Page 30 - Layout 1

Page 30:Layout 1 26/12/2014 11:19 Page 1

READERS LETTERS
30 READERS LETTERS
Dear Bob,
Many thanks for another splendid edition of the SMI - I always
look forward to receiving my copy. The ESMBA report was particu-
larly interesting and enlightening!! What a shame that black
trousers were not 'passed' while the possibility of blue (or red, or-
ange, purple)? mats were.
On a personal note I am unable to wear any item of clothing
which has the awful 'polyester' content and have much difficulty in
obtaining mid grey trousers without polyester. My current trousers are 100% merino wool, lined
with viscose (anti-static) and, although a shade on the darker side, I have worn them at the Na-
tionals where they were no darker than some others. It would also seem that the England shirts
are 100% polyester (darn it, I would have liked a try out)! When some 'bright spark' saw fit to in-
troduce polyester shirts, similar to the ESMBA ones, at our club it cost me £50 plus three shirts to
get ONE replicated in cotton. Bring back the WHITE! Clean, crisp, cool, cheaper and smarter.
Back to the SMI - while it is really interesting to read about some of the many tournaments
and open competitions around the country could we, please, be informed if these events are open
for all to enter and, if so, could we have a contact? Although our club is small in number we are
competitive and enjoy travelling to compete in various competitions which we can travel to and
back from within a day.
Further to the above; would it be feasible for the SMI to publish a list/diary of upcoming com-
petitions and contact details? I ask this while fully aware of how much time and effort you already
put in to the SMI - greatly appreciated by all your readers. However, I often search the internet for
short mat bowls competitions only to find that the results bring about press releases of historical
events, or, in the case of County websites, news about the individual County competitions for Na-
tional qualifiers.
Finally, I am relieved that you did not find it necessary to publish your letter 'is this the last
ever issue of SMI?' - as will be many of your readers. While your frank - and sometimes con-
demning - comments regarding some of the shortcomings of the ESMBA have been welcomed
by those who have shared your thoughts, but not had your courage to speak out, I am sure we
shall all be delighted if the new Chairman, Barry Hedges, follows through with his plans to use the
SMI as a forum for keeping us all enlightened. Thank you again for your splendid efforts - long
may they continue.
Best Regards,
Gill Willis

Hi Gill, Having watched most Nationals (and having organised the early ones), over the last 30
years, not that many people seem to bother with mid-grey and there have been very many shades
used and no-one other than the committee and Umpires get uptight about mid-grey. With the Um-
pires I sometimes think that to some of them, dress is actually more important than playing the
game. As to black, there are of course shades of these as well but perhaps not as many as grey.
As to polyester, I don’t particularly like it either but I can thankfully wear it with no problems
but I do prefer cotton or cotton types of tops. Sorry, I am a fan of coloured tops as Grey and White
is a boring combination to me and I do like to be able to tell one team from another.
Yes, I can be quite frank in some of my comments and recently I have been about the ESMBA
under the old Chairman I would add that I am sometimes in a privileged position and sometimes
hear about what happens in committee meetings etc. and the politics involved. I never repeat a
word of it but I am so relieved that we have a new chairman with a positive attitude - nuf said!
In terms of a club open competition diary, I tried this before with no success. Some of them
probably don’t want winners to enter their events, even though they are for charity but I will have
another go. One problem is that a lot of clubs don’t seem to plan that well ahead and SMI is a
quarterly magazine and I need plenty of notice, preferably 9 - 12 months or at least a long time.