Shuttlebusters

Every Tuesday 12 noon-1pm at Westlands on two courts, but there's room to expand. Originally a works group, it's open to anyone that wants to play. Standard varies from beginners to club level. Cost is £1.70 a time or £13 per quarter (normally 13 weeks). Contact peter@pbmsports.com or ring Peter on 07890-902005 - or just turn up.

Every Thursday 7:30-9:30 on three courts at Beaminster Sports Hall. All standards welcome, including beginners and juniors. Currently trying to raise a team to play in the West Dorset league. Contact is Barry Ford on 01038 862024.

Every Wednesday 7.30pm-late at Bishops CAundle village hall on one court. Match night is Mondays at same venue. Plays mixed doubles in the West Dorset League. All standards are welcome. Contact is Maurice Larcombe on 01963-23426 or jandor@which.net.

Every Wednesday 7-9pm at Bucklers Mead up to four courts. All standards welcome, individuals or in groups. Run by the staff of the sports centre (ring 01935-431716). This and the similar session at Oxley should be less pressure than anywhere else - the sports centre don't care if you're good at the game, only that you turn up want to play.

Every Monday 8-10pm at Cerne Abbas village hall on one court. Match night is Thursdays at same venue. Plays mixed doubles in the West Dorset League. All standards are welcome. Contact is Angie on 01300-341885.

Every Friday 8-10pm at Wadham Sports Hall in Crewkerne on four courts. All ages and standards welcome including social players. First night is free, casual players pay £4 per night. Also plays in the West Dorset League (the multi-format "4-2" league) and the South East Somerset Men's Doubles League.

Currently based at Port Regis School until the new venue opens in Gillingham. Club nights are Tuesday and Thursday 8-10. When there new centre opens there will probably be open session on Mondays. All levels, adults, juniors, families, whatever. Contact details are Rob on 01258 820728, Adrian on 01747 831028 and Sharon on 01747 824881. They also have connections to the club at Sturminster Newton.

Every Tuesday and Friday, at 8.30 to 10.30pm. Just turn up - the entrance is from the Sparkford roundabout. Then the school itself is to be found at the end of a fairly long driveway (complete with cattle grids). Keep going, and then bear right for the car park. First visit is free, followed by £2 a session, or £1 if you join the club for £15 pa.

Club night is Tuesdays 8.30-11.00pm in Merriott Memorial Hall (one court) from September to June. Contacts are Penny Harvey on 01460-73180 or Mandy Greenham on 01460-76437.

Social Badminton on Mondays 8.30-11.00pm at Oxley is run by the staff of the sports centre (ring 01935-818270). All standards welcome. This and the similar session at Bucklers be less pressure than anywhere else - the sports centre don't care if you're good at the game, only that you turn up want to play.

All standards, all seasons and a good mix, every Sunday 5-8pm and Thursday 8-10pm at Oxley Sports Centre. Cost is £3.50 (three hours) or £2.50 (two hours) with plastic shuttles. Organiser is Nili Lau, contact is Jim Proctor on 07857-648440. No website, but you can find them on Facebook.

Club nights are all standards (including beginners) with feathers on Wednesdays 8-10pm at Preston Sports Centre in Yeovil (all year round) and Fridays 8-10pm at Oxley Sports Centre in Sherborne (September to April, Preston in May-August). Coaching support is provided. Visitor fee is £5, membership £52 per term (should be up to 17 weeks per term). Contact is Peter Calcraft on 07890-902005.

SSDC is an open club that plays 7-9pm on Friday evenings September-April at Westfield School, and is all pay-as-you-go with no membership. Plastic shuttles, and I think it's suitable for beginners (someone tell me if it isn't...). Contact is Kevin Robinson on 07778 285449.

Club night is Mondays 8-10pm all year round at Stanchester Sports Centre in Stoke sub Hamdon (two to four courts, depending on numbers). The standard is quite mixed (no outright beginners, some are pretty good) with plastic shuttles. Visitor fee is £3 limited to two visits.

Club night is Friday 7-10pm at Glastonbury Leisure Centre. Contact is Belinda Johnson on 01458 443851. Affiliated club plays in the Taunton League. Match night is probably Monday.

A sociable club that mostly plays the middle and lower end of the league but has aspirations to reach and hold a place in the top flight. Non-affiliated, but members are heavily involved in administration at local league level. Visitor fee is £3 limited to three visits. Club night is Tuesdays 8-10pm on three courts, September-April at Oxley. Match night is variable (days and venues).

Plays Thursdays 7-9pm at Glastonbury Leisure Centre. Contact is Diane Baker on 01458 446154. Doesn't appear in the county listijngs, so probably non-affiliated.

One of the biggest clubs in the area in days gone by, the Westfield Badminton Club disbanded at the end of the 2003 season (they're listed here because they're still listed elsewhere as an active club and you'd probably like an internet search to tell you they're not).

A competitive club that has quite a lot of shared members (who also play at other clubs). Club night is now Tuesdays 8-10pm on two courts at Westlands Leisure Complex. The season is September-April, with an optional summer season May-August. During the main season there is an extra court 10-11pm. Match night is Fridays.

Yeovil Grads are a serious club whose club night is on four courts on Mondays at Westlands Leisure Complex from the start of September to the end of April, and you don't need to be a graduate. Contacts are Amanda Patton on 07989 168396 or William Cameron on 01935 422130. Juniors are 7-8.30 and seniors are at 8.30-11 (the last hour is mostly singles players).

More details of other clubs in the area would be posted here if anyone provided them (that also applies for updates for anyone listed in this section). I'll list informal groups as well as actual clubs, provided you say what sort of players you you'd like to hear from. For other junior clubs see the Links Page and check the listings on the Somerset Badminton website.