Avanti Magazine - Winter 2014 Issue

THE MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

MAGAZINE

Self Build

Creating your dream home

The Art of War

A Jolly Winter 12 tips to Beat the winter blues

Talking Heads

Interviews with three new volunteers

Look Back in Glamour Choirs

How singing can lift your spirit

Raise Funds for your Fellowship Buy our Badges, Cards and Bags

P L U S : H I L A R Y B O Y D • G R O U P N E W S • P O S T B A G • F ellowship H oliday

contents editor’s letter

4 FRONT DESK

Hello, and welcome to the Winter issue of avanti.

14 A Jolly Winter

I don’t admit this to my children but I sometimes feel that Christmas can be overrated because it is quite a difficult and stressful time. So this year, I’m delighted to introduce our feature on page 14, which looks at different strategies we can all adopt to make life happier all year round. What’s more, it suggests ways that CSRF can help you in this.

18 A HOME OF ONE’S OWN

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News from Fellowship Office and the Chief Executive’s report.

Our top 12 Winter blues busters.

There’s quite a happiness theme elsewhere too. On page 30 we have a feature on singing and how great it is for us in mind and body, while ‘Forums For All’ (page 23) explains how the Internet can be a very sociable place. If you’d prefer something more practical, our feature on building your own home on page 18 opens up the whole fascinating world of self build. We also have two very different historical retrospectives; one looking at the way artists, writers and others have depicted the First World War and another talking to Barbara Hulanicki, creator of the Biba brand.

We’re also really pleased to thank the many readers who have sent in their letters and stories, so please do keep sending them in! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading this issue. Health and happiness over the festive season from all the publishing team who work on avanti.

Self build explained.

23 FORUMS FOR ALL If you’ve got an interest, there’s an online forum talking about it.

26 THE ART OF WAR WW1 has had a huge impact on our culture.

David Porteous gives an overview.

30 SWEET SINGING IN THE CHOIR Want to join in this year’s carol singing? We tell you just why you should.

32 LOOK BACK IN GLAMOUR Barbara Hulanicki’s life with Biba.

36 ENTERTAINMENT Staying in or going out, the picks of the Winter.

41 SOPHIA’S CORNER Winter warmers from CSRF’s Sophia Hill.

42 TEA BREAK Jokes, puzzles, top tips and our prize crossword.

46 POSTBAG Your letters, stories and views.

50 GROUP FOCUS Group reports and news from around the country.

54 THE PLANNER

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published by Square7 Media Ltd, 3 More London Riverside, London SE1 2RE t: 020 3283 4055 e: enquiries@square7media.co.uk www.square7media.co.uk

Find out what your local group is up to.

62 MY FAVOURITE THINGS Novelist Hilary Boyd’s top choices.

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA t: 020 8691 7411 e: info@csrf.org.uk w: www.csrf.org.uk A charity registered in England and Wales No 255465 and in Scotland No SC039049 and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No 6297479

Publisher: Gaynor Garton e: gaynor@square7media.co.uk Advertising: t: 020 3283 4055 e: adsales@square7media.co.uk Editor: Radhika Holmström Contact the Editor: Use the CSRF address above e: avanti@square7media.co.uk t: 020 8691 7411 Contributors: Andréa Childs, Sarah Herbert, Sophia Hill, David Porteous Designer: Charlotte Morgan ©2014. avanti Magazine is published by Square7 Media Ltd on behalf of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF). All rights reserved. The CSRF and the publishers declare that any publication of any advertisement does not carry their endorsement or sponsorship of the advertiser or their products unless so indicated. Contributions are invited and, whether or not accepted, submissions will be returned only is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or while in the publisher’s hands. Proof of receipt is no guarantee of appearance.

In the absence of an agreement, the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic belongs to The CSRF. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format (including, but not limited to, any online service, database or part of the internet), or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of Square7 Media Ltd. The CSRF and Square7 Media accept no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any other opinions expressed herein. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official views of The CSRF.

www.csrf.org.uk AUTUMN 2014

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frontdesk

The latest news from Fellowship Office

Hello Everyone!

Christmas is peeking around the corner and our shops are filling up with lots of goodies to tempt us to part from our cash. Yet there’s also the other side of the festive season: the one that can bring out the generosity and kindness of people who give their time to help others.

Our article on page 9 highlights the opportunities to volunteer during this time.

We’ve been delighted with the response of people volunteering to become Visitors who really can make a difference to the lives of others, but just as importantly thank you to everyone who requested a visit. Our Phone Buddy scheme also continues to grow and we aim to build on both schemes in 2015.

In other news, I am delighted to tell you Edward Troup, Tax Assurance Commissioner and Second Permanent Secretary at HMRC, has very kindly agreed to become our Champion, more about Edward next year.

I’m saddened to tell you that Barbra Sloman, a long standing Vice President of the Fellowship, died recently. She will be greatly missed as a good friend and great supporter.

So on to next year! It is going to be a very busy time for all involved with the Fellowship and the work it does. If you don’t know by now, 2015 is the time we will be celebrating 50 years since our very first branch, Guildford, was created. We want to mark that first occasion by asking everyone who is able to attend a local group as close to 9 April our Fellowship Day, to do so. Help celebrate our 50 years, make a toast to the fellowship and enjoy a Golden Cupcake to mark the occasion of our jubilee (and of course by sending us your photos too!).

Thank you so much to all who’ve already booked the Golden Holiday next April (see page 10). It’s open to individuals as well as those who’ve booked with their local Fellowship group.

If you would like to bring friends or family they would be most welcome. We 4

WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

Chief Executive’s letter Words by Jean Cooper would love to see as many people as possible to come and join us.

You can help raise funds for the Fellowship by buying our lovely Buttercup Badges for your family and friends. We’ve also just launched a terrific ‘bag for life’ which look great and will be very popular I’m sure.

We’ve been extremely lucky this year, our office based volunteers Duncan and Andrew have been terrific assets to our small full time team. I thank them for all their work and great support. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my

Membership Rates for 2015 Please note that with effect from 1 January our membership rates will be: £27.32 for a single membership (1 year) £45.54 for a joint membership (1 year) If you are making payments via deduction from pay or pension, the new monthly rates will be £2.28 (for single) and £3.80 (for joint).

Jean Cooper meeting Benenden Healthcare Chief Executive Marc Bell (L) and Group Finance Director Giles Webster.

Deputy David and also Belinda, Yvonne, Sophia, Corriene and Russell for all that they have achieved this year. We are gearing ourselves up to a very busy year ahead but we all want to say a very big thank you to all our fantastic volunteers and supporters, past and present.

Very special thanks to the Fellowship’s Board of Directors for their support; the CSIS who’ve won another very prestigious most trusted insurer award, the CSIS Charity Fund for their sponsorship of our National Visitors Network; Benenden Health who sponsored our Buttercup Badges; the CSPA with whom we are about to mount a joint membership appeal. And, a big thanks to the terrific team at Square7 Media who produce avanti for us.

Happy Christmas and a wonderful Golden 2015 to come.

Date for your Diary 9 April 2015 Fellowship Day Why not find out whether your local group intends to celebrate this very special day and take along your friends and family to join group members.

FUNDRAISING E: fundraising@csrf.org.uk

T: 020 8691 7411

Donations for our Golden Appeal £111,584.84

You’ve already raised for which we are extremely grateful. Find out here all the different ways there are to donate. Any amount, no matter how big or small, is very welcome.

Flower cards Get your flower cards whilst there are still some left! They make great thank you cards or perfect stocking fillers. Each set has five different hand painted flower images which were kindly designed by CSRF member Jenny Grundy and cost just £4.

They are available through the CSRF website www.csrf.org.uk or by sending a cheque made payable to The CSRF along with your name, address, telephone number and email address if you have one.

Our intern Tan modelling our brand new ‘bags for life’. These bright, large, strong bags are just right for carrying your shopping home and all donations will go straight to our Golden Jubilee target of £250,000. To order your bag please send a cheque made payable to The CSRF for £2.50 (inc p+p).

Leaving a legacy Nobody likes thinking about making a will but it is vitally important that all of us, whether young or old, put our affairs in order during the various stages of our lives.

Where you leave your money is an important choice and by leaving part of your estate or gifting a sum of money to the CSRF will help make life better for fellow members and help us to continue providing our comprehensive range of services.

If you are thinking of drawing up a will or already have one in place, please consider adding CSRF. Your gift will be gratefully received and every penny will be well spent. As your will is completely confidential you are not obliged to tell us if you do decide to leave a legacy. However if you do please let us know as we can discuss with you how you would like the money to be spent; and we can also thank you for your kind contribution.

To find out more about legacies or how to undertake a review of your Will you can call the CSRF Legal Helpline on 0845 1800 939; or email: csrf@mcclure-solicitors.co.uk. Alternatively you can download the free information sheet on legacies from within the members’ area of the CSRF website or call 020 8691 7411 to request your copy.

Buttercup Badges Whether you are looking for a Christmas present inspiration or just want to support the Fellowship, please consider buying our special Golden Buttercup Badge.

We chose the buttercup as they pop up everywhere, spreading their carpet of golden yellow and are quite simply a joy to behold. Our Jubilee Fellowship badge will bring a welcome splash of colour to any outfit, throughout the seasons. Help raise vital funds for the Fellowship and buy lots of badges for your family and friends. We would love to see and publish photos of people wearing their badges so send in your pics and we will print as many as we can over the Jubilee year. Spot prizes for the best ones will be awarded!

To order your badges simply send a cheque made payable to The CSRF for £2.50 (inc p+p), order through your local group for £2.00 or order online at www.csrf.org.uk

Piggy Boxes Our piggy boxes proved to be very popular and we’ve now run out!

If you’ve filled yours up please complete the donation form on the back of the box and send it in with a cheque made payable to CSRF or pay the total online at www.csrf.org.uk. Don’t forget that you can Gift Aid your donation so the Fellowship gets an extra 25 per cent at no cost to you.

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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Talking Heads

Board Director Ian Albert

Taking on the role of Trade Union nominee on the Board of Directors, Ian Albert joined the Fellowship this summer.

He is appointed by the NTUC (formerly the National Whitley Council) which is the council made up of representatives from all of the civil service unions. With recruitment remaining an essential part of our strategic plan, Ian’s engagement as a Board Director will be extremely helpful in getting our messages out to potential new members. We called Ian at work to find out a bit more about him.

Why did you choose the civil service as a career?

I come from a long line of civil servants, I’m the third generation! More seriously, I saw and still do know the important and transformative role that providing Government services has and that as a civil servant you can make a real difference to the lives of many people.

This is why I put down DHSS as my first

Board of Directors 2015 Are you interested in serving on the Fellowship’s Board of Directors? Get in touch with Jean Cooper, who would be delighted to speak to you in confidence.

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WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

choice on doing the EO entrance exams and interview. I have (mostly) never regretted it!

Since joining, have you worked in many different departments?

I have only worked for DWP and its predecessor Departments, the DSS and DHSS. I have always worked in the Social Security part.

What challenges does the civil service face in the future?

The way that we deliver services is changing: more digital (online). But we must never forget that we are dealing with the public, many of whom still like to talk to someone face to face. And we still have large numbers of people who don’t use computers and mobile phones. We have to make sure they are not excluded.

What do you see as being the most important needs/requirements for those approaching retirement from the civil service?

A safe and secure pension! But also finishing work is a life changing event.

The importance of helping people through that change and where necessary providing them the support and the possibility of developing new interests (lifelong learning) and making new friends. The CSRF can have a big role here.

Volunteer Manager Corriene BaileyBearfield with Ian Albert at a recent staff event held at the Department for Work & Pensions in London

When not working, what do you enjoy doing to relax and unwind?

I enjoy watching football (particularly Barnet FC), real ale and travel. I’m also a School Governor which keeps me busy in those rare moments when I have some spare time.

What are you most looking forward to about your new role as a Board member?

Meeting new people on the Board and the wider membership of the Fellowship. I think I can bring some new ideas and some new ways of thinking. Twenty five years as a member of a Trade Union Executive Committee has taught me a lot about what works well.

Honorary Vice Chair Sue Jarvis Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome Sue Jarvis to the Fellowship as our new Honorary National Vice Chair. Sue took early retirement in 2006 and since then has served on the Civil Service Appeal Board, the Employment Tribunal and the Security Vetting Appeals Panel. She is also a Trustee of the FDA. We caught up with her before a Board meeting to find out a bit more about her working career, life since retirement and what she’s looking forward to in her new role with CSRF. What led you to apply to join the Civil Service?

I studied Social and Political Administration at Leeds University in the mid 1970s and gradually became more and more interested in questions of law and order. For a while I considered training to be a prison governor after university but eventually applied for the Fast Stream with the Home Office as my first choice department. I was lucky enough to get exactly what I wanted and started my civil service career in Prison Service Headquarters in 1976.

What particular parts of your civil service career are you most proud of?

I suppose the job that created the most visible legacy was my role in setting

up from scratch the Security Industry Authority in 2002 which, since then, has trained and licenced doormen for clubs and pubs and prevented the employment of violent offenders in those jobs. The job I enjoyed most was probably in the trade union sphere, when I became national President of the FDA in 1999. That gave me the opportunity to work with a team of very talented and committed people for a better deal for hard working civil servants and to lead the union to a high profile position, even though it is the smallest of the civil service unions.

What challenges do you see facing the civil service in the future?

The civil service will have to continue to do more with fewer resources. This will require both a focus on outcomes rather than process and a realistic dialogue with Ministers so that they understand what can be achieved with the resources available. This in turn will require us to build up relationships with Ministers. I have worked with Ministers in times when they loved their civil servants and at other times when it seemed they would do anything to exclude and disrespect us. It is better for both sides to work in a climate of trust and respect.

What do you consider the most important needs and requirements are for those approaching retirement from the civil service now?

Civil servants retiring now can expect a retirement of 20 to 30 years; such a lengthy period involves financial, physical and psychological challenges and needs more planning than just gardening. It is easy to feel isolated and out of touch with the rest of the working world after retirement. Yet we can expect to be healthy for longer and capable of all kinds of activities.

How have you been enjoying your retirement?

I feel as if I’ve been busier than ever. I began by finding some roles in public bodies such as the Civil Service Appeal Board, which gave me wonderful colleagues, a challenge to my brain and a small supplement to my pension. At the same time I worked as a volunteer with two local organisations: HomeStart supports young families who don’t have family nearby. With my own three children grown up and left home, I enjoyed being a surrogate granny to lots of little ones who I still see from time to time. I also worked as a volunteer befriender, visiting an elderly man with Alzheimer’s Disease once a week.

Two years ago my life took a new direction when I moved from London to Brighton and got married again. I now have an eight year old stepdaughter to keep me busy, as well as weddings on the horizon for two of my three grown up children.

What are you most looking forward to about your new role as Vice Chairman of the Fellowship?

Finding the way that I can be most helpful.

I am very interested in supporting the befriending project, particularly in bringing my experience as a befriending visitor and I’m looking forward to attending a Visitors training seminar. Only with such support can our volunteers help the lonely and vulnerable members of the Fellowship.

Sue Jarvis (pictured centre) with Honorary National Treasurer Jenny Rowe CB (left) and Chief Executive Jean Cooper (right)

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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Talking Heads

Volunteer

Alexander Reynolds We were delighted when Alexander Reynolds joined the Fellowship. Alex is a member of the civil service’s Fast Stream programme and he has become not only a National Visitor but also our first departmental Ambassador, helping with the ongoing promotion of our work to other serving civil servants. We caught up with him during his placement with the Department of Work and Pensions to find out more about what had motivated him to get involved.

What made you decide to apply for a career in the civil service?

I’ve never wanted to make lots of money so wasn’t really interested in the world of finance or business. I have always had an interest in politics and my degree was in International Relations so I had a very basic idea of how government works.

Most importantly, I knew that I needed to be motivated to get up for work in the morning! Personally, I’m motivated by making a positive difference to people’s lives. That sounds a bit pretentious but I don’t mean it in the same way you might hear a politician proudly speak of ‘public service.’ I just like the notion of helping people, especially those most in need.

That being said, sometimes Whitehall can feel a long way from reality and it can be hard to see the impact of your work.

Since starting the Fast Stream programme, which departments have you worked in and what have you learnt so far?

I started off last year in the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) where I worked on a partnership between government and industry to boost the UK rail sector. I learned a lot about how to navigate the office environment and

“I’m motivated by making a positive difference to people’s lives “ 8

WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

ABOVE: Alex pictured with Grace, the lady he regularly visits on the National Visitors Network; RIGHT: Pictured in the office in the Department for Work and Pensions

the vast bureaucracy of government, which came as a bit of a shock after my lazy life as a student! I then did a stint at Government Digital Service (GDS) which is part of Cabinet Office. Most recently I have been working at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

What attracted you to register for the National Visitors Network?

As I said earlier, I have always enjoyed helping others and have done lots of volunteering before, with children and the homeless. Sadly my grandmother passed away last year, and loneliness was something she struggled with later in life as she lived on her own. So I certainly identified with the cause and wanted to do my bit.

You’ve started your visits now – how’s it all going so far?

So far it’s been a really valuable and rewarding experience. I have been visiting Grace, a 93 year old lady who lives in South London. It’s still early days but we are building up a friendship and I am getting into the routine of regular visits. We have talked a lot so far about Grace’s career in the civil service - she worked for the Admiralty during the Second World War. She has some really fascinating stories and we have also delved into her photo album so I am slowly putting together a picture of her family history.

When not working, how do you relax and unwind?

I enjoy exercise but not in a fanatical way! I go to yoga classes and run in Battersea Park as well as playing football and cricket. In fact I am about to embark on a cricket tour to the south of France where we are playing a team of British expatriates. Last year I ran a marathon and cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End, but I don’t have any more big challenges in the pipeline just yet.

Recently I have become a bit obsessed with the TV series House of Cards, a must watch for anybody interested in American politics. I am also a keen traveller and am currently saving up to go to South Africa!

Would you like to be a departmental Ambassador?

If you are a serving civil servant interested in becoming a departmental Ambassador we’d like to hear from you.

