Welcome from the Chair
Welcome all, with some good news!
There is light at the end of the tunnel with many restrictions on life easing on 17th May and potentially a lot more freedom to meet socially from 21st June. With that latter date in mind your committee is meeting in person on 24th June to arrange some social events for you starting with a Coffee Morning on Tuesday, 6th July. See details later in this newsletter.
Beyond that we would hope to run 2 lunches before the year end, one in the Autumn and the other being the December Christmas lunch at the Victoria, Sidmouth (already booked for Tuesday, 14th December). Any other events will be considered at our June committee meeting and set out in our Summer newsletter.
The Club has received an unexpected bonus from Barclays of grant funds for 2021 at the same level as 2020, namely £4,251 despite everything being curtailed last year. We thus have funds to spend on subsidising all social events this year and next to a considerable degree.
For many of us, we are still coming to terms with the sad and unexpected loss of our dear friend and colleague Lynne Ring who passed away suddenly on 3rd March. Please see a tribute later in this newsletter.
Our zoom AGM in March was brief and successful, although I hope not to be repeated! All the main positions in the Club are filled, but we do have a couple of vacancies on the Committee and Wellbeing Team. Again, see our adverts later in this newsletter.
I am pleased to welcome Johanna Sharp and her husband Derek to the Club on their move to Devon. We look forward to meeting them soon.
Finally, I wish you all a safe and vaccinated return to some sort of (new) normality in life and look forward to seeing many of you again in person at one of our future 2021 events. 2
By the way, it is my partner Sheila‟s Birthday coming up and she has taken to leaving jewellery and Radley handbag catalogues around the house, so naturally I‟ve bought her a magazine rack for her Birthday. She doesn‟t know it yet!
Toodle-pip!
Garry Adams, Chairman & Treasurer
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Secretary’s Note
I hope you are enjoying the longer days and warmer sunshine as Spring is definitely here. The gardens are looking colourful with tulips, bluebells and forget-me-nots and many other early flowering plants. The cherry trees with all their bright blossoms are delight to see.
But, what happened to April showers this year? There weren’t many here in the South West and I understand that we had less than ½ inch (1cm) in the whole month. But, it was cold with chilly winds so the winter woollies are still in use and May has started well with heavy showers and, typically, for a Bank Holiday weekend – wet!
Now some of the Lockdown restrictions are being eased, we can eat outside at cafes & pubs etc and go shopping. I do like to support our small independent local shops and the ones here in Seaton have good one-way systems and hand-sanitisers available. It was good to re-stock my selection of birthday cards as May and June are “busy‟ birthday months for our family and friends.
Later in the month (all being well) we can meet indoors at eating places and I do hope you will be able to come along to join us for our first coffee morning on Tuesday 6th July at The White Horse Inn, Sidmouth Road, Woodbury Salterton EX5 1EP from 10.15am onwards.
Finally, I have been contacted by David Baldwin, the secretary of the Grasshopper Pensioners’ Club and he asks if we have any former Martins staff in our club. If you are “ex-Martins” he would be delighted to hear from you and he will send you their newsletters. They are also hoping to organise some local “get-togethers” and more information can be found on their website: www.martinsbank.co.uk David can be contacted by email on grasshoppers@btinternet.com or by phone on 01422 832734.
Please keep well and take care.
Committee Member(s) needed!
Now that things are beginning to get going again – 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 we all work as a team on behalf of your club. How about YOU joining us? Just ask one of us for more information and we will tell you!
Barbara Johnson, Hon. Secretary
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Wellbeing
Vacancy
As previously mentioned at the A G M, we are now looking for someone to join our small, but very sociable and enthusiastic team. It is not necessary to become a member of the committee.
The (postcode) area that we are looking to cover will be centred on Exeter, although that is not a major issue, as contact is by phone. I will be delighted to provide additional information and instruction, and in the first instance hope that you feel you can give me a ring to discuss. In the meantime, I will continue to look after the Exeter area as well as my own.
Ray Cavill, Wellbeing Coordinator
Social Events – Theatre Outing
In recent years we have enjoyed meeting as a group to attend a performance in the Paul Taylor-Mills Summer Play Festival at Sidmouth‟s Manor Pavilion Theatre, with ticket prices well subsidised by both our club and by the Theatre. Last year‟s season was cancelled of course but a reduced program is planned for 2021. There will be just 6 plays staged for two weeks each rather than the usual offering of 12 running for 6 nights.
In the past we have been able to reserve a block booking, confirming and paying for the actual number of tickets required about a month before the performance date. Unfortunately at this stage tickets are currently only available online with payment required up front and a no returns policy, at least until the Box Office reopens when the situation may change.
Consequently we have decided not to attend the Summer series as a group this time, although once the Autumn program is released we may attempt to do something later in the year. – Watch this space!
In the meanwhile anyone wishing to attend a performance this summer is encouraged to make their own booking online via “www.manorpavilion.com” or to try the box office on 01395 514413. Tickets are priced at £19.00 each.
Peter Johnson, Committee Member
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Covid-19 Colleague Matched Donations
This scheme was introduced in April 2020 and enabled staff and retired staff to have personal donations to officially registered charities supporting communities affected by the virus, (including money personally fundraised), fully matched by the Bank.
There was a mention in the winter edition of connection (see pp. 6 and 26) but no proper communication had been received by pensioners. As the scheme has been extended until 31st December 2021 members may take advantage if they wish, even retrospectively, for donations/fundraising since April 2020.
Les Rendell, Committee Member
In Memoriam
We were all shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Lynne at the beginning of March.
Lynne was much loved by us all and was a tremendously hard worker on behalf of the Exeter Spread Eagle Club for a number of years following her retirement from the bank as Premier Banking Manager in Exeter. She organised our events, collected our cheques, arranged the seatings for lunch and negotiated with the hotels. She knew and cheerfully welcomed everyone at our functions.
She had a lovely bubbly personality as those who worked with her will confirm and when the Committee were no longer able to continue their meetings at Westpoint, Lynne was pleased to hold them at her home in Exeter.
More recently Lynne helped as a Wellbeing Officer and the Committee greatly valued her warm friendship and willing assistance.
She will be sadly missed.