Latest News | British Games Club, Tenerife

Tennis players step up to two days a week

October 6, 2018

BEAUTIFUL EARLY AUTUMN weather greeted the small number of British Games Club members participating in the first playing session of the new 2018/2019 tennis season.

Playing numbers will swell as the month progresses as more of our swallow members return to the island ready to join in what promises to be a busy programme of tournaments and general playing sessions.

Members will need to get into their playing stride quickly, with the first in-house tournament scheduled for November 13, the traditional Angels and Bandits team event. It will be quickly followed on November 25 by the first inter-club tournament of the new season when BGC takes on Tony’s International team.

The tennis section meets all the year round, on two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, between October and April but on Tuesdays only during the quieter summer months. Playing sessions run from 10am-1pm, though these times are occasionally varied during particularly busy times.

The section operates under the umbrella of the British Games Club but its ranks are swelled by players of many nationalities, including Spanish, German, Italian, Austrian, Canadian, Norwegian, Finnish, all bought together by their love for the game.

For more information about the section, contact captain Maxine Self on 619 370 597 or email dvsmjs@hotmail.com

See https://britishgamesclub.es/tennis/ for subscription details and further information.

Bowlers kick off 2018/2019 season

October 6, 2018

British Games Club members gather round to watch as Bowls captain David White prepares to deliver the first wood of the 2018/2019 season.

A SMALL BUT HARDY GROUP of British Games Club members kicked off the 2018/2019 bowls seasons promptly on the first day of October under gloriously warm and sunny skies.

The north Tenerife club’s winter season runs from the beginning of October to the end of April and though there were only eight members present for the first session, many more will join them over the next few weeks as our ‘swallow’ members head back to warmer climes for the winter.

The club’s Bowls Section always welcomes new members, even if you’ve never played the game before. We offer free taster sessions and free coaching to new players, providing all the equipment you need to get started.

We play at Alvaro’s Club de Tenis in the El Botanico area of Puerto de la Cruz on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, meeting at 1.40pm to enable a 2pm start.

There’s a full programme of competitions, both for men and women, and in addition to the playing side the section also runs a number of social activities.

For further information about bowling with the British Games Club, see https://britishgamesclub.es/bowls/

David is pictured delivering the first wood of the new season, watched by a small group of early arrivers and players who live here permanently.

Marilyn secures first singles title

March 18, 2018

Marilyn Bimpson receives the Captain’s Salver from bowls captain David White.

THE LAST competition of the 2017/2018 British Games Club bowls season, the Captain’s Salver, produced an all-ladies final for the first time in as long as anyone could remember.

Marilyn Bimpson and Grace Lorimer negotiated their way through to the final, successfully casting aside all the male participants in the process.

And it was Marilyn who emerged triumphant, adding a first singles trophy to the two Pairs Trophy successes she enjoyed last season and the season before.

The Captain’s Salver is open to all those members who have yet to win a singles title. The Salver always draws a line under the season’s competition programme as most of our swallow members get ready to go back home for the summer.

This season will officially drawn to a close on Friday, April 27. The 2018/2019 season will kick off on Monday, October 1.

Bowls will continue throughout the summer at the usual venue, Alvaro’s Tennis Club in the El Botanico area of Puerto de la Cruz, with playing sessions planned for Monday and Thursday afternoons.

We provide all the equipment you need to get started, with free taster sessions and free coaching also on offer. We ask you to arrive by 1.40pm so that play can start at 2pm prompt.

Visitors and beginners are always welcome, with the quieter summer months offering the perfect opportunity for new bowlers to get their eye in ahead of the season proper.

Contact David White on 922 575390 or Chris Baker on 633 789 990 for further information.

Chris takes the honours after a recount

March 18, 2018

Moira presents her trophy to Chris Rogan (right).

THE SECOND staging of a relatively new addition to the annual calendar of tennis section tournaments saw a new name added to the British Games Club honours board.

The destination of the Moira Tournament trophy was decided after a ‘recount’, with Chris Rogan’s score of 19 points enough to secure victory over joint runners-up Victoria Neilson and Ken Sheldon by one point.

The tournament was held for the first time two years ago as part of a farewell to long-time member and vice-captain Hara Davis.

It was called the Hara Tournament and the first winner was Lorna Hamilton. The day proved so enjoyable that it was decided to make it an annual event, with each year’s winner providing the trophy for the following season.

Last year members competed for the Lorna Tournament, with Moira Aungiers the winner.

This year, 27 members took part in the Moira Tournament, which saw four hours of intensely competitive but friendly doubles competition.

Lunch followed, with Cheo’s Clubhouse team serving up another excellent meal. Singer Louise provided the excellent post-meal entertainment, which encouraged plenty of dancing and general bonhomie.

