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Post by Chris on Mar 28, 2014 19:03:48 GMT
Dear All
Very sadly the Post Office Club at Reading has been forced to shut as of the 6th April 2014. We are truly sorry to lose not only a central venue but more importantly the fantastic support that we have had over the years from the staff there, especially Nobby. We cannot thank you enough and you will be truly missed.
Dave Alder will remove the last two tables and any equipment from the club.
This is being stored in the broken truck for now.
All AEBBA competitions during September to November 2014 have been secured to be played at the Conservative Club Didcot, where the tables will be stored for the duration of those 3 months.
We are extremely grateful to the club and our thanks go to Dave Alder and Dave Tooke for organising this.
The next set of tables will be delivered by Chris Saville to Surrey, thanks Chris for all you have done here over the last few months.
Simon Coleman and Northants BBA have very kindly offered to hire a van and collect the tables from Surrey, storing them at Northants until after their competition, returning them to Surrey when required in May.
The Didcot Club, I am told, will take the tables following the Surrey event in May, however should this not be the case I have spoken to Bill Trinder last night, who has very kindly said that we can store our old van on his land, on a short term basis until September, thus giving us a place for some/all? of the tables.
We still urgently require monies towards the truck and need to continue to secure this.
Anyone with any ideas and thoughts for the future, storage location, where AEBBA games are played or anything that will help, we need your views !!!
Chris x
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Post by BB Warrior on Mar 29, 2014 10:55:10 GMT
Firstly, a huge thank you to the Post Office Club for help that they have given to AEBBA over the years, sad news to hear that they will soon be closing.  Thanks should also be given to the AEBBA officers that have clearly acted very quickly to find an alternative temporary home for both the tables and the AEBBA Competitions that are due to be played later this year.... also thanks to Didcot Conservative Club for their assistance to provide us with a venue.  Perhaps my only concern about Didcot as a future venue for AEBBA Competitions would be the distance that players in the southern counties (Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire) would have to travel to play in these, with some players having to make an even longer journey than they have had to in the past 5 or 6 times in the space of a couple of months, with the Jersey weekend around the same time of year. Will that have an impact of the level of entries to these competitions?  I would suggest that AEBBA should now be in direct contact with ALL of the Counties to discuss this situation to see if there are any alternatives for both future competitions and also a long-term solution to the question of where the tables can be safely stored in the future. Perhaps some of the AEBBA Competitions could be played at a venue in the southern region to help keep down the cost of travelling for the players in that area? Alternatively, could some of these be played at other times of the year to at least spread the cost over a longer period and also avoid the "boredom factor" of having to make the same journey week after week to the same place, which I know is something that made some players choose not to play at Reading on some occasions? Since many of the best suggestions about our game seem to start on the Forum I am sure that AEBBA would welcome feedback and ideas from the members here.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2014 12:01:53 GMT
Northants would be happy to discuss the viability of hosting one of the tournaments that would have typically been in Reading such as the AE Indivs and Ladies County but that would not serve to assist the majority of players who reside in the far south so I understand that it may be a non starter. But as I say, I would be happy to discuss it.
