Reliable person required, must be able to analyse and predict with some accuracy, from information provided by satellites, supercomputers and other weather gathering equipment. Advert placed by Meteorological Office in response to the Barbecue Summer and Mild Winter we have enjoyed.  Serious or not, I will let you decide!

            Now down to the serious business, the heading at the top of this page, which is the word that stands out to you most, oh go on, I will make it easy and tell you – COMMUNITY, what does that word   community mean, well let me try and offer you a definition.   

            As most of you are aware from my previous articles, the football club has a super junior set up with 150 plus members, teams from Under 9 upwards, specialist coaching and besides all this, at the same time catering for the younger children with special coaching classes being provided for them.

            The Cricket Club has made tremendous progress in the last two or three years, besides the two Senior teams they now have an intermediate side (Under17’s) two Under 15 sides and two Under 11 sides, they also provide specialist coaching, with three Level 2 coaches, and two Level 1 coaches, coaching not only the playing members of these sides but also even younger players with as many as 70 to 80 children attending the coaching sessions. 

            The Bowling Club also caters for all ages, they have teams in various leagues evening and afternoon and are always on the look out for new members, people of all ages are welcome so get along and try your hand.

            Last but not least, the Recreation Club itself, which is the headquarters of all the other clubs, again all are welcome. We have an active membership, juniors and seniors, two darts teams, dominoes and pool teams, Membership costs £5, OAP’s £3 and juniors £1.

            So although the word is incorporated in the football title, it doesn’t only apply to the football club does it, it describes the whole organisation at Mill Lane – Pickering Recreation Club, Pickering Cricket Club, Pickering Bowls Club, Pickering Football Club because that is what they are COMMUNITY CLUBS.

            So there you are, one idea of the word Community, and you know it is very easy to become part of that community, just get yourself along to the club, find out more about all the activities or just pop in for nothing more strenuous then a drink.

            Very briefly I just want to mention the word Finance, all the above clubs operate separately, financially raising their own funds, with the Recreation Club providing assistance where it can, but it is so very important that we all operate within strict financial budgets and spend what we can afford and that applies to all the clubs.  

            As mentioned in previous articles, the clubs have drawn up plans to improve not only changing facilities for the sports clubs but also bring up to date the general facilities, these plans should be submitted for planning permission very soon and hopefully I will be able to update you further in the next edition of the Beacon.

            Last year the clubs held a successful Sports Gala, for the first time for many years and we will doing the same again on Sunday August 1st so make that note in your diary now.

            I was hoping to avoid this, but I have a little space left so what about my prediction that Sunderland, would give us that bit of buzz is how I described it, well at the time of writing they had not won for ten games, maybe I should change tack and predict the winners of the County Championship!

            Don’t forget get yourself along if only for a drink, speak to you all soon.

Alan Brenkley.