Annual Golf Day & Dinner – Shrigley Hall 2010

Handicaps, Buggies & Dancing

Wow, what an introduction to the GCA. I joined in September 2009 and was immediately Press Ganged, sorry nominated onto the committee.

I attended my first meeting on a cold windy day in Castle Donnington in January, and Press Ganged, sorry volunteered to arrange this years golf day.
Why, you may wonder? Well, I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to attend the previous 6 GCA annual golf days as a guest of Paul Fenton from JP Polymer Sheetings and I felt that the time was right to let Paul’s wallet have a rest and get some of my ideas, thoughts and opinions outside of Munsch’ies walls.

July seemed a long way off on that morning back in January when the committee were asked for suggestions as to where this year’s golf day should be held.

Sandy McEwen explored Scotland, but following the slightly disappointing attendance at Slaley Hall in 2009, that was put on the back burner. A Leicestershire course was considered due to its central location and I was asked to suggest one other. I looked at providing the best value for money services, coupled with a central location and a quality golf course.

When we compared the different options Shrigley came out the winner, and I am pleased to say it proved a good choice.

Shrigley Hall Golf and Country Club is an old Salesian Monastery, set in 262 acres of stunning countryside on the edge of the Peak District overlooking the Cheshire plain as far as the Welsh mountains. It is not unusual to see a herd of deer whilst enjoying the championship golf course; that is, unless someone mentions that Keith Payne is taking his camera!

So, 27 golfers pitched up in various states of wellness, admiring the professional looking Archery equipment, and sharp looking arrows stacked outside the clubhouse. “Don’t hit your golf balls into the big wood, and we won’t aim at you… we were advised” O.K. then, that’s me sold, the sun was shining, buggies were recommended and Handicaps were mentioned, then handicaps were discussed, then handicaps were debated….. err most people didn’t like their handicaps! Oh well, never mind, and off we went.

Our hired help; retired Ex Europro Tour and Malaysian Tour Pro Andy Corrigan, gave his pre course briefing then set up the camcorder on the first tee, while people were debating handicaps….

Mark Kelly was showing everyone his new putter with a 2 foot wide face!

I had the privilege of playing with last year’s champion Paul Stansfield and Mark ‘Curtly’ Ambrose. All was going quite well over the first 4 holes until we got to the first “Prize Hole” – Nearest the pin in 2. Paul boomed his drive 330 yards down the fairway, now only 45 to the pin…. easy hey?
Now; I learnt some time ago that you should “Always leave yourself a full shank to the green!” I just forgot to tell Paul this as he sh***ed his shot to the right…. (That’s enough of that word!)

Onto the 8th, Shrigley’s signature hole and one of the finest par 3’s in the County.
The “Beat the Pro’ Challenge”
He gave us a chance missing long and left, Mark then stood up to the Tee and put it right in the middle of the green! Wahay’s all round. Paul tried laying up: in the stream; and I found out that fringe doesn’t mean green.

I would like to thank JP Polymer Sheetings here for sponsoring the Halfway House after the 9th where we were all treated to an excellent barbecue with a steak burger, corn and choice of drinks.

The group behind us were obviously taking their golf seriously whilst sipping their Isotonic drinks………. so we picked up our bottles of San Miguel and proceeded onto the back 9.

Chuckling to ourselves about the people who chose to walk, as we drove up the 1 in 3 gradient 12th fairway, (With Paul Stansfield clinging to the back of our buggy!) gave us time to admire the magnificent scenery and views.

“Best Drive” beckoned next, get it closest to the line painted in the middle of the fairway, (Painted by someone who had obviously been to the halfway house and tried the San Miguel!)
The less said about our tee shots here the better really, but Jenny West in the group behind was winning for quite a while.

Andy had finished his “Pro” duties for the time being so joined us for the remaining 4 holes and on the 18th demonstrated how to play a really difficult hole, into the wind; he hit driver, driver then wedge to reach the green…. We 3 mortals didn’t! However we did avoid the Archers in the woods…. Just.

We made it to the Courtyard bar, and started discussing…. well just about everything, Excuses, The Course, The World Cup, the squirrel that picked up my ball and put it in the bunker, England’s failure at The World Cup, The only tree on the entire hole and I have to hit it twice…

Then Alistair Inglis arrived and we talked about Scotland… and England’s failure at the world cup!

When the final group came in, rumours were abound about someone rolling a buggy….. but this will have to be confirmed…..

Having had a wonderful day so far we moved on to the evening meal and presentations. I must say, from a personal point of view that was the best ‘Corporate’ meal I have ever experienced. After Max said Grace, we started with Gala Melon and Summer Fruits, (Phew we made the right choice Julie!) locally reared Pork, seasonal vegetables, garlic mash and a peppercorn sauce, followed by cheesecake and coffee. The staff were alert and efficient. The whole serving took around an hour and the food was delicious. My thanks go to them and the Chef.

I, somehow got Press Ganged, sorry, I volunteered to present the trophies, once Keith Shepherd had said his 4 words and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although my apologies go to Simon Noble for introducing him as working for Novus!

It is fantastic to see people return year after year, and great to see new members attend these events. I only managed a fleeting conversation with them but I think the guys from Sealex thoroughly enjoyed the day…… especially Ian for rolling the buggy! I believe we have more members in the pipeline which is paramount to the success of the GCA.

Some people had great days, Mark Kelly, how did you score one point at Slaley and achieve a very respectable 20 points here? ‘Curtly’, 8 points to 17? Simon Noble didn’t throw a club in the lake! Well done to all of you and more.

