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 on 14th February and our AGM on 12th March at the Swan’s Nest, Exminster. 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. Our Spring lunch at the Belmont Hotel, Sidmouth on Thursday, 23rdMay. That will be followed in June by a visit to the Grand Union Canal at Tiverton with a leisurely horse drawn barge trip on the afternoon of 18th June.
After that we will have a theatre visit in August to the Manor Pavilion Theatre, Sidmouth, another cream tea afternoon in September followed by an October Pub 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, 5th December. How about that to fill your diaries!
AGM Review
We held our 49th AGM on 12th March at the Swan’s Nest, Exminster where we were made very welcome by the staff and had a room to ourselves and a carvery lunch. Numbers were similar to last year with 38 attendees plus our guest speaker Rose Chanin.
The normal business part was quickly done: all parties duly elected on, including a new committee member in Martin Mitten. Ray Cavill’s Wellbeing report included his usual plea seeking an extra person to join his team of volunteers. We do need some help….so please consider volunteering to join us.
Sadly, we said goodbye to Andrew and Lyn Green from our working committee after many years of thoughtful and inventive input from them. They are remaining as loyal members, but with restricted mobility issues have decided to stand down. The business part was followed by a very memorable and entertaining show by Rose Chanin with many cameo items of nostalgia and the Devon way of life! It was a wonderful performance.
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 15 new active members to the Club this past year.
To all of you, please stay safe and healthy. I look forward to seeing you at one or more of our 2024 events.
Financial review
You will be pleased to know that our finances are plentiful and in good order. Roger Handover completed the examination of the 2023 accounts, his first outing as our new accounts examiner. Thank you, Roger.
With my change of hat, I can report that in 2023 we achieved a planned deficit of £1,042 which has used up some of our accumulated funds as a result of larger subsidies available at lunches along with a number of free events. We have brought forward into 2024 a balance of £7,056 to which we now add our annual subscriptions (£840) and the grant claim this year of £4,248 plus interest of about £82. Total income thus £5,170 expected……
With our proposed full programme of events this year (being at least 10 in number), I estimate a net expenditure of £6,220 including all admin costs and generous subsidies against the income of £5,168 resulting in a deficit of £1,050 in the year. That reduces our final balance to around £6,000 at the year end: More than enough to keep us going for a few years yet!
We do however need our members to attend events as our social grant income (which is 60% of the funds from Head Office) depends upon attendances. If you can attend just one event in the year, then that benefits our annual grant claim!
I can end our financial review on the extra positive note that for your £5 subscription, active members can enjoy subsidies and free events to the tune of about £125 per head across the year, if you were to attend all those events. Wow! Not bad for a fiver!
Best wishes.
Garry Adams, Chairman and Treasurer
Secretary’s Notes
Spring has arrived, despite the seemingly endless rain! It is lovely to see the trees turning green with their fresh leaves and now the early daffodils have almost finished, bluebells and forget-me-nots are displaying their blue colours along with the various colours of the tulips.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the National Trust property at Knightshayes, Bolham, near Tiverton and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. It is a beautiful house, superb garden and large park with a long winding drive up to the property and café.
The committee members have been busy organising the variety of forthcoming events and I do look forward to chatting with you when you can come along and join us. Please put the dates in your diaries so you don’t forget and miss out. It is a great opportunity to meet up with past work colleagues and new friends in the club.
I have received a further communication from Keith Norman of Wendy Wu Tours – see below for details if any of you are contemplating a holiday of a lifetime!
As ever, please let me know if you change address or any details, thank you. I am sure you are aware that stamps are now 85p for second class and £1.35 for first class.
I hope you all enjoyed the early Easter weekend and it won’t be long until we have the next Bank Holiday on May 6th, which also celebrates one year since the Coronation of King Charles.
Take care and keep well. Best wishes.
