News

Please note that the Club is closed this coming Sunday.

We are, however, open on Bank Holiday Monday all day.

Opening Hours Update

From 1^st & 2^nd May, we are opening on weekends from 10am-2pm initially. As restrictions are eased we will return to being open all day every day, but we will be operating these hours at weekends in the meantime.

Club Bar Update from Kevin Robertson

“Having watched how the bar is being used over the last couple of days I will be revising our opening times slightly. Starting from Monday we will stay open at lunchtime for another 30 minutes – 11:00am to 1:30pm. Also effective from today the evening session will start 30 minutes earlier, so 6:00pm to 8:30pm. 

The change to lunch hours is to help Lynn cope with the volume of customers and the evening change is to allow the people who bowl from 4pm to 6pm to get a drink when they finish bowling.”

Online Club Handbook

This year there is no printed handbook as per usual. However the handbook file has been uploaded to the Members Area of the Club website – find it under the ‘Outdoor Section’ tab once logged in. If you require a printed version please just ask Ed in the Club Office.

Wheelchair Section

The wheelchair weekly bowling sessions will be recommencing on Thursday 20^th May at 10am and each Thursday throughout the Summer season. We have some vacancies for more players currently, so if you know of anyone please let them know to get in touch with the Club!

Southend & District Friendlies

There is a full slate of S&D friendlies planned for the season – the list is up in the corridor of the Club. If you would like a copy please ask Ed.

Affinity Catering

Finally, please continue to support out new caterers. Initial feedback is great, especially considering we cannot eat inside the Club as yet! Their success is important to the Club moving forward.

A few things to update members on regarding this Outdoor season:

Club Leagues

The Friday morning league is scheduled to commence on Friday 30^th April and run right through to the final week of the season. Team sponsors should expect their team schedules to arrive imminently by e-mail.

Whilst restrictions are still in place we are forced to keep an empty rink between each league fixture, meaning no rinks will be made available for roll ups on Friday morning from 30^th April until restrictions have eased sufficiently.

The Tuesday morning league is scheduled to commence on Tuesday 18^th May and run for 15 weeks – further details nearer the time.

Disc Games

The 2 disc games – the Lionel Clarke mens 2-wood Triples and the Newman Norman mixed game are scheduled to commence from the 17^th May.

Club Friendlies

We have various friendlies scheduled throughout this season and we hope they will be well supported as always.

Club Competitions

Forms will be out in the very near future for the internal Club competitions. In the meantime, the season-opening Roaming Jack Singles is currently up to 65 entrants, amazing support and many thanks to all who have entered. Entries are continuing to be accepting until Thursday 22^nd April.

Handbook

This year there will be no printed Club handbook but there will be a downloadable ‘virtual’ one on the Members’ Area of the Club website – under ‘Outdoor Section’.

Bar

As previously notified the Cub Bar is re-opening from the 19th April to coincide with the opening of the outdoor greens.

The hours of opening are 11am - 1pm and 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Monday - Friday, and will be on an outdoor table service only basis. Our staff/volunteers will collect your order from your table and will bring your drinks/bar snacks out to you. We would prefer payment by contactless card, but can accept cash if required. We will not be offering our full range initially, but we hope this improves as things open up more.   

Kevin Robertson 

ECBC Bar Manager

Kitchen

The Kitchen will be opening on Monday morning and a limited menu will be available initially.

Hours at this stage and going forward will be determined by numbers bowling and demand on the Kitchen.

Please support this new venture.

Tina Spriggs

ECBC Secretary

Please note by current Government guidelines we cannot have people at the Club to solely spectate – however if outdoor refreshments have been purchased that is allowed, so please come to watch/socialise during the Bar opening hours by all means!

Outdoors  

The Management Committee have confirmed a recommendation made by the CoVID sub-Committee for the following:  

• Opening Day of Monday 19^th April (this is still subject to weather and green-keeper approval, but bookings will be taken from this date onwards).  
• We do need to continue for the time being at least with all roll-ups being pre-booked via the Club Office. There is an obligation to do this in order for the Club to open as only organised outdoor sport is allowed. Anyone just ‘turning up’ for a roll up will not be granted access to the greens.  
• Roll ups will be limited to pairs play only in the first instance. All names of those playing must be supplied to the Club Office.  
• Sessions will be Monday-Friday at 10am, 12noon, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.
• No spectators are allowed until 17^th May at least
• All pre-existing rules within the Club still apply, ie. Social distancing at all times, face masks to be worn inside the Club, one-way system inside Club.  
• Sanitising of equipment will not be necessary this year.  
• We ask players to come ready to bowl where possible.  
• The Bar will be open, but in the first instance with restricted hours and outdoor table service only.  
• There will be stewards on site for the first couple of weeks to ensure all of the above are being adhered to.  

