During the week of 14-19th May 2006,
sixteen hardy souls represented GCHQ in the Civil Service Inter Departmental
Offshore Regatta (IDOR), a sailing event based in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.
After arriving at Port Solent on the Sunday evening, we, along with 13 other
crews from various Government Departments, picked up the two boats – chartered
from Sunsail, on which we would be based for the week. The two teams of eight,
drawn from across the Department, were representing GCHQ in this event for the
first time, aboard a matched fleet of Jeanneau Sunfast-37 yachts – Phil Boden’s
crew on boat number 11 and Ivor Keates crew aboard boat number 39.
Our participation in the event had been possible due in part to the generous
sponsorship of CACSSA and the newly formed GCHQ Sports and Leisure Association
(GCSLA), who provided almost half of the cost – the remainder self funded by the
team members. Working ‘kitties’ on each boat, meant that we wouldn’t starve for
the week!
Wednesday 19th April – Training Day
As a build up to the event, both teams had
chartered the same yachts the previous month in order to master the intricacies of
this boats design. Port Solent is a few miles from the Solent and local rules
dictated that we used the engine to reach our proposed sailing area. The training
took place in an area bounded by Gilkicker Point and Ryde, and it had proved
extremely useful for those that had attended, especially for Ivor’s crew, who
gelled together well, despite the non-availability of several key personnel.
Race Week: Monday 15th May – Practice
The regatta itself started with a training day
on the Monday, culminating in a practice race just outside the entrance to Cowes
Harbour. With the addition of the couple of crew-members that hadn’t been able to
make the practice day, it meant that our training went relatively smoothly and we
both managed to avoid the Red Funnel ferries that frequent this part of the
Solent. After the race, we retreated to our berth inside Cowes Yacht Haven for the
night. The first crew get together and skippers briefing followed in the confines
of the clubhouse of our hosts for the event – the Island Sailing Club.
Race Day 1: Tuesday 16th May - Light winds and shortened races
The weeks racing
began in earnest on Tuesday, with three short inshore races scheduled. However,
with light winds forecast it would be difficult to fit them all in during the
day.
Race One was a short couple of laps on an predominantly east-west course
around ‘Gales HSB’ and ‘Harbour No.2’ buoys, both of which are close to the Isle
of Wight shoreline. Unfortunately for Ivor’s boat, a problem with the engine on
his yacht – his throttle cable had snapped – meant that for safety reasons he
was unable to start the race and needed a tow back into the yacht haven for
repairs and effectively ending his chances of a respectable finish in the
regatta. Although scheduled for two laps, the race was shortened to a single lap
and Phil’s boat finished a creditable 4th, beaten agonizingly over
the line in the dying seconds.
Race Two, which started
a little over 5 minutes after the last boat had finished the first race, consisted
of a triangular course taking in ‘Gales HSB’, ‘Harbour No.2’ and the ‘Air Canada’
buoy to the North. As repairs continued on Ivor’s boat, light winds again hampered
our progress and after one lap (of the scheduled two), the race was declared over.
Phil’s boat finished 3rd.
The Third race saw the fleet rejoined by Ivor, the yacht fully repaired and
ready to go. However, they say bad luck comes in threes and so it proved. A
racing start, with the spinnaker raised was curtailed when the boat ran out of
room and hit the start mark. It meant an immediate 360-degree penalty turn. Not
as easy it sounds, and several valuable minutes were lost as the spinnaker was
lowered and repacked before the turn could be made. With the turn complete, the
sail was hoisted again and they were off.
This was to be the longest race of the day, again over a triangular course
but with the ‘MarineTrack.com’ buoy now the furthest mark. With progress still
being affected by light winds and time marching on, it was clear that neither
boat would be able to finish and both reluctantly agreed to retire before
reaching the turn. As it turned out, no boat actually managed to finish within
the 2½-hour time limit and the race was declared void.
Race Day 2: Wednesday 17th May - The Nab Tower and windbreaks
Our Fourth race, the first long-distance off-shore race, took us out of the
Solent toward the famous Nab Tower – a structure constructed during the First
World War originally to protect Dover, but moved and sunk 5 miles off the east
coast of the Isle of Wight to mark the dangerous Nab Rock, where it remains
today as a lighthouse.
It was during
the first leg of this race towards ‘Browndown’ buoy, that Phil’s progress was
hampered as we found ourselves on the leeward side of one of the worlds largest,
at 89,000 Tonnes, container ships, the “OOCL Shenzhen”. Being over 320 metres
long and 40 metres high when loaded with ISO containers, it proved an effective
windbreak and meant that when it had passed, Phil’s boat was marooned at the
back of the fleet.
The second leg,
with Phil’s boat now under the helmsmanship of Rob, from ‘Browndown’ to the
‘Bembridge Ledge’ buoy was uneventful, - taking us between two of the offshore
forts “Horse Sand” and “No Mans Land” that protect the Eastern approaches to the
Solent - save for a fog bank which appeared as we neared it and the fact that
the buoy wasn’t there, as it had been lifted by a Trinity House vessel for
repairs! Still at the back of the fleet, we could only watch as ahead of us, all
the other boats in the fleet, except a couple we had managed to catch rounded
the Nab Tower and headed for home.
As we started the final leg, and with the tide and the wind behind us, the
spinnaker was raised and it made quite a sight to see 15 boats all with bright
blue ‘kites’ filled. This actually required split second timing in team
coordination and communication, achieved equally well on both boats, in what
effect were fairly novice (at this level) crews. Teamwork at its best!
It was just as frenetic during the gybes and lowering of the sail toward the
end of the leg. The race had covered about 24 miles and thanks to the strategy
employed by our navigator/tactician Mike, meant that after the disappointing
start we eventually finished 10th, three places ahead of Ivor. As it
turned out, all boats finished within 20 minutes of each other after a six-hour
race.
Drama ensued on another boat, as it had to take avoiding action near the end
of the race. The violent change of course saw one man fall overboard –
ironically picked up by the (non regatta) boat he had tried to avoid – and one
crew-woman being hit by the swinging boom. After a quick trip to casualty, she
returned with a couple of stitches and a ‘shiner’, which she later claimed was
as a result of watching that night’s football!
One of the entries in this years event was from the Met Office and with a
deteriorating weather forecast promised for the Thursday, a quick early evening
call for a ‘personal forecast’ brought with it the prospect of force 8 winds on
the south side of the Island on Thursday afternoon. A skippers briefing quickly
came to the general consensus that for safety reasons, it would be appropriate
to cancel the ‘Round the Island’ race – although apparently one skipper was
‘up-for-it’!
Race Day 3: Thursday 18th May – Around the Island (or not) and
team shirts
If we had gone on our circumnavigation of the Island, it would have meant a
0500 start in order to ensure that the tides would be with us on the first leg
down to the Needles. As it turned out, a couple of inshore races had been
organised and it allowed for a more sociable 0900 start to the first race.
Race Five then, took
in ‘Gurnard’, ‘MarineTrack.com’, ‘Trinity’, ‘Prince Consort’ and ‘Gales HSB’
buoys, on a course that zigzagged across the Solent. The race turned out to be
fairly uneventful, but the long second leg seemed to take forever, with the
strong tide against us– it was slow progress and we even tried ‘goose-winging’
(the two sails on opposite sides to give maximum area of coverage) in an effort
to close on the fleet. After being left behind at the start, it wasn’t until we
rounded the second mark and took a different route to the majority of the fleet,
that we appeared to catch them.