Email: david.tickner@csrf.org.uk or call 020 8691 7411 for an informal chat

VOLUNTEERING

All I want for Christmas is a friend!

If the thought of shovelling massive amounts of turkey into your mouth, followed by lying in a food induced stupor in front of the Queen’s speech leaves you feeling unfulfilled and a little empty, why not volunteer this Christmas? You could join the other volunteering elves and help spread a little more festive cheer this year!

If you are thinking of donating your time, you are not alone. The latest research from nfpSynergy suggests that volunteering is now at a 10 year high and that more men than women are choosing to become involved.

In particular, this seems to be a rising trend during the festive period.

“A lot of people are reacting against the commercialism of Christmas,” according to Jennie Smith, Volunteer Manager for homelessness charity Crisis.

The Fellowship has also experienced an increase in the amount of people willing to give up their time to help their fellow man. In fact, our latest figures show that volunteers have donated well over 1,000 hours of their time within the past year alone and this number is increasing daily.

It is particularly heartening to see older people getting involved as they have always made fantastic volunteers: indeed, many charities depend on their longstanding older volunteers. Age and maturity can bring the wisdom of years,

“We get on and have lots to talk about. It has given me quite a lift. I am most grateful to her and to the Fellowship. I hope your project will continue to do well.”

Philip, Beneficiary

“I am enjoying my new friends!

They are very deserving of a visit as they are both quite unable to go out unaided so they depend on people visiting them.”

Heather, Trained Visitor

experience, skills, availability and loyalty.

Research has also shown that older volunteers can be the be-frienders of choice for many older people.

With such a wide range of volunteering opportunities on offer, you may be wondering how you can get involved and make a difference.

When considering your options this festive season why not spare a thought for those who are unable to leave the house due to reduced mobility or those whose family members live too far away and so are forced to spend this Christmas alone. Volunteering at the Fellowship could allow you to make a real impact on someone else’s life.

If you think that volunteering with the Fellowship could be a good option for you, you might like to consider giving your time to another person by paying somebody a visit over the festive season. Join the National Visitors Network and visit a person in need.

There are many benefits! For one, volunteering is a good way to meet people. It is a chance to make new friends and spread a little holiday joy by keeping someone company on those chilly winter afternoons.

Alternatively, if the thought of having to leave the house is just too much to contend with over the busy festive season, you could volunteer from the comfort of your own home by picking up the phone and becoming a Phone

Buddy. While this may not seem like a lot to you, it could make a great difference to someone in need of a little Christmas cheer and a friend to talk to. This season can be one of the loneliest of occasions for people who are not lucky enough to have family around.

So the gifts are opened, the leftover turkey has been made into sandwiches and the sales are in full swing, loneliness doesn’t just disappear after the 12 days of Christmas. Why just volunteer during the festive season? You might enjoy visiting someone all year round and there are always people who would feel better after a phone call from a friendly voice or a visit from a friendly face. If giving your time feels good, then why not consider making it a New Year’s resolution that sticks?

To spread the goodwill and get involved with either the National Visitors Network or the Phone Buddy Scheme call Corriene BaileyBearfield on 020 8691 7411. If you have access to the internet you can also email phonebuddy@csrf.org.uk or for the National Visitors Network email visiting@csrf.org.uk.

Community Christmas If you or someone you know will be alone this Christmas, why not contact Community Christmas, who can help you find others to enjoy the day with. www.communitychristmas.org.uk help@communitychristmas.org.uk Phone: 0844 854 9251

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Join us for a 2015 break Thoresby Hall Hotel, Nottinghamshire 13 April 2015, 4 nights half board (Simply Dine) The CSRF is celebrating 50 years by hosting a fantastic four night break! This holiday will be packed with activities, entertainment and some extra treats just for you.

Thoresby Hall is the perfect place to enjoy a break – what was once a stately home is now a beautiful hotel with charm and character. You can use our spa, wander around the Courtyard or relax in the Great Hall.

With so much to do, why not try your hand at something new on this anniversary break? You can meet fellow members and even receive special treatment as a CSRF member!

Standard rooms from £244 per person Signature rooms from £270 per person Historic rooms from £275 per person ...with just a £30 deposit per person!

As A CSRF Holidaymaker, you will receive extra special treatment during your stay: 3 Complimentary welcome drinks reception in the Great Hall

3 An exciting goody bag and a special free gift

3 10% off beauty treatments

To book, call direct to Warner free on: 0800 072 0772

Terms & conditions: *Offer prices are from per person per break based on two people sharing a standard room or chalet with Simply Dine unless otherwise stated. Discounts apply to price will vary. All holidays booked within 10 weeks of the chosen holiday start date will have to be paid in full at time of booking. Full terms and conditions relating to these breaks availab acts and activities are subject to alteration and can be cancelled without prior notice. All persons in your booking must be over 21 years old. Bourne Holidays Limited (trading as Warner

With our extensive range of daytime activities, you’ll never run out of things to do at Warner Try your hand in our games room and challenge an opponent to darts or table tennis. Or if you prefer to be outdoors, we have rifle shooting, archery and bowls for you to try out.

Belt out the classics in our Warner Pop Choir, or learn some new moves in our Do You Warner Dance? workshops. With all this on offer, plus so much more, you’re sure to find something that suits you!

Evening entertainment 3 A Welcome party show 3 Dancing to the house band Mirage

3 Laughter and fun at Comedy Time

3 Fantastic live shows 3 Quizzes 3 Early evening entertainment in the lounge

3 Late Night Live in the Pavilion Show Bar

Remember... every Warner break includes 3Stylish accommodation 3Delicious buffet breakfasts & 3-course evening meals 3Live entertainment every night 3Full use of sport and leisure facilities 3Just for grown-ups!

Visit: warnerhotels.co.uk/phc

o the room cost only. No discounts are applicable to the dining options or selected supplements which form part of your accommodation cost. Some activities will incur a supplement, ble in our current Warner Leisure Hotels brochure. All offers are subject to promotional availability and can be withdrawn or reduced at any time without notice. Please be advised some Leisure Hotels) is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01854900 whose registered office is 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL.

69253

Quote: NBCSRF

MEMBER BENEFITS Travel Club You could save up to 60 per cent with your CSRF Travel Club. For fantastic mini breaks, worldwide cruises and bespoke holiday deals simply follow the contact information below and look forward to your next trip at a fraction of the usual price.

Telephone: 0844 264 2422 Email: csrftravelclub@theukholidaygroup.com or log in to the Members Area of www.csrf.org.uk and click on ‘Benefits’

Legal Advice

Helpline

Our legal partners McClures Solicitors offer advice to CSRF members in the form of a legal advice helpline. They can answer all your questions on legacies, wills, care costs and more.

Call: 0845 1800 939 (weekdays 9am-5pm) or email: csrf@mcclure-solicitors.co.uk.

Theatre Club Fancy a trip to the theatre but don’t want to pay full price? You can get fantastic discounts on the biggest shows including The Lion King, War Horse and The 39 Steps. To find out more, just log in to the Members area of the CSRF website, click on the ‘Benefits’ and follow the ‘Theatre Club’ link on the top centre of the page.

If you have any difficulty with accessing the website please call 020 8691 7411.

Special Interest Book Club The Book Club is going from strength to strength with over 300 members. Everyone receives a free book six times a year to read and review. This year The President’s Hat by Antoine Laurain and Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris were particularly enjoyed. The 2015 book list will be finalised shortly with a huge variety for our readers to get stuck in to.

If you would like to join our book club or learn more about it please email: bookclub@csrf.org.uk or call: 0208 691 7411.

Golf Tour The 2014 Golf Tour was a success and enjoyed by all who took part. People of all skill levels are more than welcome to join in the event next year on 8 September 2015.

Email: golftour@csrf.org.uk or call: 0208 691 7411.

ABOVE: Winner Nick Wood (NHSRF Bristol) being presented with the championship trophy by Patron Dame Yvonne Moore

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Photography Competition If you’re quick, there is just about time to get your photos in to the ‘Travel’ themed photography competition, the deadline for which is 30 November 2014. The competition is open to all skill levels and you could be in with a chance of winning £200.

For more information about upcoming photography competitions contact Anthea Graham, Glais Bheinn, Lochcarron, Ross-shire, IV54 8YB or email: photography@nhsrf.org.uk or call: 0152 0722 951.

feature : HAPPINESS

A Jolly Our 12 top tips to chase away the Winter blues and boost your happiness during the festive season and beyond

Curl Up With a Book Good old fashioned books remain at the heart of many people’s happiness. With Christmas nostalgia all around, you might want to revisit your favourite books from childhood.

Alternatively, you can indulge in one of the season’s bestsellers or new recommendations (see ours on page 36); or indeed join CSRF’s own book club! Don’t forget that if you have a Kindle, there are some real bargains to be downloaded.

Go Green The natural world may look dormant at this time of year but greenery still matters to us. A major study from the University of Essex found that spending a short period in the outdoor world helps makes us happier. Brave the cold and damp and get out if you can. On top of that, there’s also a fair bit of research to show that bringing the natural world into our homes is also a good route to happiness. A houseplant like a cyclamen or a Winter blooming jasmine is ideal.

Say Thank You

Thank you letters aren’t just for Boxing Day. Showing gratitude makes both parties happier, US researchers have shown. In fact, they found this doesn’t even have to be gratitude to a person; writing down things that have improved your day or even keeping a diary or journal has a positive effect too.

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talk to us What makes you happy?

Let us know and we’ll publish the best tips.

Lighten Up Plain, ordinary daylight (even at this time of year) is one of the most important things for keeping us on an even keel physically and mentally by setting our internal bodyclock.

“Light alerts us and elevates our moods,” explains Professor Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. A glass window filters the brightness, so try and get outside for 15 minutes. If you really are struggling with the dark days it may also be worth considering investing in a lightbox as the experts say that this is one of the most effective ways they’ve found to lift the winter blues.

Have a ‘Happy Meal’ You can’t eat yourself happy (if only!) but the brain is a physical organ made up of about 60 per cent fat, so it’s directly affected by the fats we eat. The seasonal specials of nuts (full of necessary minerals); chicken and turkey (high in moodlifting tryptophan as well as minerals); even, yes, Brussels sprouts are all great feelgood choices, along with oily fish and whole grains. (See our own comforting recipes on page 41 too.)

Listen to the Music From ancient times, music has made human beings happier. It’s no surprise that neurologists have found that music releases chemicals in the brain that enhance our moods and make us feel better.

It’s also powerfully linked to happy memories (who doesn’t have a particular song that takes them back to a wonderful time and possibly a wonderful person?). So put on some music you love, and let yourself focus and concentrate on it.

Enjoy Giving

Get Moving Exercise is one of the biggest moodboosters available, recommended by absolutely every organisation concerned with mental health (and come to that, with physical health too).

On a physiological level it’ll help raise your levels of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin. It’ll also help you sleep better, with a knockon effect for your happiness the next day as well. You don’t have to plan a marathon: if you can just manage a short walk it will make a big difference.

It’s a time for giving and yes, it really can be more blessed to give than receive. “We’ve found that asking people to spend money on others, from giving to charity to buying gifts for friends and family, reliably makes them happier than spending that same money on themselves,” say Professor Elizabeth Dunn and Professor Michael Norton, who wrote Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending. A few thoughtful presents (and maybe a donation for our Golden Jubilee appeal!) will repay themselves.

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Make Holiday Plans You don’t actually have to take a holiday to enjoy it, some rather surprising research has found. The largest boost in holiday happiness comes from planning and imagining the break. Why not leaf through a few brochures, do a bit of research and transport yourself mentally? And also check out page 10 as you can book up and look forward to joining us and your fellow members at our special Golden Jubilee Holiday next year.

Keep in Touch

If there are people that you always send Christmas cards to and think of with great affection but haven’t seen for years, is it possible to get in touch? Friendships play a key part in our happiness, study after study has shown. You could even take the plunge, pick up the phone and talk to them directly.

Alternatively if you’d like Can your group make Christmas day a ‘phone to start corresponding a friend’ day? Give each group member with another CSRF a contact to phone (with the person’s member do let us know at permission) just to say hello and Fellowship Office; we may wish them a happy Christmas. be able to help put you in See page 9 for details touch with someone.

Find out more about the National Visitors Network and the Phone Buddy schemes

Enjoy the Moment

Do Something For Others It’s the season for helping out: and volunteering to do something for others brings people who do it a great deal of happiness. “When we focus on the needs of others, we may also reap benefits ourselves,” says Professor Paul Whiteley, from the University of Essex. If you have some time to spare, a lot of charities would like your help, including your local CSRF group, our National Visitors Network and Phone Buddy scheme.

Finally, take the opportunity to enjoy the present moment, and reflect on one thing: according to several big polls, our happiness increases from our mid 50s for the next 30 years.

“It’s a very encouraging fact that we can expect to be happier in our early 80s than we were in our 20s,” says Professor Andrew Oswald.

Can We Help You? Don’t forget that CSRF can help you connect with other members with some of these suggestions! We can: • Send regular books through our Book Club for you to read and discuss

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• Help you get in touch with a pen pal • Take you away on the Fellowship Holiday and our Travel Club • Join our National Visitors network and Phone Buddy Scheme • Offer you lots of volunteering and social opportunities through the local groups

feature : BUILDING A HOME

A Home of One’s OWN Forget the high drama of a certain Channel 4 TV show. Building your own home can be a straightforward and remarkably good value way of creating your ideal home, explains Sarah Herbert

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very year, up to 20,000 people in the UK build their own house, attracted by the prospect of creating a home that is totally personal to them. Young people priced out of the housing market are building starter homes beside their parents’ houses; people who want an ‘eco’ home are making their own constructions; and retirees and empty nesters are releasing money tied up in large family houses to create their own bespoke home, complete with a leftover lump sum to

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fund a happy retirement.

What’s more, these days ‘self build’ doesn’t literally mean you have to build it yourself, from digging the foundations to painting the skirting boards. It does still involve time, money and effort: but the results, many say, are well worth it.

Getting Started The first thing you will need is a plot of land to build your house on.

For a lucky few, part of their garden or some private farmland works

perfectly but for the rest of us finding land can be the hardest part of the project. The best place to start is either through local agents in an area where you know you would like to live (many good plots never make it to the open market) or through internet property websites; either the usual property websites, such as RightMove or Zoopla, or specialist websites such as Plot Browser, Plot Finder or Plot Search.

Planning regulations can be extremely tricky so if at all possible buy a plot that already has outline

Historical Renovation Hugh Raven embarked on the renovation of a 14th century ‘tower house’ castle in Argyll to create a four bedroom family home. He funded the venture by increasing the mortgage on his London property.

Amazingly, much of the castle was structurally sound, so Hugh added two more storeys above the parapet and then a small two storey house inside the castle walls.

The external appearance had to be in keeping with Scottish tower house design, so it has a slate roof, sandstone coping and traditional windows, with the walls covered in ‘harling’ (a mixture of sand, lime and goat hair). From the outside, you can’t see the join between old and new and the top of the building, perched first on a rock and then on 40 feet of castle, is 100 feet above the surrounding countryside.

planning permission for a house (‘outline’ means there’s permission from the local authority for, say, a three bedroom house but not a particular design). Failing that, buy one with an empty or dilapidated house or farm building ready for demolition, as most local authorities look favourably on replacing a grotty old bungalow with something better - but do make sure you have the necessary planning permissions in place.

Another option is a serviced plot, increasingly available from councils and developers, with service roads and sewers already in. Alternatively you could consider a community self build, such as Bickleigh Eco Village in Devon, or a group self build where you commit to a certain amount of labour in return for a stake in a house, such as Liverpool’s Habitat for Humanity.

If you’d prefer to hand over most or indeed almost all of the work, you could also consider employing a ‘package company’, which can do as much of the design, materials and construction work as you choose and

will sometimes find land (and sort out planning permission) for you too.

There’s also the issue of paying for it! Self build mortgage lenders usually lend between 50 per cent and 85 per cent of the plot price and release the funds (usually in arrears) as the build progresses. A new type of mortgage from self build expert Buildstore releases the money in advance of each stage and will lend up to 90 per cent of the cost of both land and build.

The total cost will vary. While land is plentiful and cheap in rural areas such

as the highlands of Scotland, prices elsewhere vary enormously from north to south: a plot in West Sussex will set you back more than three times the price of one in Northumberland, for example. You will also need to cover other costs such as building insurance, legal and other fees, as well as the minor problem of where you and your possessions stay while the project goes ahead. Even so, self build projects usually work out much cheaper than buying a ‘ready made’ house.

Self Assembly These prefabricated houses from Germany are designed to specification and then arrive in kit form, ready to be put together by the firm’s construction team.

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feature : BUILDING A HOME

Making It Happen At this stage you need to secure detailed planning permission for the exact house you want to build, so this is where you start fine tuning your plans with a professional designer. If you’re not already working with a package company, the usual route is to employ an architect (who can also help you with planning, building regulations and project management) and then a contractor to do the building work.

Whichever you choose, this is the time to work out with them exactly what you want. How are you going to use the space? Perhaps you’d like a lift (or space to put one in later), corridors and doorways wide enough for a wheelchair, or even ramps instead of stairs? You can also think about environmental issues and energy efficiency. You might, for instance, want tanks below the ground that collect rainwater for irrigating the garden or even go completely ‘zero carbon’.

You also need to think about the material for building the house. If you’re adventurous you could opt for insulated panels (fast to build and airtight), insulated concrete framework (little skilled labour needed, very insulated but difficult to adapt) or even straw bales (fast, cheap, insulated and surprisingly low fire risk). Whatever you choose, your design has to conform to Building Regulations, a set of standards for all new buildings.

All that’s left is to build it! If you’re using a package they’ll do that for you. Otherwise you’ll need either to employ a main contractor (who then employs the individual builders, electrician, plumber, plasterer and so on) or employ the different tradesmen yourself (cheaper but much more time consuming). Either way, you must draw up a watertight contract. Your council’s building control officer will come and inspect the build at various stages to ensure all is going to plan and issue a completion certificate once it’s finished.

While the building work is going on you may want to project manage the work: organising supplies, drawing up schedules, managing the workforce and keeping the site ticking over.