I headed this article up with Handicaps, Buggies & Dancing, I’ve covered the first two…. If you want to know about the final one, drop me an e-mail and I will send you the CD, which incidentally also has everyone’s tee shots at the first.

If I am arranging this next year, I have made a promise that the handicapping system will be more reflective of people’s true abilities where they don’t currently hold an official handicap.

I would like to thank our sponsors, JP Polymer Sheetings and Maclellan Rubber; without your support the day wouldn’t have happened.

My final special mention must go to Keith Payne, who in Julie’s absence did a wonderful job, not only taking all the photo’s, but making sure the room was ready, unpacking trophies, and checking the bill! Thanks Keith.

Finally I will leave you with this:

There are no more R & A Rule changes until 2011, however I feel some people may have missed out on the recent 2009 update below:

Ball Hit Perfectly Straight

If, in fairly taking his stance on the teeing ground of any hole, a player intentionally lines up well to the left or well to the right of his desired target in order to compensate for a chronic hook or slice and proceeds to hit a straight and flawless shot directly into unplayable terrain along the margins of the hole, he may replay that shot without assessing a stroke or incurring any penalty. However, if he thereupon deliberately readjusts his customary corrective alignment to a square stance in the belief that his long-established directional error has been unexpectedly and inexplicably cured, and then hooks or slices his second ball, he must play that shot from wherever it lies, no matter how unfavourable its position, even if he can clearly and convincingly demonstrate to his fellow players that if he had adopted his habitual preventive posture, his ball would have come to rest in the middle of the fairway.

Click here to view the Results of the day.

I wish someone had reminded me….

Simon Carless
GCA Committee

GCA AGM - Ladies Race Day 2009

The fifth annual GCA Ladies Race Day was held earlier than usual this year at Pontefract racecourse in Yorkshire. A decent turnout was achieved by members, quite a considerable achievement in these difficult times. The ladies, as usual, looked fabulous in their racing attire. Well done to everyone for such a lovely effort. Better luck next year gentlemen!

Everyone met for a coffee or even breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Leeds on the Race Day morning. Easy to find said a ‘Mr Keith Shepherd’ but unfortunately an enthusiastic Leeds council had close a critical slip road to repaint the nearby flyover. As a result we kept seeing Debbie Thomas and Elaine Haigh driving over the aforementioned flyover several times before Mr ‘Tom Tom’ Keith talked them down into the hotel. Don’t worry girls it happens to the best of us!

We all eventually left the Crowne Plaza and arrived at the racecourse which is situated half a mile from junction 32 of the infamous M62. We were not quite sure if the bus driver was going to be there when we got back, however, we pressed on regardless. The course and facilities where very pleasant, although a little compact, this made for a friendly atmosphere. The party was met by Julie who once again had performed miracles in organising everything and thus creating a wonderful experience for all. Many thanks again to Julie. Our lounge this year was on the corner with two balconies. One overlooked the Parade Ring with the other the Finishing Post.

The formalities of the day came next with the AGM. Max Rowland, our venerable chairman, took the floor to welcome the GCA members and to introduce Robert Osborne. Robert has taken over from Paul Neale at Kingston Smith. I hope he has been warned about us and we wish him luck as our Secretary General. The re-election took place of Chairman and Deputy (Max and Keith Shepherd) and, much to everyone’s surprise, three new members to join the committee. These were Mark Birks (V Seal), Simon Winfield (MacLellan Rubber) and Simon Carless (WC Munsch). Welcome on board gentleman your help will be very much appreciated by all.

As the AGM was concluded the races finally got underway with the obligatory glass of champagne and as they say “we were off”. Next up was the race day commentator, Graham Orange, who gave a short but knowledgeable presentation of the course and the days racing. Amongst the many interesting facts he enlightened us with was that the first recorded racing was held at Pontefract in 1801. Although it was known that racing was going on from as early as the Civil War. It is the longest continuous circuit in Europe and is a left handed or anti clockwise course. It has an uphill finish and as such suits the strong staying type of horse. Should suit GCA members to a tee. He was extremely accurate with his recommendations with 5 out of 7 of his choices passing the finishing post first. Baltimore Jack, Citrus Star and Theola to name just a few. It’s a pity not all members followed this advice with some people deciding to use more fanciful ways of picking winners with varying degrees of success. Even in the last race there were three horses with diamonds in their name. We all know that diamonds are a girls’ best friend but it was a wise man that picked the winner! (Wiseman Diamond of course).

All in all it was a successful day with all the happy punters departing on the bus (which had miraculously turned up) well fed and watered. Some having gained financially, others not, but all had gained from a most enjoyable experience.

Jill Kirk - GCA Committee

Annual Golf Day & Dinner - Slaley Hall 2009

Golf as a form of torture

If you read my welcome to the golf day you will know that the game of golf and I share a strange sort of relationship. I love golf… it treats me with utter contempt.

This year’s GCA tournament was going to be different though, new venue and for me new countryside. My previous visits were mostly through, rather than to, Northumberland, so as the trusty Sat Nav took us ever further into the landscape we were immediately struck by the breadth and beauty surrounding us, reminiscent of Yorkshire but uniquely different.

Slaley Hall is set amongst this grand scenery and the two championship courses wind in and amongst the rolling hills and hedgerows. The Hotel provided us with very comfortable accommodation and I was lucky enough to get an upgraded room which was so big I got lost twice on the way to the bathroom.
There was distinct contrast of old and new at Slaley, together with a good spread of facilities; one possible improvement may be the provision of buggies to get you from one end of the place to the other, or possibly provide clubs and a few holes in the corridors to keep you amused as you go.

