avanti Summer 2011

THE MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

MAGAZINE

digital INCLUSION

MERCY MISSION

UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox interviewed

Member memories of volunteering in Africa

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

The rise and rise of genealogy

BEACON FOR CHANGE

How the Festival of Britain helped shape a new age

Fellowship Day

Walk

Office Staff walk to raise funds for the CSRF PLUS: GROUP NEWS • MEMBER REWARDS • BOOKS • CULTURE • TRAVEL • ADVICE Supported By The Civ il S er v ice Insurance S ociet y C h a r it y Fu n d

Editor’s Letter

Welcome to the summer issue I hope you have all been enjoying the wonderful weather we’ve been having this Spring and with all of the various national holidays.

It’s been quite difficult remembering exactly what day of the week it’s been with all the time off!

is 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

I’ve had a very busy few months with a lot of group visits all over the country finding time to see our members in Northern Ireland, Lancaster & Morecambe, Swansea, Mildenhall, Hassocks and Tamar/Tavy to name just a few. It’s a source of great inspiration for me to be able to see all of the hard work that goes on with our volunteers to keep our social groups running.

Here I am pictured with CSRF Chief Executive Jean Cooper and Hannah Evans after completing the Fellowship Day Walk.

We are all delighted with the phenomenal feedback our last issue had from you – the postbag and group news section has been groaning with your letters and pictures, which has been fantastic. Keep them coming in!

We’ve all had great fun putting this issue together for you and I really hope you enjoy reading it!

David

Publisher: Gaynor Garton e: gaynor@square7media.co.uk Advertising: Mark Toland e: mark@square7media.co.uk Editor: David Tickner By mail: Use the address below Email: avanti@square7media.co.uk Tel: 020 8691 7411 Designer: Charlotte Morgan The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA

CONTENTS 4-8 Front Desk

The latest news from the

Fellowship Office and Chief Executive’s message.

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We interview Martha Lane Fox, the UK Digital Champion.

14 Gone but not forgotten Martin Sayers on the rise and rise of genealogy.

T: 020 8691 7411 F: 020 8692 2386 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

The magazine has been produced with financial support from

THE CIVIL SERVICE INSURANCE SOCIETY CHARITY FUND ©2011. avanti Magazine is published by Square7 Media Ltd on behalf of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF).

All rights reserved. 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 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. 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 CSRF.

Going Digital

16 Beacon for Change Barry Turner looks at how the Festival of Britain helped shape the modern era.

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Save on Talk

Which? offer their advice on making the most of your mobile phone bills.

22 The Peoples’ Capital Exploring the Chinese capital Beijing.

26 At Home Food, drink and interior tips perfect for summer.

31 Leisure Life Culture, books and DVDs reviewed for your enjoyment.

35 Coffee Time Our regular mix of quizzes and teasers.

38 Postbag Your letters and views.

43 Member Rewards Offers and incentives for you.

44 Mission of Mercy CSRF Member Maureen Nelson’s experiences on board the Mercy Ships.

46 The Big Question Your opinions on a topical issue.

48 Out & About Group reports and news from around the country.

52-61 The Planner Find out what your local group is up to.

62 My Favourite Things With best selling author Michael Dobbs.

www.crsf.org.uk SPRING 2011

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front desk News from the Fellowship Office

from the chief executive Words by Jean Cooper

Dear Member

Jean (far right) pictured with members of the Fellowship Office sponsored walk team

It seems spring is well and truly in the air as I’m sitting composing my letter this issue in the garden, enjoying the beautiful blue sky and listening to the birds singing. It seems very appropriate that I’m writing for our summer issue as we have quite a number of editorial pieces that give you some great advice on how to make the most of the good weather and the great outdoors!

The new larger size of the magazine has been extremely well received judging by the responses we’ve had from you. Our extra pages have allowed us to add more news about what you’ve been up to and to support all of the groups around the country. I’d like to say thank you to Square7 Media for their hard work on producing the bigger edition and also to avanti Editor David Tickner for his continued support of the groups through his visits.

I’d also like to thank the whole team at Fellowship Office for their participation in our Fellowship Day sponsored walk which took place on 9 April and took us 4 hours to complete. We had a lovely day and the weather was gorgeous and we have raised £1,500 so far.

The Royal Wedding sparked a great sense of friendship and community with many towns and villages enjoying street parties to celebrate. I would like to extend my congratulations on behalf of the Fellowship to the happy couple and wish both William and Catherine a long and happy marriage.

I was sorry to hear of the premature passing of David Luney, one of the members of our Board of Directors. Our thoughts are with his wife Ruth and his family at this sad time.

I’m also both humbled and uplifted by the phenomenal response we have so far to our Life Member Appeal and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your overwhelming generosity and very kind messages of support for the future. It shows just how much you do care about this wonderful organisation. The money that we have received so far will enable us to look at expanding some of our existing member services and offer you more. As we go to press we have already raised over

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MEMBER SATISFACTION SURVEY 2011

Many thanks to those of you who found the time to fill and return the member satisfaction survey that appeared in the spring issue of avanti. We have had some tremendous feedback, which has already been a great help to us when identifying new member initiatives in the future. If you have not returned your survey form you can still do so (although you are no longer eligible for the prize draw) as your views do make a difference.

Congratulations to Mr D Butcher from Goring-bySea who won the Member Satisfaction Survey prize of £100 worth of M&S vouchers.

£50,000 and donations are still being received. I would say to everybody who has not yet donated if you can please lend your support to this special appeal. You can Send your cheque (made payable donate via the website to ‘The CSRF’) to: Member Appeal, or just by sending us a The Civil Service Retirement cheque using our freepost Fellowship, FREEPOST SE4414, address (see right).

Donate to our appeal:

London SE10 8BP

Membership recruitment is or donate online at still an important part of our www.csrf.org.uk business plan objectives and we will be attending a number of conferences and events in the next few months that I hope will give us an opportunity to recruit new members. In particular, from July 5-7 we will be at Civil Service Live, an event taking place at Olympia and attended by many department representatives, Permanent Secretaries and HR directors.

So if you are still serving please come along and say hello to the team and find out how to sign up as a member.

Finally, I’d like to say a big thank to all the team at Fellowship Office for their hard work as it has been a particularly busy past few months for everyone. I’m appreciative of their ongoing commitment and dedication to serve you.

Yours in friendship and fellowship,

CHAIRMAN’S TRAVELS National Chairman John Barker has continued his journeys around the country to meet the groups and keep them fully apprised of what’s going on a national level.

In March and April he was the guest speaker at both the Dumfries & Kirkcudbright and Brighton & Mid Sussex branch AGMs.

National Chairman John Barker CB (pictured 2nd from left) with members of the Brighton & Mid Sussex Branch at their AGM in April at which he was the Guest Speaker

E-Newsletter If you have an email address then sign up for The CSRF e-newsletter that comes out monthly with a round up of news, stories and member offers/ incentives. Signing up is simple: 1. Call up the home page of the CSRF website by typing ‘www.csrf.org.uk’ into your internet browser

End of Cheque Guarantee Cards

The facility to guarantee a cheque using a card is being withdrawn on 30 June 2011. The Payments Council have produced a useful fact sheet (available to download via their website – if you have any problems downloading the factsheet contact Fellowship Office for assistance) for anybody not sure about how this might impact on them.

The change in June does not mean the end of cheques; you will still be able to write them and businesses will still be able to choose to accept them – without the Guarantee. In most situations guaranteeing a cheque is not an essential part of the

payment so you may well find that whoever you need to pay will still be happy to accept a cheque without the Guarantee.

Instead of a guaranteed cheque you should consider using a debit card as many of the cards that carried the guarantee facility are also debit or credit cards.

If you have any queries relating to Cheque Guarantee Cards then look at the Payments Council website at www.paymentscouncil.org.uk or call 020 3217 8200

ANGLO-CHINESE ENTENTE

2. On the bottom left hand side of the website, enter your email address in the box marked ‘Email sign up’ (it’s a light blue box) 3. After entering your email address click on the ‘submit’ button 4. You will now see a message on the screen entitled ‘You have successfully signed up for the newsletter’ 5. Congratulations, you will now receive our e-newsletter If you have any problems or questions relating to the e-newsletter then please contact Belinda Stalker on 020 8691 7411 or by email to: belinda.stalker@csrf.org.uk

NEW GROUPS

National Vice Chairman Russell Brown (front row, third from left) pictured with a visiting delegation from Liaoning Province in the North-East of China.

The work of the Fellowship and civil pensions was the subject of a talk given to a visiting delegation from Liaoning Province in the North East of China by National Vice Chairman Russell Brown in April.

The event, arranged by Sino Bridge International, provided delegates with the chance to question Russell about a wide range of Civil Service related topics whilst also enlightening them about our work.

We are considering the opportunity of opening a new group in the Manchester area and intend to contact all our beneficiaries in the locale including surrounding areas in the not too distant future. It is one of a number of initiatives we want to roll out, so the success of this pilot is very important.

Our intention is to identify other parts of the UK and start a proactive drive to open groups in other suitable locations.

Please contact Yvonne Kutzer at Fellowship Office on 020 8469 9190 (Mon-Wed) or email yvonne.kutzer@csrf.org.uk if you are interested in getting involved

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news

fundraising

These Feet are made for Walking…

The sun shone on our intrepid team of walkers who completed the Thames Walk (10 miles from Greenwich to Westminster) in an impressive time of just less than 4 hours. Crossing the river via the foot tunnel at Greenwich we walked down the Thames Path past Canary Wharf, Shad Thames, Wapping and St Katherines Dock

before crossing Tower Bridge. We then walked along the South Bank passing the London Assembly Building, Hays Galleria, London Bridge, Tate Modern and Festival Hall before crossing back to the North side via Waterloo Bridge finishing up at the Civil Service Club in an impressive time of just under 4 hours.

legacy giving As part of our ongoing promotion of Legacy Giving we have recently signed up to the ‘Remember A Charity’ campaign.

This initiative is part of the Institute of Fundraising and helps to reinforce the importance and difference leaving a legacy to a charity can make. By becoming a member we will benefit from the collective marketing and promotion undertaken by this campaign throughout the year and in particular during their ‘Remember A Charity Week’ that is due to take place from 12-18 September this year.

Don’t forget that by leaving a small gift in your will can make a world of difference to our work and enable us to continue to provide the best possible support to retired Civil Servants and their partners.

If you would like any help or advice on how to leave a legacy then please contact any of our friendly staff on 020 8691 7411 or email info@csrf.org.uk

A huge thanks to all of the branches and groups below for their donations so far Calne,Yate, Dumfries & Kirkcudbright Branch, Sleaford & Ancaster, Bexleyheath, Streatham & Norbury, Maidstone, Sutton, Lisburn, Belfast, Banbridge, Swansea, Leatherhead, Tadley, Catford/Lewisham, Norwich, Southend-on-Sea Branch, Nottingham,Weston Super Mare, Dulwich & Norwood, Banbury, Trowbridge, Bridlington, Westbury, Chester and Worcester Branch.

And also thanks to Square7 Media Ltd (our publishers) for their donation.

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volunteering Volunteering can be a very rewarding experience whether you are working or retired. No matter how much time you are able to give there are plenty of ways in which you can assist our work. From Les (top) and Ron befriending an older person who is housebound with a regular (bottom) volunteered telephone call to providing us with some much needed office at headquarters support at our headquarters in London. We were delighted to recently welcome two volunteers last month who came along to our office for a day and helped us with some administrative support to complete a mailshot.

If you have recently retired and are interested in working with us as a volunteer then please contact one of our friendly Fellowship Office team on 020 8691 7411 or email: info@csrf.org.uk to register your interest.

Budget 2011 helps volunteers Budget 2011 has delivered a positive for volunteer drivers.

All CSRF volunteer drivers will now be able to claim 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 5p per mile per passenger!

We are always on the lookout for volunteer drivers who can help drive less able beneficiaries to their local group meetings. The CSIS Charity Fund very kindly gave us financial support for this much needed and appreciated form of assistance last year and we may consider doing a similar exercise again this year subject to available funding.

If you are interested in volunteering as a driver please contact Fellowship Office to find out how.

Recruitment Events A number of our groups have run events in the past few months as part of Fellowship Office new membership recruitment initiatives. Penylan Group attracted three new members following their events in January and February and Bournemouth Branch invited members of the inactive Westbourne and Poole groups to their AGM in March with the aim of encouraging members to get involved and to recruit volunteers to run coffee mornings in both Westbourne and Poole. At the time of going to press there were also events being planned by our groups in Hull, Orpington and North Sussex.

If your group would be interested in discussing a recruitment event then please contact the Fellowship Office team on 020 8691 7411 or email yvonne.kutzer@csrf.org.uk

ECO COMPUTERS

If you live in London and are struggling to get rid of unwanted computers, ink cartridges and mobile phones then contact Eco Computer Systems, a social enterprise that is based in SE8 and offers IT recycling and refurbishment facilities. All computer equipment is wiped before being recycled and there is a small cost for collection (depending on where in London you are living). Eco Computer Systems are planning to expand the area they can collect from in the future.

For more information contact Eco Computers on 020 8694 8999 or visit www.ecocomputersystems.org.uk

HELPING THE WOMEN’S COUNCIL We’ve been recently contacted by an organisation called the Women’s Council. Over 75 years old they promote Anglo-Asian friendship by means of meetings and cultural events.

They also run fundraising events that can support positive education and understanding – for example, a course in Mumbai that trains young Asian women in disabled childcare in the community. They are looking for some volunteers to serve as both members and on their committee. For more information on The Women’s Council visit www.womenscouncil.org.uk

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news

DON’T MISS

TAKE CARE OF YOUR PERSONAL SECURITY We ran a small news item in our spring issue about the importance of personal security at home. This was in response to a number of letters we received from you that detailed your own personal experiences. We would like to reiterate how important it is to take all the proper precautions to ensure your possessions are safe. But to clarify, we did not intend to suggest that the health visiting profession collectively was guilty of breaches of security in the home.

In other security related news there have been a number of ‘calls’ being made to mobile phones from people

Armed Forces Day 25 June 2011

pretending that they work for a bank. The caller attempts to elicit personal information and account details from you under the guise of carrying out an ‘account review’.

No company when calling you should ask you to verify your personal security information. If you receive one of these calls and have any doubt as to its veracity do not give any personal information out ask them to put the query in writing (again if the call is legitimate they will have your address) and then contact your bank to report the call.

AUDIO ADVANTAGE If you are struggling to read the magazine then why not take advantage of the audio version and request a free copy.

Kent Association for the Blind, a charity which offers support to those who are registered sight impaired, produce an audio version of every issue from their studio in Maidstone. Their purpose built digital studio records a wide variety of publications to enable This is the first publicity still showing information to be accessible to those that need multi-Oscar winning actress Meryl it.

Streep as Margaret Thatcher in Once they receive copies of avanti hot off the The Iron Lady, a new biopic due press, a recording date is scheduled and a team for release in 2012. Also starring assembled. There are a minimum of two readers, Jim Broadbent and Anthony Head and a recording engineer to conduct the session. (as Denis and Geoffrey Howe Once the magazine has been recorded, it is then respectively) it focuses on the 17 days edited. Using digital recording techniques, it is leading up to the Falklands War in possible to simply extract any errors that were 1982. made during the reading, leaving a pristine result that appears to have been read from cover to cover, without so much as a hiccup!

A final level of polish is applied by using compression, limiting and gating, to balance the level of the voices, and remove any unwanted noises. This editing process can take as long, if not longer, than the recording itself, but ensures a professional quality master. The final stage of production is to duplicate the master copy, and print the necessary information onto the surface of the CDs. On behalf of all members of the Fellowship To request a copy of the audio edition of we’d like to extend our congratulations to avanti please contact one of the Fellowship HRH Prince William and his new wife Office team on 020 8691 7411 or email: Catherine on the occasion of their info@csrf.org.uk and add ‘Audio avanti’ to the wedding last month. We wish them subject line a long and happy

FIRST LOOK

CONGRATULATIONS

marriage.

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This year’s event will be in Edinburgh and it is expected that thousands of people will participate in a weekend of planned celebrations in the city. Highlights will include a march down the Royal Mile, a party in Holyrood Park and air display in Leith.

Find out more by visiting www.armedforcesday.org.uk

The Tallships’ Races 2011

Starts in Waterford, Ireland, 30 June – 3 July 2011 These splendid vessels congregate for their annual Races which this year begin in Waterford, Ireland. The race then goes to Greenock, Scotland (9-12 July), Lerwick, Shetland Isles (21-24 July), Stavanger, Norway (28-31 July) before finishing at Halmstad, Sweden (5-8 August).

Find out more by visiting www.sailtraininginternational.org

Diamond Jubilee 2012

3 June 2012 The first event to celebrate HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year has recently been announced. On 3 June 2012 a Diamond Jubilee Pageant will take place on the River Thames and feature the largest flotilla assembled on the river in modern times. The Queen will lead the flotilla (of up to 1000 boats from the UK, the Commonwealth and across the World) and event organisers are planning for over one million people to line the banks of the Thames to witness the event.

technology

Connecting to the Internet for the first time can be a frightening experience if you are not used to technology.

The Government is promoting the importance and usefulness of the Internet to all by encouraging everyone to ‘get connected’.

At the forefront of this campaign is Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of popular travel website lastminute. com and now the UK Digital Champion. We caught up with her to ask her more about how she plans to deliver the government’s brief to the older population…

GOING DIGITAL www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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technology

Q

With many older people being scared and resistant to the Internet (and computers), how do you plan to deliver your brief ‘to go online’ with the older age group?

A

In June last year we published our manifesto for a networked nation – which set out the challenge and opportunity of bringing everyone in the UK online by the Olympics in 2012.

It’s a big prize – representing at least £22bn in terms of net economic benefit to the British government, society, business and individuals. Later this month [May] we will publish a report specifically looking at the issue of older people.

Some forward-thinking care homes have been running Internet training sessions and their residents’ talk about the powerful benefits of going online.

While the apprehensiveness many older people have towards technology that they are unfamiliar with is absolutely understandable, these sorts of trials also show that these barriers are very easily overcome.

The detailed recommendations we’ll publish later this month will fall roughly into five themes: Firstly, that currently disparate government activity on this agenda should be consolidated, with DWP leading; second that we should press business to seize the opportunity of six million new

their professional career to persuade them to ‘change the habit of a lifetime’ and start using a computer?

A

To reassure you, just remember that scary though all those squiggles and @s, ‘dotcos’, ‘dotuks’ and www’s may at first seem, you honestly cannot ‘break’ the web.

The worst thing that’ll happen is you’ll unplug your computer and have to start again. Remember too that there are lots of people who are in the same boat as you – starting out online at local libraries or community centres and having a giggle while they are at it – and that there are lots of us about who can give you a helping hand: whether it’s a friend or neighbour or a computer-training professional at our network of UK Online training places.

The Internet is the best way to keep in touch with family and loved ones far away, and opens up all sorts of opportunities for learning, work and fun Older people make up the lion’s share of our offline population in the UK (close to two thirds of the nine million Britons who have never used the web are over 65), and I’m convinced they represent one of our biggest opportunities in terms of enriching people’s quality of life with technology.

While it’s true that this generation didn’t grow up with computers, it is a fact that technology is the best way to address those challenges we tend to face as we age.

Quite simply, getting older is a reason to go online. To give just one example: social isolation is a big, almost epidemic problem for our older population, of course something that is only worsened by reduced mobility. The Internet is the best way to keep in touch with family and loved ones far away, and opens up all sorts of opportunities for learning, work and fun.

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online customers; third, that we address website accessibility and design barriers currently inhibiting older people’s use of technology; fourth, that landlords seize the opportunity for both quality of life and efficiency gains by embedding digital into sheltered housing, social housing and care homes and finally that government shifts some services for older people online, while ensuring that we have sufficient support points in place, in council and benefits offices, libraries and Post Offices for example, so that no one is left behind.

Q

What words of reassurance or encouragement can you offer to an older person who may never have had a need for using the Internet during

And to inspire you, I’d just say that the net is quite simply the most amazing invention of the modern age and it’s so very worth having a go if you haven’t already done so yet.

Yes there are risks, that the papers give rather more attention than is fair, but it’s like that in the real world too.

