Post
by Colin S Crouch » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:30 pm
Getting back towards the original thread, Martin Crichton asked what happened to the old Pinner Chess Club. A fair enough question, since by googling, the only still active Pinner Chess Club happen to be in Nairobi.
The quick answer is the Pinner Chess Club folded. I suffered a stroke at the end of 2004 (I am amazed that I am still alive!), and after just couple of months in hospital, I returned, and saw the club in complete disintegration. There were no new club members, the adult members, some graded over 200, and often previous Pinner juniors, decided that this was the best time to bow out. Chris Stone, one of the main originators of the club, and father of Andrew, had died a few years previously, and I found it extremely difficult to bounce back new ideas with the new chairman and secretary. The Pinner club tried to carry on, but it was just a shell. At the start of the following season, there were three Pinner teams in the Hillingdon League season, and as far as I can tell, there were more teams than players.
Meanwhile, I went back to my old club Harrow, and stated a new junior section, with the help of Alan Marshall, and of course several parents.
So one "shrinking club" expired, but the neighbouring club has expanded sharply. A gain overall from the local area.
Of the other comment that Martin makes, all I can say is that I find the juniors are friendly and well-behaved, and genuinely enjoy their chess. If only it was true at adult level! I can think of one man in particular, aged about 70 – but no, it's best not to continue on this line just now...