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New Home for Empty Nesters The Warwickshire based Trewens downsized by building a new home in their quarter acre garden.

After gaining outline planning permission, the Trewens picked their favourite designs from package company Welsh Oak Frame’s portfolio, and created a three bedroom cottage. The traditional outside is clad in Cotswold stone with timber already weathered to fit in with its surroundings, while the inside is very different from 17th century cottages because it is light and airy.

Alternatively you can employ a professional project manager, pay your architect to manage your build or leave it in the hands of the main contractor or package house supplier. At the very least, your time will be filled designing the kitchen, choosing tiles, last minute changes and (almost certainly) pacifying the neighbours too.

Once the build is complete, before you move in, there are just a few practicalities to consider. You’ll need to gather various certificates (for electrical safety, air tightness, energy rating and of course the completion certificate from building control). Once you’ve dragged the builders back to put right any last minute problems, you’re ready to move in and begin the first day of the rest of your life.

It’ll almost certainly take longer than you originally thought (and have many extra twists and turns along the way) but the result is a home that has something very special about it: it truly is your own.

Useful Websites www.selfbuild.co.uk www.plotbrowser.com www.homebuilding.co.uk www.selfbuildportal.org.uk www.buildstore.co.uk/findingland/ www.potton.co.uk www.welshoakframe.com www.huf-haus.com

talk to us

Did you build your own home?

Or do you have plans to do so in the future? Do write and tell us. Photos would be an added bonus if you have them.

feature : FORUMS

Forums For All In previous issues, we’ve talked about different ways of getting online but what about getting to know other people via the internet? An online forum could be just what you’re looking for

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s winter draws in, the cold and dark (and often the rain, sleet or snow) make it even harder than ever to head outside and keep up with friends and family. We all tend to huddle indoors where it’s comfortable but often a bit lonely. On the other hand, if you have a computer, tablet or even a smartphone (though most people prefer to use a device with a larger screen if at all possible) you have a wealth of social opportunities to hand in the form of online forums.

At a first glance, forums can be a bit off putting: you have to sign in, give yourself a name and plunge into a ‘thread’ (or online conversation), sometimes complete with its own jargon and acronyms. However, take

a little time to have a closer look. For information, social life or hobbies and interests, online forums offer a terrific way of combatting loneliness and keeping your interests in the world outside going without having to leave your home.

Name Your Forum By now, there are forums for chatting about just about anything you can think of. Some of them are attached to existing membership organisations as a place where members can swap ideas, views and expertise; some are set up specifically as online forums whilst others are attached to newspapers or magazines. That’s enormously useful because it makes it possible to keep in touch and make friends: and on

top of that, to find out more about things that have always interested you. Always been a keen camper and caravanner? Finished reading the newspaper and want to have your say on current affairs? Health issues that you’d like to discuss? Fancy trying a reading group but don’t like the options on offer locally? These are all online possibilities and most of them are free. What’s more, if you try it and don’t fancy it, there is no obligation to continue. There are plenty of other forums out there to try.

Cari Rosen edits the Gransnet forum (www.gransnet.com), which despite its name isn’t purely for grandparents.

“Our forum appeals to a huge range of people aged mostly between 40 and 90,” she says. “Some are hugely technically able; others are completely new to the internet. Men are more than welcome too, of course. The nice thing about the site is that once you’ve mastered the basics there’s a whole world out there of support, advice, friendship and a lot of fun. As you’d expect, just like in real life, there is a huge range of views and some

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A Few to Inspire From crime fiction reading groups to wildlife watching, we’ve picked out a few forums that might interest you; and if they don’t, there are plenty more to choose from! www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree www.crimefest.com/groups.html www.patient.co.uk/forums/ www.rspb.org.uk/community/ wildlife/f/default.aspx http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/

heated debates. On the other hand one of my favourite things is that when someone needs advice or support, the wealth of experience and help is staggering. Some of the most heart warming, incredible threads have been on topics like bereavement, health worries and family problems. We’ve all lived a lot on Gransnet and have a lot to offer. Everything that you might find in a normal conversation, you’ll also find online.”

At the same time, cyberspace and cyberfriends aren’t always straightforward. It can be deceptively easy to get embroiled in friendships or arguments online. The solution is simple: just walk away for a while to get some perspective back.

Remember that people (including you) are not necessarily the same online as they are in real life. Most longstanding forums have at least one story of someone who turned out to be very different from their online persona; ‘trolling’, or goading people for the sake of stirring up a row, is a well known phenomenon. However, there’s also a positive flipside to this.

In cyberspace, everyone is equal;

Safety First Always remember that the internet is open to all (including people who never post but just read the threads). Don’t give away any personal details, and certainly don’t give your email address, real address or financial information.

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and while the written word can make it easier for some people to be quite blunt (or even rude!) it also it means others take the time to give a considered response and be helpful.

What’s more, as Rosen points out, the fact that people can post at any time has a distinct advantage too. “There’s someone out there 24/7. If it’s late in the evening and you want someone to chat to, there’s no problem. We have members all over the world and it is a very diverse and wise group with lots of different life experience.”

Getting Going So how do you delve into this online world? In terms of equipment you need a computer of some kind, and also an email address. After that, find a forum!

If there isn’t one that immediately appeals, do a ‘search’ using Google or a similar site. Look for websites about the topic you’re interested in, as well as a ‘forum’, as many sites have a forum area too.

Most forums are open to let you take a look, so spend as much time as you like having a look around and see what others have posted. Do you think you’d be interested? Does it seem welcoming? Remember, you can always dip in and out but on the other hand there’s no point in wasting your time if it’s clear this isn’t for you.

If and when you do decide to plunge in you’ll need to sign up before you can ‘post’ your own messages. You’ll usually need to give your email address and then create a user name and a password. Don’t use your real name for your user name! Even if you can’t find anything funny or creative, choose something that won’t let other people know who you are.

After that, most forums send a welcome email, possibly with further instructions and then you can log on and start posting! Most forums are very user friendly these days, because they’ve been set up by technical experts who want as many people as possible to feel at home on them. When there is something you’d like to say on a ‘thread’ just write it in the box that’s shown for new ‘posts’ and then click it.

If you’ve got a burning question to ask you can even start your own thread, usually by clicking on a button that says ‘new topic’ or ‘start a thread’. Go as slowly as you like, though. Remember, nobody’s watching.

All Welcome “Ours is a generation that hasn’t grown up online, so we’re coming at it from a different angle from people who have grown up on social media,” Rosen concludes. “Many are entering a forum for the first time but that doesn’t mean it’s any less rewarding.

In fact it often has more to offer, especially for people who are quite isolated. You can do anything you like on the internet. It doesn’t require money or fitness. That is amazing.”

talk to us Do let us know which forums you’ve found useful and which are your favourites.

feature : ART OF WAR

The Art of War We have all learned something about the First World War through poems, novels, films and television programmes.

In the final article in our series, David Porteous examines how art, music and literature have interpreted the conflict

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t was called ‘the war to end wars’ and in the immediate aftermath nobody could imagine anything on the scale of the First World War ever happening again. Inevitably, the experience of the war became the subject matter for artists of all kinds in the ensuing decades. The works they produced have shaped the way successive generations have regarded the First World War.

The Shadows of Trench Warfare Wilfred Owen, one of Britain’s greatest poets of WWI, was killed seven days before the Armistice on 11 November

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1918. His poems, not published until after his death, conveyed the horrors of industrial warfare to a public that had been shielded from the reality of the conflict by wartime censorship. Dulce et Decorum Est, his best known work, gives a vivid description of the deadly effects of a gas attack in the trenches. It is taught in schools to this day.

Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, another famous soldier poet, raged against the human cost of the war and how it was conducted as they continued to fight.

Sassoon was nicknamed Mad Jack by his men for leading daring attacks.

Nevertheless, their verse and that of other disillusioned poets contributed to

the postwar view that the war had been a terrible waste of life and a catastrophe for Britain and all of Europe.

Artists and composers also sought to express their memories of the war.

Enduring painted images include Paul Nash’s Menin Road (1919), which evokes the desolation of a landscape ravaged by war, along with John Singer Sargent’s Gassed (1919), a moving depiction of soldiers blinded in a mustard gas attack.

Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who served in France as a stretcher bearer and ambulance driver, had his Pastoral Symphony first performed

LEFT: Paul Nash’s Menin Road (1919). BELOW: John Singer Sargent’s Gassed (1919)

in London in 1922; it is an elegy to his fallen comrades.

Perhaps the finest novel to emerge in the postwar period was Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, published in 1929. Written from a German veteran’s perspective, it became an international bestseller and later an Oscar winning film because it articulated how the suffering of the ordinary soldier was the same on both sides. The Nazis, however, publicly burned the book because of its pacifist message and forced Remarque into exile.

Another classic work, also published in 1929, was Goodbye to All That by poet Robert Graves. Part memoir and part

fiction, it is a damning account of his service with the Royal Welch Fusiliers and of the tragedies and absurdities of the fighting. These and other books, notably Ernest Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms (again, published in 1929) and Vera Brittain’s memoir Testament of Youth (published in 1933), fuelled a widespread opposition to war overall. However, during the 1930s the Spanish Civil War and then another world war moved centre stage.

One War Later Even after the Second World War, veterans of the previous one were still attempting to come to terms with their

experiences through art. The English sculptor Henry Moore outwardly made light of the hardships he had endured at the front (he fought at Cambrai in 1917 and was badly wounded) but abstract bronze sculptures such as Warrior with Shield (1952) show twisted or severed limbs and heads split almost in two recurring again and again.

Other artists picked up the disillusioned sentiments that had first been voiced in the immediate aftermath of WWI: not necessarily against all war but definitely regarding the First World War as a case of ‘lions led by donkeys’. The expression referred to brave common soldiers sent to their deaths in their thousands by incompetent generals safely ensconced in chateaux miles from the line. It was made popular by Alan Clark’s controversial study The Donkeys, which was published in 1961 and reinforced perceptions of the conflict by the eminent military historian Basil Liddell Hart and former Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

This view of the war was perpetuated by the musical satire

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feature : ART OF WAR

Every Man Remembered

Today’s Generation Remembers The stories of the First World War were not over, though. During the 1980s and 1990s, a new wave of writers and historians renewed the nation’s interest. One reason for this resurgence was the growing realisation that the last surviving men and women who served between 1914 and 1918 would soon all be gone. A mini boom in WWI literature saw the publication of bestsellers such as Michael Morpurgo’s novel for younger readers, War Horse (first published in1982 and now a hugely successful West End hit), Pat Barker’s Regeneration (published in 1991) and its award winning successor, Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong (published in 1993).

Alongside these, the arguments continued over whether the war should or should not have been fought in the first place. The contention that whole battalions of British soldiers were needlessly slaughtered by inept commanders has persisted. In the popular TV comedy Blackadder Goes Forth, first shown in 1989, General Haig is seen playfully knocking over model soldiers on a mocked up battlefield and sweeping them up with a brush

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and pan. In the final scene of the final episode, Blackadder and his men follow orders and mount a suicidal charge into a hail of machine gun fire. They were scenes that owed a huge amount to the savage surrealism of Oh! What a Lovely War. Countering this, a growing band of historians argued that the conflict, although a great tragedy in terms of losses, was unavoidable and far from futile; and that Haig had also masterminded a sweeping victory over the Germans in 1918.

The Stories Carry On Today, writers and artists continue to explore the emotions and effects of the war. Whatever their perspectives, both sides of the debate at least agree that its centenary should be observed.

As part of a national four year £125 million programme of commemoration, every secondary school in the country

will send a delegation of its pupils to the battlefields on the Western Front.

In addition, the play and the Steven Spielberg film based on War Horse are introducing younger audiences to this chapter in our history, while the British Legion’s poppy seed campaign (which aims to cover the UK’s gardens with poppies during the centenary period) is supplying free poppy seeds to all schools in the UK. Private Harry Patch, wounded at Passchendaele and the very last surviving British solider to have ‘gone over the top’, died in 2009 aged 111.

His courage and sacrifice, and that of the millions like him, are being remembered by a new generation, ensuring the Great War remains part of our collective consciousness.

The cast of War Horse at the New London Theatre

photo: Brinkhoff Mögenburg

Oh! What a Lovely War, originally a play staged by Joan Littlewood in 1963 and then a film made in 1969. Both antiwar and political, it contrasts the plight of the working class serving in the trenches with the comfortable lives of the aristocracy back in Blighty.

By the 1970s, the momentum had subsided. On the one hand WWI had become a standard topic in both the English and the History secondary school curriculum. On the other, children’s imaginations were more fired up by the comics, TV dramas and films about the Second World War that dominated the mass media.

Their parents remembered the Blitz, evacuation and rationing rather than the trenches and they grew up on stories about the Battle of Britain rather than the Battle of the Somme. In their games, Hitler not the Kaiser was the enemy.

A total of 1,117,077 service personnel from what was then the British Empire died in the First World War. Some are still remembered; others have long been forgotten.

The Royal British Legion, working in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, would like to see each and every one of these men and women individually commemorated throughout the WWI centenary years. Every Man Remembered is an online database and website listing all their names. The campaign aims to inspire the public to visit www.everymanremembered.org and either commemorate someone whose name they already know or find someone who has nobody to commemorate them.

feature : CHOIR

Sweet singing in the choir Sing your way into 2015

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rom carol services to pop hits, Christmas is a time for songs of all kinds. This year, why not join in? Indeed, if you enjoy it, why not think about joining a choir?

According to the charity Making Music, there are now more than 25,000 choirs in the UK because choral singing has become popular with people of all musical tastes and abilities.

Mind and Body Benefits Singing brings a whole host of benefits, some more unexpected than others.

What’s more, those benefits seem to be particularly strong for older people.

To start with, it is a very sociable activity but one where people don’t have to think about small talk or finding subjects for conversation.

Everyone’s there for the same purpose, so you’ve automatically got something in common. On top of that you’re all

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using your voices already, so it’s a great opportunity for shy people to get out without feeling socially uncomfortable.

It’s also surprisingly good for us physically. Singing exercises all the major muscle groups in the upper body, giving the heart and lungs a great workout. Because singers are taking great deep breaths, they’re getting oxygen into their bodies and brains, leaving them feeling more alert as well as more relaxed. Researchers have even found that singing is particularly good for respiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis.

“Singing’s a very holistic activity,” explains Stephen Clift, Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health at Canterbury Christ Church University. “It involves the body and the mind together. It’s intellectually challenging because we have to think, to be mindful of what we

are doing and coordinate with other people. Emotionally, there is everything from silly humour to being intensely moved. Physically, the body is the instrument; everything from breathing to posture is involved.”

He adds: “Finally there is the social side; the people we meet, the conversations that start and the friendships that come from it. I think there are very few activities that appeal in the same way, bringing so many different elements together in a way that’s both manageable and also very enjoyable.”

Choirs For Everyone If you’re a total newcomer to the whole choir experience, one great place to start is with community choirs or ‘learn to sing’ choirs. These are usually fairly informal groups that welcome new singers who aren’t feeling confident

From ACAS to Exeter Cathedral Composer and conductor John Merrick tells us about his ‘day job’ and his musical career Music is playing in my head all the time. Yet it has always been what I do for love, not money. I had a ‘day job’ that wasn’t musical at all, having made a conscious decision to be a musician in my spare time; but my work as a civil servant has also been extremely important and rewarding.

By my mid teens I was very much a musician and I read music at university. After that, though, after five years as a class music teacher (which wasn’t my most successful hour, although one of my choral compositions was performed in Exeter Cathedral), I found myself

and would like to find out whether they really can sing (the answer’s almost always yes!).

“You don’t have to be able to read music and we don’t audition,” explains Francesca Rose, who helps run her local community choir. “I love being able to give people the ‘lift’ that only comes from singing. I’m sure I can actually see the ‘feel good’ endorphins kicking in.”

If you prefer a more traditional style of choir, pretty well all towns and cities have at least one choral society, although you do often have to know how to read music or be prepared to pick it up fairly quickly. Most choral societies sing a mixed repertoire of music, from madrigals to modern.

Alternatively, the boom in the popularity of singing means that there are masses of smaller groups dedicated to singing arrangements of music

joining the civil service.

Initially, I had a series of different jobs focused on employment and training. In 1992 I moved to ACAS, where I worked for the last 17 years of my civil service career. This was the best job I ever had. I was helping people avoid having to go through an employment tribunal and enabling them to get on with their life. ACAS was a very, very good organisation to work for, full of

Singing is such a very personal thing that comes from right inside you

of all kinds. You might come across a chamber choir that sings gospel or a community choir that’s giving madrigals a go. There are other choices too, from barbershop groups (for both sexes) to traditional folk singing groups.

Giving It Gusto “I’ve sung in a wide number of choirs, singing all kinds of music, and I enjoy them all,” says Clift. “The singing you do with one group might not suit you with another. Having said that, it’s wonderful to be able to let yourself go and sing with gusto.”

Whether it’s going along to the local church carol service, signing up for a ‘learn to sing’ group, trying out for a big choral society or experimenting with one of the more off the wall ensembles, singing with others has a huge amount to offer. Why not give it a go and see if it works for you?

people who were really committed to what they did. I feel very rewarded to have worked there, which I did right through to retirement.

Much of the music I’ve been involved with has been choral.

Singing is such a very personal thing, a physical activity that seems to come from right inside you. I’ve done a lot more singing in choirs and conducting them myself in recent years. In 1990 I formed a choir where we live now, just outside Gloucester.

I then sang for nearly four years in the Gloucester Cathedral choir. My main conducting now is with the Gloucester U3A choir, having been ‘nabbed’ for this when I retired!

Inevitably, that means I’ve also composed more choral music.

My hope here is to try to help the members of the choir to produce the best sound that they can, whatever their level of ability. In my experience, if you possess skills, musical or otherwise, it’s really rewarding to use these to help other people to get something more out of life and share the experience you’ve enjoyed yourself.

talk to us Do you sing?

What sort of music do you sing and would you recommend it? Tell us your stories.

