I realised recently that I joined Warwickshire only 10 years ago, when Maggie Mitchell was Captain and quickly learnt that it was the best decision I could have made, as I immediately felt at home! As I stand here today, I do though, find it hard to believe that within those 10 years, I have spent two years as your Captain!

But I look back on it all with great satisfaction and pride because this has been another very good year for us. We have done well at all levels in county golf, perhaps not quite as well as some of our teams would have liked, but well enough to give us belief in what we are doing. We have enjoyed a great welcome from you all when we have visited your clubs for Warwickshire competitions, and what has been very obvious, is how proud you are of your clubs and how much you want us to enjoy our day with you. I know I speak for all the committee when I say thank you to you all for your support and generosity.

I should particularly like to thank all those clubs who have made donations to the Juniors this year. We are very grateful for these contributions and can promise you the money will always be put to good use.

Our golfing year began in November with coaching, practice matches and a winter league for 1st and 2nd team players, and ran through to the spring. We have as ever, had excellent input this year from our regular coach Andy Dunbar at Stratford Oaks, and enjoyed further sessions again at The Belfry. I was pleased to include more of the 2nd team this year at the Belfry, but with the sponsorship for this ending with me, we may have to dig deeper into our own funds, to maintain the amount of coaching the teams have enjoyed and benefited from, unless further sponsorship can be raised.

The 1st team match against Northamptonshire was held this year at Elton Furze Golf Club and we were delighted to win 6.5 to 5.5. We enjoyed this win hugely having lost to them in the sub-divisionals last year, although we went through in the end. Three 2nd team players played that day and between them recorded 4 wins and a draw! This was followed by a 3.5 to 6.5 loss against Leicestershire at Glen Gorse Golf Club, in which we played only singles matches but as I had only 4 established 1st team players on that day, I was not too concerned.

In the remaining matches, we lost to Moor Hall Men by 3 matches to 1, drew with Copt Heath Men 2.5 all and in a new match against the Warwickshire Men at the Coventry Golf Club lost 4 matches to nil! However, their highest handicap was 3, we played off scratch and 2 matches reached the 17th. It was a very successful evening and I was delighted when they felt the match should be an annual fixture as it served as great practice prior to county week.

The County Championship was held at my own club, Edgbaston, in May ý the weather was fair, if chilly, the pin positions impossible, but we were made very welcome and Jane Betts, the Ladies Captain could not have been more helpful. It was a wonderful tournament for many of our juniors and the final saw Tracy Atkin beat Claire Dowling in a reversal of last year. Tracy was delighted!

The team selected following the Championship was Tracy Atkin, Lisa Barton, Bev Belcher, Hannah Coles, Claire Dowling, Claire Howells, Felicity Johnson and Jane Mander. Abbey Gittings was named as non-travelling reserve. This year I was delighted to have the support of Anne Parry as my vice-captain and believe me, I kept her busy!

County Week was held at The Worcestershire Golf Club in Malvern. We beat Derbyshire 5.5 ý 3.5, Staffordshire 6.5 ý 2.5, and met Worcestershire on the final day with both teams on equal points. We were 2 ý 1 up after the Foursomes and gained the remaining 3 points early in the afternoon, with Claire Dowling playing at number 4, mercilessly beating her opponent 7/6! We were particularly pleased to win this year, because Warwickshire is now the first name on a new trophy which Marsha Button has very generously donated, to be presented to the winners of our sub-division. I am sure she is more delighted than any of us that we are the first names on this beautiful bowl. And so, for the second year running, we were thrilled to reach the Sub Divisional Final especially as it was to be held here at Copt Heath.

Felicity was unable to play due to England commitments and it was an opportunity for me to include Abbey Gittings in the team. Intriguingly, our opponents were the same 3 teams as last year and we knew Northamptonshire in particular would be out for revenge! We beat Caernarvon & Anglesey 7.5 to 1.5 and Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire 6 ý 3. So far so good but still Northamptonshire to beat, and they too had won both their previous matches. We were 2 ý 1 up after the morning Foursomes with Claire Howells and Jane Mander recording an outstanding 9/7 win! But with very few putts dropping for us in the afternoon we could only manage 1 and a half points from the afternoon singles and lost the match 3.5 ý 5.5 We were naturally very disappointed at getting that close to reaching the County Finals once again, but I saw another side to the team when they were very gracious in defeat and the first to congratulate the winning team.

