Wolverhampton Law Society Golf Society

Council member and golfing enthusiast Richard Alderson reminisces about past glories and looks forward with optimism to up coming Law Society events.

Don’t miss the opportunity to take part in the match against the Accountants at Oswestry on 17th September starting at 12 noon!

I joined the firm of what was then Underhill Willcock and Taylor in 1977 as an Articled Clerk and later qualified as a Solicitor. I learned to play golf during the earlier years of my articles and in those days there were many Society Golf Days, the most memorable being Halifax Building Society’s Day Out at Brocton.

For many years dating back to before I even learned to play Golf the Wolverhampton Law Society traditionally held a Solicitors Day Out at Oswestry Golf Club. Any member of the Society could apply to play and would often bring along a friend or business contact as his playing partner for the day. The format was 36 holes, 18 holes being played in the morning with a very quick turn round for lunch followed by 18 holes in the afternoon.

The event is traditionally in September and as a result on many occasions the members of the Society on higher handicaps (and therefore teeing off later) would often be seen playing the final holes in almost total darkness. I recall one occasion when I was the Captain of the Society presenting Harold Hilton and playing partners torches for use in the following years event!

Unfortunately as the years have passed with the demand on time becoming greater and older members retiring from the Golf Society and not being replaced by younger members coming through numbers have dwindled until Guy Birkett, the current Captain, changed the format last year from what had been a traditionally Wolverhampton Solicitors Golf Society’s annual meet to a new format. The format this year has been based on a Ryder Cup Style Match with the Wolverhampton Solicitors taking on the Wolverhampton Accountants in a golf challenge. We won last year and hope to retain the trophy which was kindly donated by Guy’s firm.

The match will be an 18 hole match meeting at Oswestry at lunchtime for soup and sandwiches with a meal in the evening. The cost for the day to include soup and sandwiches for 18 holes of golf a three course evening meal with coffee and a contribution towards the prizes is £47.00. If you wish to play in the event contact Guy Birkett’s secretary Kara Marshall by e-mail to let her know on k.marshall@fbcmb.co.uk and forward a cheque to fbc Manby Bowdler in favour of that firm in the sum of £47.00. Please provide details of your current handicap.

The Wolverhampton Law Society also enters a golf team in the Professions Day Out held at Enville each year. Each profession enters a team of six to fight for the Wolverhampton Law Society Rose Bowl which was presented to the Society in 1975. As I recall we hold the record for winning this event on the most occasions possibly in more relaxed times. The winners this year were the Accountants and the teams entering this year’s event were Estate Agents/Surveyors, GP Doctors, Consultant Surgeons, Dental Surgeons, Solicitors, Accountants and Architects.

Anyone wishing to be considered for the team should contact Guy on G.Birkett@fbcmb.co.uk

The Oswestry event is certainly an ideal way to meet members of the profession and is open to all members of the Wolverhampton Society and now provides a networking opportunity with the Accountants. For those who haven’t played at Oswestry it is certainly worth a visit hence the reason why, for as long as I can remember, we travel over there every year. Please join!

Richard Alderson

Interest Rate Survey June 2010

Many thanks to all the firms that took part in the recent survey into the rates which banks are paying on Clients Deposit and Designated Clients Deposit accounts.

A total of 7 firms responded to the Survey. Full details of the results in tabulated form have been circulated amongst the participants. Account was also taken of published rates where available.

The survey produced some interesting results (no pun intended). Clearly there is no “going rate” for individual banks as the rates paid often vary for any given bank.

The best rate achieved on Client Deposits was a commendable base rate + 1%.

The worst rate was not really a rate as it was a big fat 0%.

Designated Deposit rates varied from a market leading base + 0.5% to that depressing 0% again.

The Banks concerned are (in no particular order) :-

Lloyds TSB
Nat West
AIB (GB)
Bank of Ireland
Royal Bank of Scotland
Bank of Scotland
Barclays

Local courts restrict counter opening times……a sign of things to come?

County Court offices throughout the Midlands including Wolverhampton are imposing restricted counter opening hours during the summer months. It would appear as though there are insufficient staff to both service the Counters and ensure that court business is processed “in a timely fashion”. Click on the links below to see a copy of the relevant notice giving details of the various policies adopted by the different courts in the region.

Court Counter opening times Summer 2010

Please click an image to enlarge

Wolverhampton Law Society Annual Dinner 2010

This year’s Annual Dinner will take place on the 12th November at the Molineux Stadium. Members are strongly advised to put the date in their diaries now, as demand for tickets has been very high for the past few years.

Full details of how to book tickets will follow in a few weeks time. In the meantime we can reveal that this year’s after dinner speaker will be Alfie Moore.

Wolverhampton Law Society Annual Dinner

Alfie Moore
Versatile After Dinner Speaker - “He’s a very funny man!” Rhod Gilbert
Alfie is an original and distinctive after dinner speaker, presenter and comedian with his niche area as a serving police sergeant. He came slightly later to comedy and brings a wealth of insights and comedy moments from his seventeen years on the beat, where a keen sense of humour has been the key to his success and survival!

Born and raised on a council estate in Sheffield he was an apprentice in the steelworks before joining the Police. Early on in Alfie’s career he finished runner up in a national stand-up competition and was well and truly hooked. He subsequently served a whole new apprenticeship, honing his craft at comedy clubs all over the country. He was then invited to become resident compere at the highly respected Other Side comedy clubs in the north of England.

For the past two years Alfie has written and performed his own one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where they have each run for the full 22 nights. He has also supported Russell Kane on his national tour. Alfie has an observational comedic style, which lends itself to witty, and sometimes gritty, anecdotes based on everyday modern policing. This ability to present everyday issues in a comedic way led to a commission from an NHS Trust to develop and perform material to raise awareness of issues about men’s health. Alfie has also featured in the Independent on Sunday, Radio 4 Today Programme, BBC World Service, Radio 5 Live and Sky Motoring.
Performances to date have included: After dinner speaking at Sportsman’s Dinners, Round Table, Trade Associations, Professional Bodies, etc Compering for Charity Fundraising evenings plus Stand -Up Comedy sets at: Sheffield City Hall, Frog and Bucket, Manchester, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, Canal Cafe Theatre, London, Tulliallan Castle, Fife, Trinity Penny Theatre, Canterbury, Jongleurs, Voodoo Bar, Edinburgh, The Comedy Store, London… and many more
“A fascinating and funny insight into life on the Force. There’s no way of escaping this conclusion: he’s an arresting storyteller.” Steve Bennett, Chortle
“Alfie was our headline act and lived up to that billing brilliantly. He had a mixed audience of over 260 in the palm of his hand”. Max Newton, British Red Cross Society - Senior Fundraiser.
“Thank you for an excellent performance at our sportsman's dinner last Friday. The success or otherwise of the event is entirely down to the performance of the speakers - I thought your performance was spot on Alfie and exactly what we needed. I have no hesitation in recommending you for similar events. David Wilson, Fundraising Chairman Hull 36 Round Table.
“The feedback from everyone was how entertaining he was with a good mixture of interest and comedy. His views on the police, the judiciary and the public were very funny”. Kevin Yates, Lymm & District Round Table.