20th November 2025 • The HERALD • Page 89 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v Poets Corner SPORT IN THE HERALD CAPTAINS CHALLENGE On ursday 16th October, 47 New Forest Golf Club Seniors turned up for the Captains Challenge trophy, a combined stableford competition o the white tees. Where possible, each team of 4 was led by a past or present Seniors Captain. e one team of 3 had to play a 4th ball, each player taking it in turns. In addition to the main trophy, a second trophy depicting a stag was awarded to the past or present Seniors Captain with the best individual stableford score. is year that was won by Dave Titchmarsh with an excellent 39 points. e Captains Challenge trophy was won by Alan Clark with his team Andy Godwin, Mike Ahearn and Pete Reed with a combined score of 144 points. Ken Scott with Chris Webb, Malcolm Guy and Jeff Hewett came second with 137 points. Nearest the pin on hole number 2 was Laurie Burn. (Left to right) Andy Godwin, Alan Clark, Mike Ahearn and Pete Reed Dave Titchmarsh with the Stag Trophy ALAN CLARK TROPHY A chilly start with gorgeous autumnal weather greeted the 41 New Forest Golf Club Seniors playing for the rst time for the Alan Clark Trophy on ursday 9th October. Alan is a much loved character and highly respected member who has done so much for the club and Seniors over the years and it was a pleasure to play for this trophy in such good conditions with Alan not only joining in but featuring in the prizes. e format chosen by Alan was a Medford, where the player’s nal score is calculated by subtracting their back 9 stableford points from their front 9 nett strokes. Division 1: 1st Andy Godwin 13, 2nd Chris Webb 14, 3rd Richard Gay 16, 4th Terry Gordon 18. (Left to right) Alan Clark presenting the trophy to Jeff Hewett Division 2: 1st Jeff Hewett 12, 2nd Alan Clark 16 (back 9=21 pts), 3rd Trevor Davies 16 (back 9=20 pts), 4th Brian Roberts 18. Nearest the pin in 2 on hole 15 was Chris Bennett. 11th Shallow Boat Competition On Sunday 12th October Lymington and District Sea Fishing Club held its 11th Shallow Boat competition and the weather was not too bad. Most of the day was cloudy with a moderate easterly wind and it remained dry. 6 club members shed the competition and sh caught included black bream, dog sh, pouting, bass and red gurnard. On these competitions the sh are measured, weighed and released straight back into the sea. Results: 1st Adrian Moody 85 points, 2nd Ady Hulme 70 points, 3rd Alan Martin 66 points, 4th Neil Mitchiner 50 points (6 sh), 5th Paul Watson 50 points (5 sh), 6th Alan Mapes 25 points. On Tuesday 16th October Lymington and District Sea Fishing Club held its 11th Shingle Bank League competition. e weather for the evening was cloudy, dry and very calm. 6 club members signed on and 5 weighed in sh consisting of black bream, dog sh and tub gurnard. A total of 25 sh were caught, weighed and released back into the sea as quickly as possible for a total weight of 31lbs 3⅝oz. Best 2 sh of the night were a smooth-hound of 2lb 2oz caught by John Tharme and a dog sh of 1lb 14⅝oz caught by Malcolm Stote. Results: 1st Malcolm Stote 17lbs 4½oz, 2nd Paul Watson 8lb 5⅛oz, 3rd Brian Dawkins 2lb 8¾oz, 4th John Tharme 2lb 8¾oz, 5th Derek Slack 0lb 15⅜ oz. 11th Shingle Bank League Competition The copyright of all poems that are published in The Herald belong to the author and must NOT be reproduced without their permission Send your poems to us at 2 High Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AH or email: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk Rusty golden leaves crisp rustle in the whirling wind on a bone dry road circling as victims of a game once part of a glorious green manifestation (the evidence of life’s natural force) shining in the summer sun and shimmering in the breeze: each leaf part of the picture and feeling ephemerally at least significant. Time proves otherwise: eventually, inevitably, sooner or later each leaf will fall, regardless; if it isn’t eaten first. Give me a voice and I will sing, Give me a voice and I will bring, A song to brighten up your day, To make you smile along the way. I’ll serenade you when you’re blue, To give you hope to help you through. Life’s winding road is not so long, If every step is with a song. A lullaby before you sleep, Like a whisper I’ll softly keep. And then at dawn will come bird song, To make you smile and you’ll belong. Give me a voice and I will sing, Then with one song the world I’d bring, To walk hand in hand every day, And wars will seem so far away. If I Had a Voice by Jim Dolbear © Dead Summer Leaves by Pete Wood© I’m 86, or so I’m told I can’t believe I’m quite that old - my head feels like it’s 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told My legs just won’t do what they’re told though my head is merely 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told My voice is cracked instead of bold ‘cos my larynx isn’t 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told My heart valve seems about to fold but my head is stuck at 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told Each passing year I treat like gold while my head is only 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told When I go – this belief I hold - My Spirit will feel 30 I’m 86, or so I’m told by David Vaughan© Put yourself in my shoes, For a moment, if you can? When you hear about an occasion, That you merely weren’t around, To join in with the celebrations, Of those you knew were there, Yet, your invite didn’t come again, So you feel a sense of despair! Though you get over the pain in time, Yet, want to ask them “why”? They didn’t consider inviting you, Though they know you’re alive! So please don’t avoid inviting me If you think I can’t attend? I need to make that choice myself, And that’s how you make amends! I know my energy is limited, So I rest much of the time, And if I manage to make it out, I pace myself with time. I know you love and care for me, But please don’t leave me out, Because when I do discover this, I let my frustration out. I hope by now you get the gist, Of the pain I feel today? Because of not being invited, Through yesteryears and yesterdays! Do your friends know that I’m alive? As I know, they were all there, Yet my face was missing among them, Just like an empty chair! Or is it my spirituality, That stops you from inviting me? As I know, it doesn’t accord with you, But that’s authentically me! I would, however, if you asked, To tone it down a bit, And refrain from my bewitching hour, Avoiding guest conflict! I wanted to meet up and see you all, Just like you did recently, So did you forget that’s what I said? Or did you decide for me? The wounding that I feel right now, It is cumulative, you understand. So we need to meet up, you and I, To comprehend me firsthand. I want to complete my bucket list, Please Don’t Avoid Inviting Me by Mithe M Mibard© And meet family, old and new. Yet your avoidance of inviting me, In essence, it just won’t do! I’ve been away, far too long, Now it’s time to see you all, So let’s all gather sometime soon, And have natter meal or a ball? Since writing this profound poem, I feel quite different today. The hurt I felt at being left out, Has dissipated and gone away. Though I cannot read this poem to those, That the poem was about, Because of the hurt I felt back then I wouldn’t want to impose on them! Instead, my abundant love still abounds, For all my family. Though I still may disseminate, To help those understand, M.E. Because having an invite in your name, Even though one is extremely ill. As that means you haven’t been forgotten, And you can say, yay, neh-I’m too ill.
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