If you’re looking for a local choir, there are useful lists at: Making Music, www.makingmusic.org.uk or 020 7422 8280 British Choirs on the net (internet only), www.choirs.org.uk Rock Choir, www.rockchoir.com or 01252 714 276 National Association of Choirs (internet only), www.nationalassociationofchoirs.org.uk

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feature : BIBA

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Look Back In Andréa Childs talks to Barbara Hulanicki, creator of the Biba label

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here must be a fair few readers who, back in the 1960s and 1970s, dreamed of spending their hard earned civil service salary on fashion from Biba.

Gorgeous dresses with high necks and skinny sleeves in shades of mulberry, orange and bitter chocolate; floppy brimmed hats and trendy trouser suits; feather boas and suede platform shoes.

The label, founded by Barbara Hulanicki and her husband Stephen Fitz-Simon (known as Fitz), flamed for a relatively brief time on the high streets of swinging London but its design influence reverberates to this day. Biba brought affordable fashion to the high street and became the first ‘lifestyle brand’.

“Fitz worked out that a girl moved to London and had £9 per week,” remembers Hulanicki. “She spent £3 on her bedsit, £3 in Biba and she didn’t eat! Travel was cheap, so we had girls from the provinces, or even France and Italy, coming to London to shop with us on a Saturday.”

This heady time is recalled in a new book, The Biba Years 1963-1975 (V&A Publishing, £35), written by Hulanicki and fashion historian Martin Pel. Yet the story is far from over.

Now aged 78, with her trademark blonde bob and black sunglasses in place, Hulanicki is still in demand as a fashion doyenne, photographer, interior designer and illustrator.

“I haven’t kept anything from my years at Biba; only photographs. So it’s been scary seeing the book and horrifying to put my legacy out there,” Hulanicki says

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feature : BIBA

with a rueful laugh. “You have to be so careful what you do when you’re young because 50 years later, it comes out. I thought my secrets would be safe but they’re all here!”

Hulanicki was born in Warsaw but lived with her family in Palestine, where her diplomat father worked as a mediator between Arabs and Jews. When he was assassinated in 1948, 13 year old Barbara and her family fled to England and lived with Hulanicki’s aunt in Brighton. Hulanicki studied fashion illustration at Brighton Art College then, in her own words, “ran off” to London, where she found work as an illustrator for The Times and Vogue.

“Brighton was a very quiet seaside town then; very frumpy. It wasn’t young and exciting as it is now. I couldn’t wait to escape,” she admits.

She was running away from a restrictive family and 1950s attitudes.

“I don’t understand this whole nostalgia for the era with shows such as Mad Men. I hated it and escaped that,” Hulanicki says. “It was so important to me to get away from that awful life where women’s lives revolved around their husband’s.

The Biba girl was an independent spirit.”

Still, Hulanicki did marry at age 24.

“Everyone got married very early then; my mother said I was over the hill,” she laughs.

The label was created in 1961, when Hulanicki and Fitz set up the mail order

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business Biba’s Postal Boutique. Three years later, they opened their first London store and became an instant hit. “People were so fabulous then and they were so desperate for the clothes, they would get violent if you promised a shirt was coming in and it didn’t arrive,” Hulanicki remembers. “Everything was very hot and straight from the factory, in and out, in and out, so if a delivery didn’t arrive Fitz and I would scarper! It was so funny.”

The Biba look is instantly recognisable.

“It was inspired by the 1930s; everything I hated and rebelled against,” admits Hulanicki. “But I also loved Hollywood films and Audrey Hepburn. She was the first really modern figure in the movies; she came on screen in Sabrina and I just thought, ‘Wow’. She was my Biba pin up.”

The label was worn by young celebrities such as television presenter Cathy McGowan and singer Marianne Faithfull but the accessible prices also meant that anyone could buy into the look. Way ahead of its time, Biba sold everything from baby clothes to homeware.

“I just designed pieces I needed myself,” explains Hulanicki. “When the babies came, I made clothes for them. I even did baked beans because Fitz loved them. I visited rock stars’ homes and they were old fashioned and frumpy, so I began an interiors collection. Everyone bought from junkshops then. You could buy furniture for £1, so I created designs that worked with those junkshop finds.”

Biba’s pinnacle came in 1973, when the label moved to a six floor department store on Kensington High Street. The interior combined Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Hollywood glamour and Pop Art. There were flamingos on the roof terrace and live performances from Liberace. Yet just a year later, after wrangles with their business partners, Hulanicki and Fitz walked away from the label they had built together.

IMAGES: Barbara Hulanicki Design, Donald Silverstein

The Next Chapter Hulanicki and Fitz moved to Brazil for a fresh start but it wasn’t easy. “It felt horrible, like I was losing my identity,” Hulanicki recalls. “I’d taken all the fabrics and paper patterns from Biba with me and they were piled up in the kitchen of the house we rented.

Fitz said, ‘You have to get rid of it all; it’s holding you back’. So we hired a truck and took it down to a favela to dump it.

In a shanty house, there are probably still curtains made from Biba fabric somewhere.”

In 1980, Hulanicki opened a series of boutiques in London under her own name, but it was in 1987 that the next chapter in her career really started. After designing a house in Miami for Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, she created interiors RIGHT: for a series of clubs and Barbara restaurants in the city. It Hulanicki

was a heady time, with stars including Madonna and Prince checking out the Miami scene. Then, in 1990, she met Island Records owner Chis Blackwell.

“I didn’t do any research; it’s better to use your imagination when you’re trying to design. Six years later I went to the island with Chris and said, ‘Oh, I got it right!’”

In 2009, Hulanicki went back to her high street roots, designing a bestselling collection for the Topshop chain. Today, as well as creating wallpaper designs for Graham & Brown and a range for Asda, she has just launched a collection of beautifully crafted leather handbags with the accessory designer Liz Cox. “All the bags are made here in the UK,” she says. “In the 1960s and 1970s we produced all of the clothes at Biba in London and Leicester. I feel when things are made on home ground it really gives the product soul.”

Two years ago Hulanicki was awarded an OBE for services to the fashion industry. “I got a very fancy letter and went to Buckingham Palace to receive the award from Prince Charles,” she says. “It was such fun and, after being knocked for so many years, I felt that I’d finally been recognised.”

With such recognition late in her career, it’s no surprise that Hulanicki has no plans for retirement. “I’m not going to stop working until they kick me out!”

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entertainment

Our regular mix of books, culture and entertainment A Man Most Driven: Captain John Smith, Pocahontas and the Founding of America Peter Firstbrook (Oneworld Publications, out 6 November)

The story of Pocahontas and how she saved John Smith has become the stuff of fairy tale. We also know that without Smith’s leadership, the Jamestown colony in the New World would surely have failed. Yet Smith was a far more ambitious explorer and soldier of fortune than these tales suggest.

He was never knighted, his story was rarely in the history books, his own writings were often distrusted by historians and he was considered by his contemporaries to be a country upstart.

In the first new major biography on Smith in decades, award winning BBC filmmaker and author Peter Firstbrook traces the adventurer’s astonishing exploits across three continents.

The Zig Zag Girl

Elly Griffiths (Quercus, out 6 November) Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series already has a huge fan base among admirers of thoughtful, well crafted thrillers in which the characters are as important as the ‘mystery’. This new novel is set in Brighton in 1950 and its retro feel will appeal to new readers as well as old fans. When the body of a girl is found, cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick called ‘The Zig Zag Girl’. This was invented by an old friend of his, Max, who served with him in the war when they were in a shadowy unit called ‘The Magic Men’. Max is still on the variety theatre circuit and Edgar gets him on board; and then there’s another death.

Griffiths evokes the feel of the 1950s (boarding houses, the last gasp of variety theatre and a very different outlook on life from today) without falling into cliché or parody.

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books

Christmas Carols: From Village Green to Church Choir

Andrew Gant (Profile Books, out 27 November ) Along with mince pies and mulled wine, carols are guaranteed to put us in the Christmas spirit. Composer and choirmaster Andrew Gant tells the story of 20 carols, unravelling a captivating (and often surprising) tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherd boys, choirboys, monks and drunks. We delve into the history of such seasonal favourites as Good King Wenceslas, Away in a Manger and The 12 Days of Christmas. We also discover along the way how Hark, the Herald Angels Sing came to replace Hark, How all the Welkin Ring and how Ralph Vaughan Williams bolted the tune of an English folk song to a 19th century American poem for O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Ambrose Heath, illustrated by Eric Ravilious and introduced by Simon Hopkinson (Persephone Books, out now)

Persephone specialises in reprints of neglected fiction and nonfiction from the middle of the last century. This one, by journalist and cookery writer Ambrose Heath, contains 12 months of seasonal recipes prefaced by a kitchen garden section. It’s a treasure of its time, bridging the gap between Mrs Beeton and Elizabeth David; but it isn’t just a curiosity piece or a historical document.

Food writer Simon Hopkinson explains in his introduction that it also contains some very useful recipes (including the most authentic one for leeks à la Grecque that he’s ever come across) that are still useful today. Alongside that, there are the beautiful illustrations from engraver Eric Ravilious, whose work captured that particular sense of England between the wars.

A Most Desirable Marriage

Hilary Boyd (Quercus, out now)

Lawrence and Jo have enjoyed a strong marriage, the envy of their friends. However, Lawrence seems wary and restless. Something’s wrong.

Just how wrong, Jo is about to discover.

Hilary Boyd, who had unexpected success with her first novel Thursdays in the Park, again explores romantic relationships and family ties for people who have spent decades together.

Hilary’s also our ‘Last Word’ guest on page 62.

IMAGES: PICSELECT, IMAGE.NET, WARNER

The Country Life Cookery Book (1937)

film The Imitation Game

StudioCanal (released 14 November)

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, this film portrays the nail biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code breakers at Britain’s top secret Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. With Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Mark Strong.

Paddington

StudioCanal (released 28 November)

A young Peruvian bear meets the kindly Brown family, who read the label around his neck (‘Please look after this bear.

Thank you’) and offer him a temporary haven. With a star studded cast, including Hugh Bonneville, Colin Firth and Julie Walters, this children’s film will appeal to adults and children alike.

The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies

(Warner, released 12 December) In the latest (and for the time being the last) in the succession of Tolkien films directed by Peter Jackson, the Company of Thorin has reached Smaug’s lair. Can Bilbo and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure?

Into the Woods

(Disney, released 9 January) Into the Woods offers a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, in a musical format that follows the classic tales. With Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Frances de la Tour and Emily Blunt as well as lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

MANY OF THE NATIONAL CINEMA CHAINS OFFER SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE. CHECK YOUR LOCAL PRESS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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culture theatre To Kill a Mockingbird On tour

Following its highly successful run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, this production is now on tour. Based on the novel by Harper Lee and adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel.

3 November to 8 November: High Wycombe, Swan Theatre 17 November to 22 November: Cambridge Arts Theatre 25 November to 29 November: Birmingham, New Alexandra Theatre 12 January to 17 January 2015: Bath, Theatre Royal 20 January to 24 January 2015: Chichester, Festival Theatre 26 January to 31 January 2015: Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre 3 February to 7 February 2015: Glasgow, Theatre Royal

Antigone On tour

When Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone’s unruly brother, her anger quickly turns to defiance. Creon condemns her to be buried alive. Acclaimed playwright Roy Williams takes Sophocles’ play and, by placing it in a contemporary setting, brings this classic tale up to date.

4 November to 8 November: Watford, Palace Theatre 11 November to 15 November: Canterbury, Gulbenkian Theatre 18 November to 22 November: Winchester, Theatre Royal 26 November to 29 November: Exeter, Northcott Theatre

Our Town

Almeida Theatre, London, to 29 November

Award winning US actor and director David Cromer directs this intimate version of Wilder’s classic American play. This deceptively simple story exposes the stark truth of human existence as two people fall in love, marry and live out their lives. A small American town becomes an allegory for everyday life.

Accolade

St James Theatre, London, 12 November to 13 December

Private and public worlds collide when author Will Trenting’s knighthood attracts the glare of the British press in 1950s London. Will is forced to battle against the exposure of his secret life and the double standards of a society bent on destroying him.

For some great deals on theatre tickets, why not try the avanti theatre club. Call 020 7492 1566 or log into the members’ area of the CSRF website?

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William Blake: Apprentice & Master Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 4 December to 1 March 2015

Including more than 90 of his most celebrated works, Apprentice & Master examines the three key phases in the life and work of one of Britain’s most influential and original artists, William Blake (1757 to 1827). The exhibition looks at his formation as an artist and apprenticeship as an engraver; his maturity during the 1790s when he was at the height of his powers as both artist and revolutionary poet; and his final years, when he came to inspire and guide a younger generation of artists, including Samuel Palmer, George Richmond and Edward Calvert.

BELOW: Blake, The Accusers © British Museum

Constable: The Making of a Master V&A, to 11 January 2015

The V&A’s major Autumn exhibition reexamines the work of Britain’s best loved artist John Constable, looking at his sources, techniques and legacy and revealing the hidden stories behind the creation of some of his most well known paintings. It brings together more than 150 works of art, including oil sketches, drawings, watercolours and engravings, with such celebrated works as The Hay Wain, The Cornfield and Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows.

Transmitting Andy Warhol Tate Liverpool, 7 November to 8 February 2015

The Hay Wain, John Constable, 1821. Oil on canvas © The National Gallery, London 2014

Andy Warhol remains one of the most important and influential artists of the post war period and the central figure associated with pop art. This exhibition brings together more than 100 works, including the Marilyn Diptych, Dance Diagram and ‘Do It Yourself’ paintings, as well as works in other media, in order to explore Warhol’s experiments with mass produced imagery and his conviction that ‘art should be for everyone’.

Andy Warhol [no title] 1967 © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ ARS, NY and DACS, London 2009

Indian Encounters National Museum of Scotland, 14 November to 1 March 2015

The changing relationships between Great Britain and India during the 18th and 19th centuries is explored through the lives of two men with very different experiences of British imperial rule: Captain Archibald Swinton, a Scot who served in the East India Company, is contrasted with Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Punjab.

Alongside this, British artists the Singh Twins reflect on their personal view of Duleep Singh’s life and on their own Sikh heritage in Britain today in Casualty of War, completed in the miniature painting tradition.

The ‘Great Mogul’ hunting crane with hawks Photography by John McKenzie

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cooking

Sophia’s Corner Everyone needs something quick and warming in Winter

Christmas Hot Chocolate (for one) Give yourself a Christmassy treat with this indulgent hot chocolate recipe. If you don’t want to drink alcohol, orange peel also adds more than a little seasonality.

Tom Yum Soup (for two people) This classic Thai soup is said to have many health benefits, not least cutting through a cold with its zingy, aromatic flavours. It’s a light but comforting dish that makes the perfect contrast to traditional British Winter meals. I’ve substituted some of the Thai ingredients that can be tricky to find for ingredients that are available in any big supermarket. The original ingredients can be found below in brackets.

Ingredients

METHOD

10 raw king prawns 500ml chicken stock 2 slices of ginger (galangal) 1 small green chilli 1 lemongrass stalk Zest of 1 lime (2 torn lime leaves) Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon of brown sugar (palm sugar) 1 tablespoon of fish sauce Small handful of fresh coriander to serve

Prepare the ingredients by roughly cutting the lemongrass stalk and crushing it and zesting the lime (or tearing the lime leaves). Heat the stock on a low flame and add the prepared ingredients. Let it simmer for five minutes.

Add the prawns, ginger, lime juice, finely chopped chilli, brown sugar and fish sauce to the stock and cook on a medium flame until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through. Take the soup off the heat, taste it and adjust the seasoning with either the fish sauce or lime juice.

Serve it in two bowls and garnish with fresh coriander.

Simmer 250ml of milk on a low flame with a whole cinnamon stick. Add a level tablespoon of your favourite hot chocolate powder, increase to a medium heat and whisk until it is bubbling.

Add a shot (25ml) of your favourite spirit or liqueur. Brandy works particularly well. Alternatively, use long strips of orange zest (the outermost layer of the skin) peeled off with a vegetable peeler. Let the drink simmer on a reduced heat for a minute and then pour into a cup or mug.

Melt dark chocolate and set in an ice tray with a wooden stick for a hot choc ‘pop’ to stir into hot milk. A great Christmas gift!

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Thank you to Bob Scott

tea break It’s a wild life Many thanks to John Notman for sending in these garden wildlife photos in response to our request in the Summer avanti. These are part of an illustrated talk John does for clubs in the Salisbury area.

We want YOU for avanti!

Whether it’s your career highlights, your hobbies or your group activities, do let us know: either email us or write to Fellowship Office.

WORD SEARCH Find the theatrical terms that hidden in the grid from the list below

Anchor Arbour Areas Bar Blacks Cable Call Cans Cast CSI Cue DAT DBO Deck Designer Desk Dim Dry DSL DSR ERS Fade 42

WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

Flat Fly FoH FX Gate Gel Grip Handoff Iron Jack Jog Lamp Left Legs Leko Lime Lines LX Mask Mic Notes

OP Pace Perch Pit Plot Rake Reprise Rig Run Scrim Set Side Special Spike Strip lights Tabs Trap USL USR Way XLR

CODED WORD PUZZLE Hint – Number 13 is the letter ‘F’ 22

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Cracker Smile What happens if Santa gets stuck in a chimney?

He gets Claustrophobia.

What song do you sing at a snowman’s birthday party?

Freeze a jolly good fellow.

Why are Christmas trees so bad at sewing?

They always drop their needles.

We’d love to feature your unusual teapots. Please send or email your photos to Sophia Hill at Fellowship Office. For each one we use, a £25 high street gift voucher of your choice will be sent to you.

SUDOKU

Byte Chez Earl Flux Jowl Lack

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Slew Thug Abate Folio Piece Sweet

Tacit Yield Active Amazed Aurora Beadle

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Extreme Finicky Overjoy Upright Preclude Tabulate

Teammate Zoom lens Assemblage Ejaculator Inequality Unexampled

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Prize Crossword

In the Autumn issue’s Prize Crossword we wrongly printed the clue for 29 across. This should have read ‘The act of issuing a notice (9)’. Congratulations to winner Mr RE Goodyear from Basingstoke who negotiated this error and of course many apologies to all the readers who have been inconvenienced by this. Try your hand at this issue’s prize puzzle and you too could win £100 worth of M&S vouchers. Good luck!

