CSSC GAMES 2009
GREAT SUCCESS FOR THE CHELTENHAM TEAM!

The CSSC Games took place at Loughborough University on 17 and 18 September 2009. Over 1200 individuals from across the Civil Service took part in 14 different sporting events at the university campus. A large team from the local area, almost 100 strong, participated in 13 out of the 14 events. It was our biggest entry to date for this bi-annual tournament, and it turned out to be our most successful, with both team and individual prize-winners in many events.

Individual success was notched up in the Archery, Masters Athletics, X-campus challenge, Fencing, Swimming and Squash events. Team success was also enjoyed, particularly in several of the Plate events (Badminton, Masters Football, Mixed Hockey, Mixed Kwik Cricket and Netball). Special mention should go to the X-Campus Challenge athletes who retained the Gold cup they first won in 2007, and to the Swimming team who won an incredible number of medals in various races and disciplines, and took the overall team Silver. Somewhat surprisingly and disappointingly, there was no entry in the Chess event – we shall aim to put that right for next time.

The full list of Cheltenham-based winners at the CSSC Games 2009 is :

Loughborough University, with its fantastic sporting facilities, provides an excellent venue for the event. All participants are accommodated, fed and watered on-site. The organisation and administration from CSSC Head Office are first-rate. Even the weather this year was kind for the outside activities. Our participants all seemed to have a great time (with several making a particular impact at the Country and Western social on the Thursday evening!). Overall, the event was a great success. Well done again to all competitors, organisers and volunteers. Roll on 2011!

More information is available on the CSSC website.

The CACSSA Cheltenham Bowls rink of John Ellis, Brian Liddington, Andrew Liddington and Malcolm Dyer represented England at the CSSC Invitation Championships in Perth in July – where they won the Fours competition at their first attempt. Although new members of the CACSSA Bowls Club, they have been bowling for many years – and none is retired!  They are pictured with Gordon Brown, President of the Bowls rink.

Bill Notman and Campbell McColl,
winners of the Pairs Plate in Perth, with June Brown

 
Tony Clay
1937 - 2009

Reg Rowley, chairman of the Skittles Club, wrote to Tony's family:

The Members of the Cheltenham Civil Service Skittles Club extend their heartfelt sympathies at the loss of Tony.

Tony was an influential player for many years and was Chairman of the Club for ten years. He made valiant efforts to stem the slow decline which many Clubs such as ours have experienced in recent times and this seems to have steadied.

He was a popular figure with young and old alike and he took great delight in seeing our younger players developing into skilled exponents of the game. His dealings with opponents were always of rivalry rather than being adversarial and his gentlemanly approach would often find him applauding good performances by the other team’s players. Even so, with barracking being an intrinsic part of an encounter he could give as much as he got, but always within the rules.

The Club will miss his commanding presence. We trust that your bereavement will be eased by the good memories that so many of us have of him.

Congratulations to the CACSSA SKITTLES TEAM

The CACSSA Skittles team, playing as the South-West Region’s representative, has emerged as victors at the CSSC National Finals held at the Cheltenham Clubhouse on 16 May, using all three alleys.

Having won the Regional Qualifier at Bristol on 26 April they met the winners of six other CSSC Regions in a round-robin competition. The first game was lost to South but the remaining five games were all won, and South lost the chance to become overall winners by losing a single game to Wales.

Final table:
		P	W	D	L	pins	pts
1	South-west	6	5	0	1	753	10
2	South	6	5	0	1	708	10
3	Northern Ireland	6	3	0	3	712	6
4	Wales	6	2	1	3	677	5
5	Midlands	6	2	0	4	710	4
6	North-west	6	2	0	4	672	4
7	Scotland	6	1	1	4	666	3

Reg Rowley

Bill Mayling receives Certificate of Recognition

Ask anyone involved in tenpin bowling in the South West Region what they think of Bill Mayling and his contribution to their sport within the CSSC and you'll quickly get a picture of a totally committed volunteer.

Bill Mayling was presented with his award at the South West Conference, at the China Fleet Club, Saltash on 6^th March 2009 by Peter Fischer, who is the Chairman of the CSSC Volunteer Committee.

Bill's commitment to his sport goes back many years. When Bill's predecessor, Phil Jelly, set up evening leagues at several venues across the Region, Bill took on responsibility for running both the Bristol and Cheltenham leagues and did this for several years. When Phil moved out of the Region ten years ago, Bill took over as the Regional Organiser. Bill has always paid attention to what members wanted and has managed to adapt the format to best suit the ever changing demands of its participants. With the cost of participating rising and having consulted many of the teams, Bill took the decision to concentrate CSSC bowling to one day of competition per year rather than continue with the leagues. He has ensured the venue moves around the Region and always negotiated the best possible rates with the bowling alleys.

Previously there had only been a scratch national qualifier competition, but Bill set up a handicap competition to run alongside the scratch one. Working with other Regions tenpin bowling organisers, Bill also set up an inter-Regional competition for handicap teams. This saw our winning team competing against some of the other Regions in the afternoon of the scratch national finals. As a result of all of these initiatives, participation in the South West has more than doubled during Bill's time as organiser. 2008 saw 8 teams of 4 in the scratch competition and 10 teams of 3 contesting the handicap competition. The event took over all 18 lanes at the alley for a whole day in a highly professional, but friendly atmosphere.

Bill's dedication to his sport and CSSC doesn't end there. He has regularly, and at his own expense, gone to the national finals to support our Regional representatives including trips to Stoke, Nottingham, Leeds, Bristol, Belfast and, most recently, to Plymouth. As a Region, South West have been very successful during Bill's time as organiser, taking the national title on at least three occasions. A lot of the credit for this achievement has been down to the way in which Bill has run and organised the Regional events.

When asked to sum up Bill, the captain of the 2008 regional and now national champions said he is "one of the old school true gentlemen".  Bill's commitment is clear - to tenpin bowling in his department, area, region and at national level. To the CSSC in general, by his continued active participation in Regional meetings and conferences over the years. No doubt he will continue to promote his sport and motivate others as such enthusiasm and passion in someone like Bill never dies.

Congratulations Bill!

A New Manager for CACSSA

Hugh Barton, the new Manager at CACSSA, has a long track record of working in health and leisure clubs. He was General Manager at the Hogarth Health Club and subsequently The Park Club in London. Until the end of 2007, he was Operations Manager at The Queen’s Club in west London, host to the Stella Artois Championships. He has wide sporting interests – tennis and rugby in particular.

Hugh is a strong advocate of good customer service. He recognises that CACSSA has a great deal to offer existing and future members. His aim is to increase the turnover of the Club, so as to improve existing clubhouse and other facilities – and to build the business so as to secure CACSSA’s commercial viability for the medium to long term. He welcomes comments and initiatives from all members.

We wish Hugh well.  We would also like to thank Sue Brown for all she did for CACSSA before resigning late last year.  She arrived in 2006 and was only going to stay for a year.  Also thanks to Chas Mills who held the reigns in between.

Make it look like your club is active! Send each month, or even more often, contributions about your events or sports club to  Brian Wood, preferably by e-mail to newscacssacouk or by post to 2 Honeysuckle Close, Prestbury, Cheltenham, GL52 5LN

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Tewkesbury Road, Uckington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 9SL     01242 680424
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Last modified: 19 May 2010