Chairman’s Letter
Hello Again Folks…..Let me move straight on with further ado to the most pressing matter that is Dave Edward’s ‘Summer Bash’at Birkenhead Park Rugby Club, on Saturday, 8th. June 2019. Whilst the price of £38 per head may seem steep the doors open 3pm and children are welcome for a mere £7 per person, albeit that they should be off the premises by 9pm. There are various entertainments all afternoon including a bouncy castle for the kids. The evening ‘scoff’ is a full self service buffet, the theme being food from places around the world the club has dived. We are assured this is a real banquet and should not be missed. In addition, Dave has obtained the services of a singer for your entertainment. Now the point is while many members have put their name down for the event you have also been painfully slow in ‘coughing up’ the cash. So please do pay Dave in the next week or so. Moreover, numbers have to be finalised by week commencing the 2nd. June, therefore you need to act now to avoid the disappointment of missing a great night.
Speaking of things coming up at short order, it is the Festival of the River on Sunday, 2nd. June 2019 and we should have another tug-of-war contest at New Brighton. My understanding is that the event is likely to take place about 2.30pm. Two boats are going to promote the Club and Try Dives and collect for the RNLI so we would like volunteers to help from about 11.30am. We will put one boat at the entrance to the car park near the Fort and launch the other into the marine lake. The tides are bad that weekend so why not lend your support to our team and raise a ‘few bob’ for the RNLI at the same time. Also, while not certain, I am fairly sure there is a food and drink fair at the back of Morrison’s that same weekend.
Another thing on the horizon which I meant to mention last night is the prospect of Thursday evening diving, such as this coming week. The tides really are excellent for an afternoon dip if you can free yourself from work or retired like me. So for example, on Thursday next the meeting time would be 1.0pm on the beach, diving about 4.0pm and back to the club for 7pm.
Looking at the club in general, I am very pleased to tell you that the membership of the club (currently 120+) continues to grow slowly thanks to the efforts of the training team and our Communications Officer, John Rice, who certainly know how to pack them in, particularly amongst those who either fell out of diving or belong to other agencies. When you think that it was only a few years ago that the membership fell to around the 70 mark, so this really is a real achievement, well done.
Finally, turning to the Refurbishment/enlargement of the interior club space there is no real progress to report, in that we have done everything asked of us by the council with regards to plans and calculations, but it seems that we might be at the very bottom of their undoubted busy agenda. At the recent committee meeting it was agreed that we should review our position at the July committee meeting.
Finally, with the diving season now upon us make sure have a great year and don’t forget to complete the Nitrox log in the boat shed when you are filling your bottles. Safe diving!
Best regards
Alan Jones
Chairman