Close racing with a
number of yachts that we had closed on towards the end saw them regain their
advantage and we finished 13th overall. Ivor’s boat, meanwhile, had
followed the fleet and beat us at the line to finish 12th. The value
of teamwork was emphasised during the break between races when Barry was forced
to lie face-down on a pitching foredeck trying to unjam the jib roller mechanism
with Ian stopping him from flying off towards Lymington.
Race Six, saw Adam take over the helm of Phil’s boat and started shortly
after. The race took us on a similar course, starting westerly toward ‘Gurnard’
and then easterly toward ‘Williams Shipping’, ‘RYA Yachtmaster’ and ‘Fastnet
Insurance’ before turning for home. After mistiming the original start – we
started brilliantly, but five minutes early - we were hampered on the restart
when the boat ‘broached’ just before the start line. Fortunately for us, another
boat missed the start line all together, meaning we weren’t last going toward
the first mark, as they had been recalled to the start line.
With the state of the
tide and wind, it made an interesting sight as several boats tacked back and forth
to get round the first buoy. Several near misses ensued as shouts of “starboard”
(implying right of way) and “water” (meaning get out of the way) could be heard.
Ivor’s boat had reached the turn in fourth place, but being at the back of several
boats all jostling for the same space, he also lost a couple of places rounding
the buoy. Despite broaching again close to the finish line, with two boats
immediately astern of us, Phil eventually finished in 8th place,
pipping Ivor’s boat by a few seconds.
The day finished with the regatta dinner at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
in Cowes, a last chance for the crews to get together and socialise. The GCHQ
teams were resplendent in their team rugby shirts – fittingly the same colour as
the ‘kites’ flown earlier in the week.
Race Day 4: Friday 19th May: … occasionally force 9
The final race of the week was due to be a self-timed affair taking in the
journey back from Cowes to Port Solent. However, with the occasionally force 8
already in place within the Solent - and immanent force 9’s in the adjacent
Portland sea area, it was decided that a leisurely (sic) journey back was in
order, with boats leaving in pairs during the morning. Our boats left together
with Chris taking the opportunity to helm Phil’s boat. The weather dictated that
we fly only the headsail for the journey, yet we still managed a boat speed of
almost 10 knots over the ground on the choppy journey home.
Although we never formally requested sponsorship, a bucket
collection in which Barry and Jo donned authentic lifeboat gear and other
collections have generated over £1000, which will be split between the RNLI
and SARA, the Severn Area Rescue Association.
Thanks to all who contributed.
|
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Overall, despite the range of weather we encountered with winds from nothing
to a force 8, glorious sunshine, fog and rain, and from flat calm seas, to
surfing down rolling seas, the event was fun – hard work – but worth the effort.
As team building goes, eight disparate people stuck on a boat for a week would
be hard to beat!
The Crews:
Boat Number 11: Skipper: Phil Boden. Crew: Rick Crosby, Chris Ellis, Rob
Light, Mike Pearson, Adam Prewett, Ian Scott, Barry Taylor.
Boat Number 39: Skipper: Ivor Keates. Crew: Steve Ashford, Jo Cockwill, Paul
Kelly, Tony Mainprize, John Nicholson, Simon, John Upton.
The Competitors:
In addition to the two yachts entered by GCHQ, the following Departments were
represented: Health & Safety Executive, HM Revenue and Customs, HASSRA,
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, DEFRA, the Met Office and Littleton Sailing
Club.
The Final Results:
|
Phil’s Boat (Sail Number 11) |
Ivor’s Boat (Sail Number 39) |
|
Inshore Races: 5th |
Inshore Races: 14th |
|
Offshore Race: 10th |
|
|
Finished 9th overall |
Finished 15th overall |
Next Year:
If any of this has whetted your appetite and you’d be interested in having a
go at sailing or taking part in IDOR next year, then please contact Ivor
Keates (ilkeate) to express your interest.
The National Trust has many fine properties within easy reach of Cheltenham.
CACSSA has 4 membership cards which may be used by full CSSC members to gain
admittance to all of the properties of the Trust.
To borrow cards enquire of the Manager at the Clubhouse on 01242 680424
FULL CSSC members may buy vouchers to exchange for tickets to be used
at Cineworld cinemas. These cost just £4.15 instead of the usual
£6.30 price of an adult ticket.
Get your vouchers at the clubhouse or from Sarah Surgenor at GCHQ. You
will need to produce your white, CSSC membership card at the time of purchase.
Each voucher can be exchanged for one adult ticket at any
Cineworld cinema in the UK or Republic of Ireland subject to certain conditions,
namely: a. cannot be used to purchase via the telephone booking line or
internet; b. cannot be exchanged wholly or partly for cash
More offers can be found on the Southwest region’s website
http://www.cssc.co.uk/southwest/
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Tony Clay receives a gift
from Brian Wood |
SKITTLES CLUB CHAIRMAN STANDS DOWN
In presenting the Chairman’s Cup to the 2006 winners of the Skittles
Club’s only game played under front-pin rules Tony Clay has finally
stepped down as Chairman after 10 years in office. At the
Summer Finals Night on 14 September Tony passed over the cup to Muffinmen who
had beaten A-Bombs 390-348. Immediately following this, Brian Wood, the
Fixtures Secretary gave a short tribute in recognition of Tony’s
contribution and presented him with a gift from the Club as a token of its
members’ appreciation.
See
www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles for pictures of the occasion.
NEW SKITTLES CLUB COMMITTEE TAKES OFFICE
The new Committee elected at the AGM last July carried out its first official
function by sharing the presentation of awards following the Summer League Final
on 14 September. Each Committee member was introduced in turn by the new
Chairman, with a short description of their duties, before they presented the
awards. The new Committee is now:
|
Chairman:
Secretary: (Admin + Membership)
Treasurer:
Fixtures:
Scorekeeper:
Stickers & Equipment |
Reg Rowley
Paul Collins
Richard Morris
Brian Wood
Patrick Phair
Gary Lusty |
 |
|
Gerry Chivers receives the
Summer League Winners Cup
from Brian Wood |
SUMMER SKITTLES CLIMAX
An enjoyable Summer League season came to an end on 14 September with the now
traditional final between the top two teams. Competition throughout
the season had been closely contested, particularly at the top of the table – one
of the finalists not being decided until the last hand of the last game.
As seems to happen quite often in other sports the top team in the League did not
prevail and it was the second-placed team, A-Bombs, who
carried off the trophy with a performance that their opponents, Newcomers,
could not match on the day, scoring 501 to 452.
In parallel with this match, the contest for the Chairman’s Cup resulted in a
win for last Winter’s double-winners (League & Shield), Muffinmen, who beat
A-Bombs (second in League) by 390 pins to 348. A
highlight of the game was the 48 scored by Tim Masling, but a veil will be
drawn over the number of beavers “achieved”!
Summer League Awards:
|
Final winners:
Runners-up:
Wooden Spoon:
Highest Score (ladies):
Highest Score (Gents):
Highest Score (team):
Chairman’s Cup winners: |
A-Bombs
Newcomers
Pins & Needles
64 Hannah Haydock (X-Tracts)
75 Matt Clempson (Pins & Needles)
519 Newcomers
Muffinmen |
Having compered the proceedings throughout the awards presentations Reg
Rowley, the new Chairman, expressed his pleasure that the Winter League has
gained one team, Strongbows, and urged all present to do what they could to
encourage new Members.
