Summer renovation completed

Work has been ongoing over the summer under the new management of JJ Griffin and major improvements have been made to the car park where central barriers have been added.

Inside the clubhouse, the sauna, out of action for more than a decade, has been restored and is once more operational.

Club Force Day - May 16

As you will be aware, JJ Griffin has taken over the management of Thames Ditton from Ed and Alison Breton and he has an ambitious plan for work to be done at the club.

On Sunday, May 16 there will be a Club Force Day, the aim being to undertake work to kick-start the process of renovation over the summer. We would ask that you take a few hours of to come down to the club to help clearing out and sprucing things up.

JJ will be providing bacon rolls and coffee, there will be entertainment for children (a bouncy castle and face painting) and at lunchtime the bar will be open and there will be a barbecue.

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TD under new management

From today, Thames Ditton will be managed by JJ Griffin, replacing Ed and Alison Breton who, as we all know, have moved into the world of golf.

JJ will be known to many of you, by sight if not name, as he plays for the OCRFC BXV, although in an ill-advised outing for the 1st XV last weekend he managed to break his clavicle and so starts his tenure at TD with his arm in a sling. This is inconvenient but makes him very easy to identify.

Martin Williamson and Rick Johnson will be acting as liaisons between the OC Society and JJ, and there are plans for work to be carried out over the summer which will be flagged at a later date.

His contact number is 07858 284807 and the existing TD clubhouse number also works. His current email address is womblesuk@hotmail.com.

We would also like to thank Ed and Alison for all the hard work, and the remarkable job they have done in making such a difference to the way the club is run and the facilities on offer.

New managers sought as Bretons stand down

In July, Ed and Alison Breton informed the OC Society they intend to move away to take up the day-to-day management of a golf club near the Forest of Dean they bought over the summer.

Initially, both sides hoped the Bretons would be able to continue to manage Thames Ditton, albeit relying more on others to handle the daily management of the facility. However, it was soon clear to the Bretons that they needed to devote more time to their new business and, consequently, they decided to give notice that they would be terminating their management contract at the end of March 2010.

The OC Society will be looking for a suitable person or persons to take over from the Bretons and it is hoped interviews will be carried out later this year.

The OCS would like to go on record to thank the Bretons for the excellent job they have done in the last five years to help build TD into a profitable and well-run business.

Car Park work over the summer

Work to the car park including the rebuilding of the groundsman shed, has been agreed which will improve drainage and increase capacity by approximately 30 vehicles.

There will also be a new log-burning stove replacing the old gas fire in the clubroom.

All this will be undertaken over the summer and will be co-funded by the Bretons and fund-raising from the OCHC and OCRFC.

Renovation work completed

All renovation work to the changing rooms and shower facilities has now been completed.