A convivial pre-event dinner was enjoyed by us long distance travellers (and those who hate early starts) and a few relaxing tinctures. I relaxed my way to bed relatively early as I had forgotten where I had last seen the bed, (I found it on Friday). If anyone has lurid details of any events taking place after I left, we can publish at a later date.

The day arrived, excitement was at fever pitch. Some appeared to be under the weather, possibly a dodgy prawn from the night before. Despite all sorts of dire weather warnings the day was set fair and to get an idea of how fortunate we were; bunkers were declared GUR due to the amount of standing water on the course from the day before.

I was very sad to note that Ken Stroud and Paul Neale were not present. Ken has been at the heart of the GCA Golf day since it began and I cannot help feeling something had changed. Paul helped develop the day from a loose association of members to the well organised event you see today. My abiding memories are of the wine trust with Keith and Paul careering around a course to see if a particular vintage “travelled”. Keith was devastated, we will all miss him.

Frustrated with my inability to show any sign of improvement I had hatched a cunning plan to overcome a lack of form by upping the handicap and invoking sod’s law which simply states that I would come home with an embarrassment of points. Unfortunately the best of Baldric’s plans were undone by Mr Blackadder who stepped in with a maximum handicap allowance of 18.

Once more the less able were doomed to an afternoon of nil point al la stableford. I am running for election again and will make a stand on this one, Championship course means full handicap, period. I am also indebted to Phil who came up with some additional ideas for the next golf day so the longest drive will include a test of accuracy as well, opening the competition to others.

Speaking of the less able I would like to thank myself for accompanying Mark, Andrew, Neil and the ever vigilant spotter, Trevor around the 18 holes. First up, Andrew Thurlbourn, now I know he is a good golfer, he knows it too but he could not find a decent shot all afternoon and yet finished the round with a smile (possibly grimace). I know that given that sort of bad luck and poor form someone would have been wearing one of my clubs before long but Andrew can rest happy in the knowledge that Ken Stroud missed the round he had so long been waiting for.

Mark, Neil and Trevor formed their own little three- ball which made its way through the course leaving no blade of grass untouched. To set out on a championship course for the first time is a daunting experience for any novice Golfer, to do so never having held a club before must be a first. Neil did it and with Trevor offering advice and most importantly finding stray balls they made decent progress around a beautifully contoured course with some excellent holes and even better views. Mark as ever, offered encouragement and advice to Neil (and himself) with a running commentary that included the classic “See Neil, even Max can muck it up big time”. This was my duffed tee shot on the par 3 fourth, and me running at 6 points for the first 3 holes, naturally my confidence soared.

We completed our round with some relish as Mark and Neil had grabbed a goodly number of points, Andrew just knew it wasn’t his day and I, perhaps rueful of what might have been, did have a decent card. Mark and Neil’s day got a whole lot better when Mark Kelly revealed his score. I enjoyed the round and would like to thank them for putting up with me!

Having enjoyed a couple of drinks we moved to a most enjoyable dinner and again some great company. Having dealt with the small matter of prizes and announcements the evening was rounded off with great conviviality although I was still unsure where I had left the bed.

To reflect on the day and what it is all about.

I really enjoyed visiting Slaley Hall, both the hotel and golf were excellent. Numbers were down on last year which is a disappointment but was this the recession or perhaps the distance for more southerly members?
Thinking of what makes me want to go, the golf obviously, but actually I enjoy the event because of the people who make it what it is. Good crack, good company and good friends. We seem to create a good atmosphere within the event that I believe is welcoming to newcomers and comfortably pleasing to those who repeat the prescription.

PS - Golf is a game littered with technical terms to describe shots such as slice, hook and shank and with these go a special vocabulary such as “oh dear”, “oops” and “bother “. I am adding another….
Technical Term: “The croc” - where a playing partner’s trolley develops a distinct and regular click while in motion. Once aware of this then you can hear nothing else; Vis the crocodile chasing Captain Hook!

Max Rowland
GCA Chairman

Flexitallic Site Tour Presentation March 2009

Well! This was our first visit of 2009 and our first technical visit for quite some time.
These types of visit are what the committee identified last year as being something we needed to try and focus more on. The aim of the visits are to get GCA members more up to date information as to what products and services are out there and what is available to us, the Flexitallic visit certainly delivered that for us.

The day’s events started at around 11.00 am, and for those of us who had to travel up or down the country, the day started much earlier. Some of the members had the luxury of staying overnight. In fact some members who live just around the corner managed to wangle a night out, no names mentioned Keith S. Although I had a three and a half hour drive I still managed to arrive in plenty of time, there are some good things about the recession, fewer vehicles on the road. When we arrived we were greeted in the car park by Mark Birks and Trevor Ford who were looking very dapper and surprisingly sober.

At first we were a little confused, as the directions had taken us straight to Novus Sealing? Were we in the right place? After a little walk around, we found that Flexitallic were just a little bit further along from Novus. Once we were in Flexitallic’s reception we were greeted very well, and everything had been well organised.

The day started with a much needed cup of tea, coffee and biscuits. We were then introduced to Flexitallic by their MD David Mitchell, who followed on with an interesting talk on the History of Flexitallic and their Group Structure.

