Welcome to 2022.
Here is your first Newsletter of the year and a warm welcome to you all. I hope it finds you fit and well, and “raring to go” to join us at the events of 2022.
This year we are hoping to return to a little normality and we are preparing a full programme of events to hopefully include 4 lunches, 2 free coffee mornings, 2 free cream teas and our AGM during the year. Of course this is all subject to meeting any official restrictions which may apply (P.Ms exempted!).
To begin with, we have an early coffee morning on Thursday 3rd February….just days away from you receiving this Newsletter. It will be at The White Horse Inn on the main A3052 Sidmouth road near Aylesbeare commencing at 10.30 am. As usual, it will be free to members.
That will be followed by our AGM on Thursday 24th February at Downes Crediton Golf Club, meeting from 10.30am for coffee with the business part from 11am. This is a new venue as we have had great difficulty finding anywhere at a reasonable price prepared to take us. Full details provided later in this newsletter.
The business part takes about half an hour; it will be followed by our speaker, the Rev‟d Alan Dodds. Remember him from 2020! He says that he will need a few minutes to set up his kit….and this time his talk is simply “Confessions of a Country Vicar” . Amusement abounds! Do come and join us. We expect to break after the talk/entertainment for drinks at the bar from 12.30pm with lunch being served at 1pm. See you there! Booking details for the AGM are attached to this Newsletter with the menu choices and reply slips. At least we will be meeting in person, rather than on Zoom, as we did last year.
Dates and venues for other future events will be announced at the AGM and in our Spring Newsletter.
With my other hat on, I can confirm that our finances remain in good health and we will be submitting our annual grant claim to HO which should see us maintain our lunch subsidies at 50% or better, with coffee mornings and cream teas free to members. As an example, the AGM subsidy to members is 57%. A good incentive to be there! The annual accounts will be available as usual at the AGM.
Finally, please continue to visit this website for latest news and a write up of the Christmas lunch where we had 61 booked in to the Victoria Hotel at Sidmouth. By the way, if there are any keen photographers out there, do take pics at our events and send them to Les Rendell (lesrendell41@gmail.com) for inclusion on the website.
Although it seems a little late, I wish you all a very happy , safe and healthy new year and look forward to seeing you at one or more of our events in 2022.
Garry Adams Chairman and Treasurer
Secretary’s Notes
A Happy New Year to you ALL and our fingers are crossed for a “normal” year!
Here we are well into January and, without doubt, the days are getting longer as it is nearly a month since the shortest day. We are lucky living in the South West in that the temperature (on the whole) is milder and things do start growing earlier than in the rest of the UK. Walking our dog around the local area, I have spotted definite signs of new growth in gardens and it is so cheering on cold or wet days.
I hope some of you will be able to come along and join us for our first coffee morning of the year – to be held at The White Horse Inn on Thursday 3rd February at 10.30am. We can recommend their food if you are able to stay on and have lunch (at your own cost).
Do please let us know if there any changes to your home and/or email address; thank you. The majority of Newsletters are now sent out by email, saving the Club considerable costs in paper, printing and stamps. So, if you are now able to receive your copy electronically, please tell us. Until we meet, stay safe and keep warm.
Barbara Johnson, Secretary
Committee Member(s) needed !
Now that things are beginning to get going again (Hooray) we would love to have some extra help for organising events and sharing new ideas etc. Joining the committee is a practical way to offer ideas and suggestions and would YOU like to join us? Just ask anyone on the committee for more information and we will tell you how we all work together as a team on behalf of your club.
Wellbeing
Happy New Year to you all! In these seemingly never-ending challenging times do hope that you are keeping well, both physically and mentally. You may wish to look at the Bank Workers Charity website www.bwcharity.org.uk where not only can you sign up for their regular emails, but also click on to one of their key services, as summarised below.
Bank Workers Charity Advice and information
Our advisers work across a range of areas and have extensive experience of supporting working-age people, families and retirees.
Practical support We partner with some of the UK’s leading organisations to provide you with specialist support, and we’ll work with you to find the best solution.
Financial support We may be able to provide you with financial support with general living expenses and long-term costs such as disability aids or home adaptation.
I shall hope to see you at one of our upcoming events soon!
Ray Cavill, Wellbeing Co-ordinator
Annual General Meeting
The Club‟s Annual General Meeting takes place on Thursday, 24th February 2022 at 11.00am at Downes Crediton Golf Club, Hookway, Crediton EX17 3PT. There is plenty of parking available in the car park situated in the grounds. If you would like to come but need a lift, please contact one of our Wellbeing Officers who will do their best to find a lift for you.
From Exeter direction, entering Crediton on A377, pass Tesco, turn left just past the Shell petrol station to cross over the railway line, follow the road and the Golf Club is signposted. From Crediton town, turn right before the Shell petrol station to cross over the railway line, follow the road and the Golf Club is signposted.
This is a new, but known, venue for us and we are assured of a warm welcome. We do hope that you will join us for the short, but nevertheless important, meeting to be followed by an excellent speaker, the Reverend Alan Dodds, who some of you may remember from a previous Annual General Meeting. This time his presentation is “Confessions of a Country Vicar”. Lunch will follow at 1.00pm.
Access will be available for (free) coffee/tea and biscuits from 10.30am and we would ask that you are in your seats prior to the start of the meeting at 11.00am so that there is no distraction whilst we remember those who are no longer with us.
We have saved some costs by not including the Agenda with this newsletter, planning to distribute on the day, but if any would wish for a copy prior to this, in print or electronically, we shall be happy to oblige.
Functions
AGM Luncheon
The Annual General Meeting and speaker will be followed by lunch. Menu/booking form is attached (click here) and should be returned to [please note for this function] Barbara and Peter Johnson with your cheque by Wednesday, 9th February 2022. No refunds will be given after this date. The cost per head for members is £15.00 or £35.00 per head for
non-members.
The cost includes a glass and a half of wine OR a glass of orange, apple or grapefruit juice.
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 before the AGM. On this occasion it is likely that, because of space restrictions, we will need to occupy our dining places for the whole of the day’s proceedings.
Future dates for your diary
Thursday, 3rd February 2022 free Coffee Morning at White Horse Inn, Woodbury Salterton EX5 1EP (on the A3052 Exeter to Sidmouth road), 10.30am-12noon
Thursday, 28th April 2022 free Cream Tea at Hartnoll Hotel, Bolham, Tiverton EX16 7RA at 3pm. Please advise us, Andrew and Lyn, by email or telephone if you wish to attend so we can order the appropriate number of scones .
Details of functions beyond April will be in future Newsletters.
Andrew & Lyn Green, Committee Members
Tel: 01884 855340 Email: greens@1camelot.eclipse.co.uk