The net gives you not just limitless opportunities to learn more about absolutely anything you’re interested in – however bonkers that might be – but what’s really great is that it gives you a chance to share a little of what you’ve learned in life with other people too: because on the internet conversations are happening constantly – in videos, photos, written chit-chats. Some happen privately among friends, on Facebook for example, but you can also swap recipes, gardening notes, or give advice about a tricky medical question with individuals or groups of people you would otherwise not have met.

You can find out more about the Government’s initiative to connect everybody to the Internet by visiting www.raceonline2012.org

Q

Getting the nation connected by 2012 is a pretty big ask. What challenges await you in the months ahead?

A

Every day brings a new challenge and that’s what makes this job so much fun too. The big challenge last year was to convince people that this is not a side issue but really central to UK plc. I think getting the Prime Minister’s backing for our manifesto recommendations, when he hosted a reception for our taskforce of champions who’ve all recently got online for the first time themselves at Number 10 in June, felt like a real leap forward which previously seemed a bit peripheral.

The big challenge now for my team is to ensure that the 1,000 partners we have signed up at Race Online 2012 really deliver on their promises so we can make big strides in reducing the big and unacceptable numbers of us who are still offline, and to make sure that all this brilliant work and activity that we’ve set in train has a lifespan that lasts beyond the end of our funding in 2012. I’m also focused on making sure Government continues to use its own web estate better, to think internet first when its designing services and to redesign DirectGov around the people who are currently least likely to use the web.

talk tous

To WIN a of the W copy Compu hich? t Easy fo ing Made r th 50s tur e over nt page 43 o

Tell us about your experiences and benefits of connecting to the Internet. Send your letters marked for the attention of the Editor to the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine

Get Connected So are you interested in learning how to use computers and the Internet?

Every day, more and more people discover how useful using the Internet can be. It is a great way of keeping in touch with friends and family no matter where they are. There is so much information on the Internet it is great for pursuing hobbies and finding out more about practically everything.

Even shopping can be easier with the goods delivered to your door and purchasing online can often lead to savings.

At first computers and all the technical language that comes with them can be a bit overwhelming, and there are many who are not sure if it is worth the effort. More than 6 million people in later life have never used the Internet and are missing out on the many social, informative, entertainment and economic benefits it can offer.

If you are one of them and would like to find out more, then you can call Age UK on.0800 169 6565 to request a free copy of their new film ‘Go On get more out of life online’ and their practical guides to ‘Making the most of the

Internet’ and ‘Internet Security’.

The film features celebrity actor Linda Robson, from TVs Birds of a Feather, who recently learned to use a computer and the Internet and she speaks about the many ways it has changed her life and could change yours too!

Age UK runs regular opportunities for older people to learn about the Internet through their annual campaigns itea and biscuits in September and myfriends online week in March, but there are many ways you can get involved any time of the year.

If you are interested in trying an IT training course near you call Age UK 0800 169 6565 (there are over 200 organisations in their network providing training sessions all year round). You could also try contacting UK online centres on 0800 77 1234, they have 3000 centres across England providing free or low cost training. Many local libraries also provide classes so pop in or give them a call to find out more.

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Gone

but not forgotten

Martin Sayers looks at how The Family Tree Business Is Growing Bigger

G

enealogy, the study of family histories and lineage, is booming.

The hobby is attracting so many new enthusiasts that it now ranks as the second most popular leisure activity in Britain after gardening.

The popularity of what was once a fairly obscure pursuit is astonishing – television programmes such as the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? are watched by millions and the series is so popular that a live Who Do You Think You Are? event takes place every year at London’s Olympia, where amateur genealogists converge to find out more about their hobby. It’s not just television - when the 1901 British census was published online the site collapsed under the sheer weight of visitors anxious to trace their relatives.

Why have we developed this sudden fascination with long-forgotten family members? The internet has certainly made things easier – sites such as Ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk, have made it a much simpler task to track down previous generations than when trawling through reams of fusty old paper in records offices was the only way to go about it. Yet it also may be something about the disjointed nature of the modern family – increasingly separated by geography and the sheer hectic nature of modern life – that makes people want to reconnect with their ancestry and establish exactly where their roots lie. Often a birth or a death in the family will be the catalyst for a first interest in genealogy arrivals and departures can often make someone curious about the journey that has got them to this point and will spur them on to start researching the family tree.

Despite its new found popularity

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genealogy is nothing new – its roots stretch back to medieval times, when it was vital to keep up to date records of royal blood lines to ensure that scholars had something to turn to when a king or queen died without an heir within the immediate family. Family trees would then be studied to work out who should ascend to the throne. Interest in the subject became more widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries and one of the driving forces behind the development of genealogy was the Mormon Church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – which developed sophisticated systems for recording family lines and to this day holds a pre-eminent position in the study of genealogy, holding a huge amount of relevant

Many people are unprepared for the revelations that come to light about their ancestors material that is available to view through its worldwide network of Family History Centres.

Enthusiasts can even go away on genealogy holidays to trace their roots – this is becoming so popular that the Church of England is appointing tourism officers in every diocese to help genetic trail finders.

There are also specialist tour operators who will organise escorted tours around areas associated with a particular family. Some companies even send out DIY swab kits to test your DNA, pinpoint your roots and design a package holiday to help you explore them.

Yet, what may seem like a harmless hobby can have a darker side – many people are unprepared for the revelations that come to light about their ancestors and one just has to look at some of the emotional scenes on Who Do You Think You Are? to realise that uncovering certain family secrets can lead to profound shock. The Society of Genealogists has even called for psychotherapy to be made

available for amateur sleuths who stumble across upsetting facts about their relatives.

However, for most of us genealogy can be a rewarding and exciting hobby and with the ever growing wealth of resources at our disposal, both online and in records offices, there has never been a better time to take up the task of researching your family tree.

Useful contacts: The National Archives The UK’s official archive stores over 900 years of documents from the Domesday Book to now.

Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, 020 8876 3444, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk The National Archives ARCHON Directory also has details and links to local record repositories across the United Kingdom. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon

General Register Office The GRO can be contacted to obtain copies of actual birth, marriage and death certificates.

Certificate Services Section, General Register Office, PO Box 2, Southport, PR8 2JD, 0845-603 7788, www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ certificates/default.asp

Society of Genealogists The Society of Genealogists offers a wealth of useful information, including free leaflets and guides to getting started. The Society also has an excellent library at its London base that can be accessed by anyone for a fee.

14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA, 020 7251 8799, www.sog.org.uk

hobbies & pastimes

1

Start with what you know -

2 3

The best place to begin is with what you already know about your family history. Jot down things you can remember such as when your parents married or where and when any relations overseas may have

emigrated. Also, have a root around in your loft for any

old family records such as birth, marriage

and death certificates.

Make a plan How far back do you want to go? How many branches of the family do you want to

investigate? It’s useful to set

some parameters before

you start.

Talk to your family -

Tap into the knowledge and memories of your living relatives to start putting flesh on the bones of your family tree.

5

4

Organise yourself Make sure you are methodical in everything you do, keeping notes and detailing sources.

Genealogy software packages can be very

useful in this regard.

Learn to move on Genealogy can be an imprecise science and does not always go according to plan.

It is easy to get bogged down and

obsessed with finding particular pieces of information, but if you feel you have reached a brick wall – move on and come back to it at a later

date as new sources of information become

available all the time.

talk tous steps to find your way in genealogy

Have you recently explored your family tree? Did you discover something interesting? Write in and share your experiences sending your letters and photos to the Editor at Fellowship Office using the address at the front of the magazine

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Š Popperfoto-Getty images

history

BEACON FOR CHANGE

Author Barry Turner looks back at how the Festival of Britain helped shaped the modern era

T

he 1951 Festival of Britain was a commercial and cultural showcase for the promotion of trade and the edification of the people. A century earlier, Britain had basked in the reflected glory of the Great Exhibition, the high point of Victorian world patronage, when over six million visitors had traipsed through Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace to gawk at the mechanical wonders of the age. None since had matched the splendour and excitement of that event and in 1951, with Britain in its post-war doldrums, it took a high degree of courage, even audacity, to throw the spotlight on a bedraggled phoenix arising from austerity and disenchantment. Yet the miracle happened. On a soggy, derelict site on the south side of the Thames, Britain was recreated as an image of the future, a

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proud country that had much to offer to the store of human happiness.

Inevitably, prediction was tarnished by experience. The Festival style, owing much to Scandinavian and, to a lesser extent, Italian design, was light and spacious and, above all, sensitive to social and environmental needs. What came after was distorted by a national culture that favoured picturesque cosiness over the more practical and, some thought, sterile design of the northern Europeans. To take one of many small examples, the flat fronted gas and electric fires displayed at the Festival as heat efficient and a saving on space were admired for their ingenuity but largely rejected by consumers wedded to the bulbous imitation log fires which were better at suggesting warmth than actually

delivering it.

Likewise, Festival architecture, though evident in schools (2,500 were built between 1944 and 1955), hospitals and new towns called forth by the welfare state, was long resisted by the lobby for old-fashioned values, which favoured Tudor-style beams and mock Georgian portals. After the Festival, the conservation movement was strengthened by the horrors of what really was modern, such as the outcrop of city tower blocks, to annul the fear of rural Britain disappearing under low-rise urbanmass. The love of concrete, so flexible, so durable, so easy and cheap to produce, inspired creative architects, but most were frustrated by planners and developers who thought good taste was to do with shrimp cocktails. Alongside the concrete monoliths,

the love affair with the car gave right of way to vehicles over the right of ordinary citizens to live in communal harmony.

All this was anathema to those who inspired the Festival, though ironically they are often blamed for the errors of judgement perpetrated by their successors.

To look back now at what the Festival stood for and what it had to offer is to discover a spirit of imagination and adventure that only in recent years has begun to realise its © The National Archives full potential.

Ref. WORK 25-64-25 Memories of the Festival are a potent reminder of what we might have achieved MAIN PIC: 1951 Festival much earlier had we had the wit to of Britain. FROM ABOVE: recognise the challenge.

Aerial view of 1951 Festival My strongest Festival memory is of of Britain; The Royal the broad-brush impression of newness, Festival Hall, 1951. Courtesy a contrast to all else that could be seen Royal Festival Hall Archives from the Thames embankment and, indeed, of anything we were used to at home. The Festival colours were startling, action and others to a happy departure from the shades of experience a cultural black and white that branded the post-war reawakening after years years. Everybody remembers the Dome of drab uniformity. But of Discovery. But do they, really? The on one point everyone aerial pictures of the South Bank utilised who paid their five to illustrate countless brochures and shillings admission (four shillings from mid material decline that had started with the articles show the Dome as the pre-eminent afternoon) was agreed; they were there to depression and mass unemployment of the spectacle, but close to ground level it enjoy themselves.

1930s. merged easily into the surrounding network Herbert Morrison, speaking for the Everything that mattered was in short of shining lightweight buildings and broad government, wanted ‘to hear the people supply. Butter, meat, tea and coal were all walkways with a surprise around every sing’ while Gerald Barry, the Festival rationed and when, in 1949, restrictions corner. impresario, said that what he was offering were lifted on the sale of sweets and For me, and I think for many youngsters, was a ‘tonic to the nation’ chocolates, the rush on the shops was so the Festival was the first indication that The notion of having fun was distinctly great the concession had to be withdrawn. learning was discovery and that discovery novel in post-war Britain. Leftward-leaning Twenty million Britons lived in homes could be fun. No doubt we picked up historians who spent too long in the without baths and hot water while nearly something of the essential message of the archives got hooked on the thrills of a a fifth of London’s homes were officially Festival that Britain classed as slums. was emerging from In the borough of hard times to lead a Fulham alone, not Gerald Barry, the Festival impresario, said that revolution in domestic otherwise designated what he was offering was a ‘tonic to the nation’ design and technology as deprived, singlethat promised a better room accommodation life for all. was the lot of 7,000 But it was the individual exhibits, families. Then to cap it all came the winter social revolution, the creation of a welfare though tame by modern standards of of 1946–7, the harshest on record – the state by the first Labour government animated display that caught the eye and longest period without sun, the fiercest to command an absolute majority at the imagination. Wandering around the snowstorms, the lowest temperatures.

Westminster.

Festival you could see how things might Snowdrifts up to ten feet or more were The Beveridge Report with its promise work if modern science were to be engaged whipped up by gale force winds. Cars, to combat the five great evils – want, as the servant of progress. trucks and even trains disappeared under a disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness white shroud, sometimes for days on end.

– caught the spirit of the time. But for the While the government could not be typical family, it was jam tomorrow, or A tonic for the nation blamed for the weather, it did come under maybe some day far off.

Meanwhile, the The Festival of Britain was foremost a attack for failing to meet the demand for daily routine was making do on very little, family outing. Some came for the spectacle coal, then the main source of domestic a routine that had a long tailback, with the of futuristic designs and bright colours, heating and industrial energy. The war giving a further twist to the spiral of others to see modern technology in

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history

DID YOU KNOW? The Southbank Centre in London will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain with a whole host of activities taking place between now and 4 September.

These will focus on celebrating British culture and creativity and feature themed weekends, performances, talks and events by some of Britain’s leading artists and thinkers.

Highlights will include: Museum of 1951 (until 4 Sept), a temporary museum in the Royal Festival Hall featuring memorabilia, artworks, personal histories and photographs. Light Fantastic with the BBC (24-26 June) celebrating the very best British light music.

London Literature Festival (1-3 July & 8-10 July) including an exploration of ‘Britishness’ and a Vintage Festival (29-31 July).

For more information on these and other events or to book tickets visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk or call 0844 847 9910

talk tous Did you attend the 1951 Festival of Britain? Send your memories and pictures in to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address found at the front of the magazine

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assumption that the miners would rescue the country from its meteorological crisis was based on the optimism engendered by nationalisation.

Taking the mines into public ownership (along with the railways, waterways, gas, electricity, the air ways, the Bank of England and iron and steel) was supposed to usher in a new age of labour relations with management and workers in happy harmony. The reality was no change. Union leaders wanted better pay and conditions for their members, and they wanted it now while their bargaining position was strong.

When the government refused to give way (many other special cases were in line waiting to see how the miners would fare), there was no alternative to cutting energy supplies.

The package of restrictions introduced was draconian. Even the most pessimistic commentators had not anticipated the complete suspension of household electricity supplies for three hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

Television was closed down and the Third Programme, the cultural channel of BBC Radio, went off the air. All broadcasting had to cease at 11 p.m. The plug was pulled on greyhound racing, one of the few sports it was possible to hold in freezing weather, and there was to be no afternoon cinema.

Newspapers were reduced to wartime size and some weekly journals like the Spectator, the New Statesman and The Economist were told to stop publication altogether.

As one factory after another locked its gates, the number of jobless rose from a few thousand to over a million. Before the winter was over, unemployment was to hit two million with another half million

Views of Festival of Britain site, 1951 © Austin Brackenbury

workers on short time, in total over 15 per cent of the nation’s workforce. One of the most painful images, long recalled from the winter of 1947, was of sullen householders with old prams and handcarts queuing outside gas works and coal merchants. It was like the 1930s all over again.

There was one piece of good news in the offing. In February 1949, clothes came off rationing. The challenge for the government was in persuading the country that there was a future worth working for.

It was an uphill task. Cynicism was matched by a social malaise.

Remembering the late forties, a boringly repetitive refrain comes to mind: ‘It can’t be done, Guv’. A Gallup poll revealed that 42 per cent of Britain’s population – and 58 per cent of those below the age of thirty – would emigrate ‘if free to do so’.

The euphoria of victory in Europe had long since given way to an overriding sense of grievance and bitterness. The Festival was intended to change all that. A national pick me-up, the party of a century had a serious underlying purpose, to demonstrate that Britain had within itself the talent, imagination and energy to create a new society.

Gerald Barry spoke of encouraging higher standards, ‘to bring into being new works of art, new social amenities for the people . . . to give the younger architects, artists and designers a chance to prove their talent . . . and to leave behind some permanent contributions to the future’.

A framework for the Festival planners was thus established.

consumer touch. If you travel a lot, some providers do add-ons for frequent travellers, which reduce the cost per minute in exchange for a monthly fee. If you spend a lot of time in just one country, it might be cheaper to buy a local Sim-card to use while you’re there.

Save on Talk Our friends at Which? offer some useful advice on how you can save money on your mobile bill

W

hether you can’t leave home without your mobile, or just use it for essential calls, owning a phone can be expensive. Don’t despair though, the chances are you could save yourself some money following these simple steps from Which? Mobile.

Firstly, if you’re a pay-monthly customer, make sure you’re on the right tariff. We recently found that 10 million people regularly pay for extra calls, texts and data on top of their monthly bill. If this sounds familiar, you may be able to save money by moving to a tariff with more minutes, texts or data.

Similarly, if you never go over your agreed line rental, it’s because you’re not using up your allowance. You may be able to save money by finding a cheaper tariff that reflects your usage or maybe even switching to pay-as–you-go.

If you’re coming to the end of a pay-monthly contract and are happy with your old phone, consider a Sim-only contract. Because you’re effectively supplying your own phone, Simonly contracts are cheaper for equivalent minutes, texts and data. Which? Mobile has found that - with like for like minutes

If you’re a pay-as-you-go user, it’s worth checking every now and then whether you can get a better tariff with a different provider. Call and text rates vary between networks, and many providers offer incentives such as text or call bundles if you top up by a certain amount each month, so changing your provider could get you a better deal. and texts – a Sim-only tariff could save you £120 or more a year compared to a standard contract, and most Sim-only deals only tie you in for a month at a time.

If you regularly use your mobile to surf the net, beware that networks cap the amount of data you’re allowed to use – usually at 500 megabytes (MB). Many providers charge per MB if you exceed your cap, which can add up to a big bill. If you regularly use a lot more than your inclusive allowance, it could be worth buying a mobile data add-on.

If you go abroad a lot, be wary of the big variations between different providers’ roaming charges and between different countries. When you’re abroad you must pay to receive calls as well as make them, so texting might be a cheaper way of staying in

Watch out for non-inclusive calls.

Calls to certain dialling codes – such as 0845 and 0870 – are never included in your monthly minute allowance and are usually very expensive to call from mobiles (up to 40p per minute). Even 0800 numbers – which are free from landlines – cost up to around 25p per minute to call from mobiles.

If you’ve got a smart phone you may enjoy playing on games and apps. Be wary of free apps as some charge money for unlocking extra material as the game progresses. This can be particularly dangerous if you’ve got children who have access to a smart phone.

We’ve heard of cases where people have been hit with a huge bill after letting their child play on a ‘free’ app. You can protect yourself from nasty surprises like this by changing the settings on your phone to block premium rate numbers and extra content in free apps.

If you’re not careful with your phone, it could end up costing you a lot of money. Research

by Which? Mobile shows that almost a third of people admit to storing sensitive information, such as PIN numbers and passwords on their phone. In the event that your mobile is lost or stolen, this could leave you open to fraud.

You can take some simple measures to safeguard against this. For example, lock your mobile handset with a security PIN number, or if you have a smart phone, a password.

Ideally set your PIN to automatically activate after, say, five minutes of inactivity, as this will stop thieves being able to use your mobile phone.

Follow these tips and you could cut your mobile costs significantly. Ignore them and you could soon find your phone burning an expensive hole in your pocket.

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travel

The Peoples’ CAPITAL With China well on the way to affirming it’s position as a global superpower we take a closer look at Beijing which has a rich mix of attractions for the visiting tourist

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The History As the capital of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing is the nation’s centre of government, economy, culture, and international activities, as well as serving as a transportation hub to the entire country.

With a population of 11 million people, it contains 18 districts and counties covering an area of 10,450 square miles.

Beijing has a long history. King Wu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 B.C. and for 800 years it served as the capital of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

It was also known as Peking by the Western world before Chairman Mao announced to the world the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st, 1949.

Must See Jinghsan Park Located to the east of Beihai Park and north of the Imperial Palace this beautiful spot is covered in fruit trees, pines and cypress trees. It was originally made with the earth from the moat surrounding the Forbidden City and its name means ‘Scenic Hill’ which given the stunning views you get of Beijing seems entirely appropriate.