At 11.15, precisely to schedule, we were split into groups for the tour of the new facilities.
The tour included a look at their inspection and test centre, spiral wound manufacturing department, warehousing facility and offices. Even though they were still settling in to their new facility they looked very well organised and in control.

In the group I was in we were graced with the presence of Alistair Inglis who was looking very well. It was clear to see that Alistair is obviously well liked by all flexitallic employees, although many had to constantly mother him and put up with his jokes.

In the testing centre we were shown their latest bit of kit for testing gasket materials, which amongst other things included testing for leakage, creep and compression. Not sure if it also made the tea?

In their warehouse they were holding a large range of standard spiral gaskets for quick turnaround. To back this up they also had an impressive manufacturing facility to cover special requirements on short lead-times. I wonder if they always have the one you want? The only way to find out is to try them I suppose.
Our group guide was Russ who obviously had a massive amount of enthusiasm, and very good product and process knowledge. Russ went into great detail in all the departments that he took us through, but would not under any circumstances, even with bribery, show us or tell us about the Thermiculite process. Despite this he gave a great tour and we had now built up a hunger and were ready to savour the best the north of England could provide.

Lunch was very generously provided by Flexitallic and I am sure that everyone had ample and enjoyed the vast array of food that was put on offer.

Once we had all had our fill (I think that is how they say it up north) we all sat down ready to hear the final part of the presentation. This was done by Russ Currie with the same passion that he had shown on the tour of the facility, Russ Currie is Flexitallic’s Applications and Engineering Manager.

Russ went through Flexitallic’s current materials developments along with a brief explanation and timeline of the introduction of gasketing materials. He them got into the detail for the Thermiculite materials and the current product offering. From what I can remember, Thermiculite has outstanding stability to high temperature and aggressive chemicals. Thermiculite materials operate in areas where graphite based products cannot cope due to graphite’s poor resistance to oxidation. Due to its unique features, Thermiculite does not oxidize and will seal for the lifetime of the joint. During the presentation Russ showed us the various stages of transformation of the Vermiculite to Thermiculite and the various forms the products can take. Russ also presented a gasket made from compressed Thermiculite, its size was about 8” in diameter. He asked for estimates as to the selling price of this product, various offers were made but not correctly. The selling price of the product was £5000, Trever Ford was astonished and asked if it came in a presentation box, Russ replied, yes it does. Strangely enough Russ did not hand the gasket around the room for all to handle. The presentation was very interesting and thought provoking and I am sure that if anyone comes across particular applications where this product is best suited it will be offered as an option.

I am sure that everyone who attended the Tour and Presentation by Flexitallic, will join me in thanking David Mitchell, Russ Currie and the whole Flexitallic team for their time, hospitallity and their thought provoking presentation.

Andrew Thurlbourn
GCA Committee

GCA ‘Ladies’ Race Day and AGM - Review

To a background of collapsing financial institutions and markets, the Gasket Cutters Association held their annual Race Day at Nottingham. Was this Desperation perhaps..? A need to re-arrange the deck-chairs before slipping beneath the waves..?
Well not quite, the Ladies Day is a great event in our Calendar and strange as it may seem, October has given us more pleasant sunshine over the years than the golf day has in the middle of June!

If you are reading this wondering what you would get for a relatively small outlay, please let me enlighten you. We met at Nottingham Plaza Hotel and then transported to the Race Course via luxury Coach; at the course we have a private suite with balcony overlooking the finishing post and with a view of the entire course. The parade ring is also close by and your choice of horse flesh can be viewed prior to the addition of a jockey and will hopefully confirm your belief that the chosen one will romp home on very long odds! Next up on the day is coffee and biscuits as we settled down followed by Champagne and/or orange juice with canapés as we warmed up towards lunch.

By now several people will have consulted form guides, the Course racing card (part of your package) Mystic Meg and Russell Grant, next stop those early bets so step outside the room for your own Tote desk or downstairs to the on course bookmakers as the inclination takes you. We then welcome a man of the Turf who takes us through the form with a particular slant on the Nottingham going as well as those horses who have form and those that do not.

After some official business we sat down to a very good three course luncheon with wine and followed by coffee and mints, which is a great chance to get to know your fellow members and guests while consuming vast quantities of food and alcohol. Racing starts around 1.30 and this year we enjoyed a full programme of eight races rather than the more normal seven and even if you have never placed a bet in your life you would find it so easy that in no time at all you will smelting the family silver or wondering why you go to work when winning is so easy!

Long after you wish you had kept your shirt and wondering if they use gaskets in Kathmandu there is the comforting thought that there is a complimentary bar running until shortly after the last race, so why worry? I decided long ago to stop wasting money and time on the horses and go straight to the bar! What? Still hungry – never fear there is afternoon tea just to keep you rolling along!

Now that is a great day out!

Why don’t you treat some of your staff to a day out?

What about some of your Customers? Think that is daft? Well Harrisons, Novus and BG Group have done it, so, could you? Anyway I know you want to hear more about the day.

