Village Life

Coffee Mornings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 10 am to 11.30 am, an excuse for a get together in the Village Hall.

Any profits are divided equally between St Giles Church and the Village Hall. All are welcome.

Martyn Knight runs Ballroom and Latin dance classes in Bradford on Tone Village Hall on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Further information available here: www.stepintimedancestudio.co.uk

Traditional Japanese karate classes every Wednesday night at Bradford On Tone Village Hall. 6pm for juniors, 7pm for teens and adults. All ages from 8 and up. Beginners always welcome, first lesson free. A not-for-profit organisation.

Further information available here: https://momiji-dojo.tumblr.com.

What is Short Mat Bowls?

For those unfamiliar with the game here is a brief description. We play indoors on mats of about 45 ft length by 6ft in width using standard size bowls as used in lawn green or long mat bowls. Our games are played between teams of two (pairs) or three (triples) usually over six ‘ends’ on club mornings and evenings. League and competitive games are usually played over ten ‘ends’. With slight variations we play to the England Short Mat Bowls Association rules. To make play more challenging there is a wooden ‘block’ mid-mat to reduce skittling shots!

Our Club

The club has about 25 members and regularly plays socially in the Village Hall. In the winter season the club is a member of Taunton and District League, playing in the First Division. Friendly matches against local clubs are arranged during the summer and there are annual internal cup competitions in singles, pairs, and triples with presentation cups and personal trophies.

Club Nights

Mondays 7pm – 10pm

Club Mornings

Thursdays 9am – 12noon (Wednesdays on 1st/3rd weeks in any month when the hall is in use by the Coffee Morning)

Membership

Members are essentially resident in, or have connections with, the village and this is what gives the club its strong social ties and immediate sense of friendship.

Applications

Those wishing to join usually attend for a short period to get some understanding of the game and of the rules, and to practice playing on our typical old wooden hall floor! It is fun but not necessarily quite as easy as it looks at first sight!

Those who choose to apply for membership make written application, supported by two club members, for consideration and decision by the committee. Those accepted may have to join a waiting list if our numbers are up to the club limit of 25.

Fees

The fees are £5 for Annual Full membership and £3 for mornings only membership. There is a ‘green fee’ of £1.50 on each attendance. Coffee, tea and biscuits are served free of charge.

Social

We have a Summer House Party and a Village Hall Christmas Party at which non-member partners are very welcome. It has been our practice to hold an annual Fund Raising Coffee Morning, and to run Invitation Tournaments, in aid of The Children’s Hospice (South West). The club has won the annual Taunton District

League award for raising the most money for the Hospice consistently

Constitution

We fully support and operate a clearly stated policy of non-discrimination. (No player showing playing potential and a willingness to assimilate into the club has been refused membership since the club’s inception.)

Enquiries

Are always welcome. There is no upper or lower age limit! For practical reasons the membership is set at 25. Contact Colin or Jennie Dinsdale on 01823 461597

Come and try Short Mat Bowls – It’s fun!