Contact Brian Wood, skittles@cacssa.co.uk or
on 01242 515941. If you would like to play but are not part of a team get in
touch, there’s room for everyone. More details are available on our websites:
www.gchq/societies/cacssa/skittles/ and
www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles
Civil Service National Skittles Finals
Bravo the CACSSA team! The Cheltenham side, representing the South-West,
having won the Regional competition, produced a dominating performance on Saturday
13 May 2006 when they won all their games (12 points) to become National
Champions.
Runners-up were Wales (10 points), who also claimed the “Celtic Championship”
by having beaten Northern Ireland and Scotland. Following them came the team from
the South of England (8) and then a tie between Midlands and N.Ireland (5). Taking
up the rear were Scotland and the North-West who also tied (1) having drawn their
game.
The event, although competitive, was enjoyed by everybody and may mean the
Geoff Hardy ceiling having to be renovated as it was probably lifted a few times
due to the continuous level of acclamation!
The final table :
| |
Team |
W |
D |
L |
Points |
For |
Against |
Difference |
| 1 |
South West |
6 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
777 |
687 |
+90 |
| 2 |
Wales |
5 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
741 |
700 |
+41 |
| 3 |
South |
4 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
721 |
693 |
+28 |
| 4 |
Midlands |
2 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
717 |
713 |
+4 |
| 5 |
Northern Ireland |
2 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
717 |
731 |
-14 |
| 6 |
Scotland |
0 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
675 |
733 |
-58 |
| 7 |
North West |
0 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
633 |
724 |
-91 |
Leading averages for the South West in the national finals (converted to our
normal Cheltenham currency of 6-hand games):
| Malc King |
46.5 |
| Gerry Chivers |
45.5 |
| Mart Phipps |
44.8 |
| Mark Court |
44.5 |
| Tim Masling |
44.0 |
| Matt Leach |
42.7 |
| Micky Lee |
42.5 |
| Bill Leach |
41.3 |
In-house triumph in Cheltenham League Front-Pin competition
|
Another successful period of Cheltenham
Skittles League competitions, hosted by CACSSA at the clubhouse, has been
capped by a winning performance by one of the Civil Service Skittles Club
members, Mark Trevenna of Muffinmen.
After three weeks of activity, the Final game
in the Front-Pin knockout competition for individual representatives of League
teams and past winners, was won by Mark of Tabards 'A' (a team comprised
mostly of CSSC members). Mark also won the prize for the highest score in the
competition, a remarkable 57. This gives Mark automatic entry for the next few
years. |
Mark with his trophy and cheque
|
HANGOVERS reach another milestone – half-a-million pins!
The records of the Hangovers skittles team go back to September 1962 and have
enabled the team to celebrate significant achievements in the team’s history.
Three years ago they played their 1,000th game. On 17 October
2006, in a game against Little John’s Big Pants, they knocked over their 500,000th
pin.
420 pins were needed to reach the target and it was
likely to be reached in the last leg. The three players for the last leg
were chosen on the basis of games played and performance this season: Brian Wood,
Tony Whitton and Lawrence Pearse. The order of their playing was drawn by
founder member Ernie Field.
The magic pin was floored by Brian Wood. Jenny Adams won the prize
for guessing (or perhaps we should say ‘superbly calculating’, as she was spot on)
by which ball this would happen, the competition having closed two games
previously.
Some thought has been given to the efforts of stickers over the years – at,
say, 3 lb per skittle this amounts to over 669 TONS of weight to be lifted and
replaced! – and pins probably weigh more!
| Editor’s Note: I make no apology
for showing three photographs of myself in these notes – it is purely the way
the events happened. I can assure you, it might not happen again. |
Cheltenham Civil Service 33 Old Cryptians 28
9 September 2006
The service started the first Gloucestershire Division One game in unfamiliar
fashion, a strong opening period with forward domination set the platform for
fly-half Ogden to score under the posts and put them seven points ahead by
adding the conversion. Service piled on the pressure and breached the Crypts
defence for a second time but on this occasion with Dan Wilson touching down out
wide; Ogden converted to put Service fourteen points up. Old Crypts took
advantage of playing against fourteen men whilst Service number eight Dave
Cordell was in the sin bin for foul play. The first half finished with a score
line of 14-12.
Crypts started the second half strongly and scored an early converted try. A
penalty shortly afterwards saw them extend their lead to 14-22. The service
backline sprang into action and responded with a well worked try, Fletcher
feeding Bailey who ran in untouched and Ogden adding the conversion. Two Crypts
penalties for Service indiscipline put the teams a converted try apart and set
the scene for a tense finale to this hard fought opener. Good loose work by the
Service pack allowed scrum half Simon Bellamy to cross the line wide out which
Ogden duly converted to level the scores. The final minutes saw Service turn the
screw and new flanker Ross Jackson drove over the Crypts line on the last play
of the game to seal the win for the Service.
Cheltenham Civil Service 2nds 43 Cheltenham Saracens 2nds 7
Good opening performances from Service new boys Barwell, Watkins, Hannis and
Dicks gave service the edge in this local derby. Saracens were unlucky not to
score more but Service defence was strong. Youth and fitness told in the second
half when Service were rampant. Tries from Squires (3), Butler (2), Barwell and
Hannis and conversions from Butler (4).
Cheltenham Civil Service 1st XV 19 Tewkesbury
18 (away)
16 September 2006
A perfect day for rugby didn't give the perfect game of rugby. It was a
fairly close, scrappy affair all afternoon. Neither side were willing to show
they had the determination to win. One perfect thing shone through, the Service
10, Ogden. He scored all 19 of Service's points with a try, conversion and 4
penalties.
CACCSA 10 Pin Club
For those who didn’t know we existed we have been running since 1998. Our
summer league ran for 10 weeks. We then started the Winter League around
the middle of August. The Winter League runs on a Tuesday and Thursday on
alternate weeks. Both nights currently boast 10 teams. We have
players of all abilities some that are brilliant and some that are not so
brilliant!! Not that it matters as we have a handicap system that
basically ensures that everyone is playing on a level field.
At the end of the season we have a Trophy Award/ Fun Bowl night. These
tend to consist of games like lowest scores win (this is actually harder than it
sounds!!). We charge £7 each time you play, which isn’t bad for 3 games!
Gender is not a problem with this sport, admittedly more men than women play,
however, we do have an all ladies team which takes great delight in beating some
of the men’s teams.
If you wish to know more or enquire about becoming a player either visit the
CACCSA 10 pin website
www.gchq/societies/caccsa/tenpin/index.htm or contact Neil Burch or
Tracy Harvey.
CHELTENHAM CIVIL SERVICE GOLF CLUB
An enjoyable Spring Day out was held at the challenging Dewstow Golf Club
near Chepstow on Friday 26 May 2006. The day started damp but gradually
improved with excellent conditions in the afternoon.
Winners of the team competition in the morning with a combined Stapleford
score of 91 were Phil Cowie, Carl Caddy and Mark Butler.