Lorin (Northants Secretary)
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Post by davejones on Mar 29, 2014 21:47:13 GMT
Firstly, a huge thank you to the Post Office Club for help that they have given to AEBBA over the years, sad news to hear that they will soon be closing. Thanks should also be given to the AEBBA officers that have clearly acted very quickly to find an alternative temporary home for both the tables and the AEBBA Competitions that are due to be played later this year.... also thanks to Didcot Conservative Club for their assistance to provide us with a venue. Perhaps my only concern about Didcot as a future venue for AEBBA Competitions would be the distance that players in the southern counties (Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire) would have to travel to play in these, with some players having to make an even longer journey than they have had to in the past 5 or 6 times in the space of a couple of months, with the Jersey weekend around the same time of year. Will that have an impact of the level of entries to these competitions? I would suggest that AEBBA should now be in direct contact with ALL of the Counties to discuss this situation to see if there are any alternatives for both future competitions and also a long-term solution to the question of where the tables can be safely stored in the future. Perhaps some of the AEBBA Competitions could be played at a venue in the southern region to help keep down the cost of travelling for the players in that area? Alternatively, could some of these be played at other times of the year to at least spread the cost over a longer period and also avoid the "boredom factor" of having to make the same journey week after week to the same place, which I know is something that made some players choose not to play at Reading on some occasions? Since many of the best suggestions about our game seem to start on the Forum I am sure that AEBBA would welcome feedback and ideas from the members here. Maybe one suggestion is to follow the opens around the scene. So when the Berks open is in town somewhere, the next national event could be held in the same place. Likewise the Bucks open could that not be the venue for the following event. The national officers may have to juggle dates around but at least the tables would be in the area for the next event, and not have to move the tables half way around the country. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2014 13:02:58 GMT
What a conundrum for the AEBBA, faced with the sudden double whammy of a knackered truck with no alternative than to replace it, and now the loss of the headquarters in Reading, annual host to 15 National competitions.  Warrior has summarized the position we are now faced with perfectly. And Mr DJ has made a suggestion here which provides the germ of a short-term solution. Maybe one suggestion is to follow the opens around the scene. So when the Berks open is in town somewhere, the next national event could be held in the same place. Likewise the Bucks open could that not be the venue for the following event. The national officers may have to juggle dates around but at least the tables would be in the area for the next event, and not have to move the tables half way around the country. The obvious problem is that the venues which regularly stage an Open invariably use the other day of their weekend hire for a prime domestic competition, which they are not going to be willing to relinquish. Most have limited capability for storage of a set of 8 bar billiards tables beyond the weekend. But let's not dismiss Dave's suggestion out of hand, and here is my angle on the lines along which we should be thinking: Of the venues staging National comps, I reckon these ones already have optimum use and it would be unfair to expect them to take anything else on: St Nicholas School (Surrey) Salfords Club (Surrey) Suburban Club (Kent) Six-in-one Club (Kent) Princes Risborough Club (Bucks) However, Sussex have two good venues (Roffey Club and Hurstpierpoint Club) which are "under-used" and might be able to fit an extra bar billiards event into their calendar (in the autumn) if we were to ask them very nicely. And Jason at the Limes has always been very approachable for competitions and storage of tables between weekends etc. All the AEBBA's autumn events could - with a huge slice of luck - be fitted in thus: 1st weekend: Hurstpierpoint Club - Div 2 Mens County on Saturday, Ladies County on Sunday; 2nd weekend: Roffey Club - National Team Champs on Saturday, Div 1 Mens County on Sunday. Fewer tables would be needed for the following competitions, and the pub has 2 of its own tables anyway........ 3rd and 4th weekend: The Limes, Merstham - mix'n'match from AE Mens Singles; AE Ladies Singles; Over 50s; Over 60s; Under 25s; Mens Grand Prix; Ladies Grand Prix. Then the tables would be whisked up north for eventual storage in Northants as per their kind offer. It is to be hoped that by this time Berks will have found a good alternative venue for their Open, so between Berks, Oxon and Northants the final three AEBBA competitions could be fitted in (or not, as the case may be) these being the National Mixed Doubles, the "Special Ladies" and the "Alternative Rules"......one by each maybe ? I'm not claiming that this is the perfect solution, no doubt various obstacles would suddenly appear as if by magic ! But think of it as an extension of DJ's concept of trying to minimise the number of journeys the AEBBA tables will be making.  |