Barbara Johnson, Secretary
Exclusive Discount on Wendy Wu Tours for our Club members:
Wendy Wu Tours is the UK’s leading touring specialist, offering extraordinary tours to Japan, China and the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America and Europe.
Since Wendy sent her very first tour to China in 1994, they’ve grown from strength to strength and are proud of the multiple awards won throughout the years and the unique travel experiences offered to an expanding range of destinations.
To find out more visit www.wendywutours.co.uk.
As an exclusive offer to the Exeter Spread Eagle Club they are offering a 5% member discount.
To redeem this discount you will have to quote the code ESEC5 at the time of booking.
To book call our reservations team on 0808 3046 343 or email Keith Norman at keith@wendywutours.co.uk
Wellbeing
Exciting News!
Delighted to report that Wendy and Martin Mitten have agreed to take over from the retiring Lyn Green for the EX14-19 postcodes. Once again, my sincere thanks to Lyn for her amazing support over the years!
For the eagle-eyed amongst you, you will see that there has been a slight revision of the postcode area allocations, with the areas all about equal – apart from me and the Exmouth area.
Exeter is still available, and we do hope that we can find someone to cover this soon!
As ever, if you want to talk through any matters with any of the Wellbeing Team, then please feel free to contact any one of us.
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 find attached a list of Officers, Committee and Wellbeing Officers for 2024 for you to keep and for your information.
Functions
Lunch – Belmont Hotel, The Esplanade, Sidmouth EX10 8RX – Thursday, 23rd May at 1.00pm
A return to the Belmont Hotel: We are assured of a warm welcome.
Menu and Booking Form is enclosed for this lunch.
You are able to pay for the lunch – £15.00 per person for members, guests £32.00 – by BACS transfer, rather than cheque, if you wish: Full details below.
Account Name: Exeter Spread Eagle Club
Account number: 10138878
Sort Code: 20-30-47
Ref: Your Surname
Your menu choices may be emailed (see attachment) to Barbara and Peter Johnson rather than returning by post if you prefer by Friday, 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 Friday, 10th May.
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 note that parking is limited at the Belmont Hotel. There are pay and display car parks nearby or you may be able to park on adjacent roads. Please check whether these too are pay and display.
Cruise on the Grand Union Canal, The Wharf, Canal Hill, Tiverton EX16 4HX – Tuesday, 18th June
A new venture for the Club which we do hope you will support and enjoy.
The cruise is for 1½ hours along the Grand Union Canal on a horse-drawn barge. Boarding from 1.45pm and the cruise begins at 2.15pm. Tickets are £10 each payable in advance in the usual ways as detailed above.
There is a fully licensed bar, light refreshments, teas, coffees, ice creams and gifts available aboard the barge. Prior to or after the cruise – your choice – Ducks Ditty Bar (canal-side bar and beer garden) or the Cottage Tea Room nearby should also be open for refreshments (cost of refreshments not included in the ticket price).
There is a pay and display car park adjacent to The Wharf.
Please advise Barbara or Peter Johnson on barbj@talktalk.net or peteraj@talktalk.net or telephone them on 01297 599086 by 1st June if you wish to join us for this new venture.
Diary dates:
August (date to be confirmed) Visit to Manor Pavilion Theatre, Sidmouth for evening performance
Tuesday, 3rd September Free Cream Tea at King’s Garden Centre, SIDMOUTH (please note) – 2.30pm
Thursday, 3rd October Pub lunch at the White Horse Inn, Woodbury Salterton – 12.30pm
Tuesday, 12th November Free Coffee Morning at Bickleigh Mill – 10.30am
Thursday, 5th December Christmas Lunch at the Victoria Hotel, Sidmouth – 1pm
Thursday, 13th March 2025 50th Annual General Meeting at the Swan’s Nest, Exminster – 11am for coffee, 11.30am for AGM
Full details of all the above events, and booking forms where required, will be available in subsequent Newsletters.
Barbara & Peter Johnson
barbj@talktalk.net
peteraj@talktalk.net
01297 599086