Tian’anmen Square Tian An Men (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the main entrance to the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Built in 1417, it was first named the Cheng Tian Men, meaning that emperors obeyed the order of Heaven in ruling the country. It has twice been destroyed by fire but since being rebuilt in 1651 is has been named Tian An Men and is honoured as ‘The Gate of the Nation’. It is also one of the

MAIN PIC: The Forbidden City; CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Tian’anmen Square; Jingshan Park; Summer Palace Temples Courtyard.

largest city squares in the world occupying an area of 440,000 sq metres.

Summer Palace Located within the Haidian District, northwest of Beijing this is the bestpreserved imperial garden in the world and one of the largest of its kind in China.

Composed of the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake it boasts 3,000 pieces of garden architecture and is split into three zones: office, residential and sightseeing.

Forbidden City This imperial palace is the largest ancient palatial structure in the world. As the emperor believed

Getting Around Taxis are one form of transport that you could use to get around the city. Fares range from 1-2 yuan per km. To hail one just raise your hand (as you would in London).

Do make sure your car has an official business permit (displayed on the windscreen) though.

Beijing also has a good subway system. The main lines (1 and 2) will cover most of the tourist attractions in the city. A basic ticket that will take you anywhere on Lines 1 & 2 will cost 3 yuan and can be purchased at any subway station.

Another form of transport (if you are feeling energetic) would be bicycle. Many hotels in the city have bicycles for rent. If you want a really unique tourist experience, ride one of the old-fashioned pedicabs and take a tour of Beijing’s back alleys.

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travel

Useful Information There is a visa requirement to visit China from the United Kingdom. To apply for any type of Chinese visa, the following is required: a completed visa application form, a recent passport sized photograph and a valid original passport with blank pages. For a tourist visa you will also need to supply the itinerary or flight booking.

80 yuan, but there are also regular shuttle buses that run every 30 mins (between 5.30am – 7pm) between the China Aviation Building and the airport and every hour from both the China Art Gallery and Zhong Guan Cun. The bus fare is 16 yuan.

British Airways operates regular flights to Beijing Capital International Airport.

If you plan to travel in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November) you would be advised to have something warm to wear or throw over lightweight clothes. If travelling in summer (June to August) something cool (cotton items) are highly recommended.

The airport is located about 17 miles north of the city centre. To connect to the city, a taxi fare will cost you around

For any other information visit the China National Tourist Office website, www.cnto.org.uk

The Chinese currency is the Yuan (CNY). (£1= 10.48 CNY – exchange rate correct at going to press).

that his palace was in the centre of the earth, it was symmetrically built along the northsouth central axis of the city. Consequently it extends from the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower in the north to Yong Ding Men in the south.

Temple of Heaven This is the most holy of Beijing’s Imperial temples. It was where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:Dongsi Night Market; Summer Palace; the Beijing Opera Troupe; the Imperial Vault of Heaven.

INFO BOX As one of the first British tour operators to go to China in the 1980s, there is no one better than Travelsphere to introduce you to this incredible country and South East Asia. From the floating markets of Thailand to the temples of Cambodia, this corner of the world is just waiting for you to explore it.

Prices start from just £949.

For more information or to request a brochure please call 0800 987 5061.

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to solemnly pray for a good harvest.

The temple’s design reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the universe – so for example, as the number nine was considered the most powerful digit the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been laid in multiples of nine.

Taste China Beijing has many first class restaurants that serve superb Chinese and International food.

Here are just a few recommendations: Xilaishun Restaurant is an old traditional restaurant famous for its magnificent Islamic fried food.

Location: No. 194 Funeidajie Xichengqu Fangshan Restaurant offers diners the benefits of over 70 years of cooking traditionally. They use a staggering 108 different methods to create over 800 kinds of speciality foods.

Location: Inside Beihai-Park Yazhouzhixing XinMaYin Restaurant is the only place in Beijing that offers Singaporean, Malaysian and Indian dishes. The chef cooks in front of the customers and is a bit of a performer.

Location: From Dongsanhuan beilu 26 to south of Dongbaijia zhuanglu zhaolong hotel. (about 300m) At around 4pm in the afternoon, many portable snack stands gather at Dongsi Night Market. You can taste Beijing’s special Xiaochi or noodles here at very affordable prices.

home & lifestyle itable A ver rri of ou pot-p g ideas stin intere vice for d and a use at you to e hom

At Home

The Marvels of Mocktails

A great way to enjoy cocktails without the alcohol content Mocktails are becoming an increasingly popular ‘non alcoholic’ option on bar menus. So why not try out some of these recipes this summer? They’ll be sure to add a bit of colour to any summer get-together…

Virgin Manhattan A Manhattan contains sweet vermouth and two-and-a-half ounces of rye whiskey.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup cranberry juice 1/4 cup orange juice Good splash cherry juice Small splash lemon juice

Virgin Pina Colada Ingredients: 7 ounces pineapple juice 2 ounces coconut cream Cup of crushed ice Method: Blend at high speed.

Method: The juices combine into a mix that looks very much like the original, but you can drink a few and still say virgin version three times fast!

Safe Sex on the Beach Sex on the Beach, which uses 2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce peach schnapps, a splash of orange or grapefruit juice and a splash of cranberry juice, will soon have guests’ heads spinning if they down too many.

However, our toned-down version is a refreshing alternative

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that looks and tastes just as good, without the side-effects.

Ingredients: 2 ounces cranberry juice 2 ounces grapefruit or orange juice 1 ounce peach nectar.

The drinks look alike, but you can drink Safe SOBs all night long and never lose your poise.

Beachcomber

Caribbean Cocktail

Ingredients: 10 parts guava nectar 2 parts raspberry syrup 4 parts fresh lime juice

Ingredients: 1/4 fresh mango Combine all of the ingredients in 1/4 banana juice of half an orange a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a tall 1 dash freshly glass to serve squeezed lime juice Blend the ingredients together with some cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass to serve and garnish with a slice of mango.

Jimmy’s Beach Cruiser Ingredients: 2 shots raspberry juice 2 shots freshly squeezed orange juice 1/2 shot freshly pressed pineapple juice Lemonade Shake all of the juices in a shaker with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and top up with the lemonade.

DID YOU KNOW?

That May 31 is National Macaroon Day!

The original macaroon was a small sweet cake that consisted mainly of almonds. The English word macaroon comes from the Italian ‘maccarone’ or ‘maccherone’. The word is derived from ‘ammaccare which means to crush or beat. Most recipes include egg whites (whipped to stiff peaks) with ground or powdered nuts, generally almonds. They are also commonly baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

SUMMER SIZZLERS Get your barbecue fired up and then try out a couple of these great recipes…

Garlic Pork Loin Ribs Allow 3-4 ribs per person.

Trim off excess fat. Sprinkle well with garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. and lightly with thyme, black pepper and salt. leave to stand for 30 mins.

Get your BBQ going. you want to get a temperature of around 100C, and charcoal for 3-4 hours of cooking. Keep the charcoal to one end of the BBQ; you will cook slowly at the other end.

Preparing a basting sauce 65ml of corn oil, 65ml water, 65ml Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 of onion powder, 1 teaspoon each of mustard, thyme, ground bay and celery seed When the coals are ready, baste the ribs and place them on the grill opposite the coals. Close the lid and sit back. Turn and baste every 30 mins, making sure you keep your coals going and up to temperature.

Stuffed Chorizo Bell Peppers Bell Peppers, Boiled Mashed

Potatoes, Sausage Meat, Chorizo Sausage (Cut to small cubes), Olive Oil, Salt/ Pepper to Taste Combine mashed potatoes, sausage meat and chorizo together. Add salt and pepper. Cut off and keep the tops of the peppers. Remove the seeds and pith. Fill the peppers with the potato and sausage stuffing. Place tops of pepper back and baste pepper with oil.

Prepare barbecue for indirect cooking. Place on centre of barbecue and cook for 25-30 mins until centre of peppers is hot.

BBQ Mushrooms with Cheese Wash some large flat mushrooms, then get some Stilton cheese and place slices of cheese all around the mushroom (not too thick about a 1cm will be fine). Sprinkle some Worcester sauce over the whole mushroom with some pepper.

Then place on BBQ and gently cook until the cheese melts into the mushroom and the mushroom is cooked, and enjoy.

Tip: to test if mushroom is cooked stick a knife in the stalk - it should go in and come out easily.

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home & lifestyle

Outdoor Living Embrace the outdoor lifestyle with a few of these wonderful buys!

Garden Fire Basket by Fallen Fruits It holds lots of logs and will keep you warm during any late night summer garden parties From: Toys and Interiors £61.95 Order: 01392 881144 or online, www.toysandinteriors.co.uk Modena 6 Seater table and 6 Chairs Sit out and enjoy the longer days and nights!

From: Tesco Direct £299 Order: 0800 505555 or online, www.tesco.com

Acrylic Jugs, Glasses and Tumblers Enjoy any drink in these beautiful turquoise blue colour tumblers and glasses and mix up your Pimms in the jug (with sealed lid to keep dust and insects off) From: Berry Red Each item sold individually - jug £20, beaker £4.50, wine glass £6.50 Order: 01432 274805 or online at www.berryred. co.uk

Large Rock BBQ Great for beach or garden eating From: The Contemporary Home £45 Order: 02392 469400 or online, www.tch.net Outdoor Candles Made in Sweden these candles are for outdoor use and available in 6 different sizes and look great dotted around the garden or patio From: Nordic House Ltd Each item sold individually – prices range from £10 (15 x 10cm) to £66.50 (15x80cm) Order: 0844 209 2027 or online at www.nordichouse.co.uk

talk tous All prices correct at the time of going to press

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Have you got any home or interior tips (or disasters!) you’d like to share with other readers? Or perhaps a recipe that worked particularly well? Send your tips and suggestions in to Fellowship Office marked for the Editor’s attention, using the address found at the front of the magazine

PERILS OF RELOCATING OVERSEAS CSRF Member Milne Gordon offers some sage advice to anybody contemplating moving abroad on retirement…

All the information in the press and media paint a rosy picture of relocating to a warmer climate.

They tell you how to arrange banking facilities overseas, transferring your pension etc. However there is never any mention on what would happen if the pound sterling drops in value, which is a shame because if it had been mentioned it may well have helped some expatriates to take steps to compensate for the pound dropping 30 to 40% against the Euro, thus avoiding the exodus of expatriates back to the UK from the “Eurozone.”

Based on my 12 years experiences as a Voluntary Interpreter in a clinic on the Costa del Sol people should also be made aware of other problems they may encounter before deciding to move overseas.

Language problems Being a tourist in a country and going there to live permanently is very different from the language point of view. As a resident you need to get all your paperwork sorted out with banks, gas & electricity, etc. As you don’t speak the language you have to rely on other people to help you sort this all out. This makes you easy prey for fellow expatriates, or others, who speak the language, who will, for a fee, help you with all paperwork, however, if you did it yourself it would cost you nothing or very little.

Health Problems The older one gets the more susceptible one is to having Health Problems. This is when the lack of speaking the language of the country you’ve gone to live in is really felt. If you are lucky the Doctor may speak English or there maybe Voluntary Interpreters to help you. If not you may This have to rely on the kind of article is not meant people mentioned above.

One has to remember; to put people off, the more serious the but as my old father health problem the more used to say, “To serious becomes the lack of give them food for speaking the language. thought.”

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entertainment

Entertainment

Our round up of culture, books and DVDs

Old Enemies

BOOKS Reviewed by Janet Tester

Be of Good Cheer

By Gerald Bryan (Wilton 65) CSRF Member Gerald Bryan, born in Belfast in 1921, has written a full and detailed account of his most interesting life. He has subtitled the book ‘Service in War and Peace’ and every part of his life both personal and public is given coverage including a good number of black and white illustrations.

He has marshalled a huge amount of information very cleverly so that the reader is never overwhelmed with too much detail and the result is a wonderful picture of a modest man’s remarkable life.

By Michael Dobbs (Simon & Schuster) Recently ennobled as Lord Dobbs of Wylye, Michael Dobbs has written seventeen novels, his first being the award-winning House of Cards. This is his fourth book featuring Harry Jones, former army officer, politician and thoroughly good guy. Harry’s independent nature and experience in many behind-the-scenes tasks has made him friends and enemies in equal numbers and

Blood Count

By Robert Goddard (Bantam Press) Robert Goddard is a very accomplished writer and this, his twenty-second novel, is as good as any I have read.

Many years ago in somewhat dubious circumstances, surgeon Edward Hammond performed a life-saving transplant operation on a Serbian gangster, Dragan Gazi. Now Gazi is on trial for war crimes in the international court in The Hague, Gazi’s family are threatening to reveal

The Winter of Our Disconnect

By Susan Maushart (Profile Books) This is a true story of a most unusual family who did an amazing thing and lived to tell the tale!

The author, a single parent, and her three teenage children were all totally dedicated to modern technology. They were permanently wired; their lives lived via small and large screens. They were together as a family but each one was isolated in a digital cocoon of electronic wizardry. Susan Maushart is a columnist,

when he is approached by a former lover to rescue her kidnapped son, his own past comes back to haunt him as he battles desperately against ruthless enemies and bitter adversaries.

Michael Dobbs is a masterly story-teller and his novels always carry a frightening plausibility.

Hammond’s part in saving his life and everyone wants to track down the money that Gazi hid before he was locked up. This is a very complex plot with many twists and turns and the action takes place in The Hague, Milan and Belgrade.

Robert Goddard’s writing style enables the reader to chase a complicated story line through many locations until the loose ends are very neatly tied right at the end.

broadcaster and writer, and one day she had this idea! Somehow she managed to convince her family to see what life would be like to live without any of the modern gadgets for six whole months.

The children did not take up this challenge with alacrity but to their great credit they gave the project their best effort.

This amusing book tells of their struggles, frustrations and difficulties but also of the unexpected benefits that arose from their self-imposed isolation.

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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entertainment Inside the Danger Zones

By Paul Moorcraft (Biteback) This book covers forty years of reporting from war zones across the world including Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Sudan, and Asia. What these places have in common is that all of them placed the author and his team in various forms of danger of which the least seemed to be arrest!

Written with a great deal of humour and absolutely no political correctness, Paul Moorcraft has based this account on his contemporary notes. He not only talks about guns and battles but also about the larger than life characters that he encountered during his long life as a journalist reporting from places that most of us would never dare to visit.

talk tous Are you particularly excited about a book that is about to be published, or a sequel you are eager to see in print?

Are there any forthcoming cultural events that you would like to share with us? Is there a movie, new or classic that you simply can’t get out of your mind and you feel is worthy of sharing? Write in and tell us what entertains you, and we will do our best to review and let all members know your recommendations and favourites. Send your letters to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address found at the front of the magazine or email: avanti@square7media.co.uk

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

The Small Hand

By Susan Hill (Profile Books) This is spookily good – very atmospheric writing, beautifully presented by Profile Books. It’s a longish ‘short story’ very gripping and is a chilling tale of a man in the grip of a haunting.

Like all the best ghost stories the story starts simply enough when on a late summer’s evening, antiquarian bookseller

Adam Snow takes a wrong turning and stumbles across a derelict old house. As he is standing gazing at the entrance he feels the unmistakable sensation of a small hand creeping into his own ‘as if a child had taken hold of it’...

A strangely compelling book!

Memoirs of a Tory Radical

describe the disappointment, friendships and rivalries of political

By Nigel Lawson life.

(Biteback) Life as a Cabinet Minister and a detailed The introduction of this extensive work description of the notes that it includes edited sections of period with Margaret previous books and is a ministerial, even Thatcher as Prime a chancellorial, memoir rather than an Minister gives a tremendous insight into autobiography. Therefore, although Nigel the workings of government at that time.

Lawson’s political life is covered in great Much of the reading is uncomfortable, as detail, there is very little personal detail. the in-fighting and ambitions that seem Divided into five parts, the first chapters to be a necessary part of political life are laid bare.

Life as a Cabinet Minister and a detailed It is a fascinating close look at one short description of the period with Margaret period of history that Thatcher as Prime Minister gives a has had such a lifetremendous insight into the workings of changing effect on us government at that time all.

Beacon for Change

By Barry Turner (Aurum) Barry Turner has put together an account of how this showcase of our country’s commercial and cultural achievements were put together in the post-war doldrums of the early fifties, and how, in spite of monumental difficulties, everything somehow came together in the end.

A century earlier the Great Exhibition had hosted more than six million visitors

to Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace so there was much to live up to. Mostly the Festival lived up to expectations. For the first time since the war the ordinary citizens of the land were given a vision of the future. The Festival was a beacon for change.

The account is enjoyable and shows just how much impact the Festival of Britain had, not only on London, but throughout the United Kingdom.

CULTURE

Forests, Rocks and Torrents

Norwegian and Swiss Landscapes from the Lunde Collection

The National Gallery, London 22 June - 18 September This landmark exhibition will display what is arguably one of the most complete collections of 19th-century Norwegian and Swiss landscape paintings outside their respective nations. It introduces a British audience, familiar with great artists of the tradition of Constable and Turner, to skilled and innovative practitioners of landscape who enjoyed great reputations elsewhere in Europe. The 45 works displayed demonstrate the similarities of the Norwegian and Swiss traditions, but also the differences that climate, character, national temperament and political regimes impose on art.

Information The National Gallery is open daily from 10am6pm, Fridays 10am-9pm Admission is free For more information visit www.nationalgallery.org.

Thomas Fearnley, Fisherman at Derwent Water, 2 August 1837. Collection of Asbj¯rn uk or call 020 7747 2885 Lunde. © Photo courtesy of the owner

René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle Tate Liverpool 24 June –16 October 2011 René Magritte (1898 to 1967) is one of the most revered and popular artists of the 20th century. During summer 2011 Tate Liverpool will present René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle, the first major exhibition of the Belgian Surrealist in the UK in almost 20 years and aims to focus on the less explored aspects of Magritte’s life and artistic practice, and will focus on themes including the artist’s use of pattern and artifice, ideas and revelation, and visual fracture and eroticism.

Information Tate Liverpool is open Monday - Sunday, 10.00-17.50 £11 (£9 concessions), Free for Tate Members For more information and to book please visit Rene Magritte, Man with a Newswww.tate.org.uk/liverpool paper 1928. Tate © ADAGP, Paris or call 0151 702 7400 and DACS, London 2010

DVDs The Tales of Beatrix Potter: 40th Anniversary To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film’s original release the classic ballet film has been restored. Written and choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton (founding choreographer of the Royal Ballet) and directed by Reginald Mills (editor of The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus), it is a timeless classic.

RRP £15.99 from Optimum Releasing

Lewis Series Five Kevin Whately (as DI Robbie Lewis) has well and truly stepped out from behind Morse’s shadow as he continues to solve murder mysteries around Oxford ably assisted by his sidekick Hathaway (played by Laurence Fox). Series Five includes four feature length episodes that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.

RRP £24.99 from ITV Studios Home Entertainment

The King’s Speech This multi-awarding film features Colin Firth as Prince Albert (Bertie) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life and is suddenly crowned King George VI (after the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII).

Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother (Helena Bonham Carter) arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).

RRP £19.99 from Momentum Pictures

WIN

We have five sets of all the DVDs reviewed in this issue to give away. To enter is simple – send your name, address and telephone number on a postcard to: DVD Giveaway, CSRF, Suite 2, 80a Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA. The judges’ decision is final. Winners will be notified by post. Closing date: 31 July 2011.

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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coffee break Trivia and titbits to keep your mind in gear!

GARDENING FOLKLORE

There is plenty of folklore attached to gardening. How many of these quirky rituals have you heard of?

Drinking a New Year toast to fruit trees Believed to encourage a good crop of fruit Growing garlic Believed to cure constipation Not picking blackberries after 29 September As this is the day the devil spits or stamps on them Picking nettles (for fibres) before May Day To prevent the devil from using them to make his shirts Planting celery among cabbages Believed to protect the cabbages from caterpillars

Bingo!

have a chuckle…

SENIOR MOMENTS A Right Madam?

During a tour in South Wales, playing to the former mining communities with enormous success, Dame Sybil Thorndike found herself at a reception at a place called Tenby in Dyfed, Wales.

She was introduced to the assembly as the guest of honour by a rather senile vicar who said, ‘ I am delighted to have the pleasure of welcoming to our town Dame Sybil, a famous member of the oldest profession in the world.’

A Hand for the Bishop

In his later life, a former Bishop of Lincoln found himself having difficulty rising from a park bench where he had stopped to take the weight off his feet.

After struggling ineffectively, he was delighted when a little girl offered a helping hand.