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Post by BB Warrior on Mar 30, 2014 16:14:29 GMT
Have to say that I am a puzzled about some of these suggestions.... All the AEBBA's autumn events could - with a huge slice of luck - be fitted in thus: 1st weekend: Hurstpierpoint Club - Div 2 Mens County on Saturday, Ladies County on Sunday; 2nd weekend: Roffey Club - National Team Champs on Saturday, Div 1 Mens County on Sunday. I think that there is a lot of sense in putting the County Championships competitions "together" over one weekend at a venue (meaning that the tables would not need to be set up again and more revenue for the venue for less inconvenience) but why would the tables then be moved from one venue to another over the weekends which would increase the costs to transport them and would mean more time and effort in setting them up again?  The AE Mens Singles and AE Ladies Singles have always fitted in well alongside the County Championship Ladies & Division 1 competition so there seems no real benefit in changing that.... and the Over 50's has worked well in combination with the Mixed Pairs in recent years but needs at least 8 tables to avoid too many players being drawn on the same tables so these (and the Grand Prix, which again needs 8 tables) competitions would need a bigger venue than this idea.... Fewer tables would be needed for the following competitions, and the pub has 2 of its own tables anyway........ 3rd and 4th weekend: The Limes, Merstham - mix'n'match from AE Mens Singles; AE Ladies Singles; Over 50s; Over 60s; Under 25s; Mens Grand Prix; Ladies Grand Prix. And that would still leave us looking for homes for these competitions.... the final three AEBBA competitions could be fitted in (or not, as the case may be) these being the National Mixed Doubles, the "Special Ladies" and the "Alternative Rules"......one by each maybe ? .... with the Over 60's and Under 25's to be fitted in as well. I think that perhaps Tommo is looking at a "short-term fix" with his suggestions but as Didcot has kindly offered to store the tables and host the veny for this year.... then we should gratefull accept that offer as it gives AEBBA time to look at the "long-term solution" to this, my previous message was meant to highlight the fact that alternatives should be looked at now and not left until next year. My own view is that if there is no suitable central (ie Reading area) venue that can be used for all of the AEBBA competitions, then these should be split (fairly) equally between venues in the North and the South, possibly along the lines of the following.... North Weekend 1 - Div 1 County & Ladies AE Singles (Saturday) and Ladies County & Mens AE Singles (Sunday) Weekend 2 - Div 2 County (Saturday) and Alternate Rules (Sunday) South Weekend 3 - Special Ladies (Saturday) and Mixed Pairs and Over 50's (Sunday) Weekend 4 - National Team Champs (Saturday) and Mens/Ladies Grand Prix, Under 25's and Over 60's (Sunday) Clearly the split between North and South could alternate from year to year so the same players do not keep having to make the same journey to enter the competitions that they enjoy playing in.... although I do think that events like the Mixed Pairs and Special Ladies would probably get more support from players if they were held in the South as there seem to be more lady players in that area. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2014 17:05:28 GMT
I think that perhaps Tommo is looking at a "short-term fix" with his suggestions but as Didcot has kindly offered to store the tables and host the veny for this year.... then we should grateful accept that offer as it gives AEBBA time to look at the "long-term solution" to this Yes and yes. The AE Mens Singles and AE Ladies Singles have always fitted in well alongside the County Championship Ladies & Division 1 competition so there seems no real benefit in changing that.... and the Over 50's has worked well in combination with the Mixed Pairs in recent years By all means, if Dave Alder feels he can still cope with multiple competitions on one day, taking into account the extra mileage involved in coming down south. Maybe he could delegate one to Nigel who from past experience would take it in his stride? There are loads of options to explore here, and my intention was merely to tickle this along a bit, as the year seems to be advancing quite quickly (April soon !) tommo |
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Post by Chris on Mar 31, 2014 17:51:23 GMT
Could I please put in a point.
If I was storing the tables for free, I would as the club storing them, expect the games from the AEBBA, which is where I would get my revenue for the storage.
I think that wherever they are stored, it should be at the same place for the AEBBA months, thus ensuring that revenue is in place to compensate for storage.
If the tables where moved from game to game where would they go in between?? where would they go until needed in January?? They go together, you cannot expect a club to hold some back if they do not get an event.
I cannot see me storing them if there is no revenue advantage, business is business
Just a point x
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