What a lot has happened since my last blog. Carole and I have played more Captain/Vice Captain challenges and we are still unbeaten!  The last week in December saw the Christmas decorations brought out and set up.  None of us could remember exactly what went where last year and some of the suggestions were ignored!  However most things were found a place and the Clubhouse looked good.

Friday 2 December was the Ladies’ Coffee morning.  At 10.30 I was worried as there were not many people there but lots of stalls full of festive goods.  However by 11.00 the noise level had increased and lots of ladies were there buying, chatting, drinking coffee and eating mince pies.  Thank you to everyone who gave items for the stalls, made cakes, helped on the stalls or just came up and spent their money.  We raised £619 with the raffle making £128 for the Captain’s Charity.  A good morning. 

The children’s Christmas Party is always a great one to attend even if a little noisy for someone of my age.  All went well with the kids enjoying their chicken nuggets and chips followed by ice cream and dancing to the disco as well as playing games. Unfortunately Santa and his little elf got a little wet on their journey as it was pouring with rain.  However they soon settled in Santa’s grotto handing out the presents to delighted children. There were one or two who cried at Santa – but who could blame them!  Jenny James looked a picture after having her face painted by Evie and Paige – my and Carol Hink’s granddaughters.

The Ladies’ Christmas Party was held on 14 December with 80 ladies attending.  What a good turnout.  The food was excellent thanks to young Richard and the kitchen staff and to Dick and Jo behind the bar. Our men looked splendid in their ‘waiting outfits’ and served us very well with a lot of banter going on.  Ian and David entertained us for a short while and then we sang carols before going home.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope everyone else did too. 

There is never any need to join a gym when the ‘Purveyor of good meat’ stall has to be set up for the fur and feather presentations.  Craig and Gary were getting a little red in the face picking up the trays of poultry and meat from outside and bringing them into the clubhouse.  I was even redder placing it all on the table in the correct order – Craig was noisily overseeing this with his checklist in hand.  I had to have at least three gin and tonics to recover and the men were quaffing lots of beer!! 

It was good to see so many at the fur and feather presentations and to watch our Junior Captain Tom Summers drive in. All Christmas festivities went very well with good attendances, much fun, laughter and friendship.

It has been good to have a quiet period since the New Year to re-charge the batteries in preparation for the 2012 activities, which start with a 3 clubs and a putter competition on Tuesday 17 January.  May I wish you all a good, healthy and prosperous New Year (I am still trying to win the lottery!!)

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STOP PRESS: Glen Gorse Ladies Feature in Leicester Mercury. Click  here to read the article.

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I must admit to being very nervous at the AGM but it all went very well. I was overwhelmed by the amount of best wishes and cards I received on the night and afterwards. I just hope I can live up to the standard set by the past captains.

My first big event was to go down to Studley Wood to watch our junior team play against other Midlands teams. Ivan and I walked round with Tom Summers the Junior Captain. Bob Blair saw his team off and then went round the course on a buggy trying to keep up with all that was happening. We were all thrilled when Glen Gorse was announced as Midland Champions. However that meant another trip down to Five Lakes in Essex for the national final on the following Monday. An early start!!

Next came the dreaded Drive In. It must be the most terrifying thing a Captain has to do. However, Pat Chamberlain made sure my tummy nerves were settled and my hands steady when she supplied me with a port and brandy. I thoroughly recommend this but I think one is enough! With only one I saw four balls ready for me to hit!!! Lots of members were standing round ready to cheer as the balls flew down the fairway – or not! Ribald comments were flowing as were hugs, best wishes and congratulations. I especially enjoyed the drive in as Ivan was there to drive in with me as Captain of the Seniors. Also that I out drove both Gary and Ivan with a drive of 197 yards!!! I even hit the fairway, which is most unlike me as most of my playing partners will confirm.

On the next day Ivan and I went down to Five Lakes in Essex to watch the juniors play in the National Finals. I did not envy them their round of golf as the wind was blowing a gale and didn’t stop all day. The team were magnificent yet again. They didn’t win but came joint fourth - a superb achievement. On the 25^th I had my first competition. 48 ladies took part in this 1-2-3 Waltz competition. I was thrilled that so many joined me and that we were blessed with good weather. It put my theme for prizes of winter warmth totally out of context. Next time the competition will be a 3-2-1 waltz – just to suit me as my team had better results that way round! Congratulations to the winners Wendy Harris, Barbara Shuttleworth, Steph Adcock and Val Bowler.

Carole and I have now played six Captain/Vice-Captain challenges and remain unbeaten so I am keeping up with Pat so far and not quite buckling under the pressure yet! But there is still a long way to go. Saturday 29^th October started off the fur and feather competitions with a 4BBB stableford. Jan Clark and I together with our playing partners Carol Hinks and Joan Pearson went out first leading a field of 32 ladies.  There was a cold wind blowing and grey skies but it brightened up and we were all glowing by the time we finished. We all enjoyed our round but were not in the prizes so we shall just have to try again next week.

Saturday 5 November was our next fur and feather – a step aside Texas scramble. My team of Jenny Martin, Joyce Broughton and Margaret Walne battled well but again did not manage the prizes. Only one more left to go. The final fur and feather, an am am, was held on 13 November and was drawn teams. Joan Pearson, Steph Adcock – who now has the nickname of ‘sandy’, Margaret Smith and myself had a really good game. We were second in the clubhouse until the final card which by one shot put us into 3^rd place. Just keeping our fingers crossed that there are three prizes for this – must have a word in Craig’s ear!

Tuesday 15 November was our 12 hole greensome fun competition followed by lunch and a speaker from MacMillan nurses. Everything seemed to be going well with this until 2pm the day before when I learnt that I had no-one to come and speak as Rachel who was due to come had a chest infection and there was nobody else available. However, after pleading with the MacMillan office, Gemma Shaw offered her services. She drove all the way over from Lincoln, had a meal, gave a speech and then drove back home. Thanks Gemma. My partner was Joyce Broughton; she played really well but had very little help from me - I think my mind was elsewhere. We had a lot of good banter with our playing partners Margaret Walne and Carole Allsop who just missed third place on count back. We had a lovely day the weather was good and the lunch excellent. The prizes for the day were Christmas Hampers and the winners were Lynn Morris and Magda Sargeant. We raised £100 for MacMillan nurses at the lunch. Well done ladies!! This together with the Drive-In monies and a donation from Tim Smith of £280 raised at the rabbits’ dinner means we have already raised over £500 towards our charities. Let’s keep this up and beat last year’s total.