The Scimitar 31 Jul 2018

1st August 2018
by Glenda Todd

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A warm and sunny good morning to everyone…..

As I look across the car park…I see the first inklings of Spring….there is a slight tinge of green on the Oak trees that line the avenue down to the Tennis Club (similar to those outside my home)….and I have been able to come to work without layers and layers of clothing…I am sure that Mother Nature will still have her say…and make sure that I don’t pack my warm winter woollies too far away yet….I do remember us having snow on a couple of occasions in September…and we haven’t even hit August yet…but then the windy days do await us…they bring the promise of good spring and summer rains…so we will have to put up with our traditionally windy month…this month will also signify the coming to the end of our winter sports…rugby has all but shut up shop…whilst soccer, hockey and baseball are about to crown their champions of 2018…always an exciting time at the end of the season…as those in pole position try to maintain their dominance..whilst those slightly below them…jockey for the best position…awaiting the top team to slip up…so that they can gain some precious ground to bring them closer to the brink of the league…

Our last weekend saw a solid turnout of Members and their guests for our Friday Fiesta of Club and Jokers draws and the Raffles which are proving to be as popular as ever….with the arrival of the Beer and Club draws…we saw winners in both categories…Deon Breedt winning the two cases of beer…whilst Andy Dudley was the fortunate one to have his Club number drawn…and was rewarded for being present at the draw…with a deposit into his bank account on Monday morning of R6600…a very tidy sum…which I am sure will provide the Dudley household with a very novel Christmas in July bonus….. it is lovely to see that one of our regulars has received recognition for his perseverance…well done Duddles…. and then onto our Joker draw…Arthur Jones (the husband of one of large Joker winners from the past) was given his opportunity to guessing where the Joker was hiding…his finger pointing skill was definitely not as fruitful as his wife’s attempt….his choice turning out to be the Jack of Clubs….so for the rest of us that is really good news…as that means the Jackpot is still available this week and has risen to R63 494…. Adam from Boycott Ballad was our entertainment…and as always he did not disappoint, being at his unique and brilliant best….having the audience braving the cold weather to listen to his amazing renditions of old and new favourites…also bringing some of his own compositions too…he is definitely one of those on theplease call back list for the North…..this week we welcome back Billy and Martin performing as Coyote….if the weather permits, we may persuade them to be in the tent….let us hope that is the case…. our night market has battled a little in the winter this year…and for the last two months of this year it will be held on the first Saturday morning of the month….so this Saturday we will host the morning market…let me wish all the exhibitors a successful transition from the night to the morning…I am sure it will be a little warmer at least…so pop down to the North on Saturday morning and see what new offerings there are available….hopefully we will see you there….

Onto our sports for the weekend…and of course the major draw card and show piece at the North was the Junior Hockey Tournament on Saturday morning…it was absolutely marvellous to see over 800 participants….and each one of those future stars brought their own support structure of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings and friends….it was an amazing to stand up on the deck and hear the buzz of the crowds and the barking instructions of the coach…the yelps of delight by the parents, as their little “Johnnie” or “Janie” performed heroics similar to the World Cup Stars (in their parents eyes at least)…and the shouts and screams of the participants, as they wait for an expected pass, or urging their fellow players back to assist in the matter of defence….and see all the frantic energy being displayed by players and spectators alike…..the feedback from this tournament is always a positive…there is a massive amount of work that is carried out by Ashley and Shaun and their fantastic team of volunteers to ensure that this is not only a memorable day for all the players…but also a profitable one for the hockey section…so well done to everyone concerned on a job well done….if you haven’t experienced excitement like this before…please join us next year to enjoy and soak up the vibe of the day…

Our Soccer boys had a successful visit to the Italian Club to play Olympia…and both sides came home with wins…the first side coming home with a 4-2 result…while the 2^nd’s having a resounding 7-1 rout….the first side are still sitting mid table with 6 matches still to play….while the seconds are still riding the crest of the wave….on top of their respective league…a whopping 8 points clear..albeit the second placed side in their league do have a game in hand…good luck to the coaches and the teams for this week’s encounter…we take on Germiston at the North this weekend….please come down to support the boys….

Both the ladies and men’s hockey leagues are coming to the end, with the men only having three weeks left of their leagues, while the girls still have another 5 or 6 rounds still to be completed….I have also been watching a little of the Ladies hockey that is currently on in England and currently being televised…and have watched in awe at some of audacious and ridiculous stick skills that some of these ladies possess….hours and hours of practice have been spent on perfecting these skills and it definitely shows!!

This weekend we will be showing the Super Rugby final on at the Club from 9.30 on Saturday morning….please keep an eye out for the specials….there will be discounted drink rates for the duration of the match… Go the MIGHTY, MIGHTY LIONS!!

That brings me to an end for this week…hopefully I will get to see you all soon at the Club or its environs….if you have any suggestions or gripes, please send them to me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers for now Rod..

JM Signature Ossy