Badminton Bonanza, Birmingham

[Matt Ross]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone on here from the UK (or anywhere else) was going here in August. www.baofe.co.uk for more details.

Matt

[Kevin]

you go to there m8 :)?

[Matt Ross]

Kevin,

Sure am, same place as where the All England Championships were held. I'm well looking foward to it, all the people from different areas of the United Kingdom. It will give me a chance to once again see the standard out there and also to make a name for myself. With a £5 entry fee for every event, you really can't go wrong.
And yes, i am well looking foward to it!

Matt

[Matt Ross]

Hi,

Not many replies to this thread but hey, i thought i would show you the hall i am playing in. This is it-

Matt

[andrew_cherry]

Hmm - it does look quite tempting - not sure how it will be run though - how many games you'd be guaranteed. Also the all standards bit is disconcerting if it's only divided into two categories! Not sure which i'd be in. Which league? I presume you have to provide your own accomodation, or just travel up for the one day... Have to see... If i'm injury free at that time (unlikely) I may wander along...

[Matt Ross]

Hi andrew,

It is meant to be a great day out, and apprently it is very well run! This will be the first time i'm going and i can't wait to go either! See how you hold up, and if your ok then go, you'll regret it!
It is meant to be great and the tension will be electric!

Matt

[kwun]

that gym is wild! how many courts are there? 20?

[kwun]

and all dedicated badminton courts as well? wow. that's like a dream gym!

[Matt Ross]

Hi kwun,

20?? Lol, 28 my friend! And yes, it is the same place as where the All England Championships and World Championships are held! And i am going to play there, and as you said, all dedicated to badminton! It's going to be great!!
Going to play in the same hall as Kim Dong Moon, Simon Archer :). Oh yesssssssssss :)

Matt

[Chen Dan :D]

Are you sure there are enough courts available :D

[Matt Ross]

To be honest i think the roof is too low. I mean, how you meant to play a high serve of lift when it's that low? It's rediculous :)

[Slanter]

Watching the All England this year the height of the roof did not appear to be an issue ;)

Tell you what. If you hit it I'll buy you lunch at a satellite sometime this year! No squashed shuttles allowed!

[Matt Ross]

What about jet powered shuttles?

[Nic]

you called that roof "low"??? how high you wanna raise the shuttle? :p

[kwun]

i know. that's the highest roof i've seen for a badminton gym. i mean, come on, there is no way you can hit that ceiling!

[Matt Ross]

Lol, i was joking people! :) It maybe hard though because with a cieling that high, your timing will be off quite a bit!

[UkPlayer]

It's not normally set up as a badminton hall, it's used for big events.

[Matt Ross]

Yup,

Things like gladiators (not sure if anyone remembers that) but if i remember a lot of royal things go on in this place (?).
It has only just been used for things like the badminton bonanza, but you have to admit, theres not a hall like that round the corner!

Matt

[Slanter]

Have you ever played at Melksham in Wiltshire. I think that it used to be an aircraft hangar. It is probably the highest ceiling I have ever played under. It does have an effect on your timing and also your judgement of length. Another problem is the brass monkeys that hang around looking for a welder (yes, yes, pedantic ones, I know you can't weld brass!).

[Matt Ross]

Slanter,

Nope never played there. I've played in something similar to this 'tank hanger' you describe, called the Bannontyne Sports Centre. Here my judgement was bad, mainly because there were crappy blue lines for the badminton court on a dark green floor!
I've played at the Luton Regional Sports centre many times, last time being in March on this year for the ESBA School finals. Thats a nice spors hall, with a comfortable ceiling and floor to play on.

Matt

[Matt Ross]

Slanter,

Thanks for the sheet and dates that you gave me, i appreciate it.

Matt

[Chia]

the roof is not low. if u want low you should see my schools gym, such a pain in the arse.

[Matt Ross]

Hi,

I was joking :) i know what you mean i have played in alot worse.

Matt

[Slanter]

I bet you have, Matt!

I played in Essex for a year in and around Colchester and they have some of the worst halls I have ever played in. Of course, that is not to say that here in Sussex we do not have our own little gems. Two that spring to mind are St Mary's in Lewes where the baseline actually runs up the side of the step to the stage. The other is St Augustine's in Brighton where the lights run along two full length balconies just to each side of the court, consequently a drive down the line results in a strobe-like effect where the shuttle disappears and reappears in mid-flight. You had better believe that the locals know exactly how to play to the conditions too!

Up your way there was this place called Wix where if I stood in a rear corner and reached straight up the beams on the ceiling were level with the middle of the shaft on my racquet. I hit a lot of drives instead of smashes that night.

I think that this happens a lot in England where many clubs still play in old church or village halls intended for completely different and not complimentary uses. Many have now moved to leisure centres but not all. It is difficult to say that all clubs should move to decent venues because without the small village halls and local church leagues the world would not have the game of badminton.

I draw the line at playing with plastic shuttles though. I could also do without the standard picture of the Queen staring at me from the far wall, although she did make a good target practice every now and again.

[Cheung]

God Save the Queen!

[Matt Ross]

I've played a club game where the oppositons hall was a small little hall, and you couldn't lift it! Everytime you did, and it hit he roof, it would be called as a fault!! Actually i'll make a thread on this in General Forum under 'To all club players'

Matt

[Slanter]

Matt

If you send an SAE to the BAofE marked 'events diary' they will send you next seasons diary early in August.

[Matt Ross]

Slanter,

Great stuff mate. I'll send off a letter soon.

Matt

[Matt Ross]

Hi,

Well it's coming up and was just wondering how many people are going? Slanter, you coming down here or what? Me and my doubles partner are going down there to see how we get on, today we beat my 2 coaches 15-8, one being the ex european number 3 :p. Anyway, anyone from here going?

Matt

[Slanter]

Unfortunately I can't get there this time. Enjoy!

[Kevin]

cool gym :) here in belgium we doesn't have that good gyms :(
sometimes (i don't know the word in english) we get something we can rollout (good stuff of yonex) that we only have the lines of a badminton field