While the Police have yet to catch the criminal culprits who misappropriated the club’s £6K mower during a destructive midnight raid, our grounds maintenance team have found a ‘White Knight’ in the shape of Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre, who have literally ridden to our rescue: generously offering to cut the club’s pitches using their equipment, until a permanent replacement can be secured.

With half a dozen rugby pitches plus the two football pitches and two cricket squares, the total area of Westcombe Park and Orpington Sports Club totals 23 acres: so keeping it trimmed becomes a major undertaking as the warmer weather encourages greater growth.

This is much more than a neighbourly gesture, so we gratefully thank Chelsfield Lakes’ Deputy General Manager, Matt Barber, together with his team, for their help. This is especially felt at a time when all businesses are suffering such disruption due to the lockdown.

For those who may not know Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre it is located on Orpington’s Court Road and offers players 27 well cared for, but technically challenging holes, plus a driving range and spacious club house which also caters for weddings and other functions.

Westcombe Park’s first team manager, John Ward Turner, expressed the club’s appreciation, saying: “I believe that when Matt Barber and his team at Chelsfield Lakes heard about the theft of our recently purchased mower, from DOR Rob Lawrence, they looked on helping us as a community project, and offered the use of their own grass cutters. I know they were very pleased to carry out the work for us, but when things return to normal we propose that any of our members who are looking for a game of golf, to contact Matt. who will be very pleased to see them. We are also planning to stage next year’s Combe Golf Day on the beautiful fairways there.”