Our day did not herald the greatest weather however despite some showers we were once again able to watch some good racing from the balcony without the need for oilskins and thermals. As we settled down it was obvious that a good time was in progress as the buzz of conversation grew and we met old and new friends. The ladies without exception had taken the event as their own with a variety of wonderful outfits and hats that really does makes the day; as in previous years Novus presented a veritable bevy of beauties including the lovely Markina Ambrosia, a late replacement for last year’s honorary girl, Gavinia Spitmore-Smith. Luckily the table was more attractively represented by Ann Stobbs and Jayne Mann from Novus with guests Jan Grieve and Lyn Weichart. Not to be outdone Keith Shepherd hosted the Harrison contingent that included Debbie from Cardiff (not Dallas), Keith’s sister Elaine who is part of the Manchester operation and Keith’s Mum, the veritable Rose Kennedy of the Shepherd dynasty; it was my great pleasure to meet her and I hope she enjoyed the day. Keith Payne was attended by his chief Lady in Waiting, Penny and two delightful hand maidens in the very acceptable form of Sam and Tracey who went on to be the life and soul of the V-Seal table and made the day for Alan Bates, Trevor Ford and Mark Birks. It was also great to see John Kirk and Simon Winfield supporting the event and enjoying it.

The race meeting is also the GCA AGM and this year proceedings were kept to a minimum with information provided to those interested rather than as a general presentation. The main business of the day was to re-elect Keith Payne to the Committee and elect 2 new committee members Sandy McEwen of William Johnston and Jill Kirk of J Flex. We also said goodbye to existing members as Richard McKnight gracefully bows out into retirement and Ken Stroud finally hangs up his committee boots as he feels that retirement has taken him away from the necessary contact with the industry. Both Richard and Ken will still be active in our social events and we look forward to seeing them there.

Following a near record time for the AGM of just under 15 minutes every one was ready for a most enjoyable lunch (my main course was last seen romping home last in the 2.30 at Catterick) and following cheese and biscuits we got on to the serious business of enjoying the days real event, the racing.

Here my personal failings get the better of me and I wisely elected to leave the betting to Angela who proceeded to complete the day in a winning way, something I have never managed to do, either by following good advice or completely ignoring it. As always there were winners and losers but smiles were everywhere and that is what counts. I would also like to thank Keith and Penny Payne for their company which was the icing on an already great day for me.

As a measure of the day’s quality, when the time came to leave it seemed to be such a pity and anti climax, well at least there was the coach to take us back to the hotel thus avoiding the need to drive when emotionally unfit or take the abstinence vow. The evening is not organised but most race-goers wisely stay overnight leaving them free to take the party onto the streets of Nottingham. This year’s revelry took in an excellent Indian meal, several bars and the local casino. For me the evening was over after the meal as the excitement and day’s liquid consumption finally caught up and overtook me. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the event and the great people who attended. I am not alone in that sentiment having received a warm thank you from Alan Bates which was greatly appreciated; it was good to see him and I sincerely hope to see him at future events.

To finish I would like to give my thanks to Paul and Julie for their organisation and to every-one who came along to make the day special.

2008 Annual Golf Day and Dinner Review

Every now and then it seems that some one, somewhere likes you and so it seemed as Angela and I arrived at Puckrup Hall on the eve of the Annual GCA Golf Day. Angela was ready in good time (which reminds me, I need to put all the clocks back an hour) and the traffic had been kind just for once, so an afternoon of golf was beckoning with only a mild risk of getting rained upon.

On to the main event and we were greeted by warm sunshine and clear skies for the day, something that has not happened for at least the last 5 years, so our tails were up and we were ready to go. No less than 35 golfers were starting and given that there were some notable exceptions through other commitments that figure could easily have been 40 or more.

Puckrup Hall is a good venue for us combining an excellent Hotel with Gym and Spa facilities for non-golfers and a golf course that I believe provides a mixture of holes from the challenging through to the relatively easy. Offering opportunities to score points to both high and low handicappers the course is not overly punishing, unless you had a round like mine on the previous day.

Determined to put my travails behind me I set off with Simon Winfield (the Novus one) and David Fielding to rapturous silence and appalled disbelief as I managed to slice my tee shot into oblivion, at least it was a Novus ball so I had the satisfaction of carrying out my marketing job and eventually we got two balls away towards the flag.

Second Hole, second tee shot and one off the heel this time, straight into nettles and by now the exploits of the previous day were becoming true again and even Jill Kirk normally so resolutely upbeat had a worried look. We also now realised why Dennis had the telephoto lens, so he could photograph me from a safe distance. 2 holes, 2 balls no points.

Third hole and finally a total of six shots with the same ball and at last a point! Progress, but not for long as my second shot to the fourth flag disappeared into a bed of nettles. Four holes, three balls, one point. Seriously considering bowls as a sport.

Finally at the long fifth I managed a decent tee shot, worthy of anyone (apart from Craig Hebden who uses anti gravity balls) and we all seemed to settle down as a team to enjoy the course and the wonderful sunshine. We all had our moments over the remaining holes and managed to amass enough points to avoid embarrassment. One of the great moments was to see Simon take David’s driver (that simply would not work for him) and knock the ball 300 yards into a head wind! If that was not good enough Simon then placed his second within 6 inches of the hole a superb effort on a par 4 – 449 yards into the wind and uphill – fantastic.

At this point we were met by the Vino Veritas team who reported a serious accident that resulted in the near collapse of the two senior and founder members. It appears that in the course of navigating a particularly tricky part of the course a bottle of wine was spilt. It is not clear whether Paul or Keith was driving (neither can remember) however Keith’s explanation that he was drying out Paul’s trousers is open to speculation. Photographs to www.headingsouth.com

For some reason we managed to leave the field behind as we completed our round and headed for the bar and a well earned pint or three and waited for the rest of the teams to come home. It was wonderful to welcome Alistair Ingles back to the Golf day and I was able to spend an hilarious hour or two in the company of Simon Noble, Andy Smith and Alistair and some of the funniest anecdotes I have ever heard, followed by a severe telling off from Angela as I had “just nipped out to finish my pint”. Oops.

