General Info.
Information
News
Facilities
Members
Calendar
Club Night
Ladder
Leagues
Coaching
Stringing
Tournaments
Teams
Fixtures
Results
Club Locations
Squash Rules
Committee
Members
Meetings
Documents
Squash Section Report to the Executive Committee
5th September, 2002
Squash Activities
Preparations for the new season are now under way, and we have once again entered three Mens teams and one Ladies team in the Worcestershire league. Brett Green and Errol Ferris are preparing the respective ranking lists. The Mens 1st team will play its matches on Monday evenings, the Ladies on Tuesdays, and the Mens 2nd and 3rd teams, now both competing in the 3rd division, on Wednesdays. Club Night will continue to be held on Thursdays from 7.30pm. The three Veterans teams will be playing their matches, as usual, on Saturday afternoons from 5.pm. Junior Squash will recommence shortly on Saturday mornings.
National Squash Week
England Squash are promoting the game at national level with National Squash Week from 21 to 28 September, preceded by a media campaign to raise the profile of Squash. We will be taking the opportunity to attract interest in the game and the Club, and will be opening our Thursday Club Night to visitors, and holding an open day on Saturday 28th. Young players will be welcome to join the Junior training session in the morning, and there will be a taster session for adults in the afternoon. We are also hoping to hold the preliminary rounds of the Handicap competition on the Saturday evening and Sunday.
Squash Courts
A number of lights are now defective, and we shall have to replace at least 4 tubes before the start of the season. This will necessitate hiring the scaffolding again.
I have discussed the matter of fluctuations in humidity with Bill Pevy of England Squash, having noticed the rapid disappearance of cracks in the floor following a recent period of rain. We also had a visit from an alternative flooring supplier, who confirmed that the floors were above normal levels of humidity. Bill was surprised to learn that we have no means of circulating the air in the court area, and recommended that extractor fans be installed at the back of the court area.
There has been no further progress with the floors, although Bill Pevy has now had a conversation with Stuart Brooks, who feels that his offer to relay the floors for £1,000 per court is not unreasonable in the circumstances. Indications are that if we were to engage an alternative contractor to do the work, the price would be likely to be more than double this figure. Any work undertaken would be subject to supervision and inspection by Bill Pevy, and address the specific points referred to in his Report.
Whilst it would be most unsatisfactory paying a contractor to rectify his own failures, we have to accept that the movement in the floor has also been affected by the humidity, and the lack of consistent heating, and air extraction in the three years since the courts were rebuilt. I have still to consult Cathy Arkell on the merits of taking legal action, but am mindful that this would substantially increase the initial costs of rectification, probably incur additional legal costs, and with no certainty as to the successful outcome of any claim, or the continued survival of Watson Brooks.
Brian Ireland
Squash Captain
4 September 2002