AILESBURY BADMINTON CLUB 52nd SEASON 1954/5.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Once again it gives me great pleasure to present this report on last Season's activities, although it was another season of calm, placid and happy sailing and there is not much of importance to comment on.

One exception was the formal opening in October of our new Badminton Headquarters - the "Hew Hall" as it is commonly called and what a wonderful occasion this was.   The organisation for the opening was perfect and players of world-wide repute combined to play matches or give exhibitions of Badminton and surely this Country has never seen anything like it before. As you all know, the hall is an excellent one and the players had full scope for playing the game at its best and giving the hall a worthy send off. Brilliant smashing and retrieving, delicate drop-shots and uncanny court-craft, perfect training and agility all combined - with real sportsmanship, kept the thousands of spectators in the throes of excitement and made them realise what a great game we all are interested in.

Quite the highlight of each session was the amusingly clever play of the late Mr. Ken Davidson and I am sure we all were deeply grieved to learn of his untimely death in an aircraft accident last Christmas. Another Gentleman who officiated at the opening - the late President of the Midland Branch, Mr. Colm Maidment has also since departed this life and his loss willbe sorely felt by us all. He also had a lot to do with the completion ofthe Hall, but Iam sure that he would have been the first to say that the greatest praise was due to our esteemed member Mr. Frank Peard for all he had done - the real extent of his own personal self-sacrifice we shall never know, and I am glad that a simple plaque in the entrance porch reminds us of the great debt we all owe to people like him.

One snag - if you like to call it that - about the New Hall is that it is affecting the members attending our own dub, some members preferring to arrange to play their own private matches in the New Hall and of course, they haven't got the same interest in the usual type of Club play. I cannot say that this is a pity because we do see them now and again, and I suppose their play is bound to improve in the long run. The only thing is that they are missing the sociability of the Club, but whether this is more their loss or ours I just cannot say. On account of the reduced attendances, we propose increasing the membership to 55 or 60, and when we come to consider this item on the Agenda, your views will be appreciated. As you will have seen from the notice, we also expect to do something about starting a Juvenile Section, and I hope you all have the names of your Sons, Daughters, Nieces, Nephews, pupils etc ready for the nursery school!

Don will be presenting his report on the matches in due course, and all I will say about the teams is that the decision to have them chosen by a Selection Committee seemed to be a very wise one, as there were fewer grouses, if any at all and I strongly recommend the permanent maintenance of such. Here may I mention that one of its members, our esteemed Vice-Presidents, Mr. George Reid, has been elected to fill the high office of President of the Midland Branch, and I offer him our congratulations on this well deserved tribute to his long interest in the game and his general popularity

Our Annual Dance held in February was not as well attended as on former occasions and this may have been due to bad night and the understandable disinclination of ladies to sit around in a big cold unheated hall. Whilst those present did enjoy themselves, I think that in future we shall revert to holding the dance at the end of the Season. Don was again entrusted with the running of the Branch Dance in Killiney Castle and a big party from the Club duly supported it. A substantial profit was again made for the Branch funds.

Now I come to the very pleasant duty of thanking all members for their co-operation and support which they gave the Club during the year. These qualities represent the backbone of any Club, and I’m delighted to know they are not lacking in Ailesbury. In particular I would like to thank Don for the great burden he cheerfully bears in arranging matches, getting lists prepared etc., Frank Snow for so ably looking after the Shuttles and Frank Craig for kindly arranging Selection Committee Meetings and acting on them (with others) Finally, the General Committee, all of whom have made a grand team to work with, and each person's willingness to help has been most inspiring.

Don't think I'm forgetting to thank the Ladies' Tea Committee. Far from it! Our grateful thanks are due to Miss Hill and her Assistant Miss Lee with all the other ladies who so kindly prepared our refreshments and I make a special place for them as with great daring, I wish to make a suggestion. We have a justifiable reputation for the excellent quality of our teas, the tastefully made sandwiches, scones, jam rolls and other cakes are simply luscious, but I wonder would they ever try to experiment, with wholemeal brown bread and tomatoes, dates, lettuce, cucumber etc. and cake with raisins and other fruits in them, as I'm sure these would make us feel all the better and for all we know the better able to win Matches! Thanks Girls.'

As regards the future, I am confident that we can look forward to another successful and happy season. So far we have received 13 applications for membership, but this number is likely to increase as, thanks to the New Hall, I foresee an increasing interest in Badminton and a greater demand for membership of clubs.

Before closing may I say how sorry I am, and I'm sure we all are, that Mr. Frank Craig is being transferred to Dundalk and so will be resigning from the club. Ha has been a member for a great number of years, a regular attender end has done more than his bit on Committees and so on. He will be greatly missed, and we wish him success in his new sphere, hoping that he will visit us whenever he can.

I thank you all again, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your support in the past and hope that my performance of the Office you have entrusted me with has met with your approval.

Displayed by kind permission of Peard Collection