Across 5 Style of disco music (6) 7 One storey property (8) 9 Adoption or advocacy (8) 10 Spanish dish (6) 11 Excessive worry about personal health (12) 13 ___ fly (6) 15 Calamitous (6) 18 Part of house that rises above the roof (7,5) 21 Black eye (slang) (6) 22 Female head of a jury (8) 23 Expression of intense feeling (8) 24 Counter (6)

Down 1 Climatic gunfight (5,3) 2 Eastern European beetroot recipe (6) 3 To fill with vigour (8) 4 It takes pictures (6) 6 Defoe or Eliot for example (8) 7 The property of (6) 8 Eye (4) 12 American postcode (8) 14 To move overseas (8) 16 A bovid mammal from Africa or Asia (8) 17 Contemptuous or disdainful (6) 18 Something that corrodes, corrupts or destroys (6) 19 River in South East Scotland (6) 20 Blacken (4)

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TO ENTER: Please send the completed crossword, along with your name, address and postcode to: PRIZE CROSSWORD, CSRF, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA. The judges’ decision is final. Winners will be notified by post. Closing date: 16 January 2015

NAME:

POSTCODE:

EMAIL:

TELEPHONE NUMBER: Please tick if you do not wish to receive our e-newsletter

WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

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letters

POSTbag Atishoo!

Dear Postbag, In the Autumn edition you asked for traditional cold and flu remedies. I write an ‘Over’t Garden Gate’ piece for our Church magazine and this is one such: “Mi dad’s speshul cure, blackcurrant tea wit’ addition of a drop o’ whisky!

Better than them there hantibiotics.”

“Ma wud get summat from t’village shop, lemon glycernine ‘n ‘oney or sum’ orrible red stuff, ‘hipekuhanna’ (ipecacuanha ).”

“Mi owd gran med an ‘ole in a swede an’ let juice drip out and then pur’in sum Demerara sugar.”

“Our gran swore bi butter’n’sugar, t’other ‘anded out butter, treacle ‘n’ vinegar: urgh!”

Your letters and stories Dickie Darling

“I mind wen ma ma gor’out t’owd dessert spoons i’ winter for us daily dose of cod liver oil ‘n’ malt.”

“Sum kids ‘ad flannel ‘n’ thermogene tied on’t chest an’ eucalyptus to inhale.”

All these were Lincolnshire or Yorkshire cures from my own and my friends’ families.

Mrs I. M. Duffy, Leeds

Ed’s letter: Fantastic remedies. Thank you so much for sending them in. Any readers fancy trying these out or is that a step too far?

Dear Postbag, I had the honour and privilege of meeting Sir Richard Attenborough several times when I was the Government representative on a body called the British Screen Advisory Council back in the early 1990s.

Whenever there was something on the agenda that had the potential to be particularly difficult, either David Puttnam or the Director of the National Film and Television School (NFTS) would bring Richard Attenborough along to make sure that the ‘correct’ decision was reached.

I have never, in all my time, seen anyone work a committee better.

Sheer genius.

He was a wonderfully charming man. He treated me, a relatively junior civil servant, in the same polite, attentive manner as the much more famous people around the table; and yes, when we met for the second time, I got a pat on the shoulder and he said: “Lovely to see you again, darling.”

He had, of course, forgotten my name.

Les Mondry-Flesch, by email

Telling Tales Dear Postbag, As a writer/poet myself, I found the article ‘Telling Tales’ (Autumn 2014) very interesting. However, the item ‘Disney’s Retellings’ caught my attention. I have been introducing children to the authentic, original

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period stories of a wide range of operas for more than half a century and over this time I have seen many ‘updated’ stage and DVD productions.

I feel children should see the original productions; and thankfully, the musical/audio side of the ‘operatic coin’ is still untampered with.

Peter Mahoney, Hayle, Cornwall

IMAGE: PICSELECT

Ed’s comment: Sir Richard Attenborough is indeed a great loss as an actor and director.

Tracing Stories Back Adventures With Others in Mind Dear Editor I was delighted to read the two articles in the Autumn edition of avanti about volunteering and going back to study. After ‘stepping from the roundabout’ of academia I worked in several countries for Oxfam, UNHCR, UNICEF, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and other organisations. I was well past retirement age when I last worked for VSO in Uganda. I would love to encourage other retirees to do the same because travel and helping others provides such an enriching experience. With cooperation from my two sons (working as humanitarians in Pakistan and Somalia) we wrote a free book to help others to take off on a new adventure. Each can be downloaded free from www.obooko. com or www.networklearning.org.

Professor Bryan Walker (formerly Her Majesty’s Inspector (UK) for Higher Education), by email

Dear Postbag After the death of my mother, I was going through a box of old papers when I came across a letter dated 20 July 1916 and originally sent to my grandmother by a Lieutenant O’Brien, my father’s platoon commander on the Somme. The first line read: ‘Dear Mrs Brooke, It gives me the greatest pleasure in the world to have to inform you that your son Private Brooke has been wounded’. He then goes on to say that this means he did not have to tell her that he was dead.

When I retired, spurred on by this intriguing letter, I decided to trace my father’s time in the Army during the Great War. I had various bits and pieces which had references to units of which he had been a member. At first sight, therefore, it would seem to be straightforward. I soon discovered that this was not to be so.

Ed’s note: Indeed, we’ve flagged up volunteering in our features on page 9 and page 14 as something that brings benefits to all. Thank you so much, Professor Walker. Are there any other adventurous volunteers who’ve worked for VSO? If you don’t have access to the internet we’ll be pleased to print a copy for you.

Ed’s note: Many congratulations on your historical detective work. It’s extraordinary to realise WWI’s far reaching legacy.

The Meditation Story Dear Postbag, I am writing in response to the request in the Autumn 2014 feature on meditation to let you know about our own experiences.

I retired on ill health grounds around 1996. By that time I had been taught several techniques at different points in time, including something very similar to mindfulness practice. All were practised once a week with a group. I did this for about eight years, starting around 1993 while still working.

Although there were some small short term temporary benefits, there was no

The first obstacle I encountered was when I found that when the Public Records Office in London was fire bombed during the Blitz, about half the service records of World War One had gone up in smoke.

Amongst them were those I was hoping to examine.

From then on, it became a matter of seeking any scrap of information relating to the 35th Division and the West Yorkshire Regiment and if possible, with particular reference to the 17th Battalion, The Yorkshire Bantams, whatever the source.

Finally, I set about compiling Dad’s military career, which covered most, if not all aspects of his military service. What happened when he was off duty, we shall never know.

Whilst doing this, a fascinating story started to emerge. This I decided to use as the basis of a novel I would write but drawing solidly on the service record. Where there were gaps in the narrative, I filled these by drawing on my experiences during the period of my National Service when with the West Yorkshire Regiment. The result was Bloodied But Unbowed, published by Fast-Print Publishing. It is also available as an ebook.

Norman A. Brooke, by email

health benefit. My illness recurred several times.

I learned Transcendental Meditation (TM) in 2001, and experienced significant health improvement within days. This went on to steady and gradual health improvement so that I was able to start a new part time freelance career. In parallel I experienced more and more quiet expansive feelings of happiness. I went on to learn the TM-sidhis (an advanced mental

technique) and have practised the techniques alongside approximately 2,000 other similarly trained people.

My daily TM practice is alone at home!

I was so pleased with my own case I now help create TM courses for people in my area.

Barbara Salmon, by email You can find out more about TM from the Maharishi Foundation, at http://uk.tm.org/home or on 01695 51213.

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letters As Time Goes By Dear Postbag, In the Summer edition of avanti, you asked for details of hobbies and interests among readers. I worked in the Department of Work and Pensions, formerly the Employment Service, and I’m a clock enthusiast. At home I’ve got around 20 chiming clocks. (Don’t phone me any time around midday; I might not hear you.) So when I started helping out my friend John with a woodwork project and he said he’d always fancied making a long case clock, I told him how it had always been my ambition to have a really nice one. The next project was born! I invested in a really good movement (mechanism) for the clock, not realising that this was a little daunting for John as it committed him to the cabinet work.

We started work in the August, planning and cutting the timber to

Back to school Dear Postbag, I was interested to read how Angela Gilder returned to study later in life.

It took me many years to complete my education.

At the age of 14 I had to leave school. My father was out of work himself and wanted me to start to earn some money. I loved school and enjoyed learning (still do) but I started work in various shops, factories and offices. I finally joined the civil service at the age of 50 but I was still learning on my own account, doing O levels and A levels. It was not until I was 60 that

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Audio avanti is free width. Then came the tricky bits, particularly the hood with complex mouldings that were a challenge to the amateur woodworker.

A final coat of stain, some sealer and several coats of wax polish finished the job off nicely. The final assembly, the setting of the movement and chimes and the fitting of the glass, was completed in March after the whole project was fitted together in its final position.

The final product keeps wonderful time, tells the phases of the moon and even turns the chimes off at night. It’s the best way to unwind, I have found!

Bob Wood (by email)

Ed’s note: Thank you so much for this, Bob. It’s always fascinating to see people engaged in such creative activity. Has anyone else their own story to tell?

I found time to enrol with the Open University and study for my degree.

However, six years of part time study later, I took my BA in history, so I proved my point at last.

Sheila Sidebottom, Greenford Dear Postbag, Like your correspondent in the Autumn edition, I went back to studying in retirement. I left school in 1952 aged 17 and went into the civil service. Nowadays I suppose I would have stayed another year and tried for university but there was no history of university in my family.

I took early retirement aged 58 in 1994 and immediately applied for an

If you are finding it difficult to read the magazine, then sign up to receive our FREE audio version, which includes all the main features, news and information that are contained in the printed version. It comes on a CD (kindly produced by Kent Association for the Blind) and is posted out to you just after publication of the print version.

talk to us We’ve received some great responses so far. Keep them coming! If you have a story or picture to share, write or send it to the Editor using the contact information at the front of the magazine. The Editor regrets it is not possible to enter into correspondence with individual readers. All submissions, unless otherwise indicated, will be considered for publication but unfortunately due to space constraints we are often unable to print the full version. In these cases, letters will be edited to fit within the allotted space.

Open University BA course, mostly history and English literature. This took six years. I then had a year off but the learning bug had got me and I started a three year German Diploma course with the OU. After that, being interested in Classics, I took a two year Classics diploma. I have therefore ended up with three university qualifications and a lot of letters after my name!

Don Reynolds, Leicester

Ed’s note: It’s been wonderful to read the stories of people who would have liked to continue with academic study and then achieved this later in life.

group news

GROUPFOCUS The latest news from around the branch and group network – main reporting by David Tickner

SWANSEA It’s been a few years since I last visited the group and I picked a ‘scorcher’ to take the 3 ½ hour train journey down there. Still Swansea in the sun is an uplifting experience and the warmth of the welcome I received inside St Marys Church was just as nice. It happened to be group Chair Sylvia Edgell’s birthday as well and despite her best efforts to keep it secret she was surprised with a card and some flowers. The visiting speaker delivered a superb talk on ‘Welsh Nicknames’ that left me mulling what my nickname might be on the journey home…”Tickers the group,” perhaps?

1: Sylvia Edgell (pictured centre with flowers) and members of the Swansea group; 2: Group members posing for David’s camera

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SUTTON One of our busiest groups in the network, Sutton runs a whole range of different activities that appeal to all tastes. These include the popular Freedom Pass days out, lunches, theatre excursions and in the case of my visit earlier this year, a superb speaker who delivered a very interesting talk on the history of Pears soap. The group has also been an enthusiastic supporter of the new Associate member category - Helen Vaughan (pictured here) was the first to sign up.

1: Associate member Helen Vaughan (standing) with other group members; 2: Group Chair Peter Hodson with member; 3 & 4: Members enjoying their June meeting

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Bognor Regis & Chichester Our newest group celebrated its first birthday in June and held its first Annual General Meeting in July which was well attended. The committee were all re-elected for a new term and members enjoyed some tasty refreshments and a terrific visiting speaker from Carers UK. Group & Branch Support Officer Belinda

Stalker from Fellowship Office was a guest at the meeting and made a presentation of a well-deserved Certificate of Merit to group Chair Heather Olive.

1: Group Chair Heather Olive pictured with other members of the committee; 2: Members of the group enjoying the meeting

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This very friendly group meets regularly in the Methodist Church Hall in the heart of Crosby (very close to the Blundellsands & Crosby stop on MerseyRail) where members get together for coffee and some informal entertainment each month. Visiting as a ‘guest speaker’ at the group’s October meeting it was a lovely opportunity to talk one-to-one with members about our plans for the Golden Jubilee year in 2015 and also identify ways that we might support a future expansion of group numbers.

1: Group leader Dorothy Ainsworth; 2: Group members at their October meeting

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Attleborough Members of the group had a busy summer with a group holiday to Morecambe, Bring and Buy sale (which raised £77 for our Golden Appeal), the Chairman’s annual Summer BBQ and a presentation made to two members in recognition of their 63rd Wedding anniversary. The group booked their

4 holiday using our Travel club and were delighted with the trip.

1: Group secretary Doreen Parker with a very famous Morecambe resident; 2 & 3: Group members enjoying the BBQ; 4: Group members pose for a team pic before getting on with their Bring and Buy Sale

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1 Amesbury The last time the railway ran into Amesbury was before it was unceremoniously ‘beeched’ as part of Dr Beeching’s railway cuts. So it made a refreshing change to drive to this group meeting which took me through the rolling countryside of Hampshire and Wiltshire. The group meets in the stately Antrobus House which was left to the town by the Antrobus family. Serving members in the south Wiltshire area, they run an active programme of social events and speakers and are always pleased to welcome new people along to their meetings. The Annual General Meeting went well and all those in attendance enjoyed a slap up afternoon tea after proceedings had finished.

1: Behind the scenes with the ‘tea ladies’; 2: Vice Chair Ken Moxham (right) with Joe Rooney (centre) 3: Group members enjoyed a light-hearted interlude from David

3

Norwich Doughty’s Hospital, a former alms-house that was founded in 1687 in the heart of Norwich provides a splendid meeting venue for the Norwich group who have a very active programme. Despite the atrocious weather the day of my visit (and it being a Monday morning!) there was a good turnout to listen to their guest speaker, Mr J Hurren, who gave an excellent and very entertaining talk about growing up as a school boy in Norfolk during World War II. Members of the Norwich group giving David a wave!

News in Brief

New Names The Waterloo (Merseyside) group has now changed its name to the Crosby group. Don’t forget that if you live in the Crosby, Bootle, Seaforth and Formby area of Merseyside (or even Southport) you would be most welcome at any meeting of the Crosby group. Full details of where and when the group meets can be found in the Planner section of this magazine that starts on page 54.

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Golden Groups

& A big thank you to Croydon, Dulwich and d hea ther Norwood, Tamar/Tavy, Lea in the Sutton groups for their donations hing roac app fast are last quarter. As we help can p grou r you r our Golden Yea ng us raise funds by putting on somethi by just or , sale buy & g brin a as as easy er flow or buying some buttercup badges e ctiv effe cards. These are simple and ter ways to fundraise and it doesn’t mat nts! cou ny pen ry eve how much you raise,

Here to help If your group would like advice or support on fundraising, recruitment or publicity then give David a call on 020 8691 7411 or email: groupsupport@csrf.org.uk

in pictures

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1. Thirty nine members of the Newbury group enjoyed their Annual Strawberry Tea party at St Francis de Sale Church parish hall on July 16.

2&3. Members of Sleaford & Ancaster group on a recent trip to Cleethorpes.

4. Members of the Princetown group enjoying their summer holiday to Edinburgh.

5. Members of Bognor Regis & Chichester at their annual cream tea in August.

4

6. Enfield group commemorated World War I at their meeting on 4 August 2014.

7. David & Jenny Askew and Derrick & Lily Coles ‘enjoying’ Princetown group’s bracing cruise on the River Exe in August.

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8. Sleaford Group celebrated Dennis Brett’s 90th Birthday at their September meeting.

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9. Members of the Princetown group enjoying a cream tea on the way home from an outing in September.

10. Arun group committee member Marjorie Underwood received two signed copies of a new book written by local Councillor Alan Gammon.

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11. Eira Northcott from Neath Port Talbot group received a Certificate of Merit in recognition of her service as group treasurer.

12. Group members joined a NHSRF West Glamorgan branch outing to Bristol Docks.

13. Members of the Bexhill-on-Sea group enjoyed an outing to the Lea Valley White Water rafting centre in September.

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GROUP PLANNER Our group network operates across the country and provides a mix of leisure, social and welfare activities for your benefit and enjoyment. So why not show your support by popping along and making some new friends?

SCOTLAND Dumfries and Kirkcudbright

John Walker, Chairman T: 01387 261889 E: j.walker215@btinternet.com We do not hold regular meetings but if you would like further details about coach trips please contact Doreen Beck on 01387 268824.

Coach Trips: All trips start and finish at Brooms Road Car Park, Dumfries. Everyone is welcome, including family and friends, as the more that go the lower the cost. Please book as early as possible by phoning Doreen Beck on 01387 268824 or the Chairman on 01387 261889.

10 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Queensberry Arms Hotel, Annan: 12 noon for 12.30pm

Edinburgh (Central)

Liz Beedie, Secretary T: 0131 229 7422 Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, First Floor, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL Third Tuesday of each month (October to April) at 2pm for speakers etc. We run walks throughout

Highland (Scotland)

Birkenhead & Wirral

First and third Wednesday of each month: coffee morning at 11am. Lunch Club on selected

First Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except January)

Mrs Pam Barnet T: 01463 790265 Macdougall Clansman Hotel, 103 Church Street, Inverness IV1 1ES Fridays throughout the summer

Rosneath

William Lauchlan, Secretary T 01436 842723 The Church Hall, St. Modan’s Parish Church, Rosneath Road, Rosneath, G84 0RQ First Monday of the month at 1.30pm

NORTHERN IRELAND & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Antrim

Brian Shields Chairperson T: 029 9443 2615 Crown Buildings, 20 Castle Street, Antrim BT41 4JE Second Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

Cynthia Morgan, Secretary T: 0151 678 6266 Victory Hall, 61 Salacre Lane, Upton, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 0TN

Bury

Gerald Beadling, Chairman T: 01706 633674 The Mosses Centre, Cecil Street, Bury, Lancashire BL9 0SB Each Wednesday at 2.15pm

Craigavon

George McConnell, Secretary T: 028 8676 4395 E: joannearcher1@hotmail.co.uk Portadown Library, 24-26 Church Street, Portadown, Craigavon BT62 3LQ First Tuesday of the month at 2.30pm

06 Jan 2015

AGM

Crewe

Miss Grace Harding, Chairman T: 01270 250677 Wells Green Methodist Church Hall, Brookland Avenue, Wistaston, Crewe CW2 8EJ First Tuesday of each month at 2pm

the year (jointly with Corstorphine Group) meeting at the Lakeland corner of George Street/Hanover Street at 1.30pm on the first Friday of each month. Organiser: Pat Sinclair (Tel: 0131 337 6389) 07 Dec 2014 Monthly Walk 16 Dec 2014 Third meeting of the season at Quaker Meeting House.

Christmas Social and ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’: a Christmas opera for the young at heart 20 Jan 2015 New Year/Burns Celebration Lunch at the Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street, 12.30pm (replaces the January monthly meeting) 17 Feb 2015 Monthly meeting: to be confirmed

Banbridge

Edinburgh (Corstorphine)

14 Jan 2015 Meal at Teddy’s Restaurant, Bangor 10 Feb 2015 Talk by Jim Davidson of Belfast Bakeries

Lisburn

Belfast

12 Jan 2015 AGM 09 Feb 2015 Talk by PSNI Crime Prevention Officer, Michael Green

Liz Beedie, Secretary T: 0131 229 7422 Martin Shields Hall, St Ninians Church, 144 St Johns Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh EH12 8AY Third Thursday of each month October - April at 10.30 to 12 noon (except December). We run

walks throughout the year (jointly with Central Group) meeting at the Lakeland corner of George Street/Hanover Street at 1.30pm on the first Friday of each month. Organiser: Pat Sinclair (0131 337 6389) 07 Dec 2014 Monthly Walk 15 Jan 2015 Coffee Morning at Martin Shields Hall 19 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning at Martin Shields Hall

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Adrian Howlett, Secretary T: 028 4062 7979 3rd Floor, Old Tech Building, Downshire Road, Banbridge BT32 3JY First Wednesday of each month at 2pm

03 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Sand Court Hotel, Newry (1pm) 07 Jan 2015 Talk on Flax 14 Jan 2015 Pantomime: Aladdin at the Grand Opera House Belfast 04 Feb 2015 Tai Chi

Bangor

Mrs Isabel McKnight, Secretary T: 028 9186 3410 E: IR3410@yahoo.co.uk Hamilton House Community Centre, Town Hall , The Castle, Bangor BT20 4BT Second and fourth Monday of the month at 2pm (except Bank Holidays)

02 Dec 2014 Christmas Party: members provide food but please contact Grace for further details (telephone number above) 06 Jan 2015 A Walk through Wistaston: Illustrated talk by John White 03 Feb 2015 Love Actually: Talk by Derek Poulson

Crosby

Dorothy Ainsworth, Treasurer T: 0151 222 2538 E: dorrain@blueyonder.co.uk Mersey Road Methodist Church, Mersey Road, Liverpool L23 3AE Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (except January)

Ann Allen, Secretary T: 028 9266 1943 Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn, County Antrim BT28 1XP Second Monday of each month at 2.30pm

Miss Wynne O’Neill, Secretary T: 028 9067 1157 Mcelhinney Room, The Pavillion, Stormont Estate, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3TA First Monday of each month at 2.30pm

01 Dec 2014 08 Dec 2014 05 Jan 2015 02 Feb 2015

Christmas Party Christmas Lunch The Crafty Lady: Talk The Gurkha Trust: Talk

Penrith

Richard Roscoe, Chairman T: 01697 472383 A local hostelry each quarter First Tuesday of the quarter (March, June and September) at 12.30pm for lunch and in December for a Christmas Lunch

Stockport/Grove Park

Yvonne Smith, Social Secretary T: 0161 427 5593 Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 3AB First Thursday of each month at 2.15pm

27 Nov 2014 Christmas Lunch at the Alma Lodge Hotel 04 Dec 2014 Illustrated talk by Peter Broadbent 08 Jan 2015 Quiz or Beetle Drive 05 Feb 2015 AGM and Video Show

NORTH EAST ENGLAND Blaydon

Mrs Catherine Thomas, Treasurer T: 0191 488 1385 Ridley Room, Blaydon Library, Wesley District Precinct, Blaydon, Tyne And Wear NE21 5BT Second Tuesday of the month at 10.30am

Boston Spa & Wetherby

Mrs Janet Walker, Records Secretary T: 01937 842216 Deepdale Community Centre, Deepdale Lane, Boston Spa, Wetherby LS23 6EW Second Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except January)

09 Dec 2014 Social Afternoon 13 Jan 2015 No meeting 10 Feb 2015 Antiques: Talk by Mrs P O’Melia

Bradford

Mr Norman Griffiths, Secretary T: 01274 586410 Centenary Court, 1 St Blaise Way, Bradford BD1 4YL Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except December)

16 Dec 2014 20 Jan 2015 17 Feb 2015

Christmas Dinner TBA TBA

Chester-Le-Street

Mrs Mary May, Chairman T: 0191 410 4106 St Mary & St Cuthbert Parish Centre, Church Chare, Chester-Le-Street, County Durham DH3 3QB First Monday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

01 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Halgarth Manor 05 Jan 2015 AGM

Horsforth, Rawdon & District

Mrs M J Taylor T: 0113 267 8110 Venue varies: we meet in local hostelries for lunch. Please contact Mrs Taylor for more details Last Tuesday in the month at 12.30pm

Hull

Brian Mitchell, Treasurer T: 01482 653973 Age Uk Healthy Living Centre, Porter Street, Hull HU1 2RH

Elsa Jackson, Chairman T: 0191 267 4728 Gateshead Legion Club, 142 Coatsworth Road, Gateshead NE8 4LL First Thursday of the month from 10am to 12 noon

Harrogate & Ripon

Margaret Terry, Secretary T: 01423 885297 The Wesley Centre (side entrance), Oxford Street, Harrogate HG1 1PP (please note change of venue) Third Thursday of each month at 2.15pm

18 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Ascot House, Kings Road, Harrogate (details from Secretary) 15 Jan 2015 Group AGM 19 Feb 2015 To be confirmed: contact the Secretary for details

Mrs Beryl Rennie, Assistant Secretary T: 01492 876238 Queen’s Hotel, The Promenade, Llandudno LL30 2LE First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am for coffee mornings. Details of lunches/walks are

announced at the previous coffee morning

Llanishen (Cardiff)

Third Tuesday of the month at 2.15pm

Miss Mary Corke, Secretary T: 029 2073 3427 Park End Presbyterian Church Hall, Rhyd-yPenau Road, Cardiff CF14 0NZ

Middlesbrough

02 Dec 2014 Christmas Meeting with Mince Pies etc

Lilian Lloyd, Secretary T: 01642 315439 St Mary’s Centre, 82-90 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RW Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except December)

25 Nov 2014 Christmas Party: Fun and games 30 Dec 2014 No meeting (venue closed) 27 Jan 2015 Bring & Buy and Betsy’s Quiz 24 Feb 2015 Tax Care: Talk by Peter Sowerby

Sunderland & Washington

Ivan Bell, Secretary T: 0191 549 4130 Robert Reed, Chairman T: 0191 584 8023 Age UK, Bradbury House, Stockton Road, Sunderland SR2 7AQ

First Monday of the month from 2pm to 3.30pm (except January)

Whitley Bay

Peter Harris MBE, Chairman T: 0191 447 4066 Age UK, Centre Park Avenue, Whitley Bay NE26 2TH Second Thursday of the month from 10.30am to 12 noon

First Tuesday of each month at 10am for 10.30am

Ludlow

Peter Waite, Liaison T: 01584 872639 E: peter.waite@dsl.pipex.com Local Public Houses at various venues in and around Ludlow Third Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm

Neath/Port Talbot

Mrs E Northcott, Chairman T: 01639 887851 Neath Working Men’s Club, Wind Street, Neath SA11 3HA Last Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except December)

26 Nov 2014 Swansea Ukulele Band 16 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Glynclydach, Neath 31 Dec 2014 No meeting 28 Jan 2015 AGM, Tea Party and Raffle 25 Feb 2015 To be arranged

Oswestry

Ruth Haile, Chairman T: 01691 650993 The Wynnstay Hotel, Church Street, Oswestry SY11 2SZ First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am

WALES AND WELSH BORDERS

02 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Wynnstay Hotel, Oswestry at 12 noon 06 Jan 2015 AGM followed by Lunch at Wynnstay Hotel, Oswestry at 12 noon 03 Feb 2015 Speaker TBA

Caerphilly

Swansea

12 Dec 2014

Christmas Lunch

Mr Gwion Lewis, Treasurer T: 029 2086 8643 E: robertgwion@talktalk.net No2 Meeting Room, Caerphilly New Library, The Twyn, Caerphilly CF83 1JL Second Monday of every month at 10.15am

Gateshead

Llandudno

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Meal 12 Jan 2015 TBA 09 Feb 2015 Talk by Sarah Rochira, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales

Church Stretton

John Brewer, Secretary T: 01694 722965 E: johnbrewer1@talktalk.net Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Road, Church Stretton SY6 6BL For meeting dates and times see below or contact the Secretary 09 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (details to be announced) 06 Jan 2015 Twelfth Night Lunch (details to be announced) 16 Jan 2015 Morning Coffee at Housmans (11am) 06 Feb 2015 TBA

Mrs Sylvia Edgell, Chairman/Secretary T: 01792 851125 E: sylviaedgell@btinternet.com The Vestry Hall, St Mary’s Church, Swansea SA1 3LP Last Friday of each month at 2pm (except December)

28 Nov 2014 Composers with Piano: Talk

by Clive Williams 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Sketty Hall, Sketty 30 Jan 2015 Group AGM and Social Time 27 Feb 2015 Handbell Ringing with Ken and Anita Morgan

Whitchurch (Cardiff)

Mary Minty, Secretary T: 029 2061 4445 Ararat Baptist Church, Plas Treoda, Whitchurch, Cardiff South Glamorgan CF14 1PT Second Wednesday of the month at 10am

02 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Whitchurch Golf Club 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Programme 14 Jan 2015 Bring & Buy 11 Feb 2015 AGM www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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Ynys Mon (Anglesey)

Eric Maynard, Chairman T: 01407 720146 Please contact the Chairman for venue details Second Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm for lunch

MIDDLE ENGLAND Amersham

Jim Campbell, Chairman T: 01494 722558 Community Centre, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 5AE First Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

03 Dec 2014: Rev Alan Kirkaldy (TBA)

Banbury

Ann Garton, Secretary T: 01295 750151 E: agarton@btinternet.com Hanwell Fields Community Centre, Rotary Way, Banbury OX16 1ER Second Tuesday of each month from 2.15pm to 4.15pm

09 Dec 2014 Christmas Cheer with Geoff Cooper on keyboard providing music and song.

Also Secret Santa, Christmas Raffle, Sherry and Mince Pies 18 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Wroxton House Hotel 13 Jan 2015 Social Afternoon, Eats, Competitions and Raffle 10 Feb 2015 Fire Safety in the Home

Bedford

First Wednesday of the month at 2pm

03 Dec 2014 Entertainment by ‘Still Seeking’. Bran Tub, Finger Buffet and Christmas Table 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Mentmore Golf Club and Lucky Draw Ticket 07 Jan 2015 The Secrets of Underground Britain. A film presentation of hidden history. Raffle and Book Table 04 Feb 2015 AGM, Bring & Buy, Raffle and Book Table and time to talk

Evesham

Eric Marsh, Group Liaison T: 01386 421460 Foyer of the Methodist Chapel, Bridge Street, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4SF Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am for tea/ coffee and a chat with friends.

Mr Maurice Whincup, Chairman T: 01476 572425 E: mewhincup@gmail.com The King’s Hotel, 130 North Parade, Grantham NG31 8AU First Wednesday every month from 10.30 am to 12 noon

Hucclecote

Mrs B Arnold, Secretary T: 01452 618069 Evangelical Church, Colwell Avenue, Hucclecote, Gloucester GL3 3LX

Patricia Waters, Secretary T: 01234 347443 The Bunyan Meeting, Mill Street, Bedford MK40 3EU

First Thursday of the month at 2pm

First Tuesday of every month at 10am

Kidderminster

02 Dec 2014 Coffee Morning and Christmas Grand Draw 05 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Bedford Swan 06 Jan 2015 Coffee Morning and Call My Bluff 03 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning and AGM

Birmingham

June Oakley, Chairman T: 01952 604922 Five Ways House, Islington Row, Five Ways, Edgbaston B15 1SL Third Wednesday of each month at 11am

Coalville & Ashby

Terry Watson Chairman T: 01530 835373 Thringstone Community Centre, The Green, Thringstone, Coalville LE67 8NR Third Wednesday each month from 2pm to 4pm

Coventry

Mrs J Turner, Chairman T: 024 76 465382 Room 2, Gilbert Richard Centre, Broadway, Earsldon, Coventry CV5 6NT Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except November and December)

Donnington

Betty Pugh, Chairman T: 01952 811355 Turreff Hall, Turreff Avenue, Donnington TF2 8HG Every Monday at 1pm (except Bank Holidays)

Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard

Mrs Janet Bliss, Secretary T: 01582 661795 E: j.bliss35@btinternet.com Scout HQ, Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard LU7 4SW

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Christmas Tea Party

Pam Hussey, Local Contact T: 01562 755632 Various venues in and around Kidderminster Third Wednesday of each month at 11am (except when lunching out)

17 Dec 2014 21 Jan 2015 18 Feb 2015

Christmas Lunch at The Fox No meeting No meeting

Lincoln City

Jannette Hook, Secretary T: 01522 803412 Mothers’ Union Centre, St Benedict’s Church, St Benedict’s Square, Lincoln LN5 7AR First Wednesday of the month at 10.30am

26 Nov 2014

Christmas Lunch

Second Wednesday of each month from 10.15 am to 12.15pm

Nuneaton

Rachel Homer, Secretary T: 024 76 385845 E: rachel.homer@tesco.net The Sycamore Tree, 2 Chapel Street, Nuneaton CV11 5QH First Tuesday of each month at 11am for coffee mornings

Rutland

Mrs Peggy Brown, Chairman T: 01780 480314 Various locations for pub lunches in and around Rutland Third Wednesday of each month

Eileen Devereux, Chairman T: 01462 814765 Community Hall, Ampthill Road, Shefford SG17 5BD Third Tuesday of the month from 10 am to 12 noon (except December: 12 noon to 2pm)

16 Dec 2014 Shared Plate Christmas Lunch (12 noon to 2pm) 20 Jan 2015 Speaker 17 Feb 2015 AGM

Skegness

Ray Morris, Secretary T: 01754 762060 E: ray@bermond.co.uk Philip Grove Community Rooms, Church Road, South Skegness PE25 2HW First Thursday of each month from 10am to 12 noon

Sleaford & Ancaster

Mike Smith, Chairman T: 01526 833273 E: mjs_consultation@hotmail.com Sleaford: First Thursday of the month at 10.15am, Bristol Bowls Club, Boston Road, Sleaford NG34 7HH Ancaster: Second Wednesday of the month at 10.15am, Angel Court, Ancaster Grantham NG32 3PR

04 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at the Barge & Bottle, Sleaford

Solihull

Louth

Mrs Margaret Bradley, Secretary T: 01472 388928 Elizabeth Court, Church Street, Louth LN11 9BP Second and fourth Thursday of the month at 10.30am

Luton

John Barrett, Secretary T: 01582 519886 E: barrettjb@ntlworld.com The Chaul End Centre, 515 Dunstable Road Luton LU4 8QN First Monday of every month at 2pm (except Bank Holidays)

01 Dec 2014 05 Jan 2015 02 Feb 2015

Pam Bradley, Chair T: 0115 938 4676 The Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham NG1 4EZ

Shefford

Grantham

04 Dec 2014

Nottingham

Christmas Party No meeting AGM

Melton Mowbray

Mr M Johnson, Chairman T: 01664 566821 School Room, United Reform Church, Chapel Street, Melton Mowbray LE13 1LZ First Tuesday of each month at 1.45pm

Margaret Smith, Secretary T: 0121 744 6150 E: me.smith@talktalk.net Assembly Rooms, Poplar Road, Solihull B91 3AD Second Monday of each month at 10am

Stamford

Mrs B Smith, Chairman/Secretary T: 01780 755437 Tenter Court, Wharf Road, Stamford PE9 2EZ Last Thursday of the month at 2.15pm

Stevenage & Baldock

Helen Leisk, Secretary T: 01438 355131 E: helen.leisk@firenet.uk.net United Reformed Church, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage SG1 1UL First Thursday of every month at 2pm

04 Dec 2014 Live Music Concert by Trevor and Gillian Hughes 08 Jan 2015 New Year Party: must be prebooked (please note this is the second Thursday) 05 Feb 2015 AGM

Wigston

Mrs J Collins, Vice Chairman T: 0116 288 7802 The Elms Social & Ex-Service Club (formerly The Royal British Legion), Launceston Road, Wigston LE18 2BA Second and fourth Monday of each month from 1.30 to 4pm (Bank Holidays permitting).

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 12 Jan 2015 The Boys and Girls of WW1: Talk by Peter Cousins 26 Jan 2015 Lunch at Ullesthorpe Court 09 Feb 2015 History of LRI: Talk by Mrs Shirley Kendall 23 Feb 2015 Bring & Buy

Worcester

Leigh Watkins, Secretary T: 01905 774034 Perdiswell Young People’s Leisure Club, Droitwich Road (opposite Checketts Lane), Worcester WR3 7SN

Second Wednesday of the month at 1pm

10 Dec 2014

Christmas Lunch

EASTERN ENGLAND & EAST ANGLIA Attleborough

Mrs D Parker, Secretary T: 01953 456958 Methodist Church Hall, London Road, Attleborough NR17 2BY Third Thursday of the month from 10am to 12 noon and other events listed below

15 Jan 2015 Carers: Talk by Michael Millagane 19 Feb 2015 AGM and Quiz

Aylsham & District

Pam Bailey, Social Secretary T: 01263 731421 Friends Meeting House, Pegg’s Yard, Red Lion Street, Aylsham Norfolk NR11 6ER

Second Monday of each month at 10am for 10.30am (unless it’s a Bank Holiday)

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (venue to be confirmed)

Billericay

Mr J R Smith T: 01277 622156 Mr Cecil Featherstone E: feathb-cay@tiscali.co.uk Various locations for informal lunches in and around Billericay

22 Jan 2015 Informal Lunch at the Blue Boar, High Street at 12.30pm

Bury St Edmunds

Mrs Doreen Ginn, Chairman T: 01284 755256 West End Home Guard Club, Abbot Road, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3UB Second Wednesday of each month at 10am

10 Dec 2014 The Perennial Mr Potter: Talk by Brian Thurlow 16 Dec 2014 Xmas Lunch (date to be confirmed)

Colchester

Joan Gomer, Secretary T: 01206 794656 Straight Road Community Centre, 329 Straight Road, Colchester CO2 9EF Third Monday of each month at 2pm

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Meal (please note this is the second Monday) 15 Dec 2014 No meeting 19 Jan 2015 Quiz 16 Feb 2015 AGM and Bring & Buy

Croxley Green, Chorleywood & Rickmansworth

Frank Brown T: 01923 779070 E: fctbrown@btinternet.com Red House, Watford Road, Croxley Green WD3 3DX First Monday of every month for pub lunch from 12 noon

Harlow

Mrs Edna McNaughton, Secretary T: 01279 865102 E: edian.mcnaughton@tesco.net Toby Carvery, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow CM20 2LQ

Norwich

Mary Weatherhead, Secretary T: 01603 410821 Reading Room, Doughty’s Hospital, Golden Dog Lane, Norwich NR3 1BP Second Monday of each month at 10am for 10.30am

03 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (date to be confirmed) 08 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 12 Jan 2015 Members’ Meeting and Bring & Buy Sale 09 Feb 2015 AGM and Quiz

First Friday of the month at 12 noon

Radlett

Ilford

Monthly at local restaurants for coffee or lunch.

Mrs Sylvia Green, Social Secretary T: 020 8594 5284 E: sylviagreen@rocketmail.com St Andrew’s Church Hall, The Drive, Ilford IG1 3JQ Third Monday of the month at 1.30pm (except December)

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch 19 Jan 2015 Les Barnett will give an illustrated talk about his travels 16 Feb 2015 Tax, Care and Toy Boys: A humorous talk on financial matters and new government rules

Ipswich

Eva Stevens, Secretary T: 01473 688040 E: evajs@yahoo.co.uk Museum Street Methodist Church Hall, Blackhorse Lane, Ipswich IP1 2EF First Wednesday of the month at 2pm

03 Dec 2014 Christmas Dinner at The Oyster Reach

Further details from Secretary

Rayleigh

Mrs F Cohen, Social Secretary T: 01702 342426 Cloister West Parish Rooms, Rayleigh Church Rectory Garth (off Hockley Road), Rayleigh SS6 8BA First Thursday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

02 Dec 2014 01 Jan 2015 05 Feb 2015

Christmas Party No meeting Travel: Talk by Tony Curtis

Saffron Walden

Mrs E Mansfield, Chairperson T: 01279 755458 The Chequers Public House, Cambridge Road, Ugley, Bishops Stortford CM22 6HZ Second Monday in the month (approximately four times a year) at 12 to 12.30pm for lunch

Shoeburyness

Loughton

Eric Adams, Chairman T: 020 8508 7207 Jazz Archive Room, Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton IG10 1HD Third Monday of each month at 2pm

15 Dec 2014 Christmas Social 19 Jan 2015 Items of interest: Discussion 16 Feb 2015 When we need carers: Discussion

Mrs F Cohen, Social Secretary, T: 01702 342426 The Salvation Army Hall, Frobisher Way, Shoeburyness SS3 8UT First Tuesday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

04 Dec 2014 Party 06 Jan 2015 Travel: Talk by Tony Curtis 03 Feb 2015 Age UK

St Albans

Lowestoft

Kate McNamara, Treasurer/Secretary T: 01502 714380 E: kate_mcn@talktalk.net Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Gordon Road, Town Centre, Lowestoft NR32 1DY First (at the Victoria Hotel Kirkley Cliff Lowestoft) and third Wednesday (at Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Gordon Road, Lowestoft) of each month at 10.30am

Mildenhall

Alan Benton, Chairman T: 01638 715492 Mildenhall Social Club, Recreation Way, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 7HG First Tuesday of every month from 1.30pm to 2pm

02 Dec 2014 Littleport Salvation Army: Sing Song and Carols with Christmas Buffet 06 Jan 2015 Post-Christmas Lunch 03 Feb 2015 AGM

Newmarket

Mike Hastings, Chairman T: 01638 661065 E: michaelhastings@mypostoffice.co.uk The Ancient Order Of Foresters Hall, Kingston Passage, Newmarket CB8 8EN Second Wednesday of each month at 2.15pm

10 Dec 2014

Mrs Shirley Herbert, Secretary T: 020 8953 2999

Christmas Buffet

Mrs B G Hill, Secretary T: 01727 858198 E: barbara.hill5@ntlworld.com Friends Meeting House, Upper Lattimore Road, St Albans AL1 3UD First Thursday of the month at 10.15am

Swaffham

David Moore, Chairman T: 01760 723740 Methodist Church Hall, London Street, Swaffham PE37 7DD Third Tuesday of the month at 10.15am

Westcliff On Sea

Mrs F Cohen, Social Secretary T: 01702 342426 Balmoral Community Centre, Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff On Sea SS0 7AU Fourth Wednesday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

26 Nov 2014 Travel: Talk by Mr Bob Delgarno 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Party with Children’s Choir 28 Jan 2015 Travel: Talk by Tony Curtis 25 Feb 2015 Talk by Bob Delgarno www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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Wickford

Peter Blake, Chairman & Secretary T: 01268 583060 Christchurch Hall, Rear of 44 High Street, Wickford SS12 9AJ Second Thursday of each month from 1.30pm to 3 30pm

Witham

Mrs P Rogers, Group Secretary T: 01376 514539 Witham Methodist Church Hall, Guithavon Street, Witham, Essex CM8 1BJ

12 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Hydro, Eastbourne 27 Jan 2015 TBA 24 Feb 2015 AGM

Brighton & Hove

Bognor Regis & Chichester

Chandlers Ford

Mrs Heather Olive, Group Chairperson T: 01903 778543 Jeneses Community Arts Centre, 45 Linden Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO21 2AS Last Thursday of the month from 2pm to 4pm

Last Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (except December when alternative date will be agreed)

27 Nov 2014 Christmas Party/Raffle 25 Dec 2014 No meeting 29 Jan 2015 Welfare: Talk by Helen Beavis 26 Feb 2015 Rolls Royce: Talk by Ray Tanner

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Bournemouth - Boscombe & Southbourne

Aldershot

Mrs Gloria Wetherill, Social Secretary T: 01252 345318 E: rayglo227@talktalk.net Holy Trinity Church, Galpin Hall, Windsor Way, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 3HE. Second Thursday of every month at 1.30pm

Arun

Jim Underwood, Treasurer T: 01903 709033 E: jimunderwood9@hotmail.com St Joseph’s Convent, Franciscan Way, Littlehampton BN17 6AU Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm

(Please use entrance in East Street if arriving by car)

Ascot & Sunningdale

Paul Tabor Chairman T: 01202 422493 E: paul.tabor@tesco.net St Katherine’s Church Hall, Church Road, Southbourne BH6 4AR First Wednesday of each month at 10am

03 Dec 2014 Christmas Eats and Quiz 07 Jan 2015 No meeting 04 Feb 2015 Post War Musicals: Talk by John Symonds

Bournemouth - Central Alan Carter T: 01202 292720

Bournemouth Christchurch & Highcliffe Paul Tabor T: 01202 422493 E: paul.tabor@tesco.net

Pam Drummer, Secretary T: 01344 774849 E: roypamdr@talktalk.net De Vere Venues, Sunningdale Park, Larch Avenue, Ascot SL5 0QE

Bournemouth - New Forest

Third Friday of each month at 12 noon

Second Tuesday of each month at 10.15am

12 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch 16 Jan 2015 Battersea Dogs’ Home: Illustrated talk by Anne Francis 20 Feb 2015 Quiz presented by Beryl and John Bailes

Basingstoke

Tony Brazier, Secretary T: 01256 418770 E: bjmapbr@ntlworld.com Brookvale Community Association Hall, Lower Brook Street, Basingstoke RG21 7SD First Wednesday of each month at 10am

27 Nov 2014 Wurlitzer Concert and London Lights (includes Lunch and Tea) 03 Dec 2014 Christmas Entertainment and Buffet 11 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Basingstoke College 07 Jan 2015 Spring at Hackwood Park: Talk by Brian Spicer 04 Feb 2015 Singing for Fun with David Ogborn 24 Feb 2015 Trip to Westfield (White City) or South Kensington Museums

Bexhill

Elizabeth Leahy, Secretary T: 01424 214042 Bexhill Sailing Club Marina, Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 1LA Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10am (except December)

25 Nov 2014 Homecall: Talk by Maureen Daley

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Sandy Whittaker, Chairman T: 023 8028 2157 New Milton Community Centre, Osborne Road, New Milton BH25 6EA 09 Dec 2014 Dorset Coast Naturally Part 2, Swanage to Portland: Talk by John Combes

Bournemouth - Ringwood & District

Mrs A Cobby E: saglibcob@googlemail.com Ventnor Hall, Blatchington Road, Hove BN3 3YF First Wednesday of the month at 2.15pm

Ken Willcocks Chairman T: 023 8076 0102 Chandlers Ford Community Centre, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2FT First Friday of the month at 10am

05 Dec 2014 Poetry by Claire: Talk by Claire Baldry 16 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Keats Restaurant, Ampfield 12 noon 02 Jan 2015 Date and speaker to be advised (meeting may take place on 09 Jan 2015) 06 Feb 2015 Put your best face forward: Talk by Jan Glennie

Crawley & District

Jim Piercey, Chairman T: 01293 409332 Bill Buck Room, Crawley Library, Southgate Avenue, Crawley RH10 6HG Fourth Friday of the month at 2pm (except December)

28 Nov 2014

To be arranged

Hastings & St Leonards

John Hall, Chairman T: 01424 813393 All Saints Church Hall, All Saints Street, Hastings TN34 3BG Third Tuesday of each month from 10am to 12 noon (except December)

Mid Sussex

Mike Mason, Chairman T: 01444 245289 E: michael_mason6@hotmail.com Millfield Suite, Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill RH15 8DX Fourth Wednesday of each month at 10am (December may vary)

26 Nov 2014 Open Morning 03 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Greyhound, Keymer

Newbury

Ron Fisher, Chairman T: 01202 896315 E: ronf.nottington@homecall.co.uk Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christ Church Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW First Friday of each month at 10am. Pub lunches are 12 noon for 12.30pm. Any change of venue will be announced at the preceding coffee morning, or ask the Committee 05 Dec 2014 Christmas Celebration 02 Jan 2015 Entertainment by your Committee 20 Jan 2015 Pub Lunch at Inn on the Furlong, Ringwood 30 Jan 2015 The Falklands. Islands of Kings, Tyrants and Giants: Talk by Mike Read 17 Feb 2015 Pub Lunch at Tyrrell’s Ford Hotel, Avon

Roger Walker, Chairman T: 01635 44575 E: colonelrog@hotmail.com St John’s Church Room, Newtown Road, Newbury RG14

Bournemouth - Swanage

26 Nov 2014 The History of Christ’s Hospital: Talk 01 Dec 2014 Turkey and Tinsel Holiday to Newquay, Cornwall (01 to 05 Dec) 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Coffee Morning with sherry, mince pies and gifts 17 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Rocksbys Restaurant, Southsea Seafront

Mrs Irene Greenaway T: 01929 423394 Telephone 01929 423394

Bournemouth - Wimborne & Ferndown

Eric Basire T: 01202 897158 E: eric-rita@tiscali.co.uk Ferndown Village Hall, Church Road, Ferndown BH22 9ET Third Wednesday of each month at 10.30am

Second Monday of the month at 2.15pm

01 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Chequers Hotel 08 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 12 Jan 2015 AGM 02 Feb 2015 Group Committee Meeting 09 Feb 2015 Animal Heroes and Villains: Talk by Edward Dixon

Portsmouth & Southsea

Edda Rea, Chairman T: 023 92 753581 St Simon’s Church Hall, Waverley Road, Southsea PO5 2PW Second Wednesday of the month at 10.30am and fourth Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

14 Jan 2015 After Xmas Sale 28 Jan 2015 Prizes and Cakes 11 Feb 2015 AGM followed by lunch at Chimes Restaurant (date to be confirmed) 25 Feb 2015 A Naval Officer of 1805, his wife and a descendant:Talk and presentation of naval uniforms

Reading West & Tilehurst

David Cox, Secretary T: 0118 958 6311 United Reformed Church Hall, Polsted Road (off Armour Road), Tilehurst, Reading RG31 6HN Last Wednesday of the month at 2pm (unless otherwise stated)

Stubbington

First Tuesday of the month at 2pm (unless otherwise stated)

02 Dec 2014 16 Dec 2014

Christmas Tea Christmas Lunch

Bath

Don Dodgson, Vice Chairman T: 01225 427041 St John’s Parish Hall, South Parade, Bath BA2 4AF Coffee mornings on the first Thursday of each month at 10.30am (except January when it may be the second Thursday). Short Mat Bowls at

The Scout Hut, The Avenue, Bath on Fridays from 2pm to 4pm 04 Dec 2014 Christmas Coffee Morning 08 Jan 2015 New Year Coffee Morning 05 Feb 2015 Group AGM

Peter Stilwell, Secretary T: 023 92 527346 E: amy_stilwell@hotmail.com Catholic Church Hall, Bells Lane, Stubbington, Hampshire PO14 2PL

Bideford

Second Thursday of each month at 2pm (meeting) and last Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (coffee morning) (except December). On the Tuesday following the Thursday meeting we have a pub lunch

Second Friday in the month at 10.30am

27 Nov 2014 Trip to Bath for the Christmas Market (cost £20), pick up times to be arranged 04 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Gosport Masonic Hall 11 Dec 2014 Christmas Tea at Bells Lane with Christmas Carols performed by local infants school 08 Jan 2015 Mystery Writing: Talk by Eileen Robertson 12 Feb 2015 Group AGM

Tadley

Mr D MacLean, Chairman T: 0118 970 1290 Tadley Community Centre, Newchurch Road, Tadley RG26 4HN First Thursday of each month at 1.15pm for 1.45pm (except in unusual circumstances when advance notice is given to our members)

11 Dec 2014 Andover Wyevale for Lunch (please note this is the second Thursday) 08 Jan 2015 Tadley Council: Update by David Leeks 05 Feb 2015 Upstairs Downstairs at Hackwood House: Talk by Brian Spicer

Worthing

David Keeling, Chairman T: 01903 248663 United Reformed Church Hall, Shaftesbury Avenue, Worthing BN12 4ET (just south of Durrington Railway Bridge; entrance In Barrington Road) Third Tuesday of each month at 10am (coffee at 9.45am)

09 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (to be confirmed) 20 Jan 2015 Sir Henry Wellcome: his Life and Legacy: Talk by David Keeling 17 Feb 2015 AGM

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND Amesbury

Mrs Freda Hedge, Secretary T: 01980 590499 Antrobus House, 39 Salisbury Road, Amesbury SP4 7HH

Sylvia Moody T: 01237 471334 Griggs Close Community Centre, Northam, Bideford, Devon EX39 1BR

Blandford Forum

Mrs Margaret Chambers, Secretary T: 01258 456572 Contact Secretary for venue details Second Friday of each month at 11am

Bradford-on-Avon

Mr M Wickham, Secretary T: 01225 864541 E: lindamorgan1975@btinternet.com United Reformed Church Hall, St Margarets Street, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DD Second Monday of each month at 2.15pm

20 Nov 2014 Christmas Shopping Trip to Gloucester Quays 08 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Leigh Park Hotel 12 Jan 2015 New Year’s Party 09 Feb 2015 AGM followed by Quiz

Brixham

Brenda Smith T: 01803 559466 E: brenda54@talktalk.net Various local restaurants, usually Waterside Usually second Thursday of the month at 12 noon

Burnham-On-Sea

Mrs Joyce Beard, Secretary/Treasurer T: 01278 782650 E: ohbejoyful2003@yahoo. co.uk Apex Park, Marine Drive, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 3YY Fourth Tuesday in each month from 10.30am (except December)

Chard

Gordon Baker, Secretary T: 01460 73333 Donyatt Bowling Club, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0RG Third Thursday of the month at 10.30am

Chippenham

David Gardner, Chairman T: 01249 658431 Rotary Hall, Station Hill, Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 1EG First Wednesday of each month at 2pm

03 Dec 2014 Music, Mirth and Christmas Tea 07 Jan 2015 Disney Magic: Talk 04 Feb 2015 Power of the Spoken Word: Talk

Crediton

Miss M Steer, Chairman T: 01363 866256 Various venues in and around Crediton First Friday of each month at 12 noon for lunch unless there is a trip planned. Trips are announced

in the local paper. We mostly meet at The Rose & Crown, Sandford, Crediton.

