Outdoor sports are go in North Herts!

If you like exercising in the open air and are passionate about sport, why not combine the two? We spoke to three different sports clubs in North Herts to find out why their outdoor sports are so popular.

Phil Townsend, Chairman of the Royston BMX Club, wrote in to tell us about the BMX club’s work:

“The Royston BMX Club, also known as the Royston Rockets, was formed almost 40 years ago to promote the sport of BMX Racing.

Over the years, the club has attracted members from across the region and is widely recognised as one of the friendliest clubs in the country. Members take part in race meetings at Club, Regional, National and even International level.

The club has its own racetrack situated in Burns Road, Royston, on land owned by NHDC. The track is open for public use at all times when the club is not using it. We run regular club level races through the year and at least one regional race which can attract over 200 riders. We also run regular coaching sessions with qualified coaches, as well as open practice sessions on a Tuesday evening throughout the year.

Some equipment is required, including a basic BMX bike which is fine to start with, and the club does have a few bikes for hire to new members. Members also need a full-face helmet, full fingered gloves, long sleeved shirt and full length trousers with soft soled shoes. If riders progress to regional level they need more equipment with extra padding and protection.

We have had competitive riders with disabilities such as deafness or amputees, as well as riders with mental health issues take part. The club membership is like a big family and new members very quickly become part of the group.

Currently we have around 150 members – some are just social, or come just for the practice or exercise, but about 70 are competitive riders. All new members go through an induction process and for racing we normally run by age group starting with seven and under, up to 40+ or beyond!”

To find out more email roystonbmx@aol.com

Chairman of Kimpton Bowls Club, Pat Flury, shared her thoughts on their club:

“Bowls is a game for all ages that delivers for everyone. Many people want a very skilful game that will bring their competitive nature to the fore, whilst others want a relaxed social environment. With its mix of club nights, club competitions, friendly and league matches, bowls caters for everyone.

The bowling green has an interesting history and was said to be created by Italian prisoners of war, with the inaugural meeting happening in October 1946. We have approximately 40 members from not only our village but several surrounding areas, including Wheathampstead, Codicote, Whitwell, Hitchin and Hemel Hempstead. We have a qualified coach and many friendly members with years of experience, who are more than happy to give advice.

The Bowls Club is situated on the High Street, Kimpton at the rear of the Recreation Ground. It really is a beautiful venue and playing outside on an evening or afternoon is magical.

There is no great outlay for those who wish to take part. The only requirement to begin with are flat shoes or trainers. We have plenty of bowls that can be used. The pandemic last year has made it impossible for the club to play or meet up, but we have kept in touch by newsletters and phone calls. We have taken this time out to make repairs to the clubhouse and green in preparation for the coming year. This year because of COVID-19 we have not joined the Welwyn and Hatfield League, but we hope to re-join in 2022.

We are always looking for new members of any age and beginners are welcome. If you are new to bowls, come along for a no obligation taster session on a Tuesday or Thursday evening from 6pm. If after trying you would like to join, we have lowered our subscriptions this year to just £20.”

For more information please contact Pat on 01438 831110.

Weston Cricket Club Chairman Kevin Beard has been in touch to tell us about the village’s long running outdoor sports club:

The club was founded in 1897 by a group of villagers in Weston who got the initial side together and played a couple of friendlies against nearby villages. From there it went from strength to strength.

We are a village cricket club offering cricket to a diverse range of people, from local people, to those further afield too. We have two youth teams as well as an adult’s team. We also offer women’s rounders, pool and darts to our members. Cricket nets take place once a week and anyone can come along and have a crack at this wonderful game.

We typically have over 50 youngsters play here each year, of which many come from the village. We have around 25 adult team members and around 50 social members who, in more normal times, pop by on match days to cheer us on.

The essence of cricket and the sound of ‘leather on wood’ is ingrained in cricket clubs across the land with matches being competitive but played with a respectful culture underpinning it. Our pavilion has team photos going back to the early 1900s so you feel part of a long village tradition. We won the award for the friendliest team last year and take pride in playing the game in the right spirit and in a friendly but competitive way.

We try to make the game of cricket as accessible as possible and have a range of memberships available that cater for the occasional player and those keen to play every week. Our qualified coach at the club offers free one to one coaching and there is a practice net and bowling machine that is used to help develop skills and technique. Players need to wear protective equipment like helmets, leg pads, gloves etc. to keep them safe from injury, but the club has a good range of these to offer those who don’t have their own equipment.

Our site provides access to cricket for all abilities as best we can and thanks to an NHDC grant award, we have been able to rebuild the pavilion to include wheelchair access and toilet facilities.

If anyone isn’t sure if cricket is for them we say, “Give it a go!” There are so many benefits that everyone should feel they can come along and see if it is for them.