Aside from the golf, the sub-Divisionals will perhaps best be remembered for the evacuations! On the first night in the hotel, we endured a bomb scare and were evacuated just as our main course had arrived on the table. It was 4 hours before we were able to return to the hotel! Then the following morning at breakfast the fire alarm went off, and out we went again, and although we had left for the club by then, it apparently went off again at breakfast on the final day! Thankfully, the bomb scare was not a real bomb, but one inadvertently planted there by a member of the opposition in the form of a golf battery! Sadly the members of the constabulary on duty that day were obviously not golfers, although they did liken it to a sort of motor bike battery!

Should (heaven forbid) it ever happen to you, the motto of the story is ý. take your glass of wine outside with you, because you never know when you will see it again!

Once again this year, I have seen the team play with great commitment, loyalty and comradeship. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary, and I feel this describes the team. They work at their games, they work for each other but they also know how to relax and have fun! From my observations and experience of other counties, by golly, they make us proud!

Our caddies and supporters have been as enthusiastic as ever and I should like to once again particularly thank our past Presidents Alice, Pam, Beryl, Chris and now Sue Westall who never let us down! It would be lovely though to see even more of you turning out to cheer the team on. County Week next year is back in Warwickshire at Maxstoke Park Golf Club, from the 5th ý 7th June. I know I am speaking for Anne when I say, do please come along and support your team. Youýve only got to try it once and youýll be hooked for life and next year, itýs on your doorstep! I know Anne will be sending details nearer the time, so do please encourage your members to come along by displaying her posters and mentioning it whenever possible.

I feel very positive about where Warwickshire stands in ladies county golf and that we have a superb team with the potential of reaching the Sub-Divisional and National Finals for many years to come. We all hear much about our finances, but to remain at the level we are at, there has to be that support for coaching and matches. Our success is your success and now we have got there, we want to stay there!

I should particularly like to thank and congratulate Bev Belcher. She and I have had the same outlook on team golf and the same vision - to bring the two teams together and whenever possible to look to the future by encouraging and incorporating Juniors into the teams. With the addition of Anne Parry as vice-captain this year, the three of us feel we have achieved this. I have very much appreciated their wisdom, support and friendship.

In the end of season match against the Warwickshire Girls at Henley Golf Club, the 1st team won 3 matches to 1, but I never fail to be impressed by the talent, attitude and fighting spirit those youngsters all possess.

In the final match of the season the team competed at Blackwell Golf Club against Staffordshire and Worcestershire for the Mary Turner Bowl. Our highest handicap was only 8 and every score from our pairings was par or below. It was a fantastic performance and I was delighted to bring this beautiful trophy back to Warwickshire.

Warwickshire teams and members have been playing successfully around the county, the country and even the world this year! I am keen to give as many ladies a mention as possible and although for instance the Warwickshire Vets have their own AGM, I feel that perhaps we should all talk about each other a bit more. This AGM seems an ideal opportunity. I have therefore asked winning teams and individuals to bring along their trophies so we can all admire their achievements ý so please do have a look at the trophy table. (With regard to one trophy in particular, have your photograph taken with it, as it may well be your only chance!)

The Warwickshire Vets won the Midland Trophy this year, by beating the Staffordshire Vets and the Worcestershire Vets. They also beat the Warwickshire Senior Gentlemen and I understand this was possibly enjoyed even more!

Congratulations to Sheila Stables and her team and thank you Sheila for bringing your trophies along so we can all enjoy your successes.

Jane Dennick won the Claret Jug, for the best nett score at Little Aston in the English Seniors Strokeplay Championship

Sue Timberlake was runner- up in the Midland Vets Stableford and again runner-up in the Simone Thiion de la Chaume Trophy, played in Biarritz.

