Updated 03/01/2010

Your correspondent has finally emerged from his Christmas hibernation to bring you a bumper update. Unfortunately Santa didn't bring the Mongoose as promised, so I'll just have to carry on with the current plank until I manage to hit the ball and break it. The winter fitness training plumbed new depths as I was mercilessly heckled by the recently departed Treasurer whilst jogging down the Hight Street in distant pursuit of the eldest son who'd evidently had enough of waiting around for me. Still at least I could walk the following day, which was an improvement on the previous "run".

The AGM passed off relatively uneventfully as far as I can gather - at least from a cursory reading of the minutes, and I think we're still welcome at the Joseph Arch. The preferential youth policy on committee positions appears to be working well, and the average age must be well down into the (high) 40's now, although that will probably have an adverse effect on the bar takings at meetings...

On the Social side the Quiz Night was well attended and as entertaining as ever - thanks for Martin and Sue for their hard work. Modesty forbids me from singling out the winners - but it came as some consolation for this year's efforts on the field (NAVY - not a vintage year). The Annual Dinner has been "pencilled in stone" according to the Social Secretary for Friday 29th January at the Granville Arms, so make sure you clear your diaries for another evening of high-octane entertainment.

A highly convivial evening was enjoyed at the residence of Tim Jolly where the cricket slasher movie ("I know how many runs you scored last summer") was the subject of a lengthy and considered debate, particularly the gratuitous shower scene. Hopefully the Social Sec can tweet the writes/directors/actors (it was a big budget studio affair!) into submission and make the sequel which I think we all thought would be no more than such a seminal film deserved. While rummaging through his photographic portfolio the aforementioned TJ came across a couple candidates for a caption competition. So could you let me have your entries by clicking on the picture and supplying the captions, and perhaps will award the funniest a prize at the dinner - or perhaps not...

Finally, if England are playing in the sunshine somewhere it must be time to put the thermals on for the first winter nets. Richard Jones has been chivvying the caretaker at Aylesford to defrost the gymnasium sufficiently so that you won't die of hypothermia, and Simon Hawkins has arranged some midweek nets with Kenilworth Wardens. So start bleaching those flannels and whitening those pads...