‘That’s very kind of you my dear,’ he told her, ‘But are you really strong enough?’

‘Oh yes, the child retorted, ‘I’ve often helped my daddy when he was much drunker than you.’

How to keep busy in retirement!

The other day a man and his wife went into town and spent five minutes visiting a shop.

When they came out, there was a policeman writing out a parking ticket. They approached him and said, ‘Come on sir, how about giving a pensioner a break?’

He ignored them and continued writing the ticket. So the man called him a fascist. He glared

Q: How do you make four old ladies say “B****r”?

A: Get a fifth old lady to yell “BINGO!”

at him and started writing another ticket for having worn tyres.

So the man’s wife called him a total pillock.

He finished the second ticket and put it on the windscreen with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket.

This went on for about 20 minutes. The more they abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

But neither the man nor his wife cared. They had come into town by bus and made a point of having a little fun every day now that they were retired.

Best Dried Arrangement

Two little old ladies were sitting on a park bench outside the local village hall where a Flower Show was in progress.

One leaned over and said to the other, “Life is so boring; we never have any fun anymore. For £5.00 I’d take my clothes off and streak through that Flower Show!”

“You’re on!” said the other old lady holding up a £5.00 note.

The first little old lady slowly fumbled her way out of her clothes and, completely nude, streaked (as fast as an old lady can) through the front door of the Flower Show.

Waiting outside, her friend soon heard a huge commotion inside the hall followed by loud applause and shrill whistling.

The naked and smiling old lady came through the exit door surrounded by a cheering crowd.

“What happened?” asked her waiting friend.

I won 1st Prize as Best Dried Arrangement.

Helicopter Flight

John and his wife Mabel went to Blackpool every year, and each year John would say, “Mabel, I’d like to ride in that helicopter”.

Mabel always replied, “I know John, but that helicopter ride is fifty pounds -- and fifty pounds is fifty pounds”.

One year Mabel and John went to Blackpool, and John said, “Mabel, I’m 85 years old. If I don’t ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.”

Mabel replied, “John that helicopter is fifty pounds -- and fifty pounds is fifty pounds”.

The pilot overheard the couple and said, “Excuse me, I’ll make you an offer. I’ll take both of you for a flight in the helicopter. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word I won’t charge you! But if you say one word, it’s fifty pounds.”

John and Mabel agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy manoeuvres, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to John and said, “By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn’t. I’m impressed!”

John replied, “Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Mabel fell out, but you know -- fifty pounds is fifty pounds.” www.crsf.org.ukSUMMER SPRING 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

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coffee time

CONGRATULATIONS

SUDOKU

To the winners of the various competitions in our spring issue – Mrs G Harber (winner of the General Knowledge quiz), Mrs D Forsyth (winner of the DVD giveaway) and Mr G Stredwick (winner of the Pepperfit giveaway)

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Have a go at our general knowledge quiz

WORDSEARCH Can you find the listed words meaning ‘small’ hidden in the grid? Words run backwards or forwards, up or down or diagonally, but always in a straight line.

ATOMIC BANTAM BRIEF CONDENSED DIMINUTIVE ELFIN GAMINE ITSY BITSY

LIMITED LITTLE MINIATURE MINOR MINISCULE MINUTE PETITE PINT SIZE

REDUCED SCANT SHORT SKIMPY SLIGHT TINY TRIFLING WEE

1. The Latin phrase ‘inter alia’ translates into English as what?

2. Which English novelist wrote Wuthering Heights?

3. In Roman numerals what letter represents the number 50?

4. What family of instruments does the trumpet belong to?

5. Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood at Olympus?

6. What is the fundamental oath most usually associated with doctors?

7. Who wrote the ‘Unfinished Symphony’?

8. In the Bible whose parents were See Zechariah and Elizabeth? how well you 9. Which country is the home of did and check feta cheese? your answers 10. What is the unit of on page currency in Poland?

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COLLECTIVE NAMES

How well do you know the collective names for groups of animals? Did you know for example that a group of monkeys is called a ‘troop’? Try your hand at the ten below

1. Larks 2. Crows 3. Oysters 4. Vipers 5. Deer

6. Swans 7. Goldfinches 8. Badgers 9. Lions 10. Gorillas

How well did you do? Check your answers on page 37

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SPRING 2011 SUMMER 2011www.crsf.org.uk www.csrf.org.uk

Not actual hamper, but for illustration only

PRIZE CROSSWORD

Back by popular demand!

Some of you missed the prize crossword so to celebrate its return we’re offering you the chance to win an amazing FORTNUM & MASON hamper worth £100.

ACROSS

2. Pseudonym of writer Francois Marie Arouet (8) 9. Expressive melody (4) 10. Oxford museum (9) 11. Dark beer; bulky figure (5) 12. First victim of censorship in 399BC (8) 14. Lloyd Webber Musical (4) 15. Middle name of Dame Taylor (8) 17. Classical Greek philosopher (5) 18. A dehiscent fruit or pericarp having several seeds (3) 20. A blue/cyan colour (5) 21. Intermittent discharge of water turbulently (6) 23. Pile of stones (5) 25. Poetry metre with three stressed on one (6) 27. The Muse for history (4) 28. Make amends or reparations (5) 29. To move or proceed (2) 31. A building used for large gatherings (4)

DOWN

1

The hamper includes some of the best tea, coffee, cake and wine available from this most prestigious of food establishments all presented in a lovely basket hamper.

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5

6 7

8

9

10 11 10 12

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14 18

15

16 17

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1. Surname of 1998 Booker Prize winner (6) 3. Emily Bronte’s Cathy post Earnshaw (6) 4. Slang term for Britain (7) 5. A speaker’s stand (6) 6. Bunyan’s prison book (8, 8) 7. The Queen’s official residence in Scotland (13) 8. First name of 19th Century French painter who stopped painting after going blind (6) 10. Marsh (3) 13. Most commonly used word in English language (3) 14. Welsh soup or broth (4) 16. Right bank district of Paris (6) 17. In a short time; soon (9) 19. East German automobile (7) 22. Panpipes (Greek) (6) 24. Official dress; phonetic letter (7) 26. Ivy League university (4) 30. A name for the lower jaw (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: 31 July 2011 NAME: ADDRESS:

POSTCODE: Terms & Conditions :The publisher reserves the right to substitute a prize of equivalent or equal value if necessary.

Test Your Knowledge: 1.it means ‘among other things’, 2. Emily Bronte, 3. L, 4. Brass, 5.Statue of Zeus, 6.Hippocratic, 7.Schubert, 8.John the Baptist, 9.Greece, 10. Zloty. Collective Names: 1 – Exaltation, 2- Murder, 3- Bed, 4- Nest, 5-Herd, 6-Bevy or Wedge, 7-Chirm, Charm, 8-Cete, 9-Pride, 10-Band www.csrf.org.uk www.crsf.org.ukSUMMER SPRING 2011

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readers’ letters

POSTBAG Your letters and views

Bigger and Better!

Dear Postbag, Thank you for my spring copy of avanti. May I say what a great improvement has taken place in a now ‘upmarket’ magazine.

Although Maldon Essex group does not now function officially; there are still a few of us who try and meet up still at The Blue Boar Hotel once a month for coffee/tea and chat. Anyone is welcome to come along (for details see the planner section).

With best wishes, Mrs R Smith, Maldon, Essex

STAR LETTER

Age no object Dear Postbag, When I reached the age of 90 I decided to set myself a challenge at each successive year. Last September, coming up to my 92nd birthday I managed to fulfil one, achieving what is erroneously called a Wing Walk.

You must be able to get onto the top wing unaided and a doctor’s letter is needed over 65.

I have had severe osteo-arthritis in my lower back since the war, and now have arthritis affecting both upper arms. I therefore had some difficulty pulling myself up.

However once there one of the young lady acrobats strapped me to the post handed me gloves and

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

goggles and that’s all there was to it. Challenge? Easy!

I can recommend the experience of flying over the grass airfield at RFC Rendcomb in the lovely Cotswolds to other CSRF members.

By the way, I have recently discovered that there is a ‘Guinness Book’ record for the oldest ‘wing walker’. At 91 years and 10 months I was older than the 90-year old holder in this year’s annual, but as no Guinness judge was present at my flight, I don’t think I shall appear in print unless this letter is printed. There is still life in elderly members!

Yours sincerely, Mr E Thompson, Northwich, Cheshire Ed’s Note – Mr Thompson we’ll forward a copy of this issue to the Guinness Book of Records and see what they say!

Keeping in touch Dear Editor, It was very nice meeting you at our Christmas dinner last year, sorry I have not written earlier, but not been too well but I am now feeling better.

I have now been retired from Lincoln Collection for 25 years and often think and wonder how many of my late colleagues have retired or even died. I don’t want to appear morbid but it could be a form of respect to mention when late colleagues have deceased.

Sincerely yours, Margaret Bradley, Lincoln Ed’s Note – if you would like to get in touch with Margaret contact the team at Fellowship Office at the usual address.

They will pass on your details to her. If anybody wants to put a ‘call out’ to former colleagues then please write in to me with the relevant information enclosed.

Bus Memories Dear Postbag, Readers will recall the autumn 2010 issue of avanti had a picture of a vintage bus on the front, used to illustrate an article on the joys of travelling around the country using our concessionary bus passes. There is over half a century of political and social history here culminating in one of life’s uncanny coincidences.

In the mid-1800s, Thomas Tilling, a farmer’s son from Hendon, left the farm and started to run a horse bus in London. The great exhibition of 1851 brought him increased trade and his business expanded; the invention of motor buses saw a network of routes operated, and by the middle of the twentieth century the Tilling group of companies operated over large parts of the Kingdom.

The group owned the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company Ltd, which manufactured its own buses. It also owned a bodybuilders, Eastern Coach Works, of Lowestoft.

The bus shown in the avanti picture seems to be typical of those built

by Bristol just after the war and supplied to other companies in the Tilling group.

Under the 1947 Transport Act, the Tilling Group of companies was nationalised and the companies became part of the British Transport Commission.

This became the National Bus Company in 1968. In the 1980s everything was de-nationalised and sold off piecemeal. The operating side of Bristol Tramways (renamed Bristol Omnibus Co) is now part of First Group; the manufacturing side was closed down. Eastern Coach Works was also closed. What is left of Thames Valley is now part of First Group. Only one item remains.

At the end of its working life, the bus in your picture was saved from the scrap yard by a benefactor who bought it, restored it to pristine

Wartime Memories Dear Postbag, In the spring issue you printed a letter from Mrs Knight of Bournemouth. I just had to write and send you this copy of a photograph of my husband, Stan Powell, sent to his family during World War II. Stan did his aircrew training (Navigator) in South Africa and the photograph shows him (standing 2nd from right) with other crew members.

When he was demobbed he joined the Forestry Commission and was a Head Forester when he retired.

Yours faithfully, June Powell, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire

condition and maintained it in preservation. It still exists and makes rare forays under its own power to public exhibitions. I came across it at Alton last July. It is the only remaining example of a Bristol chassis with a Bristol-built body. When I saw the illustration in avanti I was amazed by the coincidence that you had found a picture of this sole survivor which I had seen only months before. Here is a picture I took when I discovered it last year.

Michael Peacock FCILT, SE Middlesex Group

Dear Postbag, The letter from Mrs Knight reminded me of my own service in the RAF in India from 1944 to 1946.

I sailed there in October 1944 on the first troop transport to go via the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.

We were joined on the ship by the first group of WAAFs to go to India.

Their presence caused much interest to the natives displaying themselves on the banks. We got stuck across the Canal and had to be towed off.

I was inspired to look through my snaps and revive memories of old friends and comrades. I got married immediately on demobilisation in June 1946 and am still happily married to my wife Elsie now.

Yours sincerely, G.F.C. Clarke, Cringleford, Norwich

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readers’ letters

POETRY CORNER Playing Games Dear Postbag, I was interested to read the letter from Mr F.J.Ayres of Upton about the truly rough and tumble ‘High Jimmy Knacker’ game. Just down the road, in Bournemouth, this game was known as ‘Bung a Barrel’. The ‘song’ went “1-23-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Bung a Barrel down again”, and if the mount collapsed the shout was ‘Weak, Weak’. This would be in the early and mid-Thirties. Most of us survived!

Yours sincerely, Norman Hixson, Reading Dear Postbag, I am very grateful to Mr F.J.Ayres for his letter (Spring 2011) describing so clearly the old playground game ‘High Jimmy Knacker’. I had almost forgotten this game, which we called ‘Jump Jimmy Knacker 1-2-3’ when I saw in a charity shop a few weeks ago, a charming print of a picture of a team of boys joyfully riding on the backs of ‘the horses’.

We used to enjoy this hilarious, boisterous game, despite grazed knees, in the playground of my primary school in Streatham. Other street games I remember from the late twenties and early thirties in addition of course to

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Memories of WW 2

By Joyce Neville, Basingstoke Group reporter I remember Jumpers made from darning wool, Belts of cellophane, Powdered egg and carrot cake, No point to complain.

Legs adorned with sun-tan lotion, Lint pyjamas - What a notion!

Floating cows up in the sky.

The Dance at Drury Lane, welcome G.I, Barrage and Blackout, heavy rescue’ Doodle bugs, the dread V2, Platforms shelter crowds below Was it really so!

‘In which we serve’ - stiff upper lip, Propaganda, censorship.

Sadness at a sudden loss, Excitement of D-day, Wild joy about VJ. Dunkirk spirit - that old cliché Does it exist today?

Do youngsters really want to know The tales of sixty years ago?

Old Blue

By Jean Tibbott, Carlisle, Cumbria She’s been put out to dotage – she doesn’t go fast But it’s nice to ‘count daisies’ as others go past She’s had lots of ‘ops’ but at least she’s pulled through And, at the moment, she’s quite... good as new My hubby speaks gruffly perchance she should err But I won’t hear a wrong word spoken to her I know there are times when she’s been a bit fickle But she’s been up and away with just a slight tickle She doesn’t eat much – just the same liquid feed And she only has that when there’s really a need She’s a very dear friend and that you won’t mar I’m ever so fond of my old blue car If you are sending poems to Poetry Corner please make sure you clearly indicate the name of the author if the poem you are sending in is not your original work. The poems published here are intended to show the love of literature shared by all members

cricket and soccer, included cycle and Dear Postbag, roller skating races round the block You asked for childhood games, well (hard to imagine a street with no cars the following is both a board game and and only a few horse- drawn a childhood game. vehicles), soap-box derbies, In our early teens both kite flying, spinning tops Dear Postbag, my brother and I were and whips, conkers, mad about cricket and, I too played ‘Highyo-yo competitions as this was a time Jimmy-Knacker 1-2-3’. I and ‘fag-card fairs’. In when there were also participated in ‘Fag the latter, a fair was no indoor sports card fairs’, ‘French Cricket’ organised in which facilities, we devised a and ‘Knock down Ginger’ anyone could set up winter cricket game... all played on St James a game or stall of any using a shove a ‘penny Road, Mitcham. type and the currency board.

F.Roessler used was in the form of We tossed up, using cigarette cards. Budding one of the pennies to see entrepreneurs could return who would bat and who would home with a stack of cigarette cards to bowl. The batsman went first using six swap. pennies to represent an over, and then Yours sincerely, it would be the bowler’s turn, again John A Harrison, Edinburgh using six pennies.

To score runs the batsman had to get a penny in any one of the top four beds on the board. The top bed being worth four runs, the next bed down three runs, the next two runs, and the final bed one run. Anything below the top four beds did not count and to score a six the batsman had to put a penny in the small semi-circular bed, called the ‘dosser’, at the top of the board.

To take a wicket the bowler had the quite straightforward, but more difficult, task of getting a penny in the ‘dosser’. Unfortunately, due to the small size of the ‘dosser’, which only had room for two pennies it, was not possible to take a hat trick. However, to make it more interesting, if the bowler got a penny into the ‘dosser’ by bouncing it off another penny then that player was deemed caught out.

Our matches were played along the lines of a County Championship with each team having two innings and as we lived in Surrey there was always an argument as to which of us would be the Surrey team!

Peter Stallard, Royston, Herts (via email)

In praise of Giveacar

Ed’s Note – keep those memories coming in – does anybody know of the picture Mr Harrison is talking about or do they have a copy they could send us?

Or alternatively send us in photographs of you participating in games when you were a child

Ed’s Note – excellent to receive such positive feedback, don’t forget that we benefit from any use of Giveacar so if you have an old vehicle you are looking to dispose of you can contact them on 020 0011 1664 or via their website, www.giveacar.co.uk – don’t forget to nominate The CSRF as your receiving charity though

More Generations Dear Postbag, Reading about the service history of the Whitakers brought back many memories to me. My grandfather (whom I never ever saw) George Richards, and my father George Richards, both worked as cattle drovers at the victualling yards in Deptford and often brought home our breakfast of liver, sweetbreads and suet. My relations on my mother’s side ran the pub The Navy Arms.

I wonder if Bernard can enlighten me on a tragedy that

Dear Postbag, Thank you for sending me the Giveacar literature. I wanted to let you know about the very good service I received in the matter.

I applied using the website on 31 January at 16.00 and Giveacar replied at 17.38 by email. Next morning at 10.15am I received a phone call from Giveacar thanking me for the donation and giving me the name of the firm (from Charlton) that does the collection. The firm phoned at 14.30 the same day asking a few questions about the state of the car, such as whether it runs, has wheels, where kept and what was access like and then gave me a date 5th February at 11.00am for pick up.

The driver phoned at 09.45 for a pick up because a previous collection couldn’t be done and as he was only a mile from me asked if he could pick mine up instead, this was completed by 10.20.

Then at 14.34 the same day they sent an email confirming destruction and attached a copy of the ‘Certificate of destruction’.

Thank you for the information, Donald Stannard, London

occurred around there. The story goes that the Governor of the pub committed suicide for taking bets over the counter and the disgrace of going to prison was not an option. Looking at the Whitaker family photo they look very familiar. I lived in Creek Road opposite Rachael McMillan’s House which Queen Mary opened in 1936 and started in the Civil Service in 1942, married in 1945 in Deptford (St Paul’s Church) and after a spell off due to TB I retired in 1984 as an acting H.E.O. I would be more than happy if Bernard could enlighten me on a bit of history.

Yours sincerely, Lily Saddington (nee Richards), Orpington

Days of the Raj CSRF Member Desmond Higgins whose experiences in India were highlighted in the last issue has kindly let us know that his book, In the Wake of the Raj (Melrose Books) is now available in paperback priced £8.99 – the ISBN reference is 978-1-907732-34-8.

Cooking up a Feast Dear Postbag, In last year’s spring issue there was an article about Marguerite Patten and food during the war. In 1941 a ‘British restaurant’ was running in Oldham, Lancashire. It was called the Victoria and was situated in Manchester Road, Hollinwood, and the meals were largely prepared and served by members of the W.V.S. I have enclosed a copy of just a few of the recipes which make very interesting reading and thought might be of interest to avanti readers:

Rice Pudding for 100

2 lbs.rice, 3 gallons milk. 1 ½ lbs.sugar.

2 tablespoons Soya Bean Flour. 1 ½ lbs margarine or suet. Salt.

Railway Pudding for 100

9 lbs flour, 3 lbs margarine, 2 lbs sugar, 3lbs jam, ¼ lb egg powder, 3 Quarts Milk, 12 Dried Eggs and Salt.

Rub fat into flour, add dry ingredients and liquid. Mix to a dropping consistency and put into greased baking tins. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Spread hot jam on top and sprinkle with coconut.

PAULINE HORNER, POULTON-LE-FYLDE, LANCS

talk tous If you have a story to share, write to the Editor using the contact information at the front of the magazine If you want an audio copy of avanti then contact the Fellowship Office for more information on how one can be sent to you free of charge.

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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members

MEMBER

REWARDS Offers and giveaways exclusively for you!

Queen’s Hotel, Bournemouth Bournemouth is a fantastic place for individuals or groups for a holiday offering visitors a wide range of historic places, beautiful scenery and leisure activities to enjoy. The Queen’s Hotel is located in the heart of the town within easy access of both the bus and train station. The hotel also has plenty of parking available for those coming by car.

The hotel is a well-run family business with 109 modern ensuite rooms. Visitors would also be able to take advantage of the indoor pool, gym, Jacuzzi and steam room as well as some great cuisine in the inhouse restaurant.

