Welcome
Welcome to the second Newsletter of the year. I hope this finds you all safe and well, but if not then on the road to recovery.
We have had two events already, namely the coffee morning at the White Horse in early February and our AGM brought forward to 24th of February, instead of our usual date in March. A report on the AGM follows after these opening remarks.
Your committee has agreed to a full programme of events this year with two of them detailed later in this newsletter. That will be the free cream tea at The Hartnoll Hotel at Bolham (near Tiverton and the Knightshayes NT property) on 28th April followed by our Spring lunch at the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel on 24th May. After that I expect a June/early July outing of some sort, with a theatre visit in August, another cream tea afternoon in September (Powderham again?) followed by an October lunch. November will be coffee time at Bickleigh with some Christmas shopping and December is already booked at the Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth on Thursday 8th December. How about that to fill your diaries!
AGM Review
We held our 47th AGM at Downes Golf Club, Crediton on 24th February with lovely views across the course and watched what appeared to be all 4 seasons of the year pass by the panoramic windows of the clubhouse. Numbers were low at 28 attendees and the regular business was quickly done: all parties duly elected on, although we do have a vacancy on our committee and also on the Wellbeing team. We need some help… please consider volunteering to join us. With my Chairman’s hat on I did the usual round of thanks to my Committee without whom this Club could not keep going and welcomed in 10 new active members to the Club this past year.
Sadly our speaker, Alan Dodds was too unwell to join us that day and we wish him a good recovery. Instead, I produced a picture quiz to sort out
the “little grey cells” and Les Rendell tantalised us with his cryptic wonders. The time before a good lunch was therefore well used!
To all of you, please stay safe and healthy. I look forward to seeing you at one or more of our 2022 events.
Garry Adams, Chairman and Treasurer
Secretary’s Notes
Spring has sprung – at last! The blossom is wonderful, the flowers are opening and the trees are turning green again. We have had amazing weather during the end of March and I hope you have been able to enjoy some of the warm sunshine and blue skies. Of course, it couldn’t last and now we are back with cooler cloudy days – so, don’t pack away your winter clothes just yet!
Easter isn’t too far away and then we can look forward to our first (free) cream tea at The Hartnoll Hotel (near Tiverton) where their scrumptious scones will be served. I do hope you can come along.
Barbara Johnson, Secretary
Wellbeing
I am writing this against a backdrop of rising Covid cases and the war in Ukraine. The positives for us are that we are able to celebrate and enjoy the Spring flowers and belated sunshine. Fingers crossed for an improving world situation and a good summer!
Wellbeing Officer
It was good to see some of you at our Annual General Meeting at Crediton and for those not present I will repeat my wish for another officer to
support our team. In the meantime, I shall continue to take responsibility for the Exeter area as well as my existing patch in Exmouth. If you are at all interested in offering support to our wider membership, then please have a word with me. It is not at all onerous!
Guaranteed Minimum Pension Equalisation
Some of you may receive a letter from the Trustee of the UK Retirement Fund about the above. If you do, it will only be good news as there will be a small adjustment to your pension. The qualifying criteria are very narrow so it will only be a few of us that are affected. I do have some additional information so, if necessary, please give me a ring. Use the “Contact Us” page on this website.
Ray Cavill, Wellbeing Co-ordinator
Annual General Meeting
If you wish to see the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, please email Les Rendell – lesrendell41@gmail.com – or telephone him on 01884 254375 and he will send you a copy.
Following the Annual General Meeting, as is our usual practice, you will see updated list of Officers, Committee and Wellbeing Officers for 2022 on the Committee page of this website. If you wish to be in touch with us please use the “Contact Us” page on this website.
Functions
Free Cream Tea, Hartnoll Hotel, Bolham, Tiverton EX16 7RA – Thursday, 28th April 2022 at 3.00pm.
We are returning to the Hartnoll Hotel for one of our cream teas this year. Those who have been to the Hotel for a Cream Tea before will remember it’s probably as well to bring a doggy bag as the scones are not small! We are made very welcome at this venue and there’s easy parking too.
We do need numbers for this event, so if you are intending to come, please email Barbara or Peter Johnson on barbj@talktalk.net or peteraj@talktalk.net or telephone them on 01297 599086 by Wednesday, 20th April please to let them know. Thank you and see you there!
Perhaps too this may be an opportunity beforehand to visit the National Trust property, Knightshayes, which is not too far from the Hotel and is well signposted.
Lunch at Sidmouth Harbour Hotel on Tuesday, 24th May at 1.00pm
Menu and Booking Form is attached (click here) for our next lunch. We are returning to the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel this year. Unfortunately there is now no parking at the Hotel, but there is a Pay and Display car park immediately opposite the Hotel in Manor Road. Drop off at the Hotel is possible. For this function we are giving you the option of paying for the lunch by BACS transfer, rather than cheque. Full details below.
Account Name: Exeter Spread Eagle Club
Account number: 10138878
Sort Code: 20-30-47
Ref: Your Surname
Your menu choices may also be emailed as an attachment to Barbara and Peter Johnson rather than returning by post if you prefer by Tuesday, 10th May. However you still have the option of returning your booking form with a cheque, made payable to Exeter Spread Eagle Club, to Barbara and Peter Johnson by Tuesday, 10th May please.
Whichever method you choose, please also let Barbara and Peter know when replying of any special dietary requirements you may have, e.g. if you do not want sauces or gravy.
Please collect upon arrival your booking form showing your food choice and place on your chosen table.
Future dates for your diary
Details of functions beyond May will be in future Newsletters. HOWEVER – “Hot off the press!” We have arranged to have another free Cream Tea on Thursday, 30th June at 3pm. This time at The Donkey Sanctuary, Slade House Farm, Sidmouth, EX10 0NU and it is a new venue for our Club. There is plenty of free car parking and no entrance fee, and, of course, there are plenty of donkeys to view!
Please advise Barbara or Peter Johnson on barbj@talktalk.net or peteraj@talktalk.net or telephone them on 01297 599086 if you wish to attend, by 17th June, so the appropriate number of scones may be ordered.
We are hoping to include in the future a further free coffee morning, an informal pub lunch and a theatre visit as well as the already-booked Christmas Lunch at the Victoria Hotel, Sidmouth on Thursday 8th December.