Latest News from the BBC:

TV STARDOM…BUT NO NATIONAL TV AWARDS?

Balerno Bowling Club went global – well, maybe only national – when the scenes shot at the Club for the BBC series ‘Pramface’ were aired on 22nd January. As the young lead actor ran round the perimeter of the green we caught glimpses of Ron Duguid, Albert Rodger (or was it Charlie Dalton?), Stewart Nisbet, Ian Somerville and Tom Vallery playing bowls. I should congratulate them for their sterling performances although I doubt that Equity will be chasing them for full membership. Indeed some envious commentator who could not be there on the day of filming might argue that their acting was on a par with that of the door of our equipment shed which featured for far longer on the programme! I fear they will not get an invite to the National TV Awards.

A much more impressive TV debut was made by Club Member Ross Young on the ‘Scotland Tonight’ programme on 14th February. Ross was interviewed at length by presenter John McKay on a feature promoting registration on the NHS Organ Donation Register. Ross spoke very well on how his kidney transplant had transformed his life and made an excellent case for viewers signing up for the Register (through www.organdonation.nhs.uk). My regular reader(s?) will know that Ross won a Gold Medal for bowling in the Westfield Health Transplant Games in Belfast in August. 2011. He has been selected to represent Team GB in the World Transplant Games in Durban this year and hopefully his TV appearance will boost his search for sponsorship. Readers can donate through www.virginmoneygiving.com/RossYoung1 and/or by taking part in the Race Night or Ceilidh that he will be running in the Club to help pay his way to South Africa.

I should praise President Tom McDonald for successfully chairing his first Annual General Meeting. I like to think that it was recognition of the good work of the Committee rather than apathy that was the cause of a low attendance by members. The Committee membership remains much as it was. We are sorry to lose the services of Margaret Turner and Philip Marshall and are grateful to Bob Thorpe for agreeing to join the Committee.

Sadly, I have to end another article with news of the sudden loss of Club Member Irene Forrest who had a long association with the Club. Our thoughts at this difficult time are with fellow Club Members Robert Forrest, her husband, and Steven Watson , her son, and with son David and all her family and friends. It was only last July that we said goodbye to Irene’s Mum, Nettie Gilhooley. Like Nettie, Irene will be sorely missed.

CHARLIE HUSBAND OBE
Past President

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