The Queens is offering a special

CSRF member offer of £55 per person (reduced from £99.50), per night (dinner, bed & breakfast) with a minimum stay of 2 nights for any period from now until 5 August 2011. Subject to availability.

To take advantage of this great deal call 01202 554415 and please quote ‘CSRF Spring/Summer offer’ when making a reservation

WIN! We have 5 copies

of the Which? Computing Made Easy for the Over 50s to giveaway to the first 5 lucky entries drawn.

To enter: Send your name, address and telephone number to:WHICH GIVEAWAY, CSRF, Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA. Competition closes: 31 July 2011

Making things easier from Which?

Which? has just published two new guides in their ‘Made Easy’ series that offer useful advice and handy hints on a wide range of different subjects.

Computing Made Easy for the Over 50s provides readers with an easy to follow guide to making the most of your computer with lots of useful tips to making the best of using your machine. The Gardener’s Year Made Easy is packed full of helpful gardening advice to ensure you can make the most of your garden or outdoor space. Which? is offering CSRF members a special reduced rate to buy either of these guides.

To buy a copy of Computing Made Easy for the Over 50s: Windows 7 Edition, for a special price of £8.99 (inc p&p) please call 01903 828 557 and quote CME11 To buy a copy of The Gardeners Year Made Easy for a special price of £8.99 (inc p&p) please call 01903 828 557 and quote GYME11

Both guides have a RRP of £10.99

THEATRE TICKET GIVEAWAY Trevor Nunn realizes a forty year old dream by at last directing Tom Stoppard’s first masterpiece Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as the second production of his captivating season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, in London.

A verbally scintillating and richly inventive play, Stoppard retells Hamlet through the eyes of two of its minor characters. Vaguely conscious that they are bit parts in a much bigger story of which they have no direct knowledge, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hilariously and poignantly inhabit a world completely beyond their grasp.

We have 3 pairs of top price tickets to attend the show in London available for the first three people drawn on Thursday 9 June.

To enter: Send your name, address and telephone number to: TICKET GIVEAWAY, CSRF, Suite 2, 80A BLACKHEATH ROAD, LONDON SE10 8DA. Terms & Conditions: Tickets are valid for Monday – Thursday performances 16 June – 14 July excluding 21 June, subject to availability.

Promoter reserves the right to substitute prize for that of an equal or greater value if necessary.

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member feature

mission of

MERCY! CSRF Member Maureen Nelson recalls her volunteer experiences on board the Mercy Ships…

I

t was only my second visit after joining the Basingstoke group when I heard the guest speaker give a talk about the Mercy Ships. I had never heard of this charitable organisation before. The largest Christian non-governmental hospital ship in the world that is run entirely by voluntary staff including surgeons, doctors, nurses, water engineers and other specialists, bringing hope and healing to the world’s poorest people on the West African coast.

Thousands of free medical treatments take place on board every year. Life changing operations such as orthopaedic, cleft lip, dental and eye surgery. Truly amazing. But what touched my heart mostly was hearing

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about the repair surgery given to women after suffering the traumatic experience of giving birth to a stillborn baby. After suffering many days in labour, they were left with severe incontinence problems. Their lives are then spent in loneliness and misery, becoming village outcasts because of the stench of their constantly leaking urine. After successful surgery, these women were given new clothes, and were able to return to their homes and families “cured and clean”, giving them a new joy and hope for the future!

I came away from the meeting full of enthusiasm and inspiration. Being recently widowed I needed a new focus. I nursed my dear husband Derek whilst he suffered from

lung cancer; I have no fears of illness and death. We loved going on cruises – I couldn’t imagine going on another one without him – but I could work on a ship! My grandfather was African, I must have many, many African relatives, and I have this opportunity of helping them in a small way.

By the time I had reached home I was fired with the idea of applying to work and serve on this ship. It just felt so right! I dialled the telephone number of the Mercy Ship leaflet I was given and managed to arrange to attend an introductory course in Holland the following April. This I did and to my surprise and delight I was offered a job working in the galley for the whole

of the month of August. Here I was, a retired ex-civil servant about to go on an extraordinary adventure!

I had quite a hectic time arranging my flight tickets, getting all my medical jabs, and applying for a visa etc. The “Africa Mercy” was docked in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia for ten months of that year (February to November).

The big day came; my journey took 12 hours to complete. On August 1st I flew to Brussels, then on to Liberia via The Ivory Coast. Early evening I was met at Roberts Airport by a Mercy Ships’ truck and was pleased to discover I was one of a party of twelve new “volunteers”. We quickly made ourselves known to each other; everyone was very friendly and excited. We were driven through the jungle, quite scary travelling on rough bumpy roads in the dark. We also went through remote villages revealing groups of people gathered together around candle-lit tables outside their homes.

This is a country recovering from a fourteenyear civil war – there is no electricity. This trip was going to be quite an eye opener.

At last we were on the “Africa Mercy” Ship. We received a very warm welcome and after a light snack and introductory talk, were

When you reach out to serve the poor, you discover it is they who give to you, not just the other way around shown to our cabins. My cabin was quite small. Not a lot of room, but adequate. What struck me was the great friendly atmosphere on board the ship and the feeling of hope that we all had about making a difference.

Working in the galley was so busy! I was part of a team of three providing salad meals for the crew of 400. We were situated between the Bakery and Hot Food Sections and opposite the washing- up area amidst lots of good-natured activity and noise; it was very, very noisy. People talking, shouting, laughing and singing, pots being

Maureen met the locals and assisted in the hospital during her volunteering experiences in Liberia

banged and thrown about, sinks being constantly filled with water, the bakery mixing machines droning, not to mention all the African music being played in the background. My hours were eight till five Monday to Friday. It was hard work, but it was fun.

The hospital wards and operating theatres were on Deck 3. All members of staff were encouraged to adopt a patient and make regular visits to the wards. So I chose to visit Yeme, a very brave 14 year old who had a number of tumours on her head and body. We would play “snap” and do some colouring pictures together. We shared the language of smiles.

And she liked me to massage her hands and arms with sun lotion. I packed loads of sun cream, only to find I was there in the middle of the rainy season!

During my free time I had the privilege of being allowed to observe two cataract operations, I found it was fascinating, forty years too late to discover I could have been a theatre nurse! I also visited a women’s prison, an Aids hospital, orphanages, and a well-digging project. I could spend hours telling you about the amazing people I met.........

It was a truly memorable experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to see for myself how precious life is and to see so much courage and dignity amidst such poverty. When you reach out to serve the poor, you discover it is they who give to you, not just the other way around. Their grace, patience and gratitude in response to the smallest act of kindness changes those privileged to serve them.

All this from joining the CSRF!!!!! So thank you!!!!

GET INVOLVED If you have been inspired

by Maureen’s experiences as a volunteer then why not give some of your time to us?

We have lots of volunteer opportunities for people to lend a hand. For more information on volunteering contact Yvonne Kutzer on Yvonne.kutzer@csrf.org.uk or call 020 8691 7411

talk tous How has joining the CSRF or attending your local group changed your life for the better? Please write in with your stories and experiences, as we would be delighted to hear from you. Write in to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine.

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members

WE ASKED:

“Do you agree or disagree with the idea of mandatory driving tests at 70?”

The

Big Question!

We asked and you answered! Here’s a selection of your thoughts on the idea of mandatory driving tests at 70...

YES

There should be and regularly thereafter with associated medical checks. There should be provision for ‘re-education’ where the weaknesses are not those of ageing but rather bad habits.

Norman Hixson, Reading (via email) I strongly agree that there should be compulsory driving tests at the age of 70! There is a tendency to carry on driving without realising that not only is our eyesight losing its keenness but also our attention, hearing and general alertness has been fading too. There have probably been many changes in the rules of the road since we first took a test many years ago. I was quite happy to give up driving at the age of 75.

Sandy Morrison (via email) I am in favour of driving tests at 70 and even every 5 years thereafter. I have seen instances of grotty driving by ancient OAPs. By the way, I AM 88 and still driving!

Les Hitchen, Poulton-le-Fyde

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NO

My wife and I do not agree that tests should be mandatory.

We do think however that should a person over that age have an accident through their own fault (and not through the fault of another) then this should be obligatory before being allowed again. We are also of the opinion that over 70s should also be required to obtain their Doctor’s signature to the application form to renew their license confirming that, in the Doctor’s opinion that person is fit to drive.

I am 83 and my wife is 77. We are both still driving and both still confident with this.

Mr P.E.Wason, Newbury I hope that this does not come about. I am disabled and registered partly sighted and my husband drives my Motability car without which I would be completely housebound. My husband will be 80 in June and we appreciate that this will have to be our last car. My husband also has a clean license and how many young folk can say that!

Mrs P Simana, Eastbourne The idea of mandatory driving tests at 70 is ludicrous! The vast majority of people in this age group are perfectly fit and the fact that many insurance companies

offer reduced premiums for people over 60 must surely indicate that this group of drivers is considered more experienced and competent than younger groups (accident statistics also bear this out). D Beechey (via email) Being an ex Supervising Driving examiner and a driving examiner for over 30 years I am totally opposed to mandatory driving tests for those drivers over 70 years. I would agree to all drivers having to take a retest after holding a licence for say 10 years, irrespective of age although the retest fee would have to be nominal or nil.

This type of retest would take some poor drivers off the road! R Trotter (via email) I don’t agree we should have mandatory tests at 70. In my experience some of the worst drivers are young men and young women especially the latter in BMW’s, also of course ‘the man in the white van’. There is a lot of discourtesy on the roads and rushing along, cutting in etc to achieve usually very little except possibly an accident. I would certainly be interested to know the statistics on road accidents by age and gender.

S Wood (via email) It is not elderly drivers who are responsible for the majority of road accidents; probably insurance companies would confirm this.

Older drivers tend to be more careful and have a lot of experience with driving conditions, gained over many years contending with adverse weather patterns.

It would make more sense to concentrate on drivers up to the age of 25 who are far more likely to be involved in serious road traffic accidents!

G Holman, Lewes (via email) I do not agree with mandatory tests at 70.

Insurance companies will confirm that most accidents are caused by age groups 17-25.

The Institute of advanced motorists found that motorist over 70 were involved in 4 per cent of crashes whereas teenagers and drivers in their twenties were involved in 34 per cent. J.Yates (via email) I do not feel that there is any justification to do this at such an early age. Many drivers in rural areas have no choice but to continue driving. I know several in this area in their 80’s and 90’s who continue to drive quite competently. Norfolk County Council set up via their Casualty Reduction Section a scheme called GOLD GUIDANCE FOR OLDER DRIVERS. It is aimed at giving older drivers an opportunity to continue driving and to guide them into small adjustments to their driving habits. It also helps drivers to get back on the road by encouraging them, such as the instance of a lady who had not driven for some years but her husband died and living in the wilds of Norfolk with little or no public transport she would have been isolated and not able to get out.

Doreen Parker, Attleborough Group (via email)

The Next

Big

Question Local communities are an important part of the government’s Big Society agenda. But do you think that we appreciate the importance of community? Is community spirit dead and buried? Or do we still ‘love our neighbour’? Do you agree or disagree?

Send your opinions or views marked for the attention of the Editor using the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine or email: avanti@square7media.co.uk

Make the most of Motoring Our friends at CSIS offer some useful advice on how to pick the best motor insurance policy

W

hen you drive your “new” car on the road, or leave it parked in the street, the law says that you must have motor insurance.

You need to decide on which Insurer will offer the best deal for you and your car.

There is very little difference in premium between Third Party Fire and Theft cover and Comprehensive cover but you do benefit from: • Repair to your car as well as Fire and Theft • Personal Accident benefit for death or injury • Damage to or Loss of Personal belongings • Medical and Legal Expenses • Replacement courtesy vehicle.

The cost of your policy can vary from one Company to another. Ways of keeping your premium down include: • Restricting the driving to named individuals • Agreeing to an additional voluntary excess • Garaging the car overnight • Restricting your annual mileage • Transferring your No Claims Bonus

www.csis.co.uk) offer cover summaries and policies in pdf format on their online pages.

It is vitally important to give the Insurer all the relevant facts and disclose all material information including past claims and convictions. Any non-disclosure, innocent or intended, may invalidate the policy. You also may not be covered if: • Someone else, who is not included in your insurance policy, drives your car • Your car is found to be unroadworthy • You have bought a stolen vehicle • You are driving someone else’s vehicle • You do not have a valid driving licence If you have a problem with your insurance policy or an insurance claim, write to your insurer first, giving details of your complaint, and how you would like it to be resolved. If you are not satisfied with the response, make a formal complaint, using their official complaints procedure, which will be set out in the policy.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the formal complaints procedure, consider taking the complaint further.

All insurers must be covered by the rules of the financial watchdog, the Financial Services Authority However (FSA). This means that most rating factors if you have a complaint depend on the type about an insurer, you can take it to the Financial of car you drive, Ombudsmans Service. where you live, your

There are no two insurance policies exactly the same so you need to investigate the best price to ensure that it offers value for money. Check driving history and Most drivers never need out: your age. to make a claim under their • The extent of the cover motor policy but the best • The size of the policy limits advice CSIS can give is to read and • The extent of automatic understand your policy so that you know European cover what to do if you are one of the unlucky • The exclusions drivers. Happy motoring.

• The terms and conditions Most web comparison sites will do this for you and the single sites (including

For more information contact CSIS on 0845 6077444 or visit www.csis.co.uk

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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group news

Out&ABOUT Group news and activities from around the country with reporting by David Tickner (DT)

At the AGM Swansea Group 28 January Despite the chilly temperatures in January, the day I visited Swansea I was greeted by blue skies and sunshine (albeit with an icy chill in the air). It may have been cold outside but inside

St Mary’s Church (Swansea group’s meeting venue) there was plenty of warmth.

This was my second visit to the group and this time it was as guest speaker

at their AGM giving me the opportunity to talk about the many activities going on within the Fellowship at the moment and to thank group members for their ongoing hard work and support.

Swansea is a busy group – offering a visiting service, organising group days out and they have a speaker programme that’s full every year. They also understand and welcome the need for progress and evolution to safeguard the work that is being done for the next generation of civil servants coming up for retirement. So a fertile ground to work with as we focus our energies on driving up membership throughout the group network.

I left Swansea with a batch of Welsh cakes (cooked for me by the wonderful Elizabeth Godden) and some cheese (from the Chairman Sylvia Edgell) for my three-hour journey home and a warm glow courtesy of my Welsh friends! (DT)

Editorial Experiences Mildenhall Group 1 February I was hosted during this visit by group secretary Martin Claridge who very kindly collected and delivered me back to Brandon, the closest railway station to Mildenhall.

Mildenhall group meet in the heart of the town in a brand new community centre, nicely convenient for members as it provides them with good parking facilities and plenty of room for their meetings. There’s even a bar handy for those requiring a stronger brand of liquid refreshment.

After a brief introduction by the group Chairman I spent a very engaging hour talking about the magazine and the many initiatives going on at Fellowship Office. What was particularly nice was how many members felt able to interject with questions that further developed our discussions.

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Although a smaller group there was a tremendous spirit and focus from attending members and they have a lot of planned activities (speakers, events and days out) throughout the year. (DT)

‘Magazines and Communications’

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside!

Lowestoft Group 16 February I almost failed to materialise at the Lowestoft group AGM after ‘slow freight in the Stratford area’ resulted in me missing my connection. But thanks to another service departing Norwich a little later I was able to make it on time.

Lowestoft has a core group of attendees who meet monthly at the Beaconsfield Club in the town centre. Various factors have contributed to the drop in numbers but whilst they may be less now, their spirit and commitment remains firmly intact, as does a desire to look at what can be done to regenerate group activities.

Their AGM was a lively affair with everybody contributing to the discussions and playing a proactive role in their plans for 2011 and beyond.

I was able to outline our various communication initiatives and offer advice and support on what the group might be able to do to adapt and evolve to widen their membership base; a discussion that was carried through to the excellent lunch at the club after the meeting.

Rome wasn’t built in a day but in Lowestoft’s case they have the foundations and plans in place to start the process and I’m looking forward to seeing how things progress in the future. (DT)

certificates of merit If you’d like to single out a particular member for recognition of their service to The CSRF then why not request a free Certificate of Merit or Appreciation. The request should normally come from a branch or group committee and be sent to Hannah Evans at Fellowship Office.

For more information contact Hannah Evans on 020 8691 7411 or email: hannah.evans@csrf.org.uk

was lucky to receive an invitation.

Calne Group 22 February Formal business, raffle and tea completed, I I had an early start to get was able to talk to members to Wiltshire in time for the morning meeting of the Calne about my work as editor and answer any of their questions group. But it was lovely to about the magazine. With no sit and enjoy the picturesque tea break to act as a polite Wiltshire countryside as my time check on the length of bus wended its way to the my talk I had to rely on the town. members to give me a subtle The group meet in the hint if I was in danger of centrally located Woodlands overrunning.

Social Club and regularly Talk finished; the group attracted 20+ to each presented me with a donation meeting. Calne has an active to support our Fellowship programme of speakers Day Sponsored Walk. (DT) throughout the year, so I

The World of Publishing Hassocks Group 3 March It makes a very nice change for me to visit a group closer to home. Hassocks is only 15 minutes away from me and having met a few of the members last year it was nice to re-acquaint myself with them.

I was there to talk about the process involved with publishing the magazine but was very pleased that my talk evolved into a more general discussion about future articles and in particular on technology and computers. As is often the case with group visits, the views

expressed by members present are a great source of inspiration for me when it comes to planning.

Although Hassocks has seen dwindling numbers of late there remains a distinct energy and desire to embrace evolution from members here and to support what needs to be done to increase membership and attendance. (DT) Ed’s Note: Don’t forget to read our interview with Martha Lane Fox as she’s talking about technology and the older person

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group news

‘Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ Lancaster & Morecambe Group April 12

Fellowship Day Lunch Banbridge Group April 5 The impressive Belmont Hotel in Banbridge was the venue for a Fellowship Day celebration hosted by the Banbridge group and attended by over 60 members from across the Northern Ireland branch.

A splendid lunch was followed by live music and a tea dance along with a raffle (with proceeds being

donated to the Fellowship Day Sponsored Walk).

The Northern Ireland groups exude energy and enthusiasm towards the principles of Fellowship and I very much look forward to having an opportunity to visit them again soon. (DT)

At the Adelphi

I was in the presence of ‘royalty’ during my visit to the Lancaster & Morecambe group last month.

My visit coincided with a visit from ‘HM Queen Victoria’ and her faithful assistant ‘John Brown’.

Queen Victoria (aka Mrs Dodd) is somewhat of a local personality working at the Lancaster City Museum and known around the area. She provided an interesting insight into how she first got involved with dressing as Victoria and also how she has learnt about the Queen, her dress and habits. There is a slight blur between reality and fiction that one might expect from somebody who has made her ‘Queen Victoria’ a vocation, but despite this she is obviously very committed and serious about her role.

Lancaster & Morecambe have an energetic core of members and like many of our groups around the country are open and keen to embrace progress and the need to look at how to widen the interests offered to potential new members.

With the support that Fellowship Office are able to provide with press, pr and grant applications (all of which we discussed during my visit) I am hopeful that by working together with Committee members we can go some way to helping to attract more regular attendees. (DT)

Merseyside Branch AGM April 21 The splendidly opulent Adelphi Hotel was the venue for the last AGM for the Merseyside branch as with the recent passing of branch Chairman David Luney it was decided to just continue to operate on a group level.

However this final branch lunch had a good turn out

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

with representatives from Birkenhead/Wirral group and Waterloo/Crosby group enjoying some friendship (and wine!) over a lovely buffet lunch at the Adelphi.

Having brought the branch up to date with the latest developments and initiatives from Headquarters (fundraising, member recruitment, communications) after lunch, an impressive raffle concluded proceedings.

(DT)

can we help you?

We are available to help and support if we can – so if you would like to put a request in for a visit then please contact Hannah at the Fellowship Office or email: Hannah.evans@csrf.org.uk. We will endeavour to do our best to fulfil as many of your requests as we can for visits so please submit them as soon as you can.