2nd with 88 points: Alan Lochhead, Gordon Fleming and Alan
Thompson
3rd with 85 points: Rich Browning, Ray Foster and
David Wilson
The afternoon’s individual competition was won by Rich Browning with
an excellent Stapleford score of 38. |
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Cheltenham Civil Service Ladies Hockey Club
We are recruiting new players!
Please come and join us for the 2006/2007 season!
All ages and standards are welcome.
Training with a qualified coach once per week (Wednesday
evening).
Summer Training will take place at the Tewkesbury Road ground.
We currently run 2 teams, playing in the West Clubs Women’s
League Divisions 1 and 3.
Matches usually take place on a Saturday.
To find out more, please contact:
Carol Febry on (h) 01242 242160 or (w) 01242 221491
x33773 or carol.febry@gchq.gsi.gov.uk or
Angie Atherton on 01242 862451
Fireworks night - Sunday 5 November 2006
starting at 6:30
This year there will be more
fireworks than ever before at the clubhouse grounds.
Bring the entire family in complete safety.
This event is not to be missed!
General Knowledge Quizzes
These are held monthly on Friday
evenings starting at 7:30pm at the Tewkesbury Road Clubhouse. There is a
maximum of 4 people in a team and costs £2 a head. These are very popular
and you are advised to book your team to avoid disappointment. Contact
Brian Partridge (01242 704720 or quiz@cacssa.co.uk).
When put to the vote it was agreed there should be no smoking at these events.
The next are on Friday 10 November; and 8 December.
A Night at the Races
Once again the Football Club are putting on a Night at the Races on
Saturday 11 November.
You can bet on the dogs or the horses or both!
It will cost just £3 to enter and a minimum of £1 for a bet. Full details
from Alan Wakefield.
Jazz on a Sunday evening with the JB Quintet
Playing to a high standard under their leader, John Beckingham, the JB
Quintet covers jazz and blues from the 30s, 40s and 50s; visit
www.jbjazzandblues.com to learn more about
them. The admission charge is £3 for members and £3.50 for non-members.
They will play on the second Sunday evening of each month starting at 8:00 pm:
On 12 November they will play with, from the Midlands, the talented,
Andy Rackham Trio .
Jazz in the Lounge Bar at Tewkesbury Road featuring
Peter Davies
The sound of acoustic guitars and clarinet is to be heard once a month in the
bar playing quiet, tuneful music in an informal setting to accompany the eating,
drinking and chatting. The music includes popular melodies of the Swing
era, with a touch of Django and a smattering of Latin.
Starting around 8:00 pm on Thursdays. The next are 26 October,
30 November and 21 December. Why not have dinner while you
listen?
Restaurant Service
The Restaurant offers a high class of cuisine every Monday to Thursday from
7:00 to 9:30pm. Call the Manager on 01242 680424 to book your table.
The bar snack menu of basket meals and extras, which has become so popular in
recent years will continue to be available until later in the evenings and at
weekends. If you like you may pay using debit and credit cards.
Have you decided where to take your office for
its Christmas Lunch Party?
Looking for somewhere different for your Christmas Works Do!
Our venue Offers you Choice, a Quality Service, and Excellent Value.
-
Christmas Parties, Lunches and Dinners
-
Choice of Private Rooms with Bar (max 120).
-
Festive Restaurant up to 26 covers
-
Sample Menus on our website.
-
Parking on site for 100+ cars
 |
Starters
Winter Greens and Stilton
Soup
Camembert & Redcurrant
Coulis Puddle
Pate de Campagne with Toast |
|
Main Course
Traditional Roast Turkey, (with all the Trimmings)
Butternut Squash & Cashew Nut
Roast with Redcurrant & Orange Sauce
Swordfish Supreme with a Creamed
White Wine and Mushroom Sauce
(All served with Fresh Seasonal
Vegetables, Roast & New Potatoes)
Desserts
Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce
Winter Fruit Salad
Brandy Snap Basket filled with
Fruit & Cream
To Follow
Tea or Coffee
£13.50
Please order in advance at Club or
on 01242 680424)
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Mrs Susan Brown, wife of Alan, has started taking over the
post of manager of CACSSA from 3 April 2006. As well as handling all
the bookings, accounts and looking after the staff at the club, Sue's most
pressing job is to rearrange the office so there is somewhere for her to sit.
We might have to move the walls of the office.
Former manager Reg Rowley has been trying to retire since the middle of
last year but stayed on until a replacement could be found. Apart
from completing the handover he says he is to redecorate his home. We
wish Reg well in his retirement.
|
250 breakfasts
Around 250 breakfasts have been served in the clubhouse over the 4 days of
Festival Racing in Cheltenham (87 on Gold Cup day), and on three of those days
we have had Conferences in the Function Room as well.
It is only correct to commend the Staff for a sterling effort, particularly
during the hectic mornings. Everyone mucked-in as required. General
Assistant, Simon Moon, probably never reckoned that his job could include
table-waiting! The plaudits received from the customers have been many and
lavish. Clubhouse manager, Reg Rowley, says it's been a good week.
| Sunday lunches are always popular in the club and the
lunch on Easter day was no exception. You need to book early. The event
was a sell-out; 79 diners were attracted by the special menu at just £6.95
a head. |
|
|
 CACSSA proudly
presents
Soul Artist
WARNER BAKER
and
DJ Gary G
Friday 5th May 7:30 till late
Come and have a great night!
Tickets £4 from the Bar
or from
Gary Goodhall on
01242 228559
|
|
We regret to report that Jo Green died recently. She was Assistant Secretary of
CACSSA, and as such a member of the Management Committee of the Club. The
following is taken from the address given by our Chairman, Malcolm King, at the
wake held in honour of Jo at the Club.
“I am honoured that Pete [Jo’s husband] should have asked me to say a few
words about Jo, who was of course a member of this Club for many years. It is
tempting to say that I wish we had more members like Jo, but that is a vain
hope, because Jo was a quite unique person, who contributed hugely to the
wellbeing, prosperity and friendly atmosphere of this Club.
I have only come to know Jo well in recent years, and I wish it had been
longer. I am grateful to Brian Partridge for many things, but none more than
his proposal that Jo be invited to join the club’s Management Committee. From
that time onwards, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jo well, and my
regard for her has accordingly grown and grown. As soon as she became involved
in the management of the club, her influence for good rapidly took effect. Her
level of commitment, enthusiasm and energy never ceased to surprise me. She
just kept on exceeding my expectations by going that extra mile. She produced
impeccable minutes, she produced posters and tickets for our social events,
and she was always first in line to volunteer to help out.
But Jo’s first priority was all of you – she was always at her happiest
when surrounded by her family and friends. Many of us who are involved in
running this club find that this commitment can cause some competition and
friction with family responsibilities. But not Jo – she was far too well
organized for that. Her response was to involve her family in the club. An
example of this was when I asked Jo if she could help me out, collecting
entrance money and checking tickets at our annual fireworks display. No sooner
had I asked than I found a small army of Greens and Wilsdons on the gate, with
everything in hand and rendering me quite redundant.
Last year we launched a restaurant service in the lounge bar, and asked
committee members to support this venture to help get it off the ground –
under Jo’s influence, I think it’s fair to say that many of you have since
found yourselves eating for CACSSA.
