Youth Bowling May 4th

Straight from Waterlooville we went to the AMF Bowl in the retail park on Portsdown Hill Road, Bedhampton.

The main reason for this visit was for the presentation of Sport England’s ClubMark accreditation to the Havant Youth Bowling Club.

The aim of this award is to provide a focus around which all organisations involved in sport can come together to support good practice in sports clubs working with children and young people.

The ages of those members of the HYBC who enjoy Ten-Pin Bowling range from 4 years of age, up to 18.

The running of the Club is in the hands of a dedicated team of adults, and Elaine and I were very impressed by the enthusiasm of the younger bowlers, and their families, who were there waiting for the doors to open at 10 o’clock.

After the presentation of the ClubMark certificate, I was asked to present a bowling ball to one of the young members to reward her enthusiasm and progress.

Presenting the bowling ball.

With the team behind the club.

Home Bargains May 4th

Started in Liverpool by Tom Morris more than 30 years ago, Home Bargains now has more than 280 stores throughout the country and is still privately owned.

With some of the manangement team.

The store that Elaine and I opened this morning in the Wellington Retail Park in Waterlooville, and which occupies part of the old Focus D-I-Y store, is the first to be opened in Hampshire.

Many of the employment positions in the store have gone to local people, and there should be more opportunities for jobs once the store becomes established.

When we arrived, the shop had opened a bit early to save customers waiting outside in the cold and, by the time we left, there were already a lot of people with loaded baskets and trolleys, many of whom said that they had only come in to look!

With all the new housing coming into the local area over the next few years, it is to be hoped that more new buisnesses will be attracted to the area in the near future.

Nearing The End May 3rd

During the first two or three weeks of May the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and all of the Hampshire Mayors and Chairmen come to the end of their year in office.

This year the Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Derek Burke, decided to hold a farewell dinner in the Southampton Guildhall. All were invited but, due to other engagements, not all were able to attend. There were however, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, six Mayors and Mayoresses and three Chairmen with their consorts.

On the steps.

We were all asked to wear our robes, so that a group picture could be taken on the Guildhall steps, much to the bemusement of passers by!

Following this, we went inside for an enjoyable evening full of reminiscing over the year’s events.