|
|
PROBUS
CLUB OF KINGSTON UPON THAMES
NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2010
|
|
Probus Pub Lunch The Magpie Tuesday 20
October 2009 We couldn’t have picked a better day for our Autumn Pub Lunch. The sun was shining and the weather was a perfect complement to a successful outing. The Magpie in Lower Sunbury on Thames was the venue chosen by Chris Shires where some 11 members and wives gathered. Whilst the Stygian gloom of the inner recesses of the establishment made reading the menu an art form the resulting meals proved more than an antidote. It was good to see Mary Davison in circulation again after a particularly painful bout of injuries. Replete (as ever at Probus Pub lunches!) we adjourned to The Walled Garden, and what a little gem it proved. Rescued by Spelthorne Council in the 80’s from overgrown dereliction it is now a classic walled garden planted with a wide variety of trees, shrubs and flower beds. Just the ticket for a post prandial stroll – sunny, sheltered and on the flat. But there was more. In one corner of the garden there is a small modern building housing the Millennium tapestries. These are tapestries of the highest quality of needle work completed by local residents for the millennium. The tapestries themselves depict local scenes and organisations and convey the distinctive character of the neighbourhood. The exhibition had been opened by The Queen at the Millennium. There is a small cafe in the garden and whilst some “took tea” others strolled along the waterfront taking in the late summer sunshine. A gentle and relaxing outing which enabled us all to recharge our batteries in anticipation of the winter months. Thanks to Chris Shires for organising this visit. Probus Outings Wednesday 11
November 2009 “Spider’s Web” By Agatha
Christie Wimbledon
Theatre Agatha Christie is an old favourite with many followers of the crime/mystery genre and this play certainly came up to scratch. As its title suggests there is a web if intrigue involving diplomats, drugs , antiques , a country house and much more with multiple suspects and ass ever a twist in the tail( or should it be tale?). Fifteen members and partners turned up at the Wimbledon Theatre to enjoy a somewhat unusual play – a high standard of plot but running through there was an element of o a Ben Travers farce ( with a body in and out of a secret hiding place ) which made it all the more enjoyable . Excellent sets and a professional cast made for a very good night out. Thanks to Bill Gibbs for organising this outing. LUNCHTIME
SPEAKERS Tuesday 13
October 2009 John Kelly - India Our scheduled speaker unfortunately cried off with
illness just before this October lunch
but John Kelly stepped into the breach ( not for the first time ) and came to
our rescue with a slide presentation on a recent visit to India. As ever
John’s slides were sufficient in themselves but his added inimitable
commentary gave the presentation that little bit extra. He showed us a land
of contrasts where over 2.0 million children die under the age of 5 every
year but which has the fastest growing economy in the world, and its capital
Delhi is the “greenest” capital on the globe .It is a multi faith society
which brings a richness to life there but also religious tensions .We saw
pictures of the great buildings in Delhi including the India gate in memory
of the dead from WW1 , together with the site of Gandhi’s assassination. We
were transported to the Taj Mahal and the castles and temples of Agra with
their carved stonework and intricate decoration and formal gardens. John
certainly gave us a taste of the history, architecture and culture capturing
some of the sights (if not the sounds and the smells!) of modern India. Tuesday 10 November 2009 Susannah Horwood “ The Fircroft
Trust “ Susannah came to talk to us about The Fircroft Trust in general and their new project at The White Hart pub in particular. The Fircroft Trust is a registered charity catering for adults with mental health problems and those with learning difficulties. It employs about 50 workers and has over 50 volunteers in the Kingston area. At present they have 90 clients on their books . With the aid of some photographs of famous people who had some sort of mental illness and spent some time in treatment for their condition she graphically showed us that mental illness is more prevalent than one might imagine and that you can never tell who is actually afflicted - people like Audrey Hepburn , Marilyn Monroe , Stephen Fry and many others who suffered from a range of conditions such as anxiety, bi-polar , obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders and schizophrenia . The Trust has four residential homes in and around Kingston and many of the residents are former patients at the “ Epsom ring” of mental hospitals ( now mainly turned into residential estates). They have been seeking to expand their provision and have recently acquired the former public house “ The White Hart “ on the Chessington Road. The Trust awaits planning permission, has appointed an architect , engaged in a positive public consultation and have launched an appeal for the funds to see the project through to completion.There has been much national rhetoric on “ car in the community “ but we were shown in this talk that at least in Kingston this rhetoric is being translated into reality. There followed a very full and interesting question and answer session and Michael Dale thanked Susannah for her enthusiastic contribution . Advance Notice The Surbiton Probus Club are hoping to organise a day trip to Bletchley Park the WW2 code breaking establishment on 6th May 2010. They would hope to hire a coach but are not confident they will be able to fill it so they are extending an invitation to Kingston Probus Club members to join them. Some members have already indicated their interest in this outing - the cost is likely to be around £30(?). More details when they are available. Forthcoming
Visits The National
Theatre Tuesday 19
January 2010 Geoffrey Gammon has arranged a visit backstage at The National Theatre to kick off our New Year’s programme. Members participating in this visit will already have details but Geoffrey will advise of any changes. The British
Library Photographic
Exhibition Thursday 25
February 2010 President John Metzner has arranged a visit to The British Library to see an exhibition of the photographs they hold. Please note the date. John will be confirming the numbers at the January lunch. Future Speakers Tuesday 12 January
2010 Neil Arnold Mystery Animals of the British Isles Will we hear of the Surbiton sloth (no surely not!) , the Chessington cougar or the New Malden manatee? All will be revealed in the New Year...... Tuesday 9
February 2010 John Hargreaves “ Travelling
with my Globe” John is a seasoned traveller, currently unavailable in Outer Somewhere or other but his range includes “ Russian Icebreakers “ , “ Tall Ships “ , “ Crossing Deserts “ and “ Thames sailing Barges “. Tuesday 9 March
2010 Siobhan Clarke “ Hampton Court
– Pleasure Palace” Siobhan is a Guide Lecturer at Hampton Court and will talk to us about the way ib which the buildings, grounds and artefacts there express the king’s concern with his image as a magnificent monarch. Tuesday 13 April
2010 “ The Thames –
from Source to Teddington “ John Wright Our rich riparian history is further explored by john Wright. On this occasion we will be looking at the upper reaches of the Thames – the bits we tend to forget. People and
Places It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of John Woodland just before Christmas. He was well known on the “Kingston “circuit and an important cog in the Kingston Education Mafia in the Club. His interests spanned many areas of activity and he will be missed, john had been a strong supporter of Probus in recent years, having “graduated “from Rotary. He had served on the Committee for some years but he has been unwell for some time. He bore this with cheerful resignation and even so recently as our Christmas lunch he was looking forward to celebrating Christmas with a new granddaughter. A fuller tribute to John will be included in the next edition of the Newsletter Our thoughts are now with Jill his widow and the family. Travel
Concessions ( i.e. Bus Passes !) Remember that the travel concessions which we all enjoy (well those who live in RBK!!) are due to be renewed in March this year 2010. Make sure you don’t miss the ‘bus!! The demise of
the cheque. One of the pleasures of being a grandparent is the opportunity of giving a cash gift to the future generations by way of a cheque. I can think of nothing more impersonal than saying to my grandsons “ I have transferred £20.00 to your account electronically “ - if there is more pleasure in giving than receiving then the proposal by the banks to phase out the cheque is going to result in a lot less pleasure for people like me. Apart from that what will Les Green do when he can no longer take a cheque from us for our monthly lunch? If the oldies have any power we should make our voices felt loud and strong and here and now! |