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Spring is almost upon us and once again we have the carpet of primroses and violets throughout our wood, shortly followed by the beautiful bluebells.  Following a cold snowy Christmas and New Year we are all looking forward to some warm sunshine. We are celebrating Valentine’s Day just as we celebrated those great days, with music and dance.  We are a very sociable club and we ensure we meet up on a regular basis all year through not just when the sun shines across our patio and lawns.  Having a sauna recently installed and a new heat exchanger to warm the pool, we have even more reason to attend the club.  We even have a big Spring Clean weekend to look forward to but at least it heralds the start of our weekly Saturday evening communal barbeques when we each cook our own food and dine together on the patio in the setting sun.  We will then be all set to host the BN Petanque nationals once again as we have sufficient room to allow numerous games to be played simultaneously.  Please apply to BN’s head office for entry details.  Come and take part or simply enjoy watching the others and enjoy the club’s facilities. We have something for everyone and are proud of the great age range our membership covers and the atmosphere it creates. We own our own club, including the land, so it will never change, well, only for the better!

Roni & Deane

Here we are again, nearing the end of our naturist season, but what a summer we have had!  We have thoroughly enjoyed cooling down in our outdoor pool! The new heat exchanger has certainly helped to maintain overnight temperatures at a much reduced cost once the summer sun lost its strength and our sauna, though tried and tested, will be put to greater use as the weather becomes less suitable to laze on the lawn!  We celebrated the Queen’s birthday in grand street-party fashion and held a garden fete complete with a scarecrow competition in July. All too soon we will be back round the wood burning stove in the evenings but with happy memories of our Family Camping Week at the beginning of August that brought us together for a fun packed week. We still have our ‘End of Season Ball’ to look forward to with entertainment by Peter James who comes well recommended by our fellow Suntreckers and we now look forward to celebrating Halloween and enjoying the winter months just as much as these glorious sunny days!  It’s always sad to see other clubs closing but it makes us appreciate even more, the fact that we own our own land and will never have to give in to financial gain. We are a thriving club with a good mixture of all ages so we continually adapt to suit their needs with facilities to relax in as well as sporting opportunities at all levels. We hosted the BN Petanque Nationals in May and with two newly refurbished miniten courts, we hosted the Eastern Region games in July. We also have facilities for volley ball, badminton, darts and table tennis, together with a 12 hole crazy-golf course; so there is always lots to do! If you live too far to join us all year round, you can always bring your tent or caravan and spend a weekend with us at Blackthorns.

Roni & Deane

As the previous issue of BN was being delivered we were busy Spring Cleaning in readiness for the warmer weather. The primroses and violets were blooming but the bluebells were running a bit late due to the harsh winter months we had endured but they finally flowered and were well received, especially by Alan who had been patiently waiting to enjoy the woodland scene.  

We had an Easter dance attended by Bunnies and Chicks and the children enjoyed an Egg Hunt and the grown ups, a table tennis tournament and an evening quiz. It was also the first weekend of the year that we resumed our regular Saturday evening communal barbeques on the patio and once the pool was opened for the season we knew summer was on its way.  Volunteers have worked hard to build our long awaited sauna and it is a welcome addition to our facilities, especially during the winter months, as is the wood burning stove in the clubhouse; both good reasons to attend, whatever the weather!

We were honoured to host the BN National Petanque Tournament at the beginning of May and pleased to receive so many visitors who enjoyed not only the games but a dinner dance with live music by a duo known as “Two True”, back by popular demand following their success at our 50th Anniversary event a year ago.  

We have also been pleased to have had the company of members of Suntreckers who are always very welcome.  

This month sees further petanque competitions and practise games of volley ball and table tennis and we have had one of our miniten courts refurbished in readiness to host the Eastern Region games next month and hope to see many of you in attendance.

We are now concentrating on organising our annual Family Week held during the first week of August. It is our main event of the year when there is various entertainment, for all ages, every day.  Some of us like to laze away the summer months but there is plenty of activity for those who like to keep moving!

Please see our website for further details if you think you might like to join in.

Enjoy the summer!

Roni & Deane

Here at Blackthorns we don’t really care that it’s cold outside because we are an all year/all weather club and we have our sauna and wood-burning stove to enjoy which will see us through until the outdoor temperature rises!

The sauna is available anytime but we do have a Friday night when a meal is provided too and it’s nice to bring people together for a purpose.

The Clubhouse takes on a pub-like atmosphere on Friday & Saturday nights with chatting, drinking, (not just alcohol), and playing darts but with none of the bad bits; no drunken rowdiness and everyone knows each other.  Friendships are forged in front of the fire on a chilly night whereas the summer sun tends to scatter people in sleepy-mode onto sun-beds on the lawn.

Dinner-dances, discos, fancy dress and quizzes; it all goes on whatever the weather and it remains a pleasant release from the daily grind of work or the more structured home-life where there are always domestic chores to be done!  Come for a coffee on a Sunday morning, help out with maintenance if you want to; with people of all ages and children catered for in their newly re-built clubhouse, (where they can let off steam away from the parents), Blackthorns is THE place to be!

Ring me on 07974 303 151 if you would like to be considered for membership.

Roni