Jim claims Club Champion title for third time

February 28, 2018

Jim Goodman receives the Club Championship trophy from bowls captain David White (left).

JIM GOODMAN is the British Games Club’s new bowls Club Champion, lifting the title for the third time thanks to a 13-7 victory over Chris Baker in the final of the competition.

His victory means that for the first time since 2014 – and despite there still being two trophies to be decided – each of the the bowls section’s singles trophies has had a different winner.

A combination of bad weather and a flu epidemic that decimated the club’s playing ranks had at one time threatened to derail the club’s tournament programme.

The Men’s Championship was particularly badly hit, with several players forced to withdraw because of the illness. Finally, two players were left to contest the final, Chris Baker and Richard Anderson. However, between the semi-final and final, only a matter of a couple of days, Richard was struck down by the flu and the final had to be postponed.

The Club Championship final saw a tight contest in which Jim built an early lead before Chris briefly fought back. But from then on Jim managed to keep his nose in front before finally sealing victory on the last but one of the scheduled 14 ends.

Jim is pictured receiving the trophy from bowls captain David White (right).

As another season draws rapidly to a close, there is still one competition to be completed, the Captain’s Salver, which is open only to those members who have yet to win a singles trophy.

The season will continue until the end of April, though it’s likely that many of our ‘swallow’ members will have returned to the UK by then.

Bowls will continue throughout the summer months, with sessions planned for Monday and Thursday afternoons at the Club de Deportivo y de Ocio – better know locally as Alvaro’s in the El Botanico area of Puerto de la Cruz.

Bowling starts at 2pm but please be there 30 minutes beforehand so we can provide you with suitable woods.

New players and visitors are always welcome, both summer and winter. We provide all the equipment you need to play and we also offer free taster sessions and free coaching for people who have never played the game before.

If you would like further information about the Games Club’s bowls section, please contact captain David White on 922 575 390 or vice-captain Chris Baker on 633 789 990.

Games Club pipped in anniversary match

February 1, 2018

The celebratory Anniversary Vase presented to the Games Club to mark 20 years of the tournament against Los Gigantes.

TENNIS section members of the British Games Club travelled across the island to Los Gigantes for the annual inter-club tournament with their old rivals from the Tipsy Terrace.

There was added spice to this year’s encounter, which marked the 20th anniversary of the first meeting between the two teams.

Back then it was a ladies-only event and continued as such for a few years but has long since become an event for both men and women.

There has always been great camaraderie between the two teams, despite it also being intensely competitive, with no quarter asked and none given.

The match is fought over a series of men’s, women’s and mixed doubles – the two teams are picture above – and it was quite a tight affair, with home advantage proving decisive at the end of the day by the narrow margin of 14 points over the series of 24 matches played over four hours.

With the rivalry set aside, the two teams joined together for a celebratory lunch, after which a number of presentations were made. Gifts were exchanged between the two teams, with the Games Club giving individually-labelled and dated jars of local honey, made by Chris, to each of the Los Gigantes team members and the Tipsy Terrace team reciprocating with a beautifully-engraved commemorative vase, which will now be prominently displayed in the clubhouse.

Highest scoring players on each team received special pens, which for the Games Club went to tennis captain Maxine as ladies’ top scorer and was shared by Nick G and Toni as joint leading scorers for the men.

Tennis captain Maxine said: “It was a great day all round, with good competition, good friends and fabulous food.

“Our thanks go to John Debnam and Prissy Harper for their great hospitality and, above all, their comradeship.”

Final success for Mags at fourth attempt

January 21, 2018

THE NEW YEAR marked a new beginning and a change of fortune for Mags Bennett, the new British Games Club ladies bowls champion.

Making an unprecedented fourth consecutive appearance in all of the season’s bowls finals so far staged, she finally relinquished this season’s ‘always a bridesmaid, never the bride’ tag with victory in the final of the Ladies Championship.

She beat runner-up Dawn Rutherford 14-9 after both players had posted 100 per cent records in the round-robin phase of the competition.

In the final itself, Mags stormed into an early lead and though Dawn fought back strongly she could never quite close the gap.

Mags is pictured receiving the trophy from bowls captain David White, alongside runner-up Dawn.

Tennis section celebrates Liz’s 90th birthday

January 21, 2018

LIZ HOMER has been a member of the British Games Club for longer than most people can remember.

So it was fitting that Liz’s 90th birthday should be marked by fellow members of the tennis section who have played alongside her over many years. Liz no longer plays but she continues to support tennis section lunches and is a regular spectator at playing sessions.

Some 40 club members turned up on the day to extend birthday greetings and to share with Liz a glass of bubbly and a special birthday cake.

Liz is pictured with tennis captain Maxine preparing to cut the specially-made cake.