All of which is very understandable given the difficulty of resisting Jo’s
enthusiastic and persuasive charms. But this could result in some interesting
outcomes – ask Pete whether he really expected to end up as a qualified
arsonist - he has the certificate to prove it. And did Pett [Jo’s mother]
really expect to become the club’s chief bouncer - I can assure you that
bolshie youths are onto a loser from the start. Jo loved her skittles, and she
was very good at it too, but just how many family members have now been
recruited for the Odds and Ends? My answer is too many, but I’ll admit my view
is coloured by the many losses my team has suffered at their hands since Jo
signed you all up.
Jo was just as keen on the quizzes held regularly here at the club, but
unlike other enthusiasts who organized a team, Jo entered 2 or even 3 teams,
and then persuaded others to organize yet more teams; when a scorer was
required, Jo stepped up to take on that role; and then she herself put
together music quizzes, famous in particular for the round she devised of
mobile phone ringing tones. That was typical of Jo – involved, committed,
taking others along with her, and fun to be with. Even when her illness
confined Jo to a wheelchair, she insisted on attending our quiz last month and
I’m delighted to report that her team won a prize for the first time. I
understand that many of you are continuing the pattern set by Jo, and
hopefully at the recent standard, by attending tonight’s quiz – I wish you
well, and I know Jo would approve.
We have all been devastated in recent times by Jo’s illness, but this has
demonstrated even more clearly the strength of Jo’s personality. Remember how
positive she remained - still thinking of others first, determined to enjoy
every opportunity, resolute in making the effort to keep the good times going,
and to inspire those around her. It is of course a terrible tragedy that Jo’s
life has been cut far too short, but let us be glad that there have been 47
years during which she has lit up our lives. Quite simply, Jo was one of the
nicest people it has been my privilege to know. She made the sun shine on
those around her. Our lives have been enriched by knowing Jo.”
We regret to report that Brian Fowke, former Treasurer of CACSSA, died
recently. Brian’s working life started in the Royal Marines, and with
distinguished service in both war and peace, Brian seemed set to continue to
rise in those ranks. But in the early 1950s, he had the misfortune to be
struck down by polio, which ended that career, but it was the consequential
need to find a new career which then brought him to Cheltenham.
Brian’s love of sport soon led him to CACSSA, and in particular to the
Rugby Club. His desire to be involved, not only meant he was an ardent
supporter, but also that he was very willing to give of his time in the
administration of the club. He served as Chairman of CCSRFC from 1957 to 1959,
and was later elected as a Vice President.
Having demonstrated his administrative flair with rugby, Brian moved on in
the 1970s to widen his commitment by becoming Treasurer of CACSSA, a post he
continued to fill until his retirement in 1982. He oversaw the Association’s
finances at a critical stage in the preparation for the development of the
Club’s premises at Tewkesbury Road. Together with Geoff Hardy, who was then
Chairman, they put the Club on the sound financial footing which enabled the
rebuilding project to be approved and to go ahead. The facilities which
members now enjoy have their roots in the contributions which Brian made to
the financial health of the association all those years ago – we have much to
thank him for and to remember him by.
was formed in Hong Kong in the 1950s, and for over 30 years provided civil
servants from Cheltenham with their fix of footie far from home, with regular
matches against local expat teams, and sometimes full professional sides. In 1967
Swans played in a curtain-raiser at the HK Government Stadium in front of a 28,000
crowd who had come to see the touring Manchester United team that were to cover
themselves in European Cup glory a year later. Swans folded in 1988, but an
invitation to enter a team in the Hong Kong Football Club International Soccer
Sevens meant that the team was to re-emerge over 15 years later.
In May 2004, Tom Banks, a HKFC member who
had played against Swans on numerous occasions, was invited to enter a team in the
"Masters" category of the event. Tom had been running "The Camels" in the
Inter-Departmental Football competition for a number of years, and he began
recruiting for the event from within the IDF. With generous assistance from both
CACSSA, and CSSC South West, 6 other members made the trip - Paul Brown, Jimmy
English, Colin Hewitt, Martin Phipps, Mark Jordan and Neil Rees.
Tom Banks writes We met up at Royal Well bus station for the
coach trip to Heathrow where all the British teams travelling out for the
tournament had gathered in the bar. Following a 13 hour flight and a brief
session with the HK Sports Press, we were whisked by coach to an express
check-in at the 5-Star Park Lane Hotel in Causeway Bay. That night we were
invited to a BBQ and stayed up to the early hours to watch the dramatic
Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan. Colin Hewitt had given
up a ticket to watch his team in the Istanbul final in order to take part in
the HK event, so it was partial compensation for him to celebrate an English
victory alongside former Liverpool stars John Wark and Paul Walsh.
The next day we had a training session in the pouring rain, and that
evening, attended a welcome dinner. On the Friday we managed some sight-seeing
and a light lunch by the HKFC pool, followed by another training session which
was taken by former Aston Villa and England winger Tony Morley. During a
practice match, with Morley in the Swans line-up, he crossed the ball for
life-long Villa supporter Paul Brown to head home - now there's a story for
the grandkids.
We kicked off our tournament on the Saturday at 9:00am with a match against
Team Bondi of Sydney. Bondi had been Runners-Up in the Masters event in 2002,
so it was a tough opening match to have. Although the Swans lost 1-0, we gave
the Australian goalkeeper plenty to do, and it indicated that we were not
going to be outclassed..... but we were wrong!!' When we took to the field for
our second group game against Lorenz All Stars - we looked up the pitch to see
Uwe Bein - a World Cup winner with Germany in 1990, and another former German
International - Michael Rumenigge (
left with Tom Banks). Bein was to score 15 goals
in 6 games as LAS won the tournament... 4 of these were against Swans in a 6-0
victory (they scored 7 against Bondi). A 0-0 draw with local expat side USRC
saw us into the Plate Quarter-Finals against Bexton, a team from the
Manchester area which included Tony Morley in their line-up. Martin Phipps
cancelled out the threat from Morley, and a 2-0 win with goals from Jimmy
English set up a Semi-Final clash with Southampton veterans. A superb goal
from Paul Brown put Swans into a half-time lead, but they were left to rue two
glorious chances as Southampton brought on an ex-pro to score two late goals
to send Swans out of the competition. There was consolation at the Gala
Presentation dinner where Brown's goal was included in a montage of action on
the cinema-sized screen alongside goals by former professional stars such as
Luther Blissett, Frank McAvennie and Dean Holdsworth.
With a built in tour-guide (Tom had lived in HK for over 20 years) we took
in some of the sights - Stanley Market, up the famous funicular railway to The
Peak (above), and a Tram trip the length of the Island. We took some
time out for a shopping trip to the infamous Temple Street Market, and from
the middle of the Harbour on board the famous Star Ferry we caught the nightly
laser show. At 8pm every night most of the office towers on HK Island set
their lights off for an amazing 10 minute free light show. Neil Rees took time
out to revisit some old haunts as he-had spent 3 years of his childhood in HK.
The glass trophy presented to Swans FC to mark their attendance is on show
in the display cabinet at the CACSSA clubhouse in Tewkesbury Road. The team
have been invited back to this year’s event where we are hoping to reach the
Quarter-Finals of the main competition this time. These matches are likely to
be shown on SKY Sports some time in June - wish us luck. We'll post results
with some photos in a future edition of CACSSA News.
Guy Greening writes: John Atkinson and I departed for Loughborough
after work on the Friday evening for a leisurely drive to our accommodation at
Loughborough University. Upon reaching the outskirts of town, we were
pleasantly surprised to see "AA" signs directing us to the CSSC games. This
was the beginning of what turned out to be absolutely first-class
organisation.
