Category: Events

After enjoyable previous visits as Christmas approaches, 26 members attended at Bickleigh Mill, near Tiverton, for a free Coffee Morning augmented by delicious tray bakes . The shop there always attracts attention with its tremendous variety of items including possible Christmas gifts and cards. 16 of the party stayed on for a very good lunch (at their expense!) and the atmosphere overall was one of good humour and friendly chat.

The White Horse Inn at Woodbury Salterton was again the venue for what proved to be an excellent informal lunch when all had the choice of menu but where all received a discount from Treasurer Garry Adams. 26 members attended and there was, as expected, a great deal of chatter and there was also an absence of complaints. Thanks to the staff at the White Horse Inn.

Another Cream Tea at a new venue was enjoyed by 34 members on September 3rd. This time Kings Garden Centre near Sidmouth were the hosts and plenty of jam and cream on excellent scones together with refills of tea or coffee made for a very pleasant afternoon. The good weather allowed everyone to stroll around the garden centre inside and out while some friendships were renewed and Barclays was mentioned once or twice! The Club paid for the teas so that completed another successful event for members who can now look forward to the informal and heavily subsidised “Pub Grub” lunch at the White Horse Inn on Thursday 3rd October. Check the website Newsletter for more details.

Members of the Exeter Spread Eagle Club recently attended a performance of “Looking Good Dead” at the Manor Pavilion Theatre in Sidmouth. This play, adapted from the novel of the same title by Peter James and featuring the main character of Inspector Roy Grace, was the eighth offering in the annual Summer Rep series. There are twelve plays presented over twelve consecutive weeks and staged in Sidmouth by Paul Taylor Mills.

We endeavour to mix the genres attended each year and this time it was a Thriller. Well-acted on a cleverly designed stage set (three very different locations accommodated side by side). Despite the players all being professional actors, it is remarkable that several members of the cast had appeared in the previous week’s play (a comedy) and others appear in the subsequent production.

All members attending seemed to enjoy the outing and the opportunity to meet and socialise in the bar before curtain up. No doubt we will have a similar enjoyable outing next summer.

Thirty members were able to enjoy a very happy afternoon in the horse-drawn barge on the Great Western Canal at Tiverton. The weather was good, the commentary excellent and a peaceful 90 minutes ensued. This was the 50th anniversary of the Canal company and members judged the event a great success

For a third year the Club returned to the Hartnoll Hotel near Tiverton for one of their cream teas. Those attending were not disappointed and the afternoon was enhanced by the presence of several new members. A total of 30 members partook of the scones and there was the usual controversy over whether the jam or the cream should be added first – most opting for cream but those with Cornish connections the jam! Chairman Garry Adams reminded everyone of our next function which is a lunch at the Belmont Hotel in Sidmouth on Wednesday 23rd May – see the Newsletter section for full details.

The AGM for 2024 was held on 12th March once again at the Swan’s Nest near Exminster when 38 members attended. Garry Adams as both Chairman and Treasurer reported on the year’s events and planned events for the future. The Club is in a good state financially thanks to continued grants from the Bank. Future lunches, coffee mornings, cream teas and other visits such as to the theatre in Sidmouth and to the Grand Union Canal in Tiverton will be heavily subsidised.

The Committee members remain unchanged but with the welcome addition of Martin Mitten.

Members were royally entertained after the AGM by Rose Chanin whose humour, dialect and interaction with the audience were greatly appreciated and warmly applauded.

The Minutes of the AGM may be obtained by contacting Les Rendell (lesrendell41@gmail.com)

The White Horse Inn at Woodbury Salterton was again the venue for a Coffee Morning with 19 members enjoying their free coffee and a chance to meet up and exchange a great deal of chat!

The staff at the White Horse were very attentive and kept bringing round more coffee etc. and they had provided a good selection of biscuits on each table.

Several stayed on for lunch (but they had to pay for this) and overall it was another happy occasion for Barclays pensioners.

Despite the incessant rain which threatened to flood the roads to and from the Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth, 72 members, partners and friends attended our annual Christmas lunch in the beautifully decorated hotel and enjoyed a first class meal at a heavily subsidised price. There were a number of new members present and these were particularly welcomed by Chairman, Garry Adams, who extended the welcome to everyone present. Good wishes were conveyed to all members for a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year with a reminder about our next function which is a Valentine’s Day (February 14th) free coffee morning at the White Horse Inn, Woodbury Salterton (from 10.30am).

(The photo is by Martin Mitten – whom do you recognise?)

A record 28 members attended the annual event at Bickleigh Mill near Tiverton on November 15th and were able to enjoy not only coffee or tea and cakes free of charge but also the beautifully stocked shop there full of tempting Christmas gifts. Most of the group stayed on for lunch (at their expense) and the visit was voted a great success ahead of the forthcoming (and heavily subsidised) Christmas Lunch at the Victoria Hotel Sidmouth. See Newsletter for full details.