open up, what are you finding that has changed since you last stepped through the shop door?