In addition, we must all congratulate Sue on bringing an idea of hers to fruition this year, for it brought us another trophy! At Abbotsley Golf Club in October, two Warwickshire teams were entered for the Midland Senior Ladies County Team Championships and I am delighted to report that at this inaugural event, captained by Angela Dawson and in Sueýs final year as Captain of the Midland Vets, the Warwickshire team of Sheila Armstrong, Angela Dawson, Pat Hale and Sue Westall were the Gross Prize winners beating 10 other teams, representing 9 counties. Sue Westall also claimed the top individual prize winning the best gross aggregate score. Thank you Angela for bringing this trophy along.

Maybe we should have a slogan ýWarwickshire Bears do it better for longer?

Lisa Barton reached the last 8 of the Mid-Amateur English Championship and I am delighted to report finished the year in 30th place in the English Order of Merit. She broke the course record at Coventry GC and together with Fliss was runner-up in the Midland Foursomes. This is a great achievement for someone who works full time.

I must give Fliss a mention although I shall leave most of it to Jane. I do congratulate her on behalf of us all for what she has achieved this year. I know I also speak for Anne when I say this, but as we watched her play and win, the final of the English Championship at Burnham & Berrow, we felt extraordinarily proud that she was one of ours. Her game that day will live with me for many years. Her year has culminated in her winning for the second year running, the ELGA Order of Merit for Girls.Well done Fliss.

So please do take a moment to look at all the trophies on display - we have all had a very good year and we should all be pleased as punch with each other and for what we have achieved as a county.

This year we have again had wonderful support from our sponsors. I do know Lyn will be naming them all individually but we have been so fortunate to have their backing this year. Their support mean so much, as we can look at additional coaching, subsidised kit, funding for more and more Juniors and enable us to keep the costs down at Warwickshire events. We could not have achieved as much as we have without them and I thank them all very much.

But the County is not just about the teams and Juniors. Many of you here today are Lady Captains and putting a huge amount of work and energy into your clubs. I know you are proud of what you have achieved whilst in office or what you are planning for the year ahead, so please tell us about it and we can share it with everyone. Throughout the county our website is being used more and more and we should love to know more about you and be able to sing your praises! Itýs a bit like seeing yourself on television! All that is required is a phone call or email to our Liaison Officer or to any other committee member.

I had a look at a website article I wrote in January 2004 in which I listed what I hoped I and the teams might achieve and at the risk of sounding like a politician:

I wanted the 1st team to progress as far as possible and of course last year, we reached the national finals. I said, we had a team who on their day could beat anyone and I still believe that.

I said that Bev and I hoped that some of the juniors would be playing 2nd team golf and that has certainly happened. The number in the 1st team squad increased to three this year and there are more following.

I wanted the committee to work hard on your behalf to find sponsors for the teams and events so we could keep the costs down for you in the hope that more would enter our competitions, and we did this. There have been some new faces this year and we have been thrilled to meet them and hear them say at the end of the day, that they will be back next year and it wasnýt as bad as they thought it would be!

I wanted you to set yourselves 3 goals ý not unrealistic ones like giving up chocolate ý but going to see the juniors play, offering to help with initiatives to get girls into golf, or entering that Warwickshire competition for the first time! So please, set yourselves those goals again!

My goal for myself was to get to know more of you and without question I have done that! I havenýt always remembered your names, but it has been a treat and a privilege and you have made me so welcome in your clubs.

I should like to thank all the members of this Warwickshire committee for their unstinting hard work throughout 2005. Many of you here today know what is involved, but I feel we have built on what has gone before us, and I have been in awe of some of these ladies for their commitment, to what at the end of the day, is still actually a voluntary job. I have been so grateful to them all, for the way they have supported me with friendship, humour and little words of encouragement.

I do wish Anne as much success as I have had, (more actually!) but I know she will receive nothing but support, enthusiasm and kindness from you all. Thank you to Marsha and Claire for giving me this opportunity (For those that might recall my speech when I took over, Marsha - although I am not yet a fully grown bear yet, I donýt feel I am a cub any more and I hope I have passed the adolescent stage!)

I shall be taking some wonderful memories with me and you have all made these a very special two years in my life. I would not have missed them for the world.

I finish with a comment I once read ý. When passing on the torch, pass it on when itýs burning brightly. I really do believe I am.