NEWS IN bRIEF

IN PICTURES

1

WEYMOUTH

2

4

6

4. Congratulations to Westbury group Chairman Ken Holloway who was presented with a Civic Award for Westbury for services to the town in February; 5. Members of the Tamar/Tavy group enjoyed friendship and food over lunch at their April meeting, attended by avanti editor David Tickner; 6. Members of the Northern Ireland branch are pictured on their recent visit to the European Parliament.

3

1. The Llandudno Walking group enjoying a well earned rest on a recent walk; 2. Two of the longest married members (left, Joan & Ron Palmer; right, Mary & Bert Wordsell) of the Salisbury Plain group cut a wedding cake at their recent ‘Royal Wedding’ meeting which came complete with Bucks Fizz! 3.

Wellington group’s Easter Bonnet Parade at their April meeting (Emyrs Jones (Chairman) in centre

Group stalwart Beryl Mellish received a well-earned certificate of merit from Dorset branch Beryl Mellish receiving Chairman her Certificate of Merit Joe Williams for her many years of fundraising and committee volunteering.

CAERPHILLY Held their AGM in February at which David Lewis and Nona Williams (pictured), the Chairman and Events Secretary decided to stand down after 20 years each in post. They both received a presentation to show the members’ appreciation of their hard work on behalf of the group.

5

CORNWALL & WEST DEVON Twelve teams from Cornwall and West Devon competed at the annual branch Inter-group Quiz, held at Trethorne Leisure Centre after an excellent Annual Lunch.

The winning team consisted of Carl Heywood, Shellie Fisher, Alice and Andy Welsh (pictured left to right).

Princetown ‘B’ came second followed by a team from Tamar/Tavy (Tavistock) in third.

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SCOTLAND

group info

SUMMER PLANNER There are over 300 groups operating throughout the United Kingdom so it is very likely there is one near you. So why not go along and find out more about what your local group gets up to - there are many very rewarding ways that you can get involved and they are always pleased to welcome new members

N. IRELAND & NW ENGLAND NORTH EAST ENGLAND WALES AND WELSH BORDERS MIDDLE ENGLAND E. ENGLAND & EAST ANGLIA SOUTHERN ENGLAND SOUTH WEST ENGLAND LONDON & SE ENGLAND

SCOTLAND Dumfries & Kirkcudbright John Walker Chairman 01387 261889 john.amuri@dsl.pipex.com We do not hold regular meetings but if you would like further details about coach outings, please contact Pat Greig on 01387 770526 01/06/11 Coach Trip to Kiplin Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire 12/07/11 Coach Trip to Greenock - Tall Ships Race 20/07/11 Lunch with Guest Speaker Kings Arms, Castle Douglas 03/08/11 Coach Trip to Hill Top - Beatrix Potter’s home in the Lake District

Dundee Charles Paterson Secretary 01382 858862 The Queen’s Hotel, 160 Nethergate, Dundee Second Tuesday of each month at 10.40am (except June)

Edinburgh Liz Beedie Secretary 0131 229 7422 St. Johns Church Café, Princes Street, Edinburgh Last Tuesday of the month (May to Sep incl) at 2.00pm.

We also run summer walks during these months - meet under the Portico at the National Gallery at the foot of The Mound at 1.30pm

Rosneath Mrs Coleen Titcomb Secretary 01436 842456 The Howie Pavillion, Rosneath First Monday of the month at 1.30pm (except July) 06/06/11 Quiz 04/07/11 Coffee Morning at Castle Isle 01/08/11 Reminiscences of a Social Worker - John Busby

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Antrim Brian Shields Chairperson 028 9443 2615 Crown Buildings, 20 Castle Street, Antrim Second Wednesday of each month at 2.30pm (except Jul & Aug)

Banbridge Margaret Stevenson Chairperson 028 4062 2950 1st Floor, Old Tech Building, Downshire Road First Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except Jun, Jul and Aug) 01/06/11 Day Outing - Lough Erne Boat Trip & Belleek Pottery 06/07/11 Day Outing - Derry City Tour 03/08/11 Day Outing - Cultra Transport Museum & Groomsport

Bangor Miss Pat McNally Secretary 028 9146 1398 Hamilton House, Hamilton Road, Bangor First Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm (except Jul & Aug) 13/06/11 Annual Outing to Enniskillen including a Boat Trip on Lough Erne

Birkenhead/Wirral Miss Cynthia Morgan Secretary 0151 678 6266 Birkenhead Land Registry Office, Rosebrae Court, Woodside Ferry Approach, Birkenhead CH41 6DU First Tuesday of the month at 2.00pm 16/06/11 Coach Trip to Skipton 21/07/11 Coach Trip to Fleetwood Freeport 18/08/11 Coach Trip to Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno

Bury Gerald Beadling Chairman 01706 633674 The Mosses Community Centre, Cecil Street Each Wednesday at 2.15pm

Crewe Miss Grace Harding Chairman 01270 250677 Wells Green Methodist Church Hall, Brooklands Avenue, Wistaston First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 07/06/11 Hazards of the Narrowboats and Waterways - illustrated talk by Ian Senior 27/06/11 Coach Trip to the Tweed Mill, St Asaph (coffee and shopping) and then Llandudno for lunch and sightseeing (contact Grace for details) 05/07/11 The Story of Crewe Hall illustrated talk by Ray Gladden 02/08/11 Funny Stories from the Classroom talk by Meurig Jones 18/08/11 Coach Trip to Southport Flower Show - cost £27 (contact Grace for details)

Lisburn Helen Fletcher Secretary 028 9261 1604 Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn Second Monday of each month at 2.30pm 13/06/11 Visit to Greenmount Agricultural College (includes tour of walled garden and meal)

Penrith Richard Roscoe Chairman 01697 472383 Different local hostelries each quarter First Tuesday of the quarter (March, June, September, December) at 12.30pm 07/06/11 Quarterly Lunch at Stainton

Runcorn Mr A Stobbie Chairman 0151 424 0340 Department of Education & Skills, Castle View House First and Third Thursday of each month at 1pm

Southport Mrs E Milne Chairperson 01704 560850 Conservative Club, Bath Street, Southport Third Thursday of each month at 2pm onwards 16/06/11 Monthly Get Together 21/07/11 Monthly Get Together 18/08/11 Monthly Get Together

Stockport/Grove Park Joan Broadbent Social Secretary 01625 873740 Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall First Thursday of each month at 2.15pm 02/06/11 My Weekend Home ‘Lyme Park’ (2) - Miss Elaine Bates 07/07/11 The Life and Times of Castle Yard Mr J Claire 04/08/11 Kilimanjaro - Mr A Croft

Waterloo (Merseyside) Mrs Joyce Nicholls Secretary 0151 924 1433 nichollsjoyce@yahoo.com Mersey Road Methodist Church, Mersey Road, Crosby, Liverpool Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 14/06/11 Coffee Morning and Bingo 12/07/11 Coffee Morning and Bingo 09/08/11 Coffee Morning and Bingo

NORTH EAST ENGLAND Blaydon Elizabeth Pearson Secretary 0191 488 0840 Ridley Room, Blaydon Library, Wesley District Precinct, Blaydon Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am

Boston Spa/Wetherby Mrs Janet Walker Records Secretary 01937 842216 Deepdale Community Centre, Deepdale Lane, Boston Spa, Wetherby Second Tuesday of the month at 2.00pm (except Jul and Aug) 14/06/11 Handmade Soaps - talk by Mrs Anne Averett

Bradford Mr N Griffiths Secretary 01274 586410 Conference Room, Centenary Court, St Blaise Way Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm 21/06/11 Teaching - an Interruption to my Hols - Alan Pugh 19/07/11 Mission Aviation Fellowship Donald Woolley 16/08/11 Effective Speaking - Chris Birch

Bridlington Mr J Hughes Chairman 01262 850916 North Bridlington Library, Martongate, Bridlington Third Friday of the month at 10.30am 17/06/11 Coffee Morning and Raffle 15/07/11 Coffee Morning and Raffle 19/08/11 Coffee Morning and Raffle

Chester-Le-Street Brian Dawson Secretary 0191 388 8608 St Mary & St Cuthbert Parish Centre, Church Chare, Chester-Le-Street First Monday of each month at 2-4pm 06/06/11 Thorntons Chocolates - Beverley

Laws (table top talk) Outing to South Shields - Tale of the Whale for lunch then The Sage Gateshead Quayside 04/07/11 Chester-Le-Street Town Crier - Mrs M Dodds 01/08/11 Cake and Book Table 09/06/11

Durham Derick Neale Chairman 0191 389 2543 ahdneale@hotmail.co.uk Newton Hall Community Centre, Ryelands Way First Thursday of each month at 2pm 07/07/11 Strawberry Tea

Horsforth, Rawdon & District Mrs M J Taylor 0113 267 8110 Venue varies. We meet in local hostelries for lunch. Please contact Mrs Taylor for more details.

Last Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm

Hull Colin Bielby Secretary 01482 782930 Age Concern Healthy Living Centre, Porter Street, Hull Third Tuesday of the month at 2.15pm (except Aug) 21/06/11 The British Red Cross - John Coulthurst 19/07/11 Hull’s Fishing Industry - Alan Hopper

Killingworth (North Tyneside) Catherine Hankin Chairman 0191 268 1992 Sedgefield Court, West Mount, Killingworth NE12 6GF First Monday of month (except Bank Holidays) at 10.30am.

06/06/11 Yoga Demonstration 04/07/11 Talk about Whitley Bay Lighthouse 01/08/11 Meal out (venue tbc)

Leeds Mrs Sheila Huggins Speaker & Outings Arranger 0113 277 7956 The Victoria Hotel, 28 Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3DL Second Tuesday of the month at 2pm 14/06/11 Holidays - Mr A Scott

Scarborough Mrs P Mawson Secretary 01723 512778 Small Room, 1st Floor, Scarborough Library, Vernon Road, Scarborough First Tuesday of the month at 10.15am

Sunderland & Washington Ivan Bell Secretary 0191 549 4130 Age Concern, Bradbury House, Stockton Road, Sunderland (1st Floor Room) First Monday of each month 2.00-3.30pm

GROUP NEWS AND PICTURES

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Tell us what you’ve been up to. Send in your group news and reports at any time to the Fellowship Office. Please mark for the attention of the Editor (all photos will be returned if requested) or you can email: avanti@square7media.co.uk. All digital images will need to be high-resolution (300dpi). If you have any questions about picture formatting then please contact Belinda Stalker at Fellowship Office or email: Belinda.stalker@csrf.org.uk

WALES & WELSH BORDERS Caerphilly Mr Gwion Lewis Treasurer 029 2086 8643 robertgwion@talktalk.net Windsor Road Church Hall, Windsor Street, Caerphilly Second Tuesday of the month at 10.15am 14/06/11 Talk on the work of DeafBlind Cymru - Nerys Probert 12/07/11 Talk and demonstration of Scrapbooking - Mrs Lizzie Caddy

Church Stretton John Brewer Secretary 01694 722965 johnbrewer1@talktalk.net Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Road First Tuesday of the month at 2.30pm (unless otherwise stated) 07/06/11 Pub lunch at The Plough at Wall 05/07/11 Visit to David Austin Roses, Albrighton and lunch at the garden centre 02/08/11 Pub lunch at The Bucks Head, Church Stretton

Llandudno Mrs H Davis Chairman 01492 545436 Queen’s Hotel, The Promenade, Llandudno First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 21/06/11 Pub Lunch and Walk 19/07/11 Pub Lunch and Walk

Llanishen (Cardiff) Bernard Pearce Chairperson 029 2075 1493 Park End Presbyterian Church Hall, Rhyd-yPenau Road, Cardiff CF14 0NZ First Tuesday of each month at 10.00am 07/06/11 The Lord Mayoralty - Lord Mayor Cllr Keith Hyde 05/07/11 Joys and Jokes of being a Tour Guide - James Cowan Aug Meeting (if any - TBA)

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

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MEMBER RECRUITMENT

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Is your group struggling to recruit new members?

Applications are currently open for groups to apply for support for a recruitment event/drive.

If you’d like to find out more about what this involves then please contact Yvonne Kutzer at Fellowship Office or email: Yvonne.kutzer@csrf.org.uk

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

Swansea

Donnington

Mrs Sylvia Edgell Chairman 01792 851125 The Vestry Hall, St Mary’s Church, Swansea Last Friday of each month at 2pm (except Aug) 07/06/11 Outing to Bristol 24/06/11 Prison Fellowship - Ken Shingelton 29/07/11 Toy Story - Stephen Jarvis

June Oakley Chairman 01952 604922 Turreff Hall, Turreff Avenue, Donnington Every Monday at 1pm (except Bank Holidays)

Ynys Mon (Anglesey)

Mrs Janet Bliss Secretary 01582 661795 Scout HQ, Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard First Wednesday of the month at 2pm 01/06/11 ‘His Hats, Her Hats, Old Hats, New Hats’ - talk about the ownership of 200 hats 06/07/11 The Air Ambulance Trust Service 03/08/11 Restoration Work on Fine Art Pictures, Bring & Buy, Raffle and Book Table

Mr Eric Maynard Chairman 01407 720146 The Valley Hotel, Valley, Anglesey Second Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm for lunch (except Aug) 14/06/11 Lunch at The Valley Hotel 12.30pm 12/07/11 Strawberry Tea at member’s home, guest David Tickner

MIDDLE ENGLAND Banbury

Mrs E Northcott Chairman 01639 887851 Moose Hall, Castle Street, Neath Last Wednesday of each month at 2pm 29/06/11 Postcards - Roy Evans 27/07/11 Wildlife Photography - Gary Collier 31/08/11 Toys of our Childhood - Steve James

Anne Garton Secretary 01295 750151 agarton@btinternet.com Hanwell Fields Community Centre, Rotary Way, Banbury Second Tuesday of each month at 2.15 4.15pm (except Aug) 14/06/11 Family History and the Registration Service - Catherine Hitchens. Raffle.

12/07/11 Birthstones - the History of Folklore - Ruth Orpen 11/08/11 Tour of Chenies Manor House and Gardens, near Amersham. Cost £6.50 plus coach fare.

Oswestry

Bedford

Anne Wilson Chairman 01691 650419 The Wynnstay Hotel, Church Street, Oswestry First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 07/06/11 Past Oswestry in Pictures - David Trumper 14/06/11 Meal at The Hand Hotel, Chirk 05/07/11 The Hill Family of Attingham Hall Glenys Wheeler 02/08/11 It was never like this on Neighbours - Ian Patterson

Patricia Waters Secretary 01234 347443 Bunyan Meeting, Mill Street, Bedford First Tuesday of each month at 10am 07/06/11 Digging up the Local Past - Speaker from Albion Archaeology 05/07/11 Music Quiz with John Hartup 10-16/07/11 Group Holiday to Torquay

Penylan (Cardiff)

June Oakley Chairman 01952 604922 Five Ways House, Islington Road, Five Ways, Edgbaston Third Wednesday of each month at 11.00am

Neath/Port Talbot

Alfred Ford Chairman 029 2073 2942 St. Andrews United Reformed Church Hall (corner of Penylan and Marlborough Road) Last Tuesday of each month at 2.00pm 28/06/11 Outing to Brecon Railway (provisional) 26/07/11 Fairtrade/Traidcraft - Mr Peter Symes 30/08/11 Meeting to be held in Roath Park, near Lake Café (provisional)

Shrewsbury Irene Williams Chairman 01743 447279 Roy Fletcher Centre, 12-17 Cross Hill, Shrewsbury Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except Aug) 08/06/11 Complementary Medical Therapy Jeremy Derrick 13/07/11 Outing (TBA)

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

02/08/11

Send a Cow - Mrs Audrey Burr

Birmingham

Cheltenham John Kennett Chairman 01242 529757 St. Luke’s Church Hall, St. Lukes Place, Cheltenham Third Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm 15/06/11 Rocks of Ages - talk with slides 20/07/11 Garden Birds - talk with slides 16/08/11 Outing to Abergavenny Market (please note this is a Tuesday)

Coventry Muriel Ariss Vice Chairman/Secretary 024 76 599397 Room 2, Gilbert Richard Centre, Broadway, Earlsdon Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except Jul and Aug) 21/06/11 Bring a Headline - let’s discuss it?

Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard

Evesham Eric Marsh Branch Liaison 01386 421460 ericbrenda@btinternet.com Foyer of the Methodist Chapel, Bridge Street, Evesham Second Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 14/06/11 Tea/coffee and biscuits, and a good old natter 12/07/11 Coffee/tea and biscuits, and a chance to put the world to rights!

09/08/11 Suitable beverages with biscuits and a good discussion with friends - old and (hopefully) new.

Hucclecote Mrs B Arnold Secretary 01452 618009 Evangelical Church, Colwell Avenue, Hucclecote, Gloucester First Thursday of the month at 2.00pm 02/06/11 Social Afternoon with Cream Tea 07/08/11 Historical Tewkesbury - Don Freeman

Kidderminster Pam Hussey Liaison Officer 01562 755632 The Three Shires, Lower Mill Street Third Wednesday of each month at 11am (except when lunching out) 15/06/11 Coffee Morning 20/07/11 Coffee Morning 17/08/11 Afternoon Tea (2.15pm) at Whitlenge Gardens, Hartlebury

Lincoln City Cliff Hopkins Secretary 01522 824703 tomcliff2000@yahoo.com St. Mary le Wigford’s Church Hall, St. Mary Street, Lincoln First Wednesday of the month at 10.30am 01/06/11 Coffee Morning and Quiz 06/07/11 Coffee Morning and Bring & Buy 03/08/11 Coffee Morning and Bingo

Louth Mrs Margaret Bradley Secretary 01472 388928 Elizabeth Court, Church Street, Louth First and third Thursday of the month at 10.30am

Northampton Mr Geoff Morris Chairman 01604 719677 Holy Sepulchre Church Rooms, Church Lane, Northampton Alternate Thursday mornings at 10.00am

NOTTINGHAM Pam Bradley SECRETARY 0115 938 4676 pamthedragon@hotmail.co.uk The New Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street Second Wednesday of the month from 10.15am-Noon 08/06/11 Nottingham, a City of Villages - Mr G Oldfield (talk and slides) 13/07/11 History of the Post (Royal Mail) in Notts - Mr D Humphreys (illustrated talk) 10/08/11 The Fascinating Falklands - Mrs Angela Plumb (talk and slides)

Nuneaton Rachel Homer Secretary 02476 385845 rachel.homer@tesco.net The Sycamore Tree, 2 Chapel Street, Nuneaton (next to the Ropewalk) First Tuesday of each month at 11.00am 07/06/11 Coffee Morning 05/07/11 Coffee Morning 02/08/11 Coffee Morning

Royal Forest Val Collett Chairman 01594 562442 Baptist School Rooms, Parkend, Lydney Second Wednesday of the month at 2.00pm (except Aug) 08/06/11 Talk on the Work of a Home Office Pathologist 13/07/11

Talk on Renewable Energy

Rutland Mrs Peggy Brown Chairman 01780 480314 Various locations for pub lunches Third Wednesday of each month

Shefford Eileen Devereux Chairman 01462 814765 Community Hall, Ampthill Road, Shefford Third Tuesday of the month at 10am - 12 noon 21/06/11 Sight Concern - talk by Nick Gibson 19/07/11 Ethiopia - talk by Fiona McLeod 16/08/11 A Light Hearted Quiz

Wellesbourne Mrs Iris Herwin Secretary 01789 840745 Warwick H.R.I., Warwick Road, Wellesbourne Third Thursday of each month at 2.30pm 16/06/11 Solar Power - talk by David Julian 21/07/11 My Service Career - Col Lesinski of the Lord Leycester Hospital 18/08/11 The Vulcan Bombers of Wellesbourne - talk by Charles Brimson

Wellington & Telford Emrys Jones Chairman 01952 254252 e30jones@btinternet.com Belmont Community Hall, Wellington, Telford First Thursday of each month at 10am - 12 noon 02/06/11 Talk by Fire Service (also Cheese & Wine will be served) 07/07/11 Bring & Buy and Coffee Morning 04/08/11 Coffee Morning and talk by member of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Wigston Mrs J Collins Vice Chairman 0116 288 7802 The Royal British Legion, Launceston Road, Wigston Second and fourth Mondays of each month from 1.30 - 4.00pm (Bank Holidays permitting) 13/06/11 Joseph Roberts, Grocer of Distinction - Mr Brian Johnson 27/06/11 Meal out (TBA) 11/07/11 Records Office: On the Census Mr Adam Goodwin 25/07/11 Meal out (TBA) 08/08/11 History of Toys and Games - Mrs Felicity Austin 22/08/11 A Year in the Mayor’s Office Mrs Helen Loydall

EASTERN ENGLAND & EAST ANGLIA Attleborough Mrs D Parker Secretary 01953 456958 deepea2@uwclub.net Methodist Church Hall, London Road Third Thursday of the month from 10am - 12 noon 16/06/11 Bring & Buy Sale for Group funds 21/07/11 Caring for your Feet - Graham Knights 18/08/11 Memories of Working Life Doreen Parker

Aylsham & District Thomas Berry Secretary 01263 731955 thomasberry@onetel.com Friends Meeting House, Peggs Yard, Red Lion Street, Aylsham Second Monday of each month at 10am (unless it’s a Bank Holiday) 13/06/11 The Cat’s Whisker - talk by Geoffrey Hodson 11/07/11 Aviation History - talk by Ian McLachlan 12/07/11 Coach Trip to Essex Villages & Tiptree Cream Tea 08/08/11 TBA

Billericay Mr J R Smith Local Contact 01277 622156 Various venues for lunches at 12.30pm 21/07/11 Informal lunch at the Blue Boar, High Street

Bury St Edmunds Mrs Doreen Ginn Chairman 01284 755256 West End Home Guard Club, Abbot Road, Bury St. Edmunds Second Wednesday of each month at 10am 08/06/11 Strolling through Gardens of the World - Mrs Doreen Whitelock 13/07/11 Talk by a member of Suffolk Fire Service 10/08/11 The Nile in Style - Rodney Tibbs

Chelmsford Mrs Christa Bringloe Chairperson 01245 420555 Room 3, Christ Church URC, New London Road Second Tuesday of each month 10.00am 12.30pm 14/06/11 Visit to Hyde Hall 12/07/11 Lunch at The Blue Bridge Restaurant 09/08/11

The Entertainers

COLCHESTER Joan Gomer SECRETARY 01206 794656 St Margaret’s Anglican Church Hall, Stansted Road, Colchester Third Monday of each month at 2pm 20/06/11 Queen Victoria and her Children David Ablewhite 18/07/11 Ipswich Group Visit: Quiz and Cream Tea 15/08/11 Magnetic Fields and Therapy - Ray Padfield-Krala

Croxley Green Frank Brown Chairman 01923 779070 fctbrown@btinternet.com Red Cross Centre, 1 Community Way (off Barton Way), Croxley Green Second Thursday of alternate months (eg January, March, May etc) at 10.15am and on first Monday of intervening months for pub lunch from 12 noon

COMMUNITY GRANTS

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Many of you know the positive benefits of applying for community grants and have been successful in applying for funds. If you’d like any assistance with filling out grant application forms or are seeking some help or advice then please contact the Fellowship Office for more information.