Upon reaching our accommodation we found it reasonably basic, but very
clean and tidy - only down side was the shared shower/toilet facilities, but
even these were clean and at least there were plenty of them. We then went for
our Friday evening meal, bringing back school memories (long tables, school
chairs). Unlike my school days, however, the food was excellent, as it was
throughout our stay!!!
The following morning I met John and we departed for what turned out to be
an excellent breakfast, excited about the Table Tennis Tournament ahead and
wondering how we might perform, particularly in the Doubles as we felt we had
a good chance of winning it.
Upon reaching the Table Tennis building, we were pleasantly surprised at
the conditions, which were more or less perfect. However, some tables were not
used due to the sunlight streaming through a window. This inevitably caused
the day to slightly overrun.
So, on with the tournament!! The first event was the Men's Doubles, for
which we had high hopes of winning. This was played on a group basis and
unfortunately our hopes were dashed at the first hurdle. We came second in the
group, having lost to a pair from Strike Command, and didn't qualify for the
knock-out rounds. At the time of this defeat we were disappointed, believing
that we had not performed well. We still think that we could have done better,
but it was some consolation to learn that the pair we lost to eventually went
on to win the Men's Doubles event.
Then on to the singles. The good news was that John and I were in different
groups; the bad news is that both were fairly difficult. John played
particularly well and easily qualified as group winner, comfortably beating
one of the expected quarter/semi-finalists along the way. I had more of a
struggle, with last year's finalist (and this year's favourite) in my group. I
won most of my games comfortably, but had a titanic struggle with the
favourite, who I eventually beat 13-11 in the fifth and deciding game. This
put both John and me into the knock-out stages and luckily we were once again
in different halves of the draw.
Both John and I had a comfortable passage to the semi-finals. John's
opponent was Sanny, who would have got my vote for winning the tournament.
Unfortunately, John lost, but from a spectator's point of view, the game was
exciting, with lots of outstanding rallies. I won my semi-final with ease and
then had to face John's victor Sanny in the final, where I have to say he
completely outplayed me - far too quick, far too young, and far too
aggressive!!
Participants in the games came from various government departments (Work
and Pensions, Child Support Agency, Post Office, and Strike Command, MOD).
During the rest periods, John and I took the opportunity of viewing the other
activities and everyone seemed to have been provided with first-class
conditions and facilities for their sport.
John and I really could not say more about this event. It was fantastically
organised, friendly and very competitive. Although disappointed in our Doubles
event, we were both pleased to have done as well as we did in the Singles -
John reaching the semi-final and my being a runner-up. Additionally, the cost
was minimal and we qualified for Special Leave to participate!!! It's just a
shame that there were so few GCHQ folks taking part in this great event.
Guy and John were financially supported by
CACSSA
25 February 2006
Cheltenham Saracens (5) vs Cheltenham Civil Service (20)
It turned out to be a scrappy but enjoyable game on a windy, international
Saturday, with both sides struggling to get out full strength teams. Service made
the best of the first half with a good run to the line by debutante wing Rob
Parker.
The second half saw both sides settle down a little and play a more structured
game. Service fired first with another good run in for Parker. Then No. 8 Dan
Jones finished off a good spell of possession for service by crashing over the
line. Saracens raised their game and put some good phases of rugby together to get
a try back, but it was too late to change the result. Service finished off the
game by scoring another try through ex-Saracens player Chris Pockett.
4 March 2006
Cheltenham Civil Service (22) vs Frampton Cotterell (40)
Cheltenham Civil Service started the game knowing a win would bolster their
chances of survival in Gloucester League One. An unforced error by Service allowed
the visitors an easy score. Further infringement allowed Frampton Cotterell a
penalty that was easily converted. Service rallied and replied through a Dan Jones
(open side) drive for the line. Paul Ogden (stand off) narrowly missed the
conversion. The visitors dominated the loose and Service lacked the necessary
defence, Service leaked two further tries to trail 18-10 at half time after a well
taken Rob Parker (winger) debutant try just before the break.
The second half mirrored the first, Service scored two tries through Dan Bailey
(centre) and Ogden, one of which was converted by Ogden who had an off day with
the boot in windy conditions. Frampton Cotterell confirmed their place near the
top of the league winning 40-22.
11 March 2006
Cirencester (55) vs Cheltenham Civil Service (0)
A disastrous game for Service in their fight to stay out of the relegation
zone in Glos 1. Weak tackling in mid-field from Service allowed a dominant
Cirencester to run tries in all game. When Service lost their captain, prop Gareth
Jenkins, to injury things didn't improve. Cirencester showed why they deserve to
be top of the table by taking advantage of every Service mistake and finished the
game comfortable winners 55-0.
The winter season for the Skittles Club ended on Finals Night, 6 April 2006.
This was a successful evening with free drinks and a buffet. The Muffin Men
met the Hangovers in the final game of the President’s Shield and
the Muffin Men won 492 to 475. On another alley the 9 players from the
Pensioners battled with the Fiends to secure the Wooden Spoon.
Having lost all their league games, the Pensioners comfortably won 341 to 305.
The Muffin Men had already secured their position as Champions of the
Winter League, just two points ahead of the A-Bombs. The trophies for
the winners were presented by Gerald Wynn, one of our Vice Presidents.
Earlier in the week we held the final
rounds of the Player of the Year knock-out competition. Congratulations
to Toby Cox! He is this year's Player of the Year. The
competition qualifying games were played on Tuesday 28 March and the final games
were held on Monday 3 April 2006.
You can see all the results and pictures of the winners on the CACSSA
Skittles website
http://www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles
The Summer League will take place between June and August. We shall
play with teams of 9 players. It’s always very pleasant at the clubhouse and
grounds in the light evenings. I’m sure your office can raise a team of 9 each
week. Enter your team by the closing date, Wednesday 10 May 2006.
For each team we require:
- a unique team name
- contact details (name, phone, e-mail) of two people connected with the
team (captain and someone else to cover for holidays etc)
Contact Brian Wood, skittles
cacssa
couk or on 01242 515941. If you
would like to play but are not part of a team get in touch, there’s room for
everyone. More details are available on our websites:
www.gchq/societies/cacssa/skittles/ and
www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles
Angling Club
Following two meetings on 29th March and 5th April it was decided an Angling
Club within CACSSA would not be a viable concern at this time. The few who
were interested will meet for social fishing trips. Ask for Gary Shepherd at the
club if you are interested.
Cheltenham
cinema lovers will not have failed to notice a new Cineworld multi-screen cinema
has opened in the town. CACSSA members can get standard tickets at £4.15, a
substantial discount, through the southwest region.
We will soon be able to offer these at the clubhouse and through Sarah Surgenor
at GCHQ.
More offers can be found on the Southwest region’s website
http://www.cssc.co.uk/southwest/
|
CACSSA proudly presents
Soul Artist
WARNER BAKER
and
DJ Gary G
Friday 5th May 7:30 till late
Come and have a great night!
Tickets £4 from the Bar
or from
Gary Goodhall on
01242 228559 |
|
Monkey Face will be returning Friday 2 June by
popular demand. Look out for details soon.
