We are expecting the new clubhouse to be handed over to us by 31st March. We will move in over the following couple of weeks with a final push at the Easter weekend. There will be a soft opening with no ceremony - that will come later!

In no particular order here is an update of what has occurred since the last newsletter.

Logos:

Matt Beadle has designed a new logo for the club which will be used on all our letterheads and publications, including this one. It will also appear in various places around the site. Nicola Battersby has redrawn the existing Moor and Mersey crests which will form part of the new letterheads.

Furnishings:

Nicola Bennett, Julie Dearden, Phil Riley and Tony Battersby have selected a colour scheme and furniture for the lounges.

Bar:

Martin Kay, Tony Murton, Roger Wilkinson, Keith Dugdale and Dan Arnison have been negotiating with several breweries in order to obtain the best price for our essential supplies. InBev’s was the best offer and this has been accepted, so there will be no change to the beers currently on offer.

Bar Manager and deputy:

Elana Bell has been appointed bar manager with Bruce Davenport as her deputy. We are delighted that both Elana and Bruce will continue their associations with us.

Groundsman:

Nick James, currently Mersey’s groundsman, will add the rugby field to his workload. Again we are delighted that Nick will continue his association with the club.

Club administration system:

Entry to the clubhouse will, at certain times, be allowed only by membership card. This card can also be swiped through the till to give members a loyalty bonus in the form of points redeemable against purchases from the bar. You can, if you wish, “store” money on the card from which your purchases will be deducted. These cards can be disabled as required e.g. in the case of loss or non payment of subscriptions.

The package also includes a membership database and stock control function. Barry Guy our membership secretary is redesigning the membership forms to include all the data that is required when we apply to various bodies for grants etc. These forms will shortly be available at both Moor and Mersey and also on line for all new and existing members to complete.

Weather Vane:

A weather vane has been donated to the club in memory of Geoff Denby and has been installed on top of the clock tower. Geoff spent many years tending to the surrounds of the cricket/lacrosse field. Our thanks to the donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Room Hire:

We have already taken 2 bookings for private functions in our function room. Nicola Bennett holds the diary so please pass on any enquiries to her at 0161 292 0852 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The room is available for hire during the day and in the evening.

Floodlights:

The floodlighting to the 2nd XV rugby pitch and the tennis courts has been installed for some time now. However the switch room has to be made completely watertight before we can access the switches. The roof of the switch room is formed by the balcony floor, completion of which is due by the 2nd week of March.
 
Tennis:

Team practice night will be on Wednesdays starting when the floodlights are ready. Junior sessions on Mondays and Thursdays from 4pm - 6pm begin on Monday 6th March. The Sunday morning sessions restart on 26th March. A senior open day is planned for either the 22nd or 23rd of April. For more information contact Paul Clarke on 431 5367 or Jon Sherlock 442 1039 or view the website.

Websites:

Each section and the Heatons sports club now have their own websites. All the sites are interlinked so it is possible to navigate from one to another by following the links. The addresses are :

www.hmcricket.com,
www.hmtennis.net,
www.heatonmoorrugby.co.uk,
www.mersey-lax.co.uk and
www.theheatonssports.com

Many thanks to Doug Bennett for his time and expertise in developing these sites.

Social Committee:

Joe Gribben is the chairman of this committee. Other members are Julie Dearden, Chris Novak and Chris Wilkinson. Hopefully someone from the tennis and lacrosse sections will also join.

Opening Ceremony:

Due to the uncertainty as to when the building would be completed no firm date has been fixed for this. However it is our intention to hold an official opening ceremony, probably later in the year, when we have a better idea of which celebs are available. There are also suggestions that each section has an opening day celebration in its season.