ST ALBANS FENCING CLUB

Road access to the Marlborough School is expected to be effected for 2 weeks (starting Mon 18 Feb) by roadworks at the King Harry Pub junction. (Map)

It seems even the school are not completely certain of the timings, and evening/ night time closures are going to be fairly dynamic, but as best we know at the moment:

Phase 1: Monday the 18th Feb to Sunday the 24th Feb : Access to the school can ONLY be made via WATLING STREET entering from the PARK STREET ROUNDABOUT. The road will be closed from the King Harry Pub. No access can be made to the school from the North side during this time. St Stephens Hill will also be closed.

Phase 2: From Monday the 25th Feb to Sunday the 3rd Mar: Access via St Stephens Hill but WATFORD ROAD and KING HARRY LANE (via the King Harry pub) are closed, Watling Street is open from the Park St roundabout.

NOTE: Night time road closures start at 8pm, changes and diversions are likely. We understand the school will be accessible on Thursday evenings, but we cant be certain of local closures and diversions.

You are cordially invited to the annual general meeting (AGM) for the St Albans Fencing club. It will be held on Monday 25th of February, at the Garibaldi Pub*, at 8pm. Dinner will be provided so please make sure to RSVP by sending an email to: stalbansfencingclub@googlemail.com

As an association run by fencers for fencers, we need as many of you as possible to be present to the AGM. It is important for the future of the club that we get input and support from as many members – whether you come weekly or less regularly – as possible.

The Agenda for the evening will be as follow:

• Apologies for absence
• Adoption of previous AGM minutes
• Matters arising
• Officer’s reports:
  Chairman
  Treasurer
• Changes to club constitution (provided ahead of AGM to members in a separate email)
• Fee increases from 1^st March
• Election of officers:
  Chairman
  Treasurer
  Secretary
  Co-opted members
• Any other business
  If you would like to raise anything at the AGM in Any Other Business, please drop a line to Alex @ alexandergordon@hotmail.com

It’s a great opportunity to provide input on things you’d like to see change or continue at the club. Fresh new ideas are welcome and encouraged!

If you are interested in participating in the running of the club, please do not wait for the AGM and come talk to one of the committee members. There are always things to do even periodically.

Additionally: Accounts will be sent to quarterly payers, if you don’t pay quarterly and would like to see a copy of the accounts before the meeting, please email treasurer@sa-fc.org.uk

Thank you all, and see you soon at practice!

SAFC Committee

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*Garibaldi Pub: 61 Albert St, St Albans AL1 1RT

3 Counties 2019 is go!!

The match schedule has been distributed (thanks Mr Bird) and is now live on the SAFC website (thanks JD), so please take a look here.

The league now includes 6 clubs:  SAFC, Dacorum, Watford, Luton, Bedford & MK.

To whet your appetites, and your swords, here are our first three matches:

• Match #1 is Thurs. 7th March: HOME to Dacorum
• Match #2 is Thurs. 14th March: HOME to Watford 
• Match #3 is Thurs.28th March: AWAY to MK

This is just for info at this stage – I’ll be confirming dates and availability closer to the time.

We finished 2018 with two silver medals (2nd overall and 2nd in foil) and just missed out on the bronze for epee, finishing 4th.

The support from everyone was fantastic last year so hopefully, that will continue and we can do even better this year….!!

It’s your club, so please support it.

I look forward to fencing alongside you in 2019.  To victory…. and beyond!

James Bryant
SAFC Team Captain

Beginners course at St Albans Fencing Club starts this Thursday 17^th Jan, there is one more place available. 8 weeks of tuition with kit provided. Sign up here.

St Albans fencers, we need your help this Thursday evening (17th Jan) to get the new fencers kitted up and ready for the course before the evening starts. If you can get there at 7:45 this week that’d be great, or if you can’t get there early this week, speak to Andy during the evening and see if you can help him on one of the subsequent weeks.

The year started off on a high with victories in our first three matches – MK at home, and away at Salle Hadalin and Luton.

Sadly our victory at Salle Hadalin didn’t count for anything as shortly afterwards the club closed, so our win was voided.

However, their loss proved to be our gain as both Simon and Gemma from SH came to fence at St. Albans and they both became regular fencers on the team throughout the rest of the year.
We finished the year ranked 2nd overall in the championship and on top of that, we also managed 2nd in Foil. Sadly we just missed out on bronze medal for epee, finishing 4th there.

None of this would have been possible without all the fantastic support from everyone throughout the year.

So….. thank you all.  It’s been an honour and a privilege to captain the team in my first year…
Hopefully we can do even better next year…. but we can only do that with enough support from everyone at the club.

Bring on 2019!

James Bryant