Bomb disposal experts were called to Dunstaburgh Castle Golf Course last week after a golfer discovered what was feared to be an unexploded World War Two shell in a bunker. However it transpired that the shell, which was found by a golfer raking the bunker on the seventh, was in fact a harmless smoke bomb from the period.

Head greenkeeper Stuart Imeson told the Berwick Advertiser, “The bomb disposal people took it away. They weren’t concerned about it but you can’t be too careful. Police were called and alerted the bomb squad. Howick Coastguard was also called."
You can read more about the incident on the BIGGA website.


A private school and a contracting firm have been fined over £110,000 following a worker sustaining permanent spinal injuries when felling a tree. The incident occurred in April 2013 when the worker was using a chainsaw to cut down a mature sycamore tree in the grounds of Crown House Preparatory School in High Wycombe. A partially cut branch fell on to his ladder, throwing him to the ground meaning he now has permanent spinal injuries and is confined to a wheelchair.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) later found that Alpha Schools had failed to use competent contractors to undertake the initial arboriculture work. After the case, HSE principal inspector Karl Howes said: “Arboriculture work remains high risk, particularly work at height in trees. Such work must only be undertaken by competent and trained contractors. All businesses have a duty to ensure they engage competent contractors when carrying out tree work.” Read more about the case here

And finally, The Aegon Classic started at Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham this weekend. Spotted on Twitter this morning (Monday 15th) was the following by a justifiably annoyed member of the EPC Grounds Team. - "How to get the blood boiling part 1 - having to repair racquet abuse on the centre court!"