Ken Stroud continued his excellent play of the previous day (actually the previous 12 month as he has nothing else to do) and carded a personal score of level par – good enough, he thought to see off the challenge of the evil twins Andrew Grievous and Darth Mazurkewitz to take the money. Signed photographs and a video of Ken’s face when he found out that Andrew had walked in with 44 points are available from www.mostwanted.co.bg, the video however is silent but lip readers amongst you will get the gist of it.

Craig Hebden swapped his anti gravity ball on the last hole for his special flag magnet ball and managed to take the nearest the pin prize much to the delight of the huge crowd that had just walked away to get another beer.

It was quickly apparent from the noise and consumption of mood enhancers that the golf and company had been enjoyed and we quickly deployed to the evening’s Dinner via a very generously sponsored bar that offered much needed refreshment for the long delay between completing the round and changing for dinner.

The Dinner was everything we have come to expect with good food and great company carrying through to the early hours of the morning (no surprise there then).

It was my great pleasure to be able to recognise the support given to the GCA by Fernando of Trelleborg who retires later this year, we wish him all the very best for the future and assure him of a warm welcome from the GCA whenever he is in the UK.

Congratulations go to all the competition winners especially those with basketball scores and good luck next year when you play off scratch. The Ladies competition was won by Jenny West who later confided that she really enjoyed her game and the team spirit that helped her relax, apparently her club golf is so competitive that you have to take it very seriously. A round of golf with me should sort out any notions that the game should be taken seriously. Greg Mazurkewitz took the evening’s special prize for being frankly the worst golfer we have ever seen and Andrew Thurlbourn has gone from wooden spoon to runner up in two years and kneecapped in three.

Our thanks must go to the sponsors of the Golf Day who support our event; these businesses enhance a day that is already very good value for money. Whether it is a prize, a soft drink during your round of golf or drinks at the bar or the table every sponsor is making a considerable effort to make our day more enjoyable and we should acknowledge that in every way possible.

I would also like to thank everyone who had to endure my lack of golfing ability (apart from Andrew who was just plain nasty) and the great company at my table, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I was delighted to note the number of appreciative comments and look forward to seeing you at the event next year.

Oh, and by the way, Greg, Andrew and myself played on the Friday as well (hard life eh?) and Andrew generously gave everyone a handicap of 28 from the outset, I beat them both, took the money and would have lost by a point playing off 21!!!! Greg is in intensive care.

Prize Winners 2008
The GCA Challenge Cup – Ian Whitley
Runner Up – Andrew Thurlbourn
Ladies Winner – Jenny West
Ladies Runner Up – Liz Cochrane
1st Place Team – Wayne Cooper, Ian Whitley, Peter Kurtaz and Les Shaw
Team Runners Up – Stewart Whiteman, Craig Hebdon, Andrew Thurlbourn and Greg Mazurkewicz
Best Round – Leighton Edmunds
Men’s Longest Drive – Craig Hebdon
Men’s Nearest Pin – Craig Hebdon
Hidden Team – Andrew Thurlbourn, Andy Cross, Steve Jacobs, Kevin Woolley
Wooden Spoon – Greg Mazurkewicz

Review of Wembley Stadium Tour

The first event of the year was held in early March when a party visited Wembley for a tour of The New Wembley Stadium.

My first visit to Wembley was in 1961 when I was fortunate enough to be present and watch the first team of the 20th century achieve the league and cup double. During the following years of this century I was also a regular visitor to Wembley supporting my own team, but unfortunately they have left it quite a few years before making a successful return this year. I was a spectator here for two Amateur Cup Finals and several International matches, and also had a tour around the old national stadium in the mid 1970’s with my wife and two children.

After a most enjoyable carvery lunch at The Wembley Plaza, the group made the short trip round the corner to the main entrance of the stadium. After registration we were introduced to our very informative guide, and then made our way up to the quieter higher levels of the stadium to the corporate area, although all the hospitality boxes remained locked. We were then taken out into the main seating area where we could see the magnitude of the new stadium, with its artificial sunlight equipment, and the ground staff using hand mowers for cutting the grass! Our guide then proceeded to give us a commentary on many facts and figures on both the old and the new stadium, some of which are mentioned later in this review. Whilst sitting here we were informed that the pitch has been moved nearly 30 metres north towards Wembley Park Station. This would mean that if I were to be standing in the same position as during my first visit in 1961, I would now be standing on the penalty spot!

Other areas which we were shown around included :-

The Dressing Rooms – A little upmarket from the dressing rooms of my playing days. Situated either side of the player’s tunnel, with an indoor warm-up area nearby. Either side has two sets of changing rooms, to accommodate larger NFL and rugby league squads, but the size of one changing room is almost large enough for a five a side. Treatment rooms and a mini hospital are close to hand, but health and safety rules mean there is no sunken bath, but the shower area more than makes up for this.

The match officials also have their own luxurious dressing rooms, but these were locked and therefore we could not see inside.

Two lines of people, in team fashion then walked through the Tunnel, past the post-match interview area, and out into the pitch surround. Here we sat in the dugouts and looked at the views of the stadium from a player’s perspective.

The Royal Box – The new Royal Box is in the middle of the north side of the stadium, just as it was before. However, on my previous tour at the old Wembley, it was a 39 step climb to the Royal Box to hold the replica FA Cup. Today it’s an exhausting 107 steps. Losing teams such as Chelsea must hate this trudge after a long match, but the winning team probably doesn’t even notice it.

