In his speech, Neil praised our work in establishing the club in its new home at Play Football, and expanding the membership. He highligheted the fact that we now have a variety of memebrs, ranging from those who enjoy just playing socially, to others who compete enthusiastically in leagues and competitions.
Luton Petanque Club has been awarded the prestigious Chairman's Trophy at this year's annual regional dinner dance and wards ceremony. The award was made by Neil Stevenson, Chairman of the Chiltern Region of the English Petanque Associatin, in recognition of being "in many ways the ideal model for a petanque club".
In his speech, Neil praised our work in establishing the club in its new home at Play Football, and expanding the membership. He highligheted the fact that we now have a variety of memebrs, ranging from those who enjoy just playing socially, to others who compete enthusiastically in leagues and competitions.
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Our Monthly Melees are informal competitions, just for fun. The final two melees scheduled for 2016 are on Saturday 27th August and Saturday 17th September. As usual, there will be three rounds, starting at 2.00 pm, and players will have different partners for each game. Entry is free, but there will be a collection tin for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
These afternoons are an excellent opportunity for people new to the game to try their hand in a (slightly) competitive atmosphere. We normally run them from May until September, but there is no reason not to keep going into later months, if the weather is ok and people want to play. We also have our informal sessions throughout the year on Sundays at 11.00 am, and Tuesdays at 1.00 pm. A dozen new players came to our taster session on a lovely sunny, Saturday 23rd July. After being shown the basics of the game, most went on to take part in that afternnon's Monthly Melee, along with a similar number of more experienced players. Another successful come and try event, with most of those who attended joining the club. Remember, our Monthly Melees in July and August will be on the 4th Saturday, rather than the usual 3rd. So our July event is on Saturday 23rd. The competition will start at 2pm as usual, but we are holding a taster session for new players at 1pm.
Luton Petanque Club's popular monthly melee competitions start again on Saturday 21st May. These events are held at our Stopsley venue on the third Saturday of each month, starting at 2.00 pm and finishing between 5.00 and 6.00.
All are welcome, whether an old hand or a complete novice. For newcomers, we can lend you all the equipment you will need; and show you the basics of the game. Everyone plays three games, each time with different team mates. Entry is £1.00 per person, which is donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. To find out more, phone Keir on 07826 949197 Luton Petanque Club has dedicated it's new stand to the memory of sorely missed father and son Bill and Joe Hind. The shelter was built late last year by club members, It replaces the gazebo we had been using, which was repeatedly blown down! We decided that it should be dedicated to the memory of Bill and Joe, founder members and hard working stalwarts of the club. Unfortunately, Bill's wife Anna was unable to be present at the ceremony on 16th April, due to illness, but their daughter (and Joe's sister) Tammy performed the opening ceremony. Many club members, both old and new, attended, as well as petanque players from across the area. Bill and Joe's love for our game was infectious, and we are proud to have a permanent memorial to them. Nineteen players from Luton Petanque Club visited Portugal for a weekend of fun, friendship and boules. The trip took place from 7th to 11th April, in the Algarve village of Cabanas De Tavira. We were warmly welcomed by the local players, who played a match against us on the Saturday. Luton lost 19 - 1; but we weren't dismayed, as more than half of our players were complete novices only a year ago. The rest of the weekend was given over to casual petanque play, socialising in the bar, exploring the village, and some excellent meals in various local restaurants. All in all, a wonderful way to begin the 2016 season. The event was made possible by the hard work of club members Alan and Sheila Roden, who booked the flights and generally kept us all in line; and Richard and Carole Stevens, who arranged accommodation and restaurant meals, as well as liaising with the locals to arrange the Saturday challenge. This was the first time we have been away together as a club. Hopefully it won't be the last. It's officially Spring, and our Monthly Melees will be starting again on Saturday 21st May, at 2 pm. These informal competitions take place on the third Saturday of each month from May to September inclusive.
At each event, everyone will play three games of either doubles or triples (depending on numbers). For each game, players will have different partners, chosen at random. All are very welcome, whether you've been playing for decades, or have never even seen a boule. There's no need to enter, just turn up at our venue at Play Football, at the far end of St. Thomas's Road, Stopsley, Luton LU2 7UX in good time for a 2 pm start. We should be finished by 5 or 6 pm. No prizes, this is just for fun. But there is an entry fee of £1.00 each, which will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society: www.mssociety.org.uk. Thirty six players turned out for Luton Petanque Club's annual Snowboule on 28th December. As usual, the format was a melee, with players having different partners for each of the timed games. The emphasis was on fun and friendship; and it was good to see twenty members of Luton PC there. Congratulations to the winner, Rosina Huntley. 2015 was quite a year for our club, with the number of members nearly doubling. We ran two "come and try" events in the Spring. The first of these attracted seven people, which we found quite encouraging. But that was just the start. Our new members brought along their friends, who introduced their friends. As a result, having started the year with 22 members, we now have 40.
The increased membership hasn't only allowed us to enter a third team in the Three Shires League for 2016. Perhaps more importantly, it has revitalised the social side. We have regularly had up to a dozen players turning up for our Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon practice sessions, even through the Winter. We had a very enjoyable end of season meal at the Steak Parisien restaurant in Luton. And 18 of us are going to Portugal in April for a weekend of petanque against a local club over there. So, if 2016 is half as good as 2015, it's going to be a great year. |
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November 2016
News from Luton Petanque Club
We welcome players of all abilities and all levels of experience. If you are new to the game we can provide equipment to get you started. Categories |