What a year it's been! Norton House Country Club remains the place to be, with over 460 members making us one of the most vibrant private clubs around. We've also been the go-to venue for over 90 private functions in 2024, from weddings to baby naming ceremonies and more. Our Thursday coffee mornings, Tuesday Tea Dances, Thursday Line Dancing, Monday Bridge Club, and the new Craft & Natter mornings are all booming with popularity – it’s clear that we’ve got the right formula for all ages and interests!
Let’s Crunch Some Numbers... And we really crunched them. This year, you guzzled through a staggering 3734 pints of Stones, 1559 pints of Aspall, 10012 pints of Madri, 3275 pints of Carling, 2915 pints of Coors, 2264 pints of Guinness, 2526 pints of Stan, 779 cans of Guinness 0%, 336 shots of Jack Daniels, 1864 shots of Vodka, 210 Bottles of Wine, 215 Bottles of Prosecco, 3492 Single Glass Bottles, 861 Single Bottles of Prosecco, 2014 Bottles of J2Os, and 183 Cans of John Smiths. You didn’t stop there either – you munched your way through 2728 packets of crisps, 670 packets of nuts, 944 packets of Scampi and Bacon Fries, and 272 packets of Pork Scratchings.
You’ve earned yourself a gold medal in consumption. Don’t worry, we won’t judge you for it. Well, maybe just a little.
2024: A Year in Review... Let’s take a walk down memory lane...
January kicked off with a surprise visit from the food and hygiene inspectors, who awarded us a shiny 5-star rating. We also hosted our first Burns Supper night, where strangers were spotted dancing like they'd known each other for years. And for the snooker lovers, we signed up for a snooker table maintenance contract. Keeping things match ready all year round!
February was a busy one – we worked hard on the proposal to switch membership to a single tier, which was voted through at an EGM in March. We also bid farewell to the Roundabout Northern Soul club, who outgrew our capacity and moved on to bigger venues. We’re proud to have played a part in their success.
March saw family fun nights, Stuart’s Big Quiz, Mother’s Day lunches, St. Patrick's Day celebrations, Easter fun, and the legendary Bernie Clifton proving that old-school humour never goes out of style. Sadly Oswald the Ostrich didn't make an appearance.
April brought us the first-ever SaturDay Disco – and boy, was it a hit! Plus, we had our Kids’ Day Disco during the school holidays and finished off April with a Charity Fashion Show. But who could forget the infamous day Ronnie and Brian (aka Bodger and Scarper) found themselves stuck on the roof, after closing the hatch behind them while clearing leaves from the gutters? An SOS on WhatsApp was sent, and a laughing Dan Wall came to the rescue. Classic.
May saw the arrival of live music from The Midnight Train, Eurovision parties, Mad Man’s Munchies Sunday lunches, and our first-ever evening with renowned medium, Jack Hutchinson. We also launched Craft & Natter mornings, which have since become a club staple. Oh, and we appointed L & J as our new club stewards.
June brought back the SaturDay Disco (again!) along with live music from Tommy Jones, a trip to York Races, the unforgettable Euros, and the return of the Family Sports Day where the neighbourhood's competitive spirit came out to play. The ladies committee had a lovely day out in Bridlington and we rounded off the month with a charity afternoon tea.
July was all about England’s knockout games and peak wedding season – love was in the air! Plus, we trialled renting out spare rooms as offices, thanks to member Natalie of Steel City Mortgages. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to L & J, but we’ll forever be grateful for the hard work they did in their short time here.
August was filled with sunshine, beer garden fun, and another recruitment drive for a new club steward.
September saw live music from Robert Perry (who's definitely returning next year), another SaturDay Disco, an 80’s & 90’s Disco, and our Macmillan Coffee Morning. The Ladies committee enjoyed a holiday in Eastbourne. We also began the big project of updating the Steward’s Flat – a much-needed makeover complete with a brand new kitchen just in time for Jim to move in as our new steward in October.
October kicked off with a half-price membership deal and a successful Open Day where we welcomed new faces (and cleared up the mystery of what we actually do here – "We thought you were a care home!" Nope, but thanks for the feedback). The Ladies Section treated us to a Pie and Peas lunch, and our Thursday night Darts team made their debut in the Heeley and Woodseats Darts league, thanks to Paul Reeves. Oh, and the entrance got a shiny new carpet.
November was the month of our sold-out Halloween party (who knew we had so many spooky souls?), our fabulous Christmas Market, and the reintroduction of Sunday lunches, all thanks to Jim. Plus, the wonderful Liz Edwards organized our annual Christmas wreath-making sessions.
December rounded off the year with Kids’ Christmas parties and the always-anticipated Christmas Jumper Party. And let's not forget Simon's early Christmas present – a snowplough and gritter. Maybe we should hold a competition to name the plough and gritter.
A Big Thank You... We’ve had some amazing people behind the scenes this year, and we want to give a huge shout-out to:
Our cleaners, Laura and Nicky, for keeping everything spotless.
Our incredible bar and serving staff – Thomas, Graham, Becca, Carly, Huey, Will, Isabel, Eva, Andie, and Faye – for always serving with a smile.
Our event heroes: Maureen (catering), Angela Bacon (line dancing), Paul Reeves (darts), Colin (Bridge Club), and all our wonderful sub-committee and event helpers.
Jim Jefferies, our new Steward, who joined in September and is already showing great promise.
Ronnie Mitchell for keeping the grounds in tip-top shape, and to Anne Wilks for managing the dance section. Steve White for his support in the land sale, Stuart Church for helping out with the quizzes, Paul Reeves for establishing the Darts Team, Joanne Bradshaw for agreeing to be a trustee, Neil Edwards for his bravery in helping fix the leaky roof in atrocious weather and his support in the land sale, Ray Corbett for being the chief locksmith and working his magic with solicitors. Michael Ellin for going above and beyond with his accounting work. Daniel Wall for being chief proof reader. Adam Whitaker for reforming memberships and managing the website. Brett Naylor for his event organizing and front-of-house expertise. Brian Moulson for doing just about everything under the sun. Jim Harrison for new carpets. Joan Harrison & the ladies’ committee for all their fund raising work, Simon Harrison for lawn care, spinning the decks and event planning, Sue Moulson for her endless secretary duties, taking bookings, catering as well as organising the Christmas Market and starting the craft and natter mornings. And last but not least, Andy Phipps for keeping us all motivated with his tremendous leadership proving we can overcome any challenge when we work together.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re gearing up for a huge milestone – our 80th Anniversary! While many clubs in the area are closing, we’re lucky to still be here, stronger than ever. It’s all thanks to our incredible team, passionate steward, and a devoted committee and set of trustees. But we'd be nothing without the members. Thank you all for your continued support. This is what community is all about.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. Here's to another great year ahead at Norton House Country Club!
Cheers, Everyone at Norton House Country Club
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