All England Badminton Open Finals - just for Rob

To be played tomorrow, Sunday 13th March 2016, from midday...

Men's Singles:

Lin Dan (China) 

v 

Houwei Tian (China)

Women's Doubles:

Misaki Matsutomo & Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 

v 

Yuenting Tang & Yang Yu (China)

Mixed Doubles:

Praveen Jordan & Debby Susanto (Indonesia) 

v 

Joachim Fischer Nielsen & Christinna Pedersen (Denmark)

Women's Singles:

Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) 

v 

Shixian Wang (China) 

Men's Doubles:

Vladimir Ivanov & Ivan Sozonov (Russia) 

v 

Hiroyuki Eido & Kenichi Hayakawa (Japan)

All England Badminton Open Big Day Out

Well, didn't the boys have a great day in Birmingham soaking up top-flight racquet sport on Thursday? They most certainly did, after they'd wrapped'emselves around an early morning full-English breakfast at the Merchant in Cannock. Somehow, club secretary Linda inveigled her way into the grub part of the day, although she was never going to spend 8 hours watching badminton (her choo-choo ride to Brum led to an afternoon around the shops!)

The two Robs, Neil, & Terry finally got to the Barclaycard Arena &, after a lovely pat-down by pleasant security personnel, settled in for a days fun. Rob L's man-crush Lin Dan played second game Court 1 against Japan's Sho Sasaki. The Chinese 5th seed was ill-at-ease in the first game, & Sasaki saw him off 20-22. But Dan eased into his stride with each stroke, & his vast experience saw him coast through to the quarter finals 21-6, 21-8.

Mid afternoon saw the start of an all Japaness tussle in women's doubles, with Matsuo & Naito taking on Naoko Fukuman & Kurumi Yonao. These lasses seemed to be playing pretty much all afternoon; it ain't a great tactic to return the shuttle to the centre of the court 75% of the time. Their three sets took 102 minutes to complete, with Fukuman & Yonao coming out on top 10-21, 21-15, 21-17. Not the best badminton, but mesmeric in sheer physicality & long rallies. 

There was a whole load of the 'weak lemon drink' & packed lunch stuff that goes along with a nerds day out - people, it was badminton, all day! However, there were also elements of true beauty, the most wondrous being Neil's watching out for Rob L by bringing extra drink & food; it was as though he was nurturing a teeny-weeny fledgling with a poorly wing.   

We watched a fantastic game with Olympic Bronze medallist Saina Nehwal taking on Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungphan. Currently world number 2, the Indian was strong & decisive, indeed imperious, in her 21-16, 21-9 defeat of Busanan. It was easy to see why she was the first Indian woman to become world number one; watch her efforts in Rio this summer. 

Chris & Gabby Adcock strolled through their game against the Korean pairing of Kim & Shin; they looked very strong contenders for the later stages of the tournament & were the only British players in the Second Round. 

However, a world badminton event & element of the Olympic qualification process for top-flight players provides great spectacle & enjoyment regardless of allegiance. UK television usually shows men's singles & games in which Brits are represented, so it was good to see the strengths & differences between the various disciplines. We will be arranging another Big Badz Day Out in 2017.

After all the excitement, it was a route-march to New Street for an overcrowded, late commuter train back to Cannock, followed by a good few pints at the Mill Farm. When we agreed our badminton skills had improved (by some kind of osmosis) & we could hold our own against any of those prancing ninnies we deigned to watch earlier, we called it a night & staggered happily home!

Inaugural BDBC Lunch

Okay, okay... it was last Wednesday, but I've been away!

Anyway, we did have a lovely afternoon with nine members managing to get along to the Mill Farm.  

The food was good, the company excellent: Gavin & Terry were greedy pigs opting for the large carvery of 3 meats, sausage, steak & kidney pie + all the veg that could be crammed on the platter.  Gavin somehow managed to wrestle down a treacle sponge, once he'd seen the loveliness sat in front of Jim & Neil: he said it was part of his pre-season cricket preparation.  But the high point was the chocolate fudge cake ordered by Jason & Linda; with ice cream, it turned out to be pretty much a whole side of black forest gateau - 'twas the equivalent of some 3 free range chocolate fudge cakes - they ended up sharing them around the table & still couldn't get'em finished; even with Chris giving it a manful try!  The Roberts were being very good boys indeed, & chose but a small cheesecake & doing without respectively - you'll just have to guess!

It was a great change, & we will be doing something similar as we move into summer.  To members that didn't manage to come along, remember you've already paid so get your diaries out!

Next up: Yonex All England Open - Thursday 10th March 
                - members may still obtain a subsidised ticket via Neil / Terry   

Club Anniversary Lunch - arrangement alteration

Members please note:

Our Annual Club Lunch will take place one day early, on Wednesday 3rd February at the same time & venue (12 midday at the Mill Farm)... don't forget, you've already paid!

Look forward to seeing many of you there next week.

6 Nations fixtures 2016

Here comes the world's greatest annual rugby tournament...


Saturday 6th February:     2.25pm  France v Italy     4.50pm  Scotland v England

Sunday 7th:     3.00pm  Ireland v Wales


Saturday 13th:     2.25pm  France v Ireland     4.50pm  Wales v Scotland

Sunday 14th:     2.00pm  Italy v England


Friday 26th:     8.05pm  Wales v France

Saturday 27th:     2.25  Italy v Scotland     4.50pm  England v Ireland     


Saturday 12th March:     1.30pm  Ireland v Italy     4.00pm  England v France

Sunday 13th:     3.00pm  Scotland v France


Saturday 19th:     2.30pm  Wales v Italy     5.00pm  Ireland v Scotland     8.00pm  France v England


... come on you egg chasers!

BDBC New Year Walk

A dull, damp, chill morning greets as we muster for our first stroll of 2016.  10.00 a.m. in the warmth of Cannock Leisure Centre, a 2 hour slog through the mire & slough of Shoal Hill Common & the surrounding woods beckons.  10.15 outside into a gusting wind; scything with a freezing-edge on the exposed higher spots of the walk.

Cannock Golf Course empty of folk but a maudlin dog-walker trudging a down-at-heel spaniel, yet magpie, squirrel, blackbird, & starling active, obvious.

Into the squish & splish of forest track.  Deciduous whipcrack, the soughing of pine.  Outstep the treeline to a ninja panorama - shock of the sudden!  Across pool to the Berwyns, the Wrekin, the Mynd & the Edge; cloud-topped & distant giants, policing an ordered manscape.

A breath in the teeth of the gale & the group turns for the warmth once more... but not before he takes an old-fashioned selfie... 'cos he's all alone!

I promise I will drag you stop-ins over this ground before very much longer, & you will enjoy it!  And I'll bet you'll all be at the annual club lunch next month - I do hope so!  Still, I did have a very pleasant walk though.

See you all next club afternoon.

Cannock Chase Council: free Christmas tree chipping

Cannock, Hednesford, & Ravenhill Parks play host to Cannock Chase Council personnel & their big chippers between 9.00am - 3.00pm from Tuesday 5th to Sunday 24th January (including weekends), & get your undecorated Christmas tree shredded for free.  

Cannock:  Leisure Centre car park
Hednesford:  bottom end of park (by contractors units)
Ravenhill:  corner of car park (by recycling bins)

Take a bag if you want your chippings; chippings will be made generally available to residents later: Cannock 11th, 18th, 25th; Hednesford 15th, 22nd, 25/26th; Ravenhill 13th, 20th, 25th.

It's a great idea: it encourages recycling; bought woodbark is expensive; the shreddings have a range of uses in the garden... use the service!