Please note our usual dress code will be in place this year - no casual wear for roll-ups. 

Indoors  

The Management Committee have confirmed a recommendation made by the CoVID sub-Committee for the following:  

• Proposed opening date of 17^th May.
  
• Play will be limited to singles, pairs and probably triples, ie. 6 on a rink maximum.  
• Rink booking will not be enforced, but Bowlr will be used.  
• Session times will be 10am, 12am, 2pm, 4pm & 6pm. Session length will be 1hour 45 minutes
• No spectators will be allowed initially although this be reviewed regularly
• Members will be expected to sign Track and Trace forms upon arrival. 
• All the same CoVID protocols still exist from the Winter Indoor season, ie. Social distancing at all times, face masks to be worn inside the Club, one-way system inside Club.  
• The bar will be open and indoor table service should be possible but subject to change.
• There may be stewards on-site for an initial period to ensure compliance with our COVID protocols, this will be reviewed closer to the time.

All of the above are subject to change as the government update their policies. We also hope that such measures are relaxed as the season progresses.  

One of our members, Maurice (Mo) Arkus, takes us through his journey of contracting CoVID-19, via the NHS Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust...

Roaming Jack Singles

Following a successful maiden competition last year we will be running the Roaming Jack Singles once again.

ENTRIES OPEN NOW.

Direct to Ed Morris in the Club Office, simply contact Ed by e-mail or phone.

Deadline for entries Monday 19^th April.

£5 entry fee, cheque/BACs, open to all members. If you have no option but to pay by cash or card please contact Ed to arrange.

Competition provisional start date Monday 26^th April, running for at least 2 weeks on weekday evenings or earlier by mutual consent.

For those who entered last year, the format will be EXACTLY the same this year.

Other Club Competitions will be held later in the season – the forms will be out in due course.

Competition Rules:

-        No marker to be used.

-        Jack must be cast to a minimum distance of 23m from the front of the mat, however it will not be centered at the start of each end.

-        Strictly no touchers in play, a byproduct of having no marker, ie. the jack stays live in the ditch but all bowls are dead.

-        Players to carry their own measure.

-        If any queries in play cannot be settled by players the end will need to be replayed.

-        Strictly a maximum of 1 visit to the head each end. Forfeit all remaining bowls yet to be delivered if this rule is broken.

-        Winner will be first to 21 shots.

-        There will be a group stage, guaranteeing entrants a number of games, followed by a knockout. Details will be confirmed after entries are received.

-        Needless to say, social distancing to be maintained at all times, handshakes not required!

Our new Club shirts (provided by Henselite) are now ready for order.

The first shirt will be discounted to just £10 thanks to generous sponsorship from our main Club sponsor Stibbards and Sons. Subsequent shirts are £25 each.

Click HERE to see the design.

Contact Ed in the Club Office if you would like to order.

In time, these shirts will be used for all Club representative matches.

Club News – March

Outdoor Season

Following the good recent news from Boris, we are planning on opening as early as possible this coming season. Of course this is entirely dependent on Government guidelines and most importantly the weather, so lets hope for some warm and dry weather!

Regardless of when exactly we open, we are planning a full season to be as close to a normal (what is normal these days?!) schedule as possible – we hope you will join us for it!

Club Shirts

Our new shirts are ready to order!

The design and further details can be found in the ‘News’ section of the Club website.

The cost is subsidised for the first shirt at £10 each, with any other subsequent shirts costing £25 each.

Please order these via myself in the Club Office.

Charity Bike Ride

I am taking part in a bike ride to raise money for Disability Bowls England – a very worthy cause indeed in a year where their expenses will be stretched with the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2022. Please click the link below to read full details and donate whatever you can! Thanks in advance.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/tour-de-group-6-bowls?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

Finally, I hope you are all well and many of you will now be ‘jabbed’ which will lead to increased confidence in a return to bowls and the Club, starting with the Outdoor season some time in April.

Hopefully see you soon, Ed