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

55

Dereham

Mildenhall

Robert Jackson Chairman 01362 693977 bobabs@jack747.fsnet.co.uk Toftwood Village Hall, 47 Shipdham Road, Toftwood, Dereham Second Friday of each month at 10.00am - 12 noon 10/06/11 Board Games 08/07/11 Bring & Buy and Quiz 12/08/11 Alphabet Quiz

Mr Martin Claridge Secretary 01842 810096 Mildenhall Social Club, Recreation Way First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 07/06/11 Guest Speaker Mrs Sandra Waspe - Royal National Institute for the Blind, Guide Dogs 05/07/11 Guest Speaker Mr David Stevens, Regional Manager, CBM 02/08/11 Guest Speakers Mr & Mrs Gerry Lawrence, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, Hearing Dogs 11/08/11 Outing to Hunstanton

Drayton - Norfolk Derek Heffer Chairman 01603 861554 St Margaret’s Church Room, Drayton Second Tuesday of each month at 2.15pm (except Jun, Jul & Aug)

Norwich

Mr Tony Thomson Group Representative 01582 713250

Mary Weatherhead Secretary 01603 410821 Reading Room, Doughty’s Hospital, Golden Dog Lane Second Monday of each month at 10am for 10.30am 13/06/11 The Work of the Woodland Trust Mr J Fleetwood 11/07/11 The Rosary Cemetery - Mr N Williams 08/08/11 Quiz v. Attleborough Group and Bring & Buy

Hertford

St. Albans

Mrs Olive Smith Chairman 01992 550753 Methodist Church Hall, Ware Road, Hertford First Monday of each month at 2-4pm (except Bank Holidays) 06/06/11 The Rope Man - Mike Howarth 22/06/11 Visit to Felixstowe 04/07/11 History of Belmont Manor, Cheshunt 09/07/11 Annual Holiday to Trouville Hotel, Sandown, Isle of Wight (9-16 July) 01/08/11 The Quaint and Quirky of Hertfordshire - Ken Cain 24/08/11 Regent’s Canal Boat Trip

Mrs B G Hill Secretary 01727 858198 Friends Meeting House, Upper Lattimore Road, St. Albans First Thursday of the month at 10am

Harlow Mrs Edna McNaughton Secretary 01279 865102 edian.mcnaughton@tesco.net Toby Carvery, Harlow First Friday of the month at 12 noon

Harpenden

Ilford Mrs Sylvia Green Social Secretary 020 8594 5284 sylviagreen@rocketmail.com St. Andrew’s Church Hall, The Drive, Ilford Third Monday of the month at 1.30pm 20/06/11 London Oddities - Brian Goldsmith (talk with slides) 18/07/11 A Donkey Sanctuary in Tidmouth Marion Down 15/08/11 Flower Power, The Sunflower Russell Bowes

Ipswich Eva Stevens Secretary 01473 688040 evajs@ yahoo.co.uk Museum Street Methodist Church Hall, Blackhorse Lane, Ipswich First Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except Aug) 01/06/11 Fisherman’s Mission - Andy Malcolm 06/07/11 4 Weddings and a Funeral - Jane Parker 13/07/11 Luncheon Peak Lodge at 12.30pm 18/07/11 Visit to Colchester Group; Quiz and Cream Tea 02/08/11 Annual Coach Outing

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Swaffham Mrs June Finch Secretary 01760 720728 montague141@yahoo.co.uk Methodist Church Hall, London Street, Swaffham Third Tuesday of each month at 10.15am

Watford (Cassiobury) Mr Ian Whyte Local Contact 01923 441952 duncan.whyte1@ntlworld.com St. Luke’s Church, Langley Way, Watford WD17 3EG Second Tuesday of Jan, May, Jul, Sep & Nov at 10am 12/07/11 A ‘Call my Bluff’ Session

Wickford Peter Blake Chairman & Secretary 01268 583060 Christchurch Hall, R/O 44 High Street, Wickford Second Thursday each month 1.30 - 3.30pm 09/06/11 Quizzes 14/07/11 Quizzes 11/08/11 Anniversary Party

SOUTHERN ENGLAND Aldershot Gloria Wetherill Secretary/Social Secretary 01252 345318 rayglo227@talktalk.net Holy Trinity Church, Galpin Hall, Windsor Way, Aldershot Second Thursday of every month at 1.30-3.30pm

09/06/11 Talk on RAF Museum by Graham Rood 14/07/11 Open Day/Cream Tea 26/07/11 Outing to Weymouth 11/08/11 Talk on Living with Jane Austen by Richard Tanner 14/08/11 Holiday to County Hotel, Skegness (14-20 August)

Alton Bryan Knight Secretary 01420 561833 St. John Ambulance Hall, Anstey Lane, Alton Third Thursday of the month at 2.00pm (except Aug ) 16/06/11 Strawberry Tea 21/07/11 Social meeting with a talk (TBA)

Arun - formerly Littlehampton Martin Smith Chairman 01903 725520 St Joseph’s Convent, Franciscan Way. Please use entrance in East Street if arriving by car.

Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm 08/06/11 Strawberry Tea

Ascot & Sunningdale Sylvia Hennah Secretary 01344 620860 National School of Government at Sunningdale Park, Larch Avenue, Ascot Third Friday of each month at 12noon (except Aug) 24/06/11 How HM Customs catch revenue smugglers - Malcolm Nelson (please note date - 4th Friday) 15/07/11 Beetlemania - Peter & Dorothea Standley

Basingstoke Janette Davies Chairman 01256 321471 Brookvale Village Hall, Lower Brook Street, Basingstoke First Wednesday of each month at 10.00am 01/06/11 Spices, Tea and Waterways (India) talk by Gwen Barton 22/06/11 Outing to Weymouth 06/07/11 Recycling in Basingstoke and Dean talk by Nathan Sunley-Smith July Outing to Ham House (date to be confirmed) 03/08/11 Australian Outback and Beyond talk by Ellsie Russell August Outing to Loseley Park (date to be confirmed)

Bexhill Hilary Markham Secretary 01424 210985 Bexhill Sailing Club, Marina, Bexhill-on-Sea Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10am 14/06/11 Visit to Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum 28/06/11 Coffee Morning 14/07/11 Boat Trip on ‘Kentish Lady’, Maidstone 26/07/11 Coffee Morning and talk “A Policeman’s Lot ….”

16/08/11 Polhill Shopping Village, Sevenoaks for lunch followed by visit to Down House, home of Charles Darwin 23/08/11 Coffee Morning

Bitterne (Southampton) Joan Dunnings Chairman 023 8057 6784 St. Johns Hall, Dean Road, Bitterne First Friday of each month at 2.00pm (except Aug) (doors open at 1.15pm, tea and biscuits available before the meeting) 03/06/11 Jane Austen - talk 01/07/11 The Mary Rose - talk

Boscombe & Southbourne Paul Tabor Chairman 01202 422493 paul. tabor@tesco.net St Katherine’s Church Hall, Church Road, Southbourne First Wednesday of each month at 10am 01/06/11 Round Table Children’s Wish 06/07/11 In Search of Isaac Gulliver - Mr M Angel 03/08/11 Produce Sale

Bournemouth Central Alan Carter 01202 292720

Brighton & Hove Mrs B Vickery 01273 321770 Ventnor Hall, Blatchington Road, Hove First Wednesday of the month at 2.15pm 01/06/11 Bookmarks - a talk with examples 06/07/11 The Co-op - presentation 03/08/11 Pet Rescue - a talk by volunteer with dog

Burgess Hill Mike Mason Chairman 01444 245289 michael_mason6@hotmail.com Millfield Suite, Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill Fourth Wednesday of each month at 10am 22/06/11 Coffee Morning 13/07/11 Summer Lunch at Hassocks Golf Club. Contact Mike Mason for details.

27/07/11 Coffee Morning 24/08/11 Coffee Morning and Quiz ‘Who’s Logo is that?’

Crawley Jim Piercey Chairman 01293 409332 The Tree Annex, 103 The High Street, Crawley Fourth Friday of the month at 2pm 24/06/11 Talk by David Tickner, Editor of avanti 22/07/11 Talk on River Thames Boat Project 26/08/11 Talk on Growing Up and Life in Barbados by Al Edwards

Eastbourne Audrey Fewtrell Chairman/Secretary 01323 730570 St. Saviour’s Church Hall, South Street, Eastbourne Third Wednesday of the month at 10am 15/06/11 Eastbourne in the 60s - Phil Gardner 20/07/11 Going to the Auction - Mrs Pat Thorns 17/08/11 Stone Cross Windmill - Dave Picton

Ralph Whitehouse Chairman 01243 374081 Emsworth Community Centre, Church Path, Emsworth First Friday of each month at 10am 03/06/11 Outing for Lunch at The Fox & Hounds, Funtington 01/07/11 Talk by David Tickner, Editor of avanti 05/08/11 The National Memorial Arboretum - talk by Owen Neale

Fareham Bill Sculpher Chairman 01329 519613 Holy Trinity Church Hall, West Street, Fareham First Tuesday of the month at 2.00pm 07/06/11 River Meon, Source to Sea - Carole Watson 05/07/11 Foot Health - Judy Bennett 02/08/11 Bring & Buy followed by talk by Mike Martin

Fleet Dorothy Brookman Chairman 01252 684368 Baptist Church Hall, 115 Clarence Road, Fleet Third Tuesday of each month at 2.15pm (except Jul & Aug) 21/06/11 The Mary Rose Trust 19/07/11 Outing - TBA

Hassocks

Ken Willcocks Chairman 023 8076 0102 Chandlers Ford Community Centre, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford First Friday of the month at 10am 03/06/11 Pharmacy as it was - Betty Robinson 14/06/11 Coach Outing to Weymouth 01/07/11 Perfect, Perfect, over 40 yrs as a Salesman: The True Story - Richard Borton 05/08/11 Winchester Cathedral, Personal Perspective - Mr R Fletcher

Dennis Miles Chairman 01273 845693 jodem38@live.co.uk Adastra Hall, 31 Keymer Road, Hassocks First Thursday of each month at 10.30am 02/06/11 David Howe Entertains 07/07/11 Derek Nye - Music Quiz 04/08/11 Bring & Buy Sale

Paul Tabor 01202 422493 paul.tabor@tesco.net

The Planner deadline dates for submission in 2011 are as follows:

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Autumn 2011 29 July (for the period 1 Sept – 15 Nov) Winter 2011 14 October (for the period 16 Nov – 28 Feb 2012) Please make sure you send in as full a listing as possible so people know what your group is up to.

Emsworth & Havant

Chandlers Ford

Christchurch & Highcliffe

DIARY DATES

Hastings & St Leonards John Hall Chairman 01424 813355 All Saints Church Hall, All Saints Street, Old Town Third Tuesday of each month at 10am - 12 noon (except Aug) 21/06/11 Gentle Keep Fit with Music 19/07/11 Card Game Morning

Horley Arnold Ullmann MBE Treasurer 01293 783590 Horley & District Constitutional Club, 1 Albert Road, Horley (unless otherwise stated) Fourth Wednesday of the month at 10.45am (unless otherwise stated) 22/06/11 Coffee Morning and Boules 10.30am at 18 Silverlea Gardens, Horley 27/07/11 Garden Party and Lunch 12.30 for 1.00pm at 3 Landen Park, Horley (charge £7.50). Please advise attendance (for catering purposes) 01293 785229 24/08/11 Coffee Morning and a Chat for those not on holiday

New Forest Sandy Whittaker Chairman 023 8028 2157 Meetings in odd months are at Milford on Sea Village Community Centre, Sea Road; meetings in even months are at Bashley Village Hall First Tuesday of each month at 10.15am 07/06/11 Is this the Real India? - Gwen Appleton (Bashley) 05/07/11 Early Days of Wimbledon - Shirley Critchley (Milford) 02/08/11 The Sign of the Times - Colin Van Geffen (Bashley)

Newbury Roger Walker Chairman 01635 44575 colonelrog@hotmail.com St. Johns Church Room, Newtown Road, Newbury Second Monday of the month at 2.15pm 13/06/11 History of Policing in Newbury Mr R Godfrey 11/07/11 Brig. Bull Turnbull - talk by Lt Col M Westropp 21/07/11 Strawberry Tea Party at 79 Gorselands 08/08/11 Shoemakers Shop - Mrs Helen Davies

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

57

Poole & District

Tadley

Ray White 01425 476037 rm-white@tiscali.co.uk

Mr D MacLean Chairman 0118 970 1290 Tadley Community Centre, Newchurch Road, Tadley First Thursday of each month at 1.30pm for 2.00pm (excepting in unusual circumstances ie elections, when advance notice is given to our members) 02/06/11 Basingstoke, Then and Now - Mr Dawes 07/07/11 New Zealand - Jean Shepherd 21/07/11 Trip to Isle of Wight 04/08/11 Police Dog Support Group 18/08/11 Trip to Maidenhead - River Trip

Portsmouth North Iris Shields Treasurer 023 9266 8178 St. Nicholas Church Hall, Battenburg Avenue, Copnor Second and fourth Monday at 2pm (except Bank Holidays and Aug) 13/06/11 Strawberry Tea and Quiz 27/06/11 Canine Partners 11/07/11 Victorian Sport - Eric Marsh 25/07/11 Entertainment - Mike Collins Crooner

Ringwood & District Ray White Chairman 01425 476037 rmwhite@tiscali.co.uk Greyfriars Community Centre, Ringwood First Friday of each month at 10am 03/06/11 Call my Bluff - Mr & Mrs Skeats 21/06/11 Pub Lunch at The Carpenter’s Arms, Bransgore 01/07/11 Cyprus Naturally Part I - Mr John Coombes 23/07/11 Garden Party at 13 Oaks Drive, St. Leonards 2.30 - 4.30pm 26/07/11 Pub Lunch at The White Oak, Burley 05/08/11 Experiences of a Documentary Cameraman - Mr Richard Edwards 23/08/11 Pub Lunch at The 3-Legged Cross (formerly the Old Barn Farm), Woolsbridge

Southsea Mike Barrow Chairman 023 92 829552 m.barrow4@ntlworld.com St. Simon’s Church Hall, Waverley Road, Southsea Second Wednesday of the month at 10.30 and fourth Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm (except Aug)

Mrs Irene Greenway 01929 423394

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Have you had a good speaker?

Or perhaps tried a recruitment initiative that really worked for you? Share your views and experiences with other groups using these pages as a Forum.

Send to the Fellowship Office marked for the attention of the Editor or you can email: avanti@square7media.co.uk

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Mrs P Shakespeare Chairman 023 8087 2035 Totton & Eling Community Association, Civic Centre Building, Library Road, Totton First Friday of each month at 10.00am (except Aug) 03/06/11 Summer Lunch 01/07/11 Speaker - Gwen Appleton

Twyford & Wargrave John Keast Secretary 0118 940 2975 Hannen Room, St. Marys Church, Station Road, Reading Third Tuesday of Feb, Apr, June, Oct and Dec 21/06/11 Group Lunch (venue and date to be confirmed) 16/08/11 Annual Summer Garden Party

Uckfield John Gutteridge Secretary 01825 764781 john@gutteridge.eclipse.co.uk Five Ash Down Village Hall, Five Ash Down, Uckfield First Thursday of the month at 2.30pm unless otherwise announced.

02/06/11 The History of Michelham Priory Jane Mitchell 07/07/11 Pub Lunch (venue TBA) 04/08/11

The Bluebell Railway - David Jones

Wimborne & Ferndown

Swanage

SHARING BEST PRACTICE

Totton & Waterside

Eric Basire Secretary 01202 897158 eric-rita@ tiscali.co.uk Ferndown Village Hall, Church Road, Ferndown Third Wednesday of each month at 10.30am.

Skittles meetings, New Forest walks and other events are held from time to time - ask Eric Basire for details.

Winton & Northbourne Ray White 01425 476037 rm-white@tiscali.co.uk

Wokingham Bernard Good Secretary 0118 978 2350 bernard.good@btinternet.com The Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue Third Wednesday of each month at 2.30pm (except Aug) 15/06/11 Old Wireless Memories - Alec Simmonds

25/06/11 Summer Supper and Quiz, 6.30 for 7pm at The Cornerstone - tickets £12.

20/07/11 Old Wokingham Trees - Barbara Stagles

Worthing David Keeling Chairman 01903 248663 United Reformed Church Hall, Shaftesbury Avenue (just south of Durrington Railway Bridge: entrance in Barrington Road) Third Tuesday of each month at 10.00am (coffee at 9.45am) 21/06/11 The Red Cross (TBA) 19/07/11 Guild Care - Julia Johnson 16/08/11 Fun Quiz - Bill Marshall

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND Amesbury Mrs Dorothy Weston Social Secretary 01980 624589 Antrobus House, 39 Salisbury Road, Amesbury First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 04/06/11 Summer Bazaar (10.00-12 Noon) 21/06/11 Trip to Kingstone Lacy and Wimborne July Mystery Trip (date to be confirmed) 02/08/11 AGM 16/08/11 Trip to Portsmouth

Barnstaple Peter Mumby Chairman 01271 815021 Committee Room, Roundswell Community Centre, Roundswell, Barnstaple Last Friday in the month (except Jan, Aug and Dec) at 11am Feb, May, Jun, Jul, Oct and Nov and at 10am Mar, Apr and Sep.

Bath Roy Burnett Chairman 01225 426583 St. John’s Parish Hall, South Parade, Bath First Thursday of each month at 10.30am 04/06/11 Coach Trip to Bath & West 18/06/11 Coach Trip to Swansea 19/06/11 Coach Trip to Lynmouth & Lynton 10/08/11 Coach Trip to Torquay 14/08/11 Coach Trip to Sidmouth & Seaton

Blandford Forum Mrs M Chambers Secretary 01258 456572 Contact Chairman or Secretary for venue details.