05 Dec 2014 Lunch at the Rose & Crown Sandford (12 noon) 09 Jan 2015 Lunch at the Rose & Crown Sandford (12 noon) 06 Feb 2015 Lunch at the Rose & Crown Sandford (12 noon)

Dawlish

Mrs M Carter, Secretary T: 01626 888275 The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish Devon EX7 9AP Second Friday of each month at 2pm

10 Dec 2014 Lunch at Langstone Cliff Hotel

Dorchester

Mike Rogers, Chairman/Treasurer T: 01308 420755 E: michael@mikerogers3.plus.com Dorset Youth HQ, Lubbecke Way, Dorchester DT1 1QL Third Thursday of the month at 10.15am for 10.30am till around 1pm

18 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 15 Jan 2015 Living in Baghdad: Talk by Terry Canham 19 Feb 2015 Fovant Bridges: Talk by Dr Tony Phillips

Exeter

Mrs Cathy Tyrrell, Chairman T: 01392 879022 Contact the Chairman for further details

Exmouth

Carol Brett, Secretary T: 01395 442671 Wings Club (formerly RAFA), Imperial Road, Exmouth Devon EX8 1DB First Wednesday of each month at 10am

03 Dec 2014 Christmas Coffee Morning 07 Jan 2015 New Year Coffee Morning 04 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning 13 Feb 2015 Annual Lunch at the Manor Hotel (TBC. Please note this is a Friday)

Liskeard & Pensilva

Shirley Waye, Chair/Secretary T: 01579 340509 E: shirleywaye@gmail.com Refreshment Rooms, Liskeard Public Hall, West Street, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 6BW Last Wednesday of each month at 10am (except December)

24-28 Nov 2014 Turkey and Tinsel Holiday to Street, Weston Super Mare 02 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch, Trethorne 28 Jan 2015 AGM 25 Feb 2015 Group meeting (speaker to be confirmed)

Princetown

Mike Fitzpatrick, Secretary T: 01822 890799 E: mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Prince Of Wales, Tavistock Road, Princetown PL20 6QF First Thursday of the month at 12.30pm

04 Dec 2014 Curious Cornwall: Illustrated talk by Tom Sobey 18 Dec 2014 Grand Raffle, Christmas Lunch and Party.

Entertainment by Geoff Lakeman and ‘Speakeasy’ (commences 11.45am) www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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08 Jan 2015 Fascinating Tales about The Prince of Wales Pub: Talk by Mike Fitzpatrick 25 Jan 2015 Burns Supper with Andy Welsh giving ‘The Ode to the Haggis’ 05 Feb 2015 The History of Dartmoor Prison: Illustrated talk by Simon Dell

Salisbury Plain

Mr Roy German, Secretary T: 01980 653446 E: royandvi@live.co.uk The Village Hall, High Street, Durrington, Salisbury SP4 8AD Third Tuesday of each month at 2.30pm

25 Nov 2014 Outing to Basingstoke for Christmas Shopping 16 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch and Draw 20 Jan 2015 New Year Party 17 Feb 2015 AGM

Sidmouth

Margaret Adams, Chairman T: 01395 577622 E: rjadams39@waitrose.com Sidholme Hotel, Elysian Fields, Sidmouth EX10 8UJ Second Wednesday of each month at 10.25am and lunches listed below at 12.30pm

26 Nov 2014 Lunch at Bedford Hotel (Pyne’s Bar), Sidmouth 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Sidmouth Golf Club 28 Jan 2015 Lunch at Graze, Sidmouth 25 Feb 2015 Lunch at Westcliffe Hotel, Sidmouth

Somerton

Colin McIntyre, Secretary T: 01458 223953 The Two Brewers, Leigh Road, Street, Somerset BA16 0HB Third Tuesday of the month at 11.30am

Tamar/Tavy (Tavistock)

David Askew, Secretary E: daveandjennyaskew@gmail.com Burrator Inn, Princetown Road, Dousland, Yelverton PL20 6NP Second Thursday of the month at 12.30pm

Westbury (Wiltshire)

Ken Holloway, Chairman T: 01373 864049 E: kenmoholloway@metronet.co.uk Paragon Hall, Haynes Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3HA

LONDON & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

Third Monday of each month at 1.45pm for 2pm

Bexleyheath

15 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 05 Jan 2015 Christmas Lunch at Standerwick Centre (please note this is the first Monday) 02 Feb 2015 Annual General Meeting (please note this is the 1st Monday)

Westbury-On-Trym

Beryl Webb, Secretary T: 01454 614451 Studland Court Henleaze Road Henleaze BS9 4JY First Thursday of each month at 2pm

04 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Toby Carvery, Henbury (pre-booking essential) 08 Jan 2015 Afternoon Tea and Quiz (please note this is the second Thursday) 05 Feb 2015 AGM

Weston-Super-Mare

Alan Jackson, Chairman T: 01275 858766 E: jackson-a21@sky.com Friends Meeting House, High Street, WestonSuper-Mare BS23 1JF First and third Thursday of the month at 10am except January 2015

04 Dec 2014 Coffee Morning 09 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch 18 Dec 2014 Coffee Morning 10 Feb 2015 Coach Outing to Barnstaple

Weymouth

Geoff Greenstreet, Secretary T: 01305 832432 St Nicholas Church, Buxton Road, Weymouth DT4 9PJ Second Thursday of each month at 2.30pm and fourth Wednesday for coffee mornings at the Coffee Shop in the Weymouth Bay, Methodist Church, Melcombe Avenue near Green Hill (unless otherwise stated)

Brian O’Brien-Wheeler, Chairman T: 020 8311 1608 St Andrews Church Hall, Brampton Road, Bexleyheath Kent DA7 5SF First three Wednesdays in every month from 1.45pm to 3.45pm

03 Dec 2014 Love Food, Reduce Waste: Talk by Helen Gordon 10 Dec 2014 Christmas Social 07 Jan 2015 New Year Meeting with Annie Gee to sing to us 14 Jan 2015 Social Afternoon 21 Jan 2015 The work of CHIPS : Talk by Philip Dickman 04 Feb 2015 Entertainment in WWII : Talk

by Mr M Brown 11 Feb 2015 Social Afternoon and AGM 18 Feb 2015 A talk by Margaret Taylor

Enfield

Mrs Susan Bentley, Secretary T: 020 8360 4361 St Andrew’s Church Hall, Silver Street, Enfield EN1 3EG First Monday of the month at 10am (unless a Bank Holiday when it will be the second Monday)

01 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 04 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (now fully booked) 05 Jan 2015 ‘The 1970s: the decade that style forgot’: An amusing presentation by Steve Jennings 02 Feb 2015 AGM

Harrow

Mr Brian Porter, Secretary T: 020 8427 7504 St Albans Church Hall, Norwood Drive, North Harrow HA2 7PF Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except December)

25 Nov 2014 Cheese Making and Tasting : Talk by J Pearson

Hounslow

26 Nov 2014 Coffee Morning 11 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at the Lodmoor 08 Jan 2015 Safety in the Home: Talk by the Fire Service 28 Jan 2015 New Year’s Lunch at the Turks Head 12 Feb 2015 Talk (TBA) 25 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning

Roy Woods, Chairman T: 020 8230 5533 United Reformed Church Hall, 114 Hanworth Road, Hounslow TW3 1UF

Peter Collins, Secretary T: 01225 340580 E: csrftrow@which.net The Old Manor Hotel, Trowle, Trowbridge BA14 8PT

Yate & District

Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm

First Wednesday of each month at 10.30am (Old Manor Hotel) and third Wednesday of each month at 2pm (Trowbridge Cricket Club ,The County Ground, Lower Court, Trowbridge BA14 8PX)

Fourth Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except December)

Taunton

Mick Grigg, Chairman T: 01823 272046 E: mfgrigg@talktalk.net Lawns Social Club (formerly Royal British Legion Club), Mary Street, Taunton TA1 3PE Second Friday of the month at 10.30am (if Public Holiday then third Friday)

Trowbridge

03 Dec 2014 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 17 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Scout Hut, Southwick 21 Jan 2015 AGM 04 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 18 Feb 2015 Speaker (to be confirmed after AGM)

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Donald Kirkham, Chairman T: 01454 317242 E: donald@kirkham3.orangehome.co.uk Yate Parish Hall, Station Road, Yate BS37 4PQ 25 Nov 2014 Xmas Past and Present: Talk by Mrs Susan Marshfield 09 Dec 2014 Christmas Party with Musical Memories with Mr and Mrs Elsberry 27 Jan 2015 Group AGM followed by Hats and Tails: Talk by Margaret Gieff 24 Feb 2015 Air Ambulance: Talk by Penny Lawrence

Second Tuesday of the each month from 1.30pm to 4pm

Kingston & District

Mrs Jean Hall, Secretary T: 020 8942 2309 Kingston Methodist Church Hall, Avenue Road, Kingston KT1 2UJ 16 Dec 2014 Christmas on the Home Front : Talk by Mike Brown 20 Jan 2015 Fashion in the 1920s and 1930s : Talk by Carol Harris 17 Feb 2015 Eating with the Famous : Talk by Roger Hoath

Leatherhead

Anne Thomson, Secretary T: 01372 373258 E: anner.thomson@talktalk.net John Rumble Hall, Fetcham Village Hall, The Street, Fetcham KT22 9QS First Friday of each month at 10am

05 Dec 2014 02 Jan 2015 06 Feb 2015

Christmas Meeting Speaker (to be confirmed) Speaker (to be confirmed)

London - Catford & Lewisham

Doreen Hughes, Secretary T: 020 8461 4800 St Laurence Church Hall, 37 Bromley Road, Catford London SE6 2TS Second Tuesday of every month at 10am. We have a Table Top Sale at each Coffee Morning and all donations will be gratefully received 09 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch 13 Jan 2015 AGM 10 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning

London - Clapham SW4 & SW11

Miss M Farley, Secretary T: 020 8870 7361 Staff Restaurant, 4th Floor, PCS , 160 Falcon Road, London SW11 2LN First Thursday of each month at 10.15am

London – Croydon, Dulwich & Norwood

Miss M Bacon, Secretary T: 020 8761 2158 Railway Club, Selhurst Station Approach, Selhurst SE25 5PL Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (except December)

25 Nov 2014 27 Jan 2015 24 Feb 2015

Christmas Event Winter Quiz Coffee Morning

London - Edmonton

Mrs Sheila Lamonte, Chairperson T: 020 8886 7873 Ambassador Room, Millfield House, Silver Street, London N18 1PJ Third Monday of each month from 10am to 12 noon

15 Dec 2014 Christmas Party 19 Jan 2015 AGM 16 Feb 2015 Fleet Street: Illustrated talk

by Joe Studman

London - Eltham

Phyllis Duignan, Chair and Treasurer T: 020 8265 0810 E: phyllis.duignan@gmail.com United Reformed Church, Sherard Hall, Court Road, Eltham SE9 5AD Fourth Thursday of each month from 10am to 12 noon (except December when it is the second Thursday)

27 Nov 2014 Coffee Morning followed by a talk by Steve Price on The Magic Circle 11 Dec 2014 Coffee Morning followed by Cards, Bumper Raffle and Mince Pies 13 Dec 2014 Trip to the Royal Albert Hall for the annual Singalong Carols 18 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at Limoncello, Sidcup 08 Jan 2015 Coach Outing to Pole Hill Nursery followed by lunch at the Toby Carvery, Badgers Mount 22 Jan 2015 Coffee Morning followed by a talk (TBA) 12 Feb 2015 Coach Outing (TBA) 26 Feb 2015 Coffee Morning followed by AGM and Bingo

London - Hendon

Mr Harry Hunt, Secretary T: 020 8202 7647 E: harrycarman@hotmail.com Various venues for pub lunches. Contact Harry Hunt for details First Thursday of every month at 12.30pm

London - Southbank

South East Middlesex

Second Wednesday of each month at 10am

Various dates, times and venues in and around Twickenham. Please contact the Secretary for

Joy Creamer, Chairperson T: 020 7407 2332 Penrose Tenants Hall, Penrose Estate, Walworth London SE17 3DX

London - Stockwell SW8 & SW9

Mr D Stannard, Secretary T: 020 7720 0982 Job Centre Plus Offices, 246 Stockwell Road, London SW9 9ST Fourth Thursday of each month at 2pm (except December)

London - Streatham & Norbury SW16

Mrs J E Winter, Secretary T: 020 8764 6450 The Glebe Sheltered Housing Complex, Prentis Road, London SW16 1QR Second Tuesday of each month at 2pm

15 Jan 2015 New Year Party with drinks, mince pies and nibbles followed by tea 10 Feb 2015 Quiz Afternoon (don’t worry it’s just a bit of fun!)

Maidstone

Keith Hunter, Chairman T: 01622 746792 Methodist Church Centre, Brewer Street, Maidstone ME14 1RU Second Monday of the month at 2pm

08 Dec 2014 Musical Afternoon with Joan (one of our members) on the piano 12 Jan 2015 To be arranged 09 Feb 2015 AGM and Fish & Chips

Orpington

Peter Standen, Vice Chairman T: 01689 833358 The Memorial Hall, Methodist Church, Sevenoaks Road, Orpington BR6 9JH First Friday in the month at 1.45pm

Romney Marsh

Win Owen, Chair T: 01797 362598 E: winefrideowen@aol.com The Assembly Rooms, Church Approach, New Romney, Kent TN28 8AS Second Wednesday of the month from 10am to 12 noon

10 Dec 2014 Social Meeting followed by Christmas Lunch 14 Jan 2015 AGM followed by our member Alice Boxall speaking on the MBE Investiture 11 Feb 2015 Dover Castle: Illustrated talk by Len Howell followed by lunch

Sanderstead & Selsdon

Ralph Perryman, Local Contact T: 020 8657 3487 E: ralph.perryman172@btinternet.com Various Venues for Lunch. Please contact Ralph Perryman for confirmation of lunch details 18 Dec 2014 Lunch at McDermott’s, Forestdale Shopping Centre (12 for 12.30pm) 08 Jan 2015 Lunch at Toby Carvery, Brighton Road (12 for 12.30pm) 19 Feb 2015 Lunch at Toby Carvery Brighton Road (12 for 12.30pm)

Mrs June Brown, Secretary T: 020 8891 4680 E: junebrownuk@hotmail.com further details.

Staines

Dorothy Dib, Secretary T: 01784 441990 Various Restaurants for lunch in and around Staines Third Tuesday of each month

Sutton

Pam Davis, Social Secretary T: 020 8641 2114 Friends Meeting House, 10 Cedar Road, Sutton SM2 5DA Last Monday of the month from 2pm to 3.45pm (except December)

08 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch at The Prince of Wales, Cheam Village 12 Jan 2015 AGM and Social Afternoon 26 Jan 2015 Informal Lunch (TBC) 09 Feb 2015 Informal Lunch (TBC) 23 Feb 2015 Scams and Safety Measures: Talk by Paul Cole of the Metropolitan Police

Whitstable & Herne Bay (Inc. Canterbury)

Linda Swift T: 01227 276583 E: lindaswift2@sky.com Swalecliffe & Chestfield Community Centre, St Johns Road, Whitstable CT5 2QU Fourth Thursday of the month at 2pm (except December)

27 Nov 2014 A talk by a Sports Presenter 18 Dec 2014 Christmas Lunch (prebooked) 22 Jan 2015 TBA 26 Feb 2015 TBA

Worcester Park

Peter Tharby, Chairman T: 020 8337 7423 E: petertharby@blueyonder.co.uk Old Malden Scout Hall, 411 Malden Road, Worcester Park KT4 7NY First Monday each month from 2pm to 4pm (if the first Monday is a Bank Holiday then the meeting will be held on the second Monday)

01 Dec 2014 Our ever popular Christmas Lunch 05 Jan 2015 A UK Cop in New York and The Bronx: Talk by George Crawford 02 Feb 2015 A Visit to AuschwitzBirkenau: Talk by John Pullan

NO GROUP IN YOUR AREA? Then we’d like to help you establish one. If you’d be interested in working with us to open up a new group for your area then contact David or Belinda at Fellowship Office on 020 8691 7411.

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2014

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IMAGES: Liz McAulay

the last word : HILARY BOYD

my favourite THINGS

Hilary Boyd’s first novel Thursdays in the Park was published in 2011, when the writer was 62, and it became an unexpected best seller. Since then, she has published three other novels, the most recent of which is A Most Desirable Marriage (profiled in our Entertainments section on page 37).

PAINTING

Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the Virgin Mary and her mother Saint Anne, known as the Burlington House Cartoon. I saw the real thing at the National Gallery a few years ago and it literally took my breath away, it’s so beautiful. It’s a real family, with so much love and tenderness in every line.

NOVEL

Hmm, this is a tricky one for someone who’s an obsessive reader but I think the award goes to George Eliot’s Middlemarch.

The first time I read it I was on holiday with my husband early in our marriage and he nearly divorced me because I was more gripped by the book than by him. Eliot’s characterisation and portrayal of relationships is extraordinary. Dorothea is my fictional heroine.

FILM

Some Like it Hot, no question.

It’s just perfect. Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon: it’s their finest hour. If ever there was a comfort film, this is it.

Satirical, funny and so tolerant of the human condition.

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WINTER 2014 www.csrf.org.uk

CITY

It may be a cliché, but it has to be Paris. It’s such a user friendly city, so elegant and full of amazing things to see and eat. You can walk for days, sit in cafés and watch the world go by and check out clothes you can’t afford. Bliss.

COLOUR

Rose pink. It feels both hopeful and tender.

FLOWER

Oh, primrose every time. It heralds Spring.

Quotation “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

From the Dalai Lama. I’m not always kind (of course) but this reminds me to at least try. It seems to me the only rule in life we need.

ANIMAL

Right, well, at the risk of bringing the wrath of the whole of Britain down on my head, I will admit to not being much of an animal person. I don’t dislike cats, dogs, horses and so on, I just don’t long to have them around.

So I choose leopards. Lithe, beautiful, dangerous and nowhere near me.

Historical FigureS

Florence Nightingale. As a former nurse I so admire her dedication as a social reformer and the founder of modern nursing. I am in awe of any reformer because it seems like such a thankless task; but for a woman in the Victorian era, it must have been incredibly hard. She was probably not a barrel of laughs but what an amazing woman.