CLUB NEWS & EVENTS
General
- As always we welcome new members and our Membership Secretary can be contacted (see Commitee Page) for further information and arrange to come and try lawn bowls during our bowling season.
- The club green is available most afternoons during the bowling season for roll-ups when members can enjoy practice and hone their playing skills. Our more experienced bowlers help to organise these events and are available to support beginners and our less experienced members.
- Thursday and Monday afternoons tend to be popular roll-ups day with sufficent members attending to allow triple play. This provides the opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and skills in playing in all positions of triple play, which is the usual format when enjoying bowling with other clubs during our fixture progamme.
- Mindful that some members in the club are less physically able but would still enjoy an element of competitiveness during roll-ups, one bowling rink on Mondays or Thursdays afternoons will be reserved for "short-jack" play.
- The Club online fixture booking system introduced for our 2022 season has continued to be a great help to our club captain in setting up match teams. It is hoped that the majority of members will now make use of this system which allows members to make on-line requests to play in club fixtures and it also acts as the club events diary. The system is based on use of the free Google Calendar which is accessed by holding a Google account. For help and to use the system contact Brian Archbold who will initiate a Google invite to allow use of the HBC Diary.
Membership
- New Members
- Nicola Beck
- Darryl Beck
- Kim Bergamasco
- Paul bergamasco
- Philip Booker
- Carol Ralfe
- Caroline Sear
- Steve Sear
- Jacci Westlake
- John Westlake
- Sybil Yeo
- Nigel Yeo
The club welcomes the following new members who joined us during this bowling season -
Member News
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Judy Rix
- Peter Brackfield has provided an interesting article on the building of the current club pavilion - Click Here
- Further stories from members with a bowls interest would be welcome.
It is of concern that our Club President Judy had recently suffered a stroke whilst on a walking event with the local U3A. The good news is that after a short hospital stay and tests. Judy is now back home and will shortly be allowed to drive again, she even bravely chaired our July Committee meeting. There will however be some while before she can take on the full tasks of Club President and allowed to get back to bowling.
Higel and Sybil Yeo
Both Nigel and Sybil being new to lawn bowls it was good to see that after having a coaching session with our club coach and Captain Paul Spiegel how quickly they both adapted their delivery to achieve a good line and distance to the jack.
Photo by Brian Archbold
Reports & Newsletters
(Judy our Club President has sent all club members a full Summer Newsletter and an edited version is provide below)
Many of you already know that I suffered a stroke last month but have been so lucky in my recovery and am now back driving but do get tired. I am indebted to my wonderful committee and other helpers who stepped into the breach when I was incapacitated and took on extra duties without being asked.
Our grounds and green is looking far better than many other clubs. Despite several of the maintenance volunteers having had health issues or holidays. we definitely do need more volunteers and Ken Braysher has served his apprenticeship with flying colours!
The intense heat has meant that several of the internal matches have had to be delayed but the Finals Weekend will still take place on 15th and 16th August as planned. I hope that members will come to watch the players in their final challenges. More details will be issued after the semi-finals have been played.
Our next major event in the calendar is Memorial Day on Sunday 3rd August for a prompt start to play at 1430. Richard Sanders comes up from Torbay every year to play and present the shield which was given by the family in memory of his parents who were very keen Haslemere players. This is a charity event where we ask members to make a donation and support the raffle by buying tickets.
Each year we support a local charity. This year we have decided to support Haslemere Hall which is a wonderful asset to our local community. Currently such funds are needed to support improve electrical supply to emergency and exit signs plus replacement of stage drapes and curtains.
We continue to have the support of our wonderful local sponsors. Leightons also offer 20% reduction to our members. They will be visiting us on Thursday 27th August when they will join us for bowls and answer your questions.
During the summer, the U3A Short Mat Bowls group are meeting at our green on Saturday mornings (weather permitting) at 1000h to trial a form of Short Jack Bowls.
I hope you find it useful to have more of an insight into what is happening at our club.
Judy
Fixture Matches and Events
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Our 2026 list of inter-club Friendly Matches and other club Events is now available on our Fixture Page.