The Press Conference Room – This was like a luxury mini cinema. After watching a video introduced by Michael Owen showing the highlights of the events of the old stadium, many of which were not football matches, such as Live Aid, Henry Cooper vs. Cassius Clay, Evel Knieval, The Nelson Mandela 70th birthday tribute, The Rolling Stones, and many more. But pride of place must still go to the World Cup Final of 1966.

We were then all invited one by one to be whingeing managers on stage addressing the rest of the audience. This showed what a cosmopolitan and international group we were with supporters from Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth, Motherwell, Charlton, Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham, Notts Forest and PSV. There were also two lads from Latvia who said they supported Manchester United.

The VIP and Debentures area – Although not being allowed to see into these hospitality suites, we were shown the area outside and told that it costs over £200,000 per year for this privilege, with the amenity and dining being available almost every day of the year. Two of the suites belonging to David Beckham and Harry Redknapp.

The Bobby Moore Statue – The sculpture of England’s World Cup winning captain is twice life size to keep in proportion of being in front of a very big building. It’s creator and sculptor’s works also include the bronze of Sir Matt Busby that stands outside Old Trafford, and the sculpture of England’s world cup winners at West Ham.

Some Facts and Figures :-

There are 2,618 toilets, more than any other building in the world.

The New Wembley encloses 4,000,000m³ inside and under its roof. This is the equivalent of 25,000 double-decker buses.

There is more leg room in every seat than there was in the Royal Box at the former stadium.

Some of the seats in the stadium are retractable to allow for the rigging of stages for music concerts.

Each of the two giant screens is the equivalent size of 600 domestic television sets.

The capacity is 90,000, the largest football stadium in the UK.

Nearly 2.5 acres of turf is used to create the playing surface.

The roof does not cover the whole ground. It is left open between events, exposing the turf to sunlight and ventilation. However, when required it can be moved to line up with the touchline to shelter spectators.

There are 98 kitchens, the biggest one being a third of the size of the pitch.

All the bars in the stadium are themed after famous Wembley events. For example bar 1966 to relive England’s world cup win, and Bar 1985 to commemorate Live Aid.

Wembley is a public transport destination and there is no parking available at or around the stadium.

The Costs

Infrastructure - Improving transport in surrounding area = £21m

Management - Financing, management and other costs = £165m

Fitting - Demolishing old ground and fitting out new = £93m

Construction - The basic cost of building the stadium = £352m

Land – Cost of land plus stamp duties and fees = £106

Grand Total of £737 million

As an old sentimentalist, for me the twin towers were iconic, and I was disappointed they were demolished. I am sure that in the years to come the arch, which can be seen from many miles away will become equally as iconic for the land mark of the new Wembley Stadium.

Ken Stroud
GCA Committee

Review of GCA ‘Ladies’ Race Day and AGM

A total of thirty-three delegates and guests congregated at Nottingham Race Course for yet another splendid Ladies Race Day and AGM. This being the third time this event has now been held, the race day not the AGM of course!

The day started for me at about 8am when I left home to drive to Nottingham. Although only a 53 mile drive I left myself plenty of time as last year, having taken just under an hour to drive from home to Nottingham city centre, I spent another hour trying to find the hotel due to one way systems, major road works and a serious lack of street name plates. I wasn’t the only one who had trouble last year either.

This year, armed with my Christmas present, sat-nav, I was guided straight to the hotel and only spent ten minutes or so going round the houses trying to find somewhere to park. I eventually located the hotel parking area which was big enough for only about six cars, it being a holding area for unloading before they whisked the vehicle off to ‘vallet’ park it elsewhere. It was of course full and as I was trying to decide what to do now, Jack Goodchild appeared and offered to move his car over a bit so I could squeeze in. With this first major obstacle now behind me I was able to book in to the hotel and meet and greet others waiting for the coach to arrive which was to transport us to the Race Course.

I don’t know how Julie manages to pick warm October days for these events but she does! At the first Ladies Day held at Stratford upon Avon in 2005 she picked the warmest October day since records began, last year her touch deserted her just a little as we had a drop of very fine rain for a short while but none the less it was not cold. This year she was back on top form with shirt sleeve weather for the whole day, (after the formal AGM part of course as we wouldn’t dream of listening to our esteemed chairman’s report in common shirtsleeves).

The format was as before with a welcoming drink for all as we entered one of the first floor suites in the Paddocks Conference Centre from where un uninterrupted view of the race course is afforded from the balcony. The business of the AGM was then conducted with our chairman this year not attempting to break his record of ‘shortest AGM’ as there were rule changes to the constitution and to the duration of tenure for committee members to be explained. Max assured me that he will be back into record breaker mode for next year. The financial statements for the previous year were presented and, after a question or two, were accepted.

The business part over we sat down, or to be more correct, continued sitting while a most excellent lunch was served; a salmon and prawn starter was followed by a main course of duck breast with guinea fowl mousse and the repast finished off with an assiette of chocolate in miniature. For those who could manage it coffee and petit fours were also available.

We then had a short talk from a professional tipster who suggested certain horses to us which he said might be worth a bet. After this one I’m going back to picking horses cos’ I like the name. In 2005 the tipster was brilliant, I followed his suggestions and won about thirty quid. Last year I did the same and lost about the same amount and same again this year. What I should have asked myself was, if these guys are so clever at picking winners why are we paying them to come and give us tips? If they were that good they would all surely be sunning themselves on their luxury yachts in the Bahamas.

