SHENLEY CHURCH END
CRICKET CLUB

Member of the Morrant Four Counties League
[Home] [Members Area]

24/05/2007 - FINAL UPDATE - 2007 TOUR TO BATH

The great day is almost upon us and one or two people were visibly trembling with excitement yesterday. The tour is this weekend. You know this stuff already but I can’t stop myself telling you again.
  • Meet 9.30 Manor Fields. Don’t displease the TD by being late.
  • Car drivers are Colin, Boris and Jay with Richard providing the minibus from our main sponsors Wayside Audi. Thanks to you drivers and Richard. Adequate petrol money has been budgeted for in the tour finances.
  • Please wear club polo shirts for the meet and our arrival at all 3 fixtures. It really does get noticed and always draws favourable comment from our opposition.
  • We’ll travel direct to the Bath University cricket ground as I expect Bath to be seriously congested on a Bank Holiday weekend at midday. We could waste an hour or more just dropping the bags off.
  • We want to get some really good team photographs for, amongst other things, giving to our sponsors and Impact Trading (who embroidered the shirts) hence the need for polo shirts and new match shirts.
  • Bring a pair of swim shorts with you as there is an outdoor heated pool at the hotel. Our challenge is to get all of us in there, and photographed.
  • There is wireless broadband internet access for you, Boris, to keep your finger on the pulse of local and national politics.
  • We’ll find the ground then get some food.
Directions to the first match are as follows: Go to http://www.google.co.uk/maps and type "sulis club bath" into the search box. This will produce a map: I can't give you a direct link because it is modified to suit your browser.

The Sulis Club is on Claverton Down Road, between Combe Down and the top of Brassknocker Hill: it's between Ralph Allen School and Wessex Water. There is ample parking and changing rooms at the ground and we just meet there. We'll try to get everyone there for 2:00 but don't be surprised if we aren't very punctual. There is a bar at the ground, too.

For SATNAV types, Ralph Allen School has a postal code of BA2 7AD.

Choices seem to be:

Buckingham, Bicester, Oxford, Swindon, M4 with usual choice of avoiding Bicester (M40 J10).

Then either:

M4 J18, south on A46 and right on A4 towards Bath looking to pick up A36 towards Warminster and Salisbury. Go through Claverton (don’t turn right in Claverton) and turn right up Brassknocker Hill. Go to the top of Brassknocker Hill and turn left along Claverton Down Road and that should be it.

Or...

M4 J18, south on A46 and swing towards Chippenham on A4 then turn right at roundabout taking A363 towards Bradford on Avon. Immediately after Cumberwell Golf Club turn right through Little Ashley and Great Ashley then turn right on the Winsley Road / Winsley Hill around the village, over the river and the railway, turn right on to Lower Stoke which brings you up to A36 Warminster Road. Turn right then first left is Brassknocker Hill. Go to the top of Brassknocker Hill and turn left along Claverton Down Road and that should be it. Trickier route but avoids Bath centre.

Here to the hotel is:
Turn right on A3062 towards Bath. Left on A36 towards Bristol. Turn right A3064 Windsor Bridge Road then left on A4 which soon becomes Newbridge Road. Ashley Villa Hotel is just past the junction with Chelsea Road on the right. SATNAV destination BA1 3JZ.

We’ll worry about Box and Marshfield when we get there.

14/05/2007 - 2007 TOUR TO BATH - UPDATE

We have decided to relocate the tour base to the pretty city that is known as Bath. Poor rugby side - but much better than the Saints this year. We are now in the month of May and the tour is just a few weeks away. The cost of the SCECC 2007 Tour is confirmed at £150 each.

This includes your hotel, bed and breakfast, petrol for drivers, tour novelties, match fees including tea money, cricket balls and a reasonable pot for drinking. Please let me have your outstanding money by next weekend at the latest.

Robert Caddick, our illustrious former club member, newly appointed Vice President and currently fixture secretary for Marshfield CC, has taken on the brunt of tour organisation. These things don't happen by themselves and Robert rightly deserves our combined thanks.

We are staying at the Ashley Villa Hotel, situated just over a mile away from Bath Town centre. See the website details below.

http://www.ashleyvilla.co.uk

The hotel is about 1 mile from the town centre on a main road with plenty of buses in to town. It is also very near to restaurants, pubs and takeaways so sounds like it is in the B&B district on the edge of town but in a small community of its own.

The hotel has a bar, TV and even an outdoor heated swimming pool, so make sure you pack those swimming shorts. I expect road access to Bath over that weekend to be a bit of pain as it is a very popular leisure venue. There is off-road parking at the hotel.

I will look to the younger members to explore the possibility of nightclubs and the like. Perhaps Boris could explore the kebab situation in the area.

TOUR ESSENTIALS
The weather will be warm, about 20 degrees but slightly overcast. Fixtures are as follows:

Saturday 26th May - BATH UNIVERSITY STAFF
This match is now confirmed.

Sunday 27th May - BOX CC
Really nice ground on a bit of a slope. Great pub overlooking a corner of the ground.

Monday 28th May - MARSHFIELD CC
Excellent ground where we've played on previous tours.

All 3 fixtures are confirmed (please compare and contrast with 2006).

ATTENDEES
Tom Scott has had to drop out because his exams have been rescheduled. Gilmore has dropped out due to lack of suitable time off work. This has really cocked up the hotel, rooming and financial arrangements until, riding in on his big horse from afar comes Anton. Top bombing and welcome, Anton.

The confirmed tourists are as follows... in no particular order, but this can be changed if lightweights are extracted! From the line-up, we can deduce this is a "heavyweight" tour!

1. A Peacock
2. I Peacock
3. C Peacock
4. S Burke
5. J Fletcher
6. R Fletcher
7. G Teagle
8. S Sidwell
9. A DeBeer
10. M Camwell
11. A Brace
12. S Hardwick
13. C Wayman

MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
Travel down Saturday 26th May 2007. Meet at 9:00am sharp down at Manor Fields. Fines and punishments for being late, as it has to be stressed the Tour doesn't start when we get into Bath! Tour brochures, rooming arrangements etc will be distributed as well as directions and other information.

DRIVERS NEEDED...
We will need 3 cars, in addition to the Autobus provided by our lovely sponsors Audi Wayside – go on, buy a car. They’re really good. And quite cheap if you can steal one.

I need 3 volunteers to drive, please, each with a maximum of 3 people per car. That leaves 4 or 5 for the bus plus all the kit spread around. Please email asap or so and I’ll select.

Also, we tend to stop somewhere on the way home on Tuesday but maybe people want to go straight home. I don’t know. Your views please and let me know if folks have to rush off early Tuesday. I know Colin usually arranges a convenient meeting somewhere...

TOUR SHIRTS/IDEAS
There will be no tour shirts this year but we should all wear our club polo shirts to the games and new match shirts until they smell too strong. Clothing is optional. Loud, unfashionable clothing and random tour items are essential, so get thinking! :-)

Give me your thoughts and any ideas.

Andy Peacock - 07725 655608

[Members Area]
© SCECC 2006 - Created and maintained by Simon Sidwell