General Knowledge Quizzes
These are held monthly
on Friday evenings starting at 7:30pm at the Tewkesbury Road Clubhouse. There is a
maximum of 4 people in a team and costs £2 a head. These are very popular and you
are advised to book your team to avoid disappointment. Contact Brian Partridge
(01242 704720 or quizcacssacouk)
or Linda Davies (lcdaviegchq). When put to the
vote it was agreed there should be no smoking at these events. The next is on
Friday 12 May; others this year are on 9 June; `4 July; 11 August;
8 September; 6 October; 10 November; and 8 December.
Do you know a little about music? Then come with your friends and family to the
Music Quiz: on Friday 23 June 2006 at 7:30pm:
booking details as for General Knowledge quizzes.
Jazz on a Sunday evening with the JB Quintet
Playing to a high standard under their leader, John Beckingham, the JB Quintet
covers jazz and blues from the 30s, 40s and 50s; visit
www.jbjazzandblues.com to learn more
about them. The admission charge is £3 for members and £3.50 for non-members. They
will play on the second Sunday evening of each month: next on 14 May and 11 June.
Rob Peacey is the Guest Saxophonist on Sunday 14 May. Don’t miss him.
Jazz in the Lounge Bar at Tewkesbury Road featuring Peter Davies
The sound of acoustic guitars and clarinet is to be heard once a month in the
bar playing quiet, tuneful music in an informal setting to accompany the eating,
drinking and chatting. The music includes popular melodies of the Swing era, with
a touch of Django and a smattering of Latin.
Starting around 8:00 pm on Tuesday 9 May, and Tuesday 6 June. Why not have dinner
while you listen?
Watch the FIFA World Cup games on the BIG SCREEN in the Clubhouse
June 10, 15, 20, 24, 25, 30 July 1, 4, 5, 8, 9
Restaurant Service
The Restaurant offers a high class of cuisine every Monday to Thursday from
7:00 to 9:30pm. Call the Manager on 01242 680424 to book your table.
The bar snack menu of basket meals and extras, which has become so popular in
recent years will continue to be available until later in the evenings and at
weekends. If you like you may pay using debit and credit cards.
We know that many of you would like to cycle to our clubhouse but were worried
that there was nowhere secure and protected to leave your expensive bikes.
Late last year the Management Committee approved the provision of covered cycle
storage. In January this was installed. It is built close to the tree
planted in the memory of Geoff Hardy and the entrance so it will have high
visibility. The Manager will be gauging the use it gets. If
there is a demonstrated demand we may get an extension for it. Meanwhile get
on yer bikes and give it a try!
Club manager, Reg Rowley, has recently bought a digital camera and the first
picture he took is shown above! We look forward to more pictures from Reg.
If you have any pictures worth including in CACSSA NEWS please send them to
newscacssacouk
Are you an Angler ?
Would you be interested in forming an
Angling Club within CACSSA? If so come along to the inaugural meeting of the
proposed Angling Club on Wednesday 29 March 2006 at 7:30pm in the clubhouse.
Please let the Club Manager know in advance on 01242 680424
or managercacssacouk you are attending so
we know how many of you to expect.
There will be benefits for members of clubs with approved constitutions in the
form of subsidies for organised events and opportunities to join events run by the
Southwest region of the CSSC, as well as discounts when buying tackle.
|
CACSSA AGM is on Wednesday 24 May 2006 at
19:30 |
CACSSA Skittlers Best In The West
An intrepid band of skittlers set forth from Cheltenham recently to take part
in the CSSC South West Region Skittles Finals at Plymouth CS Club. Gerry Chivers
(captain), Martin Phipps, Mark Court, Mick Lee, and a trio of Leaches – Bill, Mark
and Matt - found themselves up against 7 other teams, all from Plymouth, which
meant they had the handicap of being the away team in every match. The competition
was run on a round-robin basis, with every team playing one another in a 3-hand
game.
A nail biting first game against HASSRA resulted in a draw, and soon dispelled
any jetlag from the journey down, Mark Court getting three 8s, sufficient to give
him the top individual score of 24. Gerry Chivers and Martin Phipps repeated this
feat in the second game, which resulted in a 10-pin victory over the Knockers.
Martin did the same again in the third game, but was upstaged by Mark Court
smashing his way to 31 with a 14 spare, and so a win was secured over the Die
Hards by 16 pins.
The fourth and fifth rounds were against 2 of the favourites to take the title
– Leander A and the Free Loaders. After 2 hands, Leander had built a lead of 6
pins, but a solid last hand when nobody scored below 7 was enough for Cheltenham
to squeak home by 2. There was also a deficit of 3 after 2 hands against the Free
Loaders, which would have been more but for a 14 spare from Martin Phipps, but
again a solid finish resulted in another win by 2, with Martin scoring 29.
There were scares early in the sixth game with Cheltenham recording a beaver, a
1 and a 2, but 14 spares from Gerry Chivers and that man Phipps again, righted the
ship, and a strong finish saw Cheltenham ease away to a 20-pin victory, Gerry and
Martin both scoring 29.
And so to the final game against the reigning champions, Eastenders. It could
not have been set up better as a finale – to that point, Cheltenham had slipped up
only when drawing their first game, while Eastenders had also drawn their first
game and lost only one of their other 5 games. Out came the calculators, which
showed that a slightly superior pin total by the Eastenders in all previous games
meant that a Cheltenham defeat would hand the trophy to the Eastenders.
A nervous start saw Cheltenham 8 down after the first hand, but a very strong
second hand recovered the situation to the extent of a 4-pin lead. Nerves held
during the final hand, Mark Court leading the way with a total of 23, and the all
important win was secured by 3 pins.
So Cheltenham were crowned champions of the South West, and will go on to
represent the SW in the National Championships which will be held at CACSSA on 13
May. Meanwhile 7 Plymouth teams were left wondering how they had all failed to see
off the one away team, but they could at least take some consolation from the
profit made over their club bar during 8 hours of beer and skittles (mostly in
that order, it has to be said).
Members’ Offers
Cheltenham cinema lovers will not have failed to notice a new Cineworld
multi-screen
cinema is opening in the
town very soon.
CACSSA members can get standard tickets for £3.50 instead of the usual £5.75.
Please contact Sarah Etherington on 07802 482336 and
send a cheque payable to “CSSC South West Region” to
Jenny Blackmore c/o Rural Payments Agency, Estuary House, Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2
7XE
More offers can be found on the Southwest region’s website
http://www.cssc.co.uk/southwest/
Social Events
The Cheltenham CS Football Club presents
A Night at the Races
Saturday 4 March 2006, 6pm to 9pm in the Geoff Hardy Room. £5
entry to include betting vouchers and race cards. There are prizes for those
who win most vouchers.
Otis Mack
Friday 17 March 2006 8:00 pm £5 to include meal
To find out more about Otis visit his web site:
www.otis-mack.co.uk
Elvis Tribute Night starring Andy Turner.
Saturday 8 April from 8pm. Tickets £4 each, available from the club.
Six Nations Rugby
The matches are being shown live on the BIG SCREEN at the clubhouse.
Enjoy the games and have a drink with your mates. In June and July many of
the World Cup Football games will also be shown.