Anyway it passed the time until the start of the first race. There is a convenient tote desk in the foyer just outside the suite so those fancying a bit of a flutter, nearly everybody as far as I could see, did not have far to go to place a bet. I myself had a small bet on each race, well it’s only once a year, and hazarded a small wager on a ‘placepot’ which relies on picking a placed horse in each of the first six races.

There was some excitement on the course during the first race when Jake Payne the jockey on Puskas came flying off his mount due to his saddle slipping. He went down onto the ground and got trampled on by at least one other horse if not more. We saw him being attended to for quite a long time on the course and then he was loaded into an ambulance and driven slowly away with blue lights flashing. We heard nothing more about him on the day but I am happy to report that he was not seriously injured and was allowed home after being kept for one night in hospital for observation.

The start of the next race was delayed as they then did not have an ambulance on course until the return of the errant Mr Payne’s transport. The rest of the afternoon card went forward without anymore dramas; unless you count the looks on the faces of winners and losers coming back from the tote station that is, interrupted only by the serving of tea and sandwiches followed by scones and clotted cream. It’s a hard life in the GCA!

Everybody I spoke to had nothing but praise for the organisation of the day and our thanks for this must once again go to Julie Mellish of the secretariat.

Hope to see you all back again next year.

Reg Boulton GCA Committee Member Ashton Seals Ltd

Review of GCA Annual Golf Day and Dinner

This event is always the most well supported event in the GCA’s calendar, with 2007 being no exception, proving to be the best yet. The venue this year being The Hilton Puckrup Hall, Golf and Country Club at Tewksbury, Gloucestershire, set in Cotswold parkland.

Julie’s efforts had ensured that a record turnout of familiar faces, first timers, and guests had gathered in The Oaks Bar in plenty of time for registration, coffee, bacon butties, and members’ promotional products. By the time 12-o-clock came 36 golfers had found out who their playing groups and tee off times were, and introductions made. All hoping the showers were going to be kept to a minimum and with any luck, waterproofs would not be required. Our optimism was not to be rewarded however, and some groups started to get their new blue GCA Golf Day 2007 shirts wet on the first tee.

The course itself, although nowhere near as difficult as last years venue, would challenge all abilities with some very well placed hazards, which I am sure many of the players found themselves in. Our four ball had many highlights over the eighteen holes, some of which are mentioned in this brief report.

Golf courses must often be designed by masochists judging by the decision to place a tree in the centre of the fairway at the first hole. My three big hitting colleagues could attempt to drive over the tree, with the emphasis on attempt. The result being under or around, but nevertheless all scores at the first were virtually level.

On reaching the second tee, which was the nearest the pin hole, we noted that somebody had dropped a ball onto the green. They could not possibly use a golf club to get it that close to the pin! After being intimidated in this way none of our group was anywhere near to being nearest the pin.

The fourth hole has a lake situated exactly where the long hitters would like to place their drive, but Simon Winfield and Paul Stanfield tried to clear the water. Even with the penalty shot for not clearing the water, Simon still managed to score two points, but even though Paul’s ball remained dry, we couldn’t find his ball after his second shot. This fourth hole is aptly named “Gamble”.

The fifth hole is also suitably named “Swan Lake” because of a lake to the right which will drown a miss hit drive, and another longer narrower lake to the right which will swallow a wayward longer drive, which Paul promptly obliged with.

By the time we reached the turn and met with Jill Kirk and Dennis Beadman with their welcome refreshments, our group were feeling quite pleased with the team score, mostly scoring 4 points per hole, with the occasional 5 or 6 points, but also a few below four.

The par four 12th again was suitably named “The Graveyard” and is a long par four dogleg right with an elevated green. I am sure “The Graveyard” buried many extra dead balls on this day.

After dropping our average on the first few holes of the back nine, we excelled at the 14th with both Paul and myself each scoring 4pts enabling us to record 8 points on one hole. This was short lived however, and the team score continued downhill from here.

The 17th is another dog leg left, but unless your name is Tiger, you have no chance of going over the trees. Those brave enough to try often finding themselves in the water under the trees.

The 18th and final hole is a very good 182 yard par 3 to finish with. Over a lake, and if you clear the water the bunkers in front of the green will soon gobble up the ball. All of this in front of the earlier finishers seated at the back of the green with their well earned refreshments. The big hitters found the green, but needless to say I found every hazard and didn’t add any points to my scorecard.

A great way to spend almost 4½ hours with fabulous company, and I am sure these same comments could be repeated for the whole field.

Almost 60 guests gathered for pre dinner drinks in the Worcester Room before the wining and dining, and again it was extremely pleasing to see the fairer sex in great abundance, and also new faces who were attending for the first time, with special greetings to Fiona and Sandy McKewan. It seemed a pity that so many conversations between competitors and friends who may only see each other once a year at this event were interrupted when the call for dinner came. It was disappointing that some people could not make the event this year for various reasons. All were missed with special mention for one of the elders of the industry, Alistair Ingles, and also the McKnights.

The day could not have been such a success without the support of our sponsors, to whom we extend our thanks.

Silicone Engineering Ltd.

Trelleborg

JP Polymer Sheetings Ltd.

J-Flex Rubber Ltd.

Novus Sealing Ltd

Also a special thank you to Julie Mellish and Keith Shepherd for their superb organisation.

The atmosphere continued after leaving the dining room, but as one of the earlier to bed and earlier to rise people, the few members I breakfasted with the next morning, informed me that the bar was well supported until the early hours.

We look forward to seeing everybody again next year.