Get on board for charity darts competition

A local darts enthusiast is inviting people to enter a charity tournament in Aylsham in memory of his grandfather.

Ben Anderson is organising the event at Aylsham Social Club, in Hungate Street, on Sunday, May 4 (from 1.30pm).

Entrants will compete for the Ronnie Anderson Shield – named after his grandad who passed away, age 80, last May. The entry fee will be £5. “I chose to hold a darts tournament as I really like the game and have got to the odd final in local pub league tournaments,” said Ben.

“My nan Janice told me that grandad was always fond of the game of darts but wasn’t all that great. The chosen charity is Dementia UK and we will raise money through the raffle being held on the day. Grandad later developed vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s.”

Born and raised in Calthorpe, Ronnie worked at Rowland’s Engineers for around 20 years and started Anderson’s of Aylsham in the early 1990s. The metal-working business is now run by Ronnie’s sons Mark (Ben’s dad) and Glen (Ben’s uncle).

“My grandad’s main old haunt was the Stonemasons Pub and after its closure and for the majority of my childhood it was the Aylsham Social Club,” said Ben.

It will be the third darts tournament that Ben has organised and he hopes the Ronnie Anderson Shield can become established as an annual event.

Two previous contests at the Social Club raised a combined total of £600 in aid of the Macmillan Centre at Cromer Hospital and the Mind Hub on Red Lion Street, Aylsham.

“People may enter on the day or a pop into the social club and put their name down on the sign-up sheet,” added Ben. “It’s an individual event for all ages – men, women, youth. The previous tournaments had 32 entries and I’m hoping to beat that this time.”

FAMILY GATHERING: Ben Anderson, standing, with grandad Ronnie and nan Janice, and cousins Nyree and Sharne at Ronnie’s 80th birthday party last May.