General Knowledge Quizzes
These are held monthly on Friday evenings
starting at 7:30pm at the Tewkesbury Road Clubhouse. There is a maximum of 4
people in a team and costs £2 a head. These are very popular and you are
advised to book your team to avoid disappointment. Contact Brian Partridge (01242 704720 or quizcacssacouk
or bapartr@gchq ). When put to the vote it was agreed there should be no
smoking at these events. The next is on Friday 10 March; others this year
are on 7 April; 12 May; 9 June; `4 July; 11 August; 8 September; 6 October;
10 November; and 8 December.
Do you know a little about music? Then come with your friends and
family to the
Music Quiz
on Friday 23 June 2006 at 7:30pm:
booking details as for General Knowledge quizzes.
Jazz on a Sunday evening with the JB Quintet
Playing to a high standard under their leader, John Beckingham, the JB Quintet
covers jazz and blues from the 30s, 40s and 50s; visit
www.jbjazzandblues.com to learn more about them. The admission charge
is £3 for members and £3.50 for non-members. They will play on the second
Sunday evening of each month: next on 12 March; and 9 April; 14 May and 11 June.
Jazz in the Lounge Bar at Tewkesbury Road featuring Peter Davies
The sound of acoustic guitars and clarinet is to be heard once a month in the
bar playing quiet, tuneful music in an informal setting to accompany the eating,
drinking and chatting. The music includes popular melodies of the Swing era,
with a touch of Django and a smattering of Latin.
Starting around 8:00 pm on Monday 13 March, Thursday 13 April,
Tuesday 9 May, and Tuesday 6 June. Why not have dinner while you listen?
Rugby
21 January 2006
Cheltenham Civil Service (22) vs Chipping Sodbury (5)
Service got into their stride early in the game with forwards and backs
combining from the start. The Service pack dominated scrums in the first
half and the opening score began from a Service scrum with a drive from No 8, Dave
Cordell, with a return to the first team, converted by Duncan Ogilvie.
Service continued to play flowing rugby and added another try from second row
Phil Whitehead with a well finished sprint and stretch to the line.
Converted again from wide by Ogilvie. Straight from the kick off Service spread
the ball wide and a pass out the tackle by Dan Jones set Matt Viall for a fast
footed flight to the line.
The second half saw an early score for the opposition. Service replied with a
penalty. The rest of the half was played out with no further score.
11 February 2006
Cheltenham Civil Service (9) vs Southmead (12)
Service started well in this battle near the bottom of Glos 1. They had most of
the possession and kept in Southmead's half for long periods of time. for this
effort they kicked 3 penalties from Southmead's indiscipline.
In return Southmead snatched a try from one of many Service errors. HT 9-5.
In the second half Service failed to keep the pressure up and although they had
lots of ball they never managed to hold it securely. Southmead punished them for
this by running in another try, this time converted. The last 15 minutes of the
game somehow got scrappier and both sides had a player in the sin bin. FT 9-12
18 February 2006
Bristol Saracens (15) vs Cheltenham Civil Service (17)
SERVICE BATTLE TO VICTORY
After last week's disappointing display, Service bounced back with a vital win
to try to maintain Glos 1 rugby. Service defended well and the game was evenly
poised. A penalty close to the posts was converted by Paul Odgen for a 0-3 lead
for the visitors. Saracens applied the pressure and were rewarded with two tries
before half time, neither converted. HT 10-3.
Service opened the second half strongly with some strong pick ups from the back
of the scrum by Dave Cordell. Lineouts functioned well with Amor taking plenty of
ball. A mistake from Service was punished well by Saracens and they crossed the
line for their third try, again unconverted, for a 15-3 lead. Service did not drop
their heads and some rousing cries by skipper Gareth Jenkins saw Service push hard
down the slope. The pressure paid off with Ogden crossing for a try near the
corner which he then converted with a sweet strike, 15-10.
Service continued to pressure and some infringements by Saracens on their own
line saw a player binned and Service needed no invitation to take advantage, but
Saracens defended well. With time running out Service took a scrum from a penalty
and drove forward. Some good rucking and continued peppering of the line saw
Saracens giving away several penalties to slow a rampant Service. But Service's
endeavour paid off with No 6 Dan Jones powering over the line to bring the scores
level. Time was now up and Ogden needed to convert near the posts to take the lead
and the win, he did not let the pressure get to him and a 15-17 vital win was
secured.
Skittles
The Winter League is drawing to an end and as we go to press only the Muffin
Men and the A‑Bombs are left in the race to become the Champions.
The Pensioners are supporting the entire table with the Fiends just
above them. Both teams say they are proud to have ‘earned’ themselves a
place in the Wooden Spoon Final to be held on Finals Night, Thursday 6 April.
The draw for the Presidents Shield has been made and the games will be
held between Tuesday 14 March and Finals Night on Thursday 6 April 2006.
Once again we shall be holding the popular Player of the Year knock-out
competition for individuals. It is open to all CACSSA members. The
games will be played sometime between Monday 20 March and Tuesday 4 April 2006
depending upon when the majority of entrants can play, so please enter straight
away, it only costs a pound. The simple way to enter is via the
online form on the new Skittles web site:
www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles
If you have not got access to the Internet you can
- ask someone else who has, or
- fill in the form left at the bar in the clubhouse
The Summer League will take place between June and August. We
shall play with teams of 9 players. It’s always very pleasant at the
clubhouse and grounds in the light evenings. I’m sure your office can raise
a team of 9 each week. Enter your team by the closing date, Wednesday 10 May
2006. For each team I shall require:
- a unique team name
- contact details (name, phone, e-mail) of two people connected with the team
(captain and someone else to cover for holidays etc)
Contact Brian Wood, skittlescacssacouk or on
01242 515941. If you would like to play but are not
part of a team get in touch, there’s room for everyone. More details are available
on our websites: www.gchq/societies/cacssa/skittles/ and
www.cacssa.co.uk/skittles
CACSSA Membership cards have been discontinued
‘Ordinary’ members (that’s full and retired members) will need to carry the
white plastic CSSC card. If you do not have one of these fill in the form on
their website, cssc.co.uk, or call the Membership
Department on 01494 888418.
Associate members (those who are not civil servants, etc) should contact our
Manager.
Family members, that’s spouses, partners, children (under-18 or still in full
time education) of members, may apply for a free family membership card from the
Manager at the clubhouse or call 01242 680424 or
managercacssacouk
Restaurant Service
The Restaurant is open every Monday to Thursday from 7:00 to 9:30pm.
There is no smoking in the Lounge Bar Mondays to Thursdays.
The bar snack menu of basket meals and extras, which has become so popular in
recent years will continue to be available until later in the evenings and at
weekends.
If you like you may pay using debit and credit cards.
|
You may purchase £5 Restaurant
Vouchers to use as gifts or rewards |
CACSSA web site
has had a makeover and given a new domain name,
cacssa.co.uk
The web site has to cater for those seeking information about the sports clubs
and the many leisure activities taking place at the clubhouse but also those who
are seeking somewhere in the competitive market for holding conferences, seminars
and social functions. Our facilities are increasingly important for CACSSA
enabling the club to get some useful income through daytime use.
You will notice that all the email addresses in this edition of CACSSA NEWS are
of a new format. Your club can have an email address like tenniscacssacouk which will forward messages
to as many of your committee as you like. It may be possible to host web
pages for your club. Send enquiries to webcacssacouk
Many of the visitors will be retired civil servants and associate members or
civil servants from departments other than GCHQ. They will not have access
to the grand websites there so please send news and information to this website
using newscacssacouk