Our 2026 list of inter-club League Matches is also now Available on our League Page.
Club Competitions
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Our club competitions are open to all club playing members to join at the beginning of our bowling
season irrespective of skill levels and provide great enjoyment and the chance of holding one or more of the
club's cherished trophies and your name on the club's pavilion honours board.
The club competitions are of course competitive, however our Competition Secretary together with the Club Captain has endeavoured to assign fair handicaps where appropriate and also the best balance for the pairs and triples competitions. This gives members with varying playing abilities a fair chance of winning apart from the Ladies' and Men's Singles where skill prevails.
Our 2026 club competitions match charts can now be viewed and downloaded from the website "Links" page. A photographic record of our 2025 season players and winners can be viewed in the "Gallery" page together with Champion of Champions match between ladies finalist Judy Rix and Men's finalist Leo Cash.
U3A SMB Group Visit
U3A SMB Group use of the HBC Green for Short Jack play - photos by Brian Archbold
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Having agreed the use of the HBC Green the local U3A Short Mat Group has played their first Saturday mornng version of
Short Mat Bowls. Turf Protection Mats were pinned down on two of the club's rinks. The far edge of the mats pairs were
set approx 15m apart and this formed the Ditch Lines. The rubber bowling Delivery Mats were set with their rear edge
set on ditch line as in SMB. The jack is delivered, centred and placed close to the far end Turf mat front edge then
normal Triple play commenced.
A more conventional version of Short Jack play when required is available to club members at our Monday and Thursday Roll-ups. A normal rink set-up is used but simply the jack is allowed to be placed after delivery to a shorter length than the regulation minium length of 23m from the Delivery Mat front edge.
Open Day(Bowls for Fun)
Photos by Brian Archbold
- Our President said relaxing in the club pavilion after the event, how lucky I am to have members support today.
It was a great team effort and it looks as if we are about to gain several new members (it could be in double figures)
who show tremendous promise. Special thanks go to members' partners Wai and Carole who did a thorough clean of the
kitchen and delt with the vistors refreshments.
Sponsor Visit
- Early May Club sponsors the Parish of Haslemere St Bartholomew’s and St Christophers were invited for an
introduction to Lawn Bowls. The above photos taken by Brian Archbold shows Don Stacey our sponsor contact watching
an enjoyable afternoon of fun and fellowship at this event. Many of the visitors showed the ability of becoming
good players and would be welcome to join us as club members.
The afternoon concluded with tea and refreshments and good chatter between all those present. The club appreciates the sponsorship of the Parish and looks forward to the continuing relationship between us.
Memorial Day - 2025
Members Supporting our 2025 HBC Memorial Day - photo by Brian Archbold
As in previos years attending members were split into two teams, Blue and Red, each team pair playing four ends then
moving rinks to play another opposing pair. To complete the match the highest scoring pair from each team played a 4
end play-off. It's many thanks to Judy who organised the event and her patience explaining and enforcing the rules.
It's a thank you to Members who donated the Raffle Prizes and donations. Our Charity this year was to
“The League of Friends - Haslemere Hospital” who will be receiving nearly £200 from revenues accrued from the
event with a small amount donated to Club Funds.
During the afternoon a strawbury tea was served by Judy and Pamela and the opportunity was had to discuss fond
memories of those past members, their achievemnts, joy and contribution to the club. As in past years we were
joined by Richard Sanders who makes an annual trip from Devon to play in memory of his parents who were prominent
past members.
 Winners - Red Team Peter Brackfield & Steve Midgley |
 Runners-Up - Blue Team John Phillips & Brian Archbold |
 Umpire Richard ensuring fair play |
Social Activities
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MEMBERS SOCIALS
- The club thanks Don Stacey supported by Barry for continuing to arrange a number of social events for the
enjoyment of members between our bowling seasons. The cream teas kindley provided for these events by Peter
and his wife Gill Wallace were much appreciated by those intending.
- For members' entertainment the club lottery continues and provides a generous support from members as entry fees
includes a donation to help with the club running costs.