Second Friday of each month at 11am

Bradford-on-Avon Mr P F Nuttall Secretary 01225 862919 United Reformed Church Hall, St. Margarets Street, Bradford on Avon Second Monday of each month at 2.15pm (except Aug) 13/06/11 Meeting - Craft Display and Cream Tea 28/06/11 Coach Outing - Moreton in Marsh and Bourton

11/07/11 21/07/11 08/08/11

Meeting - Magic of the Scillies Coach Outing - Worcester and River Cruise Coffee Morning - Fitzmaurice Place

Brixham Mrs Edna Wright Chairman 01803 855638 ewright238@btinternet.com Local restaurants Once monthly at 12 noon - contact Mrs Wright for details.

Calne June Marsden Secretary 01249 816675 june. marsden@btinternet.com Woodlands Social Club, Woodlands Park, Station Road, Calne Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10am 28/06/11 The Ridgeway - Ian Ritchie 26/07/11 Leonard Cheshire Homes - Mr Hewitt 23/08/11 Beetle Drive and Bring & Buy

Corsham Maureen Boulton Chairman 01249 701181 Corsham Club, Newlands Road, Corsham Second Wednesday in the month at 10.15am 08/06/11 Cornwall to Lewis - Joe McNeilage 13/07/11 What did you do in the War? Brian Amesbury 10/08/11 Behind the Scenes at the Antiques Roadshow - Steve White

Dorchester Peter Bryant Chairman 01305 263920 peterjbryant@btinternet.com Dorset Youth HQ, Lubbecke Way, Dorchester Third Thursday of the month at 10.15 for 10.30am 16/06/11 Shipwrecks - Selwyn Williams 21/07/11 Mrs Mopp and the Evacuees - Mrs Hansford 18/08/11 Quiz

Ham (Plymouth) Veronica Smerdon Secretary 01752 318672 veronicasmerdon@aol.com The Halcyon Centre, Dingle Road, North Prospect, Plymouth Every Monday at 2.00pm

Liskeard & Pensilva Shirley Waye Secretary 01579 346089 Refreshment Rooms, Liskeard Public Hall, West Street, Liskeard Last Wednesday of each month at 10am 22/06/11 Torquay and Matinee of Calendar Girls 29/06/11 Water In, On and Under - John Howard 13/07/11 Garden Party at Woodgate Road 27/07/11 Variations on a Theme Mozambique - June Lovewell 19/08/11 Mystery Trip with Supper 31/08/11 Open Day - Bring a Friend

Minehead

Mike Fitzpatrick Secretary 01822 890799 mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Prince of Wales, Tavistock Road, Princetown First Thursday of the month at 12.30pm 16/06/11 Day Trip to a Mystery Destination 21/07/11 Possibly an Invasion of Cornwall!

18/08/11 Another Raid off the Moor for Booty and Beer!

Thomas’ Church Hall, York Buildings, off Timbrell Street, Trowbridge First Wednesday of each month at 10.30am (Old Manor Hotel) & third Wednesday of each month at 2pm (St Thomas’ Church Hall) 01/06/11 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 15/06/11 Speaker from Wiltshire Air Ambulance (St Thomas’ Church Hall) 06/07/11 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 20/07/11 Coach Trip to Sidmouth and Ottery St. Mary 04/08/11 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 17/08/11 Owls - Mike Gates

Salisbury Plain

Wadebridge

Mr Roy German Secretary 01980 653446 violet.german@mypostoffice.co.uk The Village Hall, High Street, Durrington Third Tuesday of each month at 2.30pm (except Aug) 21/06/11 Strawberry Cream Tea and Summer Draw 28/06/11 Outing to Bristol Harbour and Shopping Centre 19/07/11 Wiltshire Dialects - talk by Norman Rogers 26/07/11 Outing to Sidmouth 16/08/11 Annual Summer Fete at Durrington Pavilion 23/08/11 Outing to Stratford-upon-Avon

Mr G Williams Chairman 01208 814590 Various venues, members’ homes for coffee or local restaurant/hotel for lunch. Decided at previous meeting.

First Friday in month

Isabel Dobson 01643 703199 Foxes Hotel, The Esplanade, Minehead Last Tuesday of the month at 10.15am (except Jul & Aug)

Princetown

Sidmouth Margaret Adams Chairman 01395 577622 rjadams39@waitrose.com Sidholme Hotel, Elysian Fields, Temple Street Second Wednesday of each month at 10.25am

Somerton Colin Mclntyre Secretary 01458 223953 The Two Brewers, Leigh Road, Street Third Tuesday of the month at 11.30am

Tamar/Tavy (Tavistock) Mike Fitzpatrick Acting Secretary 01822 890799 mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Club Room, The Cornish Arms, West Street, Tavistock Second Thursday of the month at 12.30pm

Taunton Mick Grigg Chairman 01823 272046 mfgrigg@talktalk.net Royal British Legion Club, St. Mary Street, Taunton Second Friday of the month at 10.30am (unless Bank Holiday in which case third Friday) 10/06/11 Bric-a-Brac and Summer Buffet 08/07/11 Taunton Deane Help Line 12/08/11 Prize Quiz

Trowbridge Peter Collins Secretary 01225 768370 petercollins@vulnera.freeserve.co.uk Old Manor Hotel, Trowle, Trowbridge/ St.

Warminster Ted Bryant Secretary 01985 218289 Warminster Town Football Club, 73 Weymouth Street, Warminster First Monday of each month at 2pm (except Aug) Second Monday if Bank Holiday 06/06/11 Cyprus - Keith Hicketts 04/07/11 A Cockney Lass - Ann Bodden

Wellington (Somerset) Tony Martin Treasurer 01823 662879 Northfield Centre, Lodge Close, Wellington Third Tuesday every month at 10.15am

Westbury (Wiltshire) Ken Holloway Chairman 01373 864049 kenmoholloway@metronet.co.uk Paragon Hall, Haynes Road, Westbury Third Monday of each month at 1.45pm for 2.00pm (except Aug) 15/06/11 Outing to Sidmouth 20/06/11 Bobby Van - presentation 18/07/11 School Days - Paul Mitchell 27/07/11 Outing to Torquay 17/08/11 Outing to Brighton

Weston-Super-Mare Alan Jackson Chairman 01275 858766 jackson-a21@sky.com Friends Meeting House, corner of High Street/ Oxford Street, Weston-Super-Mare First and third Thursday of the month at 10am (for coffee mornings, other events listed below) 14/06/11 Coach Outing to Seaton and WI Tea 23/06/11 Group Holiday to York (23-26 June) 12/07/11 Coach Outing to Swansea and Gower Coast 04/08/11 40th Anniversary Lunch at The Commodore Hotel, Sand Bay 09/08/11 Coach Outing to Poole and WI Tea

www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

59

Weymouth

Kenton (Middlesex)

Geoff Greenstreet Acting Chairman 01305 832432 St. Nicholas Church, Buxton Road, Weymouth Second Thursday of each month at 2.30pm (except Aug) 09/06/11 Anecdotes of Theatre - talk by Geoff King 22/06/11 Coffee Morning at the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church, Newcombe Avenue, Weymouth 14/07/11 Recovery - talk by Lidia Holmes

Daphne Radford Secretary 020 8908 4099 dmradford@btinternet.com St. Anselm’s Church Hall, Uppingham Avenue, Stanmore Third Wednesday of the month at 2pm 15/06/11 RNLI - Mr Seaman 20/07/11 Georgia on my Mind & Border Control - Mr Welling 17/08/11 Donkeys - Maggie Taylor

LONDON & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

Anne Pitman Secretary 020 8546 0595 Kingston Methodist Church Hall, Avenue Road, Fairfield South, Kingston Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm. For outings programme contact the Secretary.

21/06/11 Jean & Mo - Female Singing Duo 29/06/11 Group Outing (venue TBA) 19/07/11 Meeting and talk on the Beauty of Leather 27/07/11 Coach Outing to Hughenden National Trust 15/08/11 Meeting and talk with slides on London Bridges

Ashford (Kent) Mrs Sylvia Willis Secretary 01233 624754 Baptist Church, Station Road, Ashford Last Thursday of each month at 10am - 12 noon (except Aug) 30/06/11 Do we call you “Mrs” - Prue Anderton 21/07/11

Quiz/Social/Bring & Buy

Banstead & District Miss Marion Pevy Secretary/Treasurer 01737 812129 Banstead Methodist Church Hall, The Drive Last Tuesday of each month at 10.30am - 12 noon (except Jun [Garden Party] and Jul [Summer Lunch] - venues to be announced.

21/06/11 Garden Party 26/07/11 Summer Lunch 30/08/11 Coffee Morning

Camberley Jenny Ingoe Records Secretary 01483 558152 jenny954@btinternet.com High Cross Church, Knoll Road, Camberley Fourth Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except Jul and Aug) 28/06/11 Pub Lunch at The Toby

Edgware & Stanmore Ray Broom Secretary 020 8427 8659 St. Lawrence’s Church Hall, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware Second Monday of each month at 2pm 13/06/11 High Times at Heathrow - Sheila Kennedy 11/07/11 History of St. Johns Church - Dr F Hicks 08/08/11 Social Event

Enfield Colin Cutler Chairman 020 8363 8379 St. Andrew’s Church Hall, Silver Street, Enfield First Monday of the month at 10am (unless a Bank Holiday when it will be the second Monday) 06/06/11 Venice through the Seasons Maggie Radcliffe (film show) 04/07/11 From Opera to the Musicals: A Singer’s Approach - Simon Gilbert 01/08/11 My Style of Humorous Poetry Writing - Stephen Jennings

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Kingston & District

Leatherhead Anne Thomson Secretary 01372 373258 anner. thomson@talktalk.net John Rumble Hall, Fetcham Village Hall, The Street, Fetcham First Friday of each month at 10am 03/06/11 Victorian Sport - talk by Eric Marsh 01/07/11 Dig for Victory - talk by Russell Bowes 05/08/11 Fish & Chips Lunch

London - Abbey Wood SE1,SE2,SE7,SE10,SE18 Miss Ivy Burns Secretary 020 8310 1268 Abbey Wood Community Centre, Knee Hill, Abbey Wood First & third Thursday of each month at 1.15 3.15pm 02/06/11 Bingo 09/06/11 Trip to Margate (including roast dinner and entertainment) 16/06/11 Entertainment 07/07/11 Quiz 21/07/11 Ray Hudson - Music on the Keyboard 04/08/11 Talk 18/08/11 Bingo

London - Central London EC1, EC2, WC1, WC2 & W1 Mr D O’Callaghan Secretary 020 7373 3756 Civil Service Club, 13-15 Great Scotland Yard, London Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except Aug)

London - Chiswick W4, W6 & W12 Helen Barron Chairman 020 8748 2486 Scouthaven, Wilson Walk (passage between Stamford Brook Underground Station and Prebend Gardens) Fourth Friday of each month at 2pm (except Aug)

London - Clapham SW4 & SW11 Miss M Farley Secretary 020 8870 7361 Staff Restaurant 4th Floor, PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction First Thursday of each month at 10.15am 11/07/11 Branch AGM at PCS Headquarters at 2.00pm

London - Dulwich & Norwood Mrs Pat Belsey Secretary 020 7701 4992 Railway Club, Selhurst Station Approach Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 28/06/11 Bring & Buy 26/07/11 Amateur Radio and Morse 23/08/11 Wild Orchids

London - Edmonton Mrs Sheila Lamonte Chairperson 020 8886 7873 St. Aldhelms Church Hall, Windmill Road, London N18 Third Monday of each month from 10am 12 noon 20/06/11 Building the Titanic - Talk 18/07/11 Hypnotherapy - Talk 15/08/11 Quiz

London - Eltham Phyllis Duignan Chair 020 8265 0810 United Reformed Church,Sherard Hall, Court Road, Eltham Fourth Thursday of each month at 10am 12 noon 23/06/11 Coffee Morning followed by talk: Life as a Tiller Girl - Mrs Jackie Simmonds 28/07/11 Coffee Morning followed by talk - The Calendar Girls 25/08/11 Coffee Morning followed by talk - A Dozen Lives - it’s in my Genes

London - Harrow Road W2, W9 & W10 Mr D O’Callaghan Secretary 020 7373 3756 Moberley Education & Sports Centre, Kilburn Lane, London Second Tuesday of each month at 10am

London - Hendon Harry Hunt Secretary 020 8202 7647 harrycarman@hotmail.com Various venues each month for lunch phone Secretary for details First Thursday of every month at 12.30pm

London - Kensington W8, W11 & W14 Mr D O’Callaghan Chairman 020 7373 3756 Crypt of the Church of Our Lady of Victories, Kensington High Street, London W8 Third Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (except Aug)

London - Southbank SE17 Joy Creamer Chairperson 020 7407 2332 Penrose Tenants Hall, Penrose Estate, Walworth Second Wednesday of each month at 10am

London - Stockwell SW8 & SW9 Mr D Stannard Secretary 020 7720 0982 Job Centre Plus Offices, 246 Stockwell Road, Brixton Fourth Thursday of each month at 2pm 11/07/11 Branch AGM at PCS, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction at 2.00pm

London - Streatham & Norbury - SW16 Mrs J E Winter Secretary 020 8764 6450 The Glebe Sheltered Housing Complex, Prentis Road, Streatham SW16 1QR Second Tuesday of each month at 2pm 14/06/11 The Story of Lambeth Midwives Robert Holden (talk with slides) 11/07/11 Branch AGM at PCS, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction at 2.00pm 12/07/11 Strawberries and Cream Tea with sandwiches and home made cakes (cost including entry £3/head) 09/08/11 Theatre to Ministry - Reverend C Morgan of St. Oswalds Church

Maidstone Keith Hunter Chairman 01622 746792 Methodist Church Centre, Brewer Street, Maidstone Second Monday of the month at 2pm (except Aug) 13/06/11 My Contribution to the Cold War Fred Middleton 11/07/11 Beetle Drive, Bingo and Raffle Aug Trip (venue and date TBC)

North/South Harrow Mrs Margaret Pickard Secretary 020 8866 5708 ja.pickard@btinternet.com St. John Ambulance HQ, end of Public Car Park in Pinner Road, North Harrow HA2 7TA. Please note change of venue after June 2011, monthly meetings will be held at St. Albans Church Hall, Norwood Drive, North Harrow HA2 7PF Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm

28/06/11 Spare Parts - a talk with slides by Tony Maisey 26/07/11 Harrow on the Hill, Past and Present - Mr J Edwards 30/08/11 Old London Docks and New Docklands - Miss Sally Botwright

Orpington Sid Towner Chairman 01689 838567 The Memorial Hall, Methodist Church, Sevenoaks Road, Orpington Second Friday in the month at 1.45pm 10/06/11 A Trip to Everest - Mr J Bailey (illustrated talk) 08/07/11 Harris Hospiscare - Ms Christine Davies 31/07/11 Group Holiday to Sandown, Isle of Wight (31 July-7 August) 12/08/11 Tales of a Scotland Yard Detective Mr S Roberts

Romney Marsh Mrs Win Owen Chairperson 01797 362598 winefrideowen@aol.com The Assembly Rooms, Church Approach, New Romney Second Wednesday of each month at 10am 08/06/11 Retired Greyhound Trust - Ann Watson 13/07/11 Kent at War - Bob Ogley 10/08/11 Dover to Dungeness - Brian Doorne

Sanderstead & Selsdon Ralph Perryman Secretary 020 8657 3487 Selsdon Centre for the Retired, 132 Addington Road, Selsdon, South Croydon Second Thursday of the month at 2.30pm 09/06/11 Parliament and the Strange Laws of England - Rev Malcolm Newman 14/07/11 The Pop Service - Mr Colin Edwards (CNCA) 11/08/11 Fun with Words - Gwendoline Horn

South East Middlesex Mrs June Brown Secretary 020 8891 4680 junebrownuk@hotmail.com Various venues, dates and times 08/06/11 Bexhill and Batemans (home of Rudyard Kipling) - Seaside and National Trust 04/08/11 Ingatestone Hall (visit to the Essex coast and visit to privately owned Tudor building).

GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL who contributed to the planner section. Apologies if your entry is edited, but occasionally due to space restrictions we will edit entries and give priority to contact details and forthcoming activities, dates and events that are planned.

Deadline for contributions to the AUTUMN 2011 planner is 29 JULY 2011. Please note this planner will run from 1 September - 15 November so please make sure you include as full a listing as possible. Your submission can be sent by post (please send your entry well before the

INTER-GROUP VISITS

i

Are you planning to visit a different part of the country this year? Then why not visit another CSRF group in that area? You can find out where the nearest group is by referring to the Planner in avanti or by entering a postcode or address in the Group Finder section of the CSRF website. All of the group contacts are listed here including the key contact names and numbers.

Staines Dorothy Dib Secretary 01784 441990 Various restaurants for lunch Third Tuesday of each month

Sutton Peter Hodson Chairman 020 8643 5402 Friends Meeting House, 10 Cedar Road, Sutton Monday afternoons 2.00 - 3.45pm 06/06/11 Informal Lunch at The Beverley, Lower Morden Lane 27/06/11 Peter Durrant, a gentleman of Fleet Street, talks about this life as a wartime schoolboy.

14/07/11 A guided walk round Cheam Village followed by lunch (TBC) 25/07/11 Cream Tea and Social Afternoon 15/08/11 An outing to Chiswick House and its restored gardens (TBC)

Worcester Park Peter Tharby Chairman 020 8337 7423 petertharby@blueyonder.co.uk Old Malden Scout Hall, 411 Malden Road, Worcester Park First Monday each month at 2.00-4.00pm (If Bank Holiday, then second Monday) 06/06/11 A Child’s War, Memories of 193945 - talk by Mike Brown 04/07/11 Natural Healing through Reflexology - talk and demonstration by Lynne Wilkinson 01/08/11 Our ever popular Summer Lunch at The Hogsmill, Worcester Park

deadline as the post can at times be unreliable) or by email to Belinda.stalker@csrf.org.uk DON’T FORGET – ALL groups are now entitled to a FULL listing in the planner, so please do not forget to send us your full activities calendar. If we don’t receive your entry on or before the listed date your group will not be listed If your group would like to contribute to a future issue, or you want any advice or guidance, call Belinda Stalker on 020 8691 7411 or Belinda.stalker@csrf.org.uk www.csrf.org.uk SUMMER 2011

61

the last word

My

favourite things…

With best-selling novelist and Lord, Michael Dobbs As an internationally recognised author and now member of the House of Lords (as Lord Dobbs of Wylye) Michael Dobbs has led an interesting life. He spent time with Margaret Thatcher when she first arrived in Downing Street and then again with John Major when he left. In between a busy life he found time to create perhaps one of his most famous characters, Francis Urquhart who first appeared in House of Cards and was described by a Chief Whip that it had done for his job, “what Dracula has done for baby sitting”.

His new book has just been published which is another adventure for maverick ex-special forces officer Casablanca. It gets better turned politician Harry Jones with every viewing. and we were delighted when Bergman and Bogey are at he agreed to find time to tell their best! us more about his favourite things…

4

Film

1 2

Painting The garden fence! I love being out in the garden

Piece of Music

Adagietto from 4th movement of Mahler’s 5th. This is the opening music for Visconti’s Death in Venice and is all morning mists and misery. It has me in tears. And Will Young’s Leave Right Now.

3

Novel

Treasure Island. I read it by torchlight under the bed sheets as a kid.

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SUMMER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

5

Quotation

Anything from Winston Churchill.

Mind you, he stole a lot of them from others. ‘Iron Curtain’ was a phrase originally used by Goebbels.

6

City/ Destination

Vancouver Island. One of the most naturally beautiful places on the planet.

7 8

Colour Green. Preferably on a tree.

Animal Buzzards. If they are flying, I know I’m in the right place.

9 10

Historical Figure

Winston Churchill. He never knew when he was beaten.

Flower Snowdrops. They mean spring is almost here.

Old Enemies by Michael Dobbs is published by Simon & Schuster in trade paperback £12.99 and reviewed on page 31

talk tous Would you like to nominate somebody to appear in the next ‘My Favourite Things’? Send your recommendation to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine.