Winter 2011 avanti Magazine

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

MAGAZINE

satire & society Why it’s good to laugh

TOP TRAVEL Where to visit in 2012

ROBIN COUSINS

On Dancing On Ice, the Olympics & retirement

Living the

GOOD LIFE Embracing self-sufficiency

TWO

Centuries of Dickens

Celebrating his continued appeal

Combating Loneliness How to help yourself and others

PLUS: MAKING MUSIC • BOOKS • CULTURE • CSRF NEWS • PUZZLES • GROUP REPORTS 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

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Suite 2, 80A Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA 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

Is it really possible another year has almost finished?

I have travelled throughout the UK this year on behalf of avanti giving me the chance to meet many of our hard working and dedicated volunteers and see first hand the commitment shown by them to keeping our social groups running.

I have also had the opportunity to meet many serving civil servants at the various events the CSRF has participated in. It has been interesting to hear from them how warmly they regard our work and listen to their views and opinions about how the organisation might evolve in the future.

I am particularly excited about a new member service being launched by the CSRF in the New Year. The ‘Need a Buddy, Be a Buddy’ telephone befriending scheme takes direct aim at tackling social isolation by matching up volunteers as telephone buddies to those who are experiencing loneliness. So please take time to read the article on page 5 and the main feature starting on page 12.

I hope you enjoy the issue and on behalf of all the avanti team I wish you a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

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

Contents 4-8, 11 Front Desk

The latest news from the Fellowship Office and Chief Executive’s message.

Publisher: Gaynor Garton e: gaynor@square7media.co.uk Advertising: e: adsales@square7media.co.uk Editor: David Tickner e: avanti@square7media.co.uk Contact the Editor By mail: Write to the Fellowship Office address above Email: avanti@square7media.co.uk Tel: 020 8691 7411 Designer: Charlotte Morgan

12 Combating loneliness

What can you do to beat it and help others?

16 T wo centuries of Dickens Paul Allen looks at the long lasting appeal of Dickens ahead of his bicentenary next year.

20 It’s good to laugh

Celebrating the importance of satire in society.

22 Let music be the food of life

Martin Sayers explores how music can improve your quality of life.

©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.

24 Round of App-lause Exploring the world of ‘apps’.

26 The Iceman cometh

Stephen Davy-Osborne meets former Olympic skater and Dancing on Ice head judge Robin Cousins.

31 Destinations 2012 Top tips for places to visit next year.

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34 How to live the good life

31

Martin Sayers looks at how you can turn your garden into an outdoor larder.

37 Leisure Life

The latest book and culture reviews.

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43 Coffee Time

Fun titbits, trivia and the ever-popular prize crossword!

46 Your Feedback Your letters and views.

48 Out & About

Group reports and news from around the country.

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

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62 My Favourite Things

With poet, performer and presenter Pam Ayres.

www.csrf.org.uk AUTUMN 2011

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front desk News from headquarters

from the chief executive Words by Jean Cooper

Dear Member It seems very odd to be sat writing my introductory letter for the Winter issue whilst bathed in sunshine. Like me, I do hope you were all able to take advantage of our Indian summer at the beginning of October as by now the clocks will have changed and the nights will be well and truly drawing in.

The last few months have been a busy time for the small team here at Fellowship Office. Since our attendance at CS Live in July we have had many requests from departments to come along and talk about our work and supply them with resources to pass over to those coming up for retirement – our team of volunteers have visited the Ministry of Defence, Department of Work & Pensions, Ministry of Justice and Asylum & Immigration. We will also be participating in events for the Department of Health and Welsh Assembly.

All of these events add greater strength to one of our main objectives which is to recruit new members to the organisation to make up the shortfall through the reduction of our grant in aid support. With that in mind we have already embarked upon a member recruitment initiative with Capita, targeting a sample of 20,000 retirees aged from 70 to 80, apologies if you are already a member but we don’t have access to the records held by Capita. We have more recruitment initiatives planned and you can help us by promoting the benefits of membership wherever you can. Don’t forget that every new member we sign up will make a positive contribution to the funds we have available to help you and the increased ability to introduce more member offers and services!

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the team at Fellowship Office for all of their hard work. It is sometimes difficult for people to fully appreciate just how much effort goes into maintaining our core services and their dedication is testimony to their ongoing commitment to the organisation.

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LIFE MEMBER APPEAL UPDATE

Donations are still coming in from our Life Member appeal earlier this year, so a huge thank you to everybody who has and is donating. The money you have kindly donated so far will be going towards a number of new initiatives to be launched in 2012 that will give added benefit to all of our members.

The current total raised (at the time of going to press) is a very generous £71,504.10 + gift aid.

You can still make a donation by sending your cheque (made payable to ‘The CSRF’ to Member Appeal, The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, FREEPOST SE4414, London SE10 8BP) or you can make a donation online at www.csrf.org.uk or by text to CSRF01 (along with the amount you wish to donate – e.g. £10) to 70070

One of the most exciting initiatives that I am pleased to announce is the launch of our new Phone Buddy members service. We want to help our members who may be lonely or isolated, and you can find full details on how to register on the opposite page. We also have a feature about Combating loneliness starting on page 12 which may be helpful if you or anyone you know are feeling lonely, especially over the festive season. I hope you enjoy the issue, and make the most of the Planner section, if you haven’t yet visited your local group, why not go along to a meeting, meet new people and widen your circle of friends!

As we are approaching the end of the year I’d like to conclude with my customary round of thanks and seasonal goodwill to the CSIS Charity Fund for their sponsorship of avanti, the Board of Directors, our Publishers Square7 Media and all of our hard working volunteers. 2011 has been a good year overall and I look forward to 2012, the EU Year for Active Ageing, being even better.

On a final note, three particular thank you’s on behalf of the Fellowship.

Firstly to our President Sir Gus O’Donnell who retires at the end of this year for his support during his term of office and I look forward to working with his replacements next year. We wish him all the very best for the future. Secondly, to CSRF Vice-President Sir Bruce Robinson, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, who retired earlier this year and lastly to our Champion, Alex Allan for his support in 2011.

On behalf of The Fellowship, I wish you all good health and happiness for the Christmas Season and the New Year.

Yours in friendship and fellowship,

New Csrf Member Service

Need a Buddy,

Be a Buddy According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, in 2008 in Great Britain, 30% of women aged 65 to 74 lived alone compared to 20% of men in this age group; and for those aged 75 and over this increases to 63% and 35% respectively.

A recent member satisfaction survey carried out in avanti identified that 69% of members viewed the idea of a

‘visiting or support service’ as being important.

With that in mind we are launching a telephone befriending service to help make a positive difference to the lives of any of our members who are suffering from loneliness or social isolation from early 2012.

We have a very strong social group network that operates nationally for members, but we also know that there are many of our members who might be elderly and infirm who cannot, or choose not to go along to group meetings and who also live alone.

Loneliness is not age specific and many of us have had moments where we have felt alone and craved some form of social engagement, even it was only the sound of a friendly voice.

The new phone buddy scheme aims to help alleviate loneliness and offer a little bit of social interaction for our members by matching telephone buddies to people who’d like to receive a call.

Whatever your age you can sign up to either make or receive a call or both – all details will be treated in the strictest confidence. So let us help each other to beat social isolation and take the first step by signing up to the Phone Buddy scheme by completing the form below, contacting Fellowship Office, or via our website.

Christmas is often a particularly difficult time for those on their own, so if you or someone you know is experiencing loneliness then please read the article starting on page 12

If you are interested in being either a volunteer phone buddy or recipient of a call either contact Fellowship Office directly with your details or fill in this form and post it to us using our freepost address below.

Name: Address: Tel No: Email: I am interested in being a volunteer phone buddy (calls will be reimbursed) I am interested in receiving a call from a phone buddy Return to: Phone Buddy Scheme, The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, FREEPOST SE4414, London SE10 8BP

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news

2012 EU Year of Active Ageing/ Fellowship Day

As you will know from the previous issue, 2012 is the EU Year of Active Ageing. We would like to encourage all of you to look at ways in which you can get involved in promoting this during the course of 2012. Perhaps you might wish to run an event to conjunct with Fellowship Day (9 April) that can provide an opportunity to raise the awareness of your activities to members in your area.

If you would like any help or advice on how you can get involved then please get in touch with a Fellowship Office staff member

Weather check This time last year many of us were caught unawares by the extreme weather conditions throughout the country. So make sure, as we start to experience more wintery conditions that you pre-plan to cover all eventualities - keep in some table salt to clear icy pathways and stock up the freezer and larder with some extra food supplies just in case you are housebound or snowed in for a lengthy period. Our best advice in these cases would be to stay inside rather than risk falling over on the ice!

Know your rights:

Lasting Power of Attorney We’ve had a number of calls from members asking for more information about power of attorney. We hope the following will be of help.

No one can be forced into signing a Lasting Power of Attorney against their will. A ‘certificate provider’ must also sign part B of the Lasting Power of Attorney forms. A certificate provider is someone who speaks privately with the donor to make sure they understand the powers they are giving their attorneys.

A certificate provider can be someone the donor has known for two years or someone who has professional skill or knowledge of the situation. For example, it could be a doctor, social worker or solicitor. They will also check that there has been no fraud or pressure put on the donor to make a lasting Power of Attorney.

If you want more information on Lasting Powers of Attorney we advise you to speak to your solicitor or if you are online visit www.direct. gov.uk. The Law Society website, www.lawsociety.org.uk has a ‘find a solicitor’ option that allows you to search for your nearest by postcode.

AgeUK are there to help!

Don’t forget that AgeUK offers a number of wellbeing initiatives that are open for consideration by any older person.

These include:

Fit As A Fiddle Operating nationally this programme addresses the area of activity and well being by encouraging older people to enjoy and get involved with activity and healthy-eating clubs.

Visit their dedicated website, www.fitasafiddle.org.uk for more information

Handy Van This service aims to help people in later life feel safer in their homes. It is delivered by fully qualified, policevetted HandyVan fitters who have been trained to support older people in overcoming day-to-day and long-term concerns in the home. The HandyVan fitter is responsible for visiting people’s homes, assessing what security/safety measures and small repairs are needed and, subject to approval, will install the necessary equipment.

For more information on this service call 0845 026 1055 or email: handyvan@ageuk.co.uk If you’d like to find out more about any of AgeUK’s schemes call Age UK Advice on 0800 169 6565 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk

E-Newsletter If you have access to a computer sign up to receive our regular e-newsletter, which is full of the latest news from headquarters and our national group network. It’s easy to do – just visit the home page of our website at www.csrf.org.uk and enter your email address in the box marked ‘Email sign up’.

Once you’ve clicked to confirm you will see a confirmation message on screen that says ‘you have successfully signed up for the newsletter’ and then each time we send out an e-newsletter you will receive it in your email inbox.

If you experience any problems trying to sign up then contact Belinda Stalker on 020 8691 7411 or email: belinda.stalker@csrf.org.uk

Crossword Competition

We had a fantastic number of entries to our autumn crossword, but unfortunately there’s only one winner! Congratulations to L W Appleby from Bexley, Kent who wins the £100 of Marks & Spencer vouchers. We’ve another crossword for you to try your luck with so turn to page 43 and give it a go! You never know, you could be a winner just in time for Christmas!

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Stop Press New Vice President!

We need

you!

With an increase in the number of departmental events we are being asked to participate in we are looking for volunteers to run CSRF stands on our behalf. The event could be anywhere in the country (recent locations have included Bristol, Leeds, Warrington and Cardiff).

Generally the event takes place during the course of one day, usually between the hours of 10am-4pm. You would not need to worry about the organisational side as that would all be taken care of by Fellowship Office. All you would need to do is go along and be available to meet and talk about our work to those attending the event.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to get involved as an event volunteer or perhaps you’d like to help us here at the office then please contact Fellowship Office to register your interest

As part of our ongoing plans to raise awareness with members around the country we visited Manchester during September and held the first of what we hope will be a number of Open Days. Held at the People’s History Museum in the heart of the city, members, non-members and serving civil servants were invited along to meet the Fellowship Office team and find out more about what is planned for the organisation over the next few years. After an introductory talk given by Chief Executive Jean Cooper, guests enjoyed a buffet lunch and also had plenty of time to explore the exhibitions at the museum. Following the event we have been pleased to welcome some new members and volunteers. We are also particularly

CSRF Volunteer Michael Peacock mans the CSRF stand during the DWP/MoJ Wellbeing Fortnight in Brislington

We’re very pleased to welcome Dr Malcolm McKibbin as a new Vice President of the Fellowship. Dr McKibbin replaces Sir Bruce Robinson as the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and we very much look forward to working with him.

CSRF Volunteer Jean Anderson ran the CSRF stand at Asylum & Immigration’s WellBeing Day

LEGACY GIVING

DWP employees pose for the camera at Brislington

CSRF Open Day

grateful for the support of Barbara Carr, Health & Wellbeing Manager at Job Centre Plus in Manchester who has also been promoting our work to the DWP North West Community 10,000 Champion to raise awareness amongst serving civil servants.

Would your area benefit from an Open Day event? If you’d like to discuss this in more detail then please get in touch with a Fellowship Office staff member

Please consider helping the CSRF continue our work and services for future generations by leaving us a legacy in your will. Whether large or small, your gift will enable us to provide the best possible range of services for retired and older Civil Servants and their partners. Your gift will also not be subject to any inheritance tax.

If you would like any help or advice on how to leave a legacy then please contact Fellowship Office on 020 86917411 or email info@csrf.org.uk

Newly appointed Board Director Sylvia Edgell (second from left) visited the Neath group recently to support their annual afternoon tea

Board Director vacancies

There will be at least three elected member vacancies opening up on the Board of Directors in 2012 due to a change in the rules relating to terms of office that was approved at this year’s Annual General Meeting. So if you’d like to consider putting yourself forward and would like to find out more about what’s involved then please contact Jean Cooper for an informal and confidential chat.

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news

Members activities

The Book Forum

This is another collaboration that we have undertaken with the NHS Retirement Fellowship to offer something new to members. The core idea is to develop a club/forum that would provide members with the opportunity to get together socially and enjoy a shared love of literature.

So if you’d be interested in getting involved, then we’d like to hear from you.

2012 Photo Competition The Tour will take place at five courses across the country during May and June 2012 culminating in a final (date to be confirmed).

The format of each day would be as follows: 10.00 12.00 18.00

Arrival. Registration. Tea/Coffee and Bacon roll First Tee Reserved Buffet Supper and presentation of prizes

Courses so far are as follows: Northern Ireland: Moyola Golf Club, Castledawson, County Londonderry Scotland: Uphall Golf Club, West Lothian North England: Matlock Golf Club, Matlock, Derbyshire South England: Studley Wood Golf Club, Studley (nr.Oxford) Wales: Llandrindod Wells Golf Club, Powys Prizes would be awarded to: - Individual Champion and runner up (Highest individual Stapleford points total).

- Team Champions and runner up (total best two Stableford points at each hole)

Entry is still open for any member who wishes to participate in the 2012 Photographic competition we are running with the NHS Retirement Fellowship.

The theme is ‘Active Ageing’ and it is up to each entrant to interpret it in his or her submitted picture.

Any type of photo is acceptable (portrait, landscape, still life etc) and we also are able to accept submissions in either digital or print format. The competition will run throughout 2012 with an event to coincide with the winners being picked towards the end of the year.

Rosie Tanner, Editor of Digital Photography magazine is one of the judges confirmed so far and we are pleased to confirm that the first prize, courtesy of CSIS, will be a top of the range digital camera.

So whatever your photographic ability why not get involved – entry is free and you never know, you could be one of the selected finalists. All the photographs by the selected finalists will appear in the winter 2012 issue of avanti.

- Longest Drive & Nearest the Line As you can appreciate there are costs associated with putting this activity on, but we’ve deliberately kept them as low as possible. So for existing members there is a £25 fee to sign up to the Tour (you will receive a welcome pack including golf bag tag and three logo golf balls). There may also be a day cost attached to each event but we are working on achieving sponsorship to avoid this needing to be imposed.

Calling all writers!

The annual Society of Civil & Public Service Writers competitions for short stories, travel articles and poems is now open for 2012.

The competitions are open only to SCPSW members. Those eligible include serving or retired members of the Civil Service, Armed Forces, National Health Service, Local Government, the Police Force or any Public Service.

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To get involved with either the Golf, Photo or Book activities send your name, address and telephone number indicating which you are interested in to: Member Activities, The CSRF, Suite 2, 80a Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA or you can fill out the relevant interest form online in the members area of the CSRF website, www.csrf.org.uk

For details of membership send a SAE to: Mrs Joan Lewis, 17 The Green, Corby Glen, Grantham, Lincs, NG33 4NP. Email: joan@lewis5634.fsnet.co.uk or visit the website: www.scpsw.co.uk Short stories should be not more than 3,000 words; travel articles not more than 2,000 words; poems not more than 40 lines, with each poem on a separate sheet.

Stories and articles should be typed, double-spaced, on A4 paper, with word count. Entries should bear only the name of the competition, title and author’s pen

name, with a separate sheet quoting: name of competition, pen name, title, real name and address. Entries will be returned if accompanied by SAE.

Entries to Competition Secretary, Nina Mattar, 4 Redruth House, Grange Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 6RT. Cheques payable to SCPSW. NOT LATER THAN 28 FEBRUARY 2012. For more information on entry fees and prizes contact Mrs Lewis using the details above.

Fundraising Switch and Save We have decided to partner with LSI one of the UK’s leading utility brokers, and most experienced companies in the marketplace, established since 1994. LSI has been the preferred broker for the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) for a number of years and has helped many charities save on the cost of energy.

Not only is LSI’s service available to help you save up to £500 on your domestic energy bills but also for every supporter who successfully switches their energy supplier LSI has agreed to donate £7.50 per fuel to us. (If both gas and electricity are switched £15 will be donated).

Lately, there have been non-stop press reports about energy price increases. The ‘Big Six’ suppliers have all increased their prices by up to almost 20% in the last 6 months.

Due to these increases there has never been a better time to compare the energy market and make sure you aren’t paying over the odds for your energy.

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steps TO start saving today!

1. Visit the LSI website using the following web address, www.lsiutilitybroker.co.uk/services/ domestic-savings/ and enter your postcode and the promotional code ‘CSRF’.

2. Enter your supplier details (current supplier, current tariff, payment method & consumption –this information will be available on any utility bill).

3. View your results and simply click on the cheapest option and follow the simple instructions.

You can save money so please tell family and friends about this offer. As long as the promotional code ‘CSRF’ is entered when using the service LSI will make sure a donation is made

MyDonate by BT

This is the first no fee, no commission online fundraising service in the UK and it means that every charity will benefit with more money going to good causes. We will receive 100% of any money that you donate.

You can make a donation by visiting https://mydonate. bt.com/charities/thecivilserviceretirementfellowship

Pig Tales!

Our ever-popular stress pigs have been making an impact all over the place as you can see from some of the pictures sent in recently.

The Office Pig Anne Jackson from– adopted by the Va Office Agency. luation

own on the farm Horace the Hog d il Cleghorn from - adopted by Apr bunals service HM Courts & Tri Help us raise funds and receive one of our special CSRF pigs! All you need to do is make a minimum donation of £5 to the CSRF and we will send you a pig of your very own! Send your details and a cheque made payable to ‘The CSRF’ to ‘Pig Tales Donation, The CSRF, Suite 2, 80a Blackheath Road, London SE10 8DA or you can donate online at www.csrf.org.uk

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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feature

Combating

Loneliness The festive season may be a time of celebration for some, but for those who are on their own it can be a difficult time

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L

oneliness is not one single, simple thing. It has many levels and can hit each of us in very different ways. It might be caused by retirement, the death of a spouse or close friends or something as simple as a move to a new home. In retirement, people often have no close family to turn to for companionship and may be wary of going out alone as they get older.

It’s possible to overcome loneliness, if you are really determined to do so. To help yourself, you will need to give a lot of time and energy to thinking about the reasons for your feelings and what positive steps you can take.

Learning to be alone

If you are someone who panics when left alone, and constantly seeks others out in order to avoid inner loneliness, it might be worth spending some time learning how to feel relaxed in your own company. Spending time alone may involve facing the difficult feelings that relentless socialising keeps at bay. It may also enable you to focus on the kind of person you really are, and what you really want to do.

Techniques like yoga, meditation, and even just keeping a journal, can help you to relax and replace frantic activity with a calmer sense of yourself. It’s worth spending time concentrating on something that really interests you, which you can enjoy. Focus on the pleasure it gives you and the fact that periods of time spent alone can be rewarding.

Once you can face yourself, your relationships with other people will improve.

You will be able to reach out to others with less of a hungry need and more of an ability to give. You will find you have more interest in them and the world around you, which they will respond to.

Learning to be with others

If you spend a lot of time alone, because you feel uncomfortable in a social situation, the following suggestions may be useful.

If your difficulties in relating to other people are to do with setting boundaries in relationships, saying ‘no’ and expressing your feelings, you may find assertiveness training helpful. Social skills training may also be appropriate. To find out about local classes, ask at your library or look on the Internet. Most adult education institutions offer them, as do some universities and colleges of education.

If you are really out of practice at meeting people, it’s important to take small steps first, and not get too quickly and intensely involved with one person. Make the most of every opportunity for social contact, however slight. Talk to people. Ask questions. Be curious.

Local interest groups

You may find it easier to relate to others through the medium of a shared interest.

Consider what you most enjoy doing, whether it’s reading, going for country walks, going to the cinema, playing chess or playing a musical instrument. There are many local groups and societies that cater for a wide range of interests and taste.

Have a look in our planner section and find out where your nearest CSRF group is and go along and make some new friends.

If you have access to the Internet, access our website (www.csrf.org.uk), type your postcode into the group finder box and it will give you details of your nearest groups.

Joining a class

Share something new. Consider whether there are new skills you would like to acquire. Joining an evening class at beginners’ level will put you on the same

10 tips for surviving the Festive Season

1

Look at the planner and see what your local CSRF group is doing. If you’ve never been along before that doesn’t matter as everyone is welcome.

So be brave and take the plunge!

2

Register with us to be a phone buddy on our new service and help your self and another member by giving them a call. We will even pay for the calls made.

3

Volunteer in your local area - many charities, food shelters and other voluntary organisations often need extra cover over Christmas.

4

Share some Christmas cheer - don’t be shy, converse with your neighbours – many of whom may be in the same position and on their own too. Why not invite them over to share a festive drink and a mince pie?

5

Build bridges and closer ties with lapsed family relationships.

Christmas is the perfect time to extend an olive branch and repair broken fences – it is the season of good will after all!

6

Scout your local paper, community centre,

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feature church and library for any events that might be taking place – there are usually a surfeit of community Christmas events such as carol concerts, the town Christmas fair and church services which are all great ways of avoiding being on your own.

7

Try not to isolate yourself. It is very easy to shut the door on the outside world, switch on the TV and avoid the whole festive period. But if you can, get out and about even if it’s to pop to the high street to chat to people in your local shops and wish them a merry Christmas.

8

Go online and get connected – if you have access to the Internet then there are many ways to meet people, share stories and have conversations with people like you from all across the world. If you don’t then why not treat yourself to an earlier Christmas present and get it installed – there are some very good deals regularly offered at high street stores.

9

Keep to a daily routine – even though it’s the holiday season, plan your day so you have something positive to focus on every day however small.

10

Be a good samaritan.

If you know somebody in your area you think might be alone and need a helping hand, then make the effort to pop over.

Helping with shopping or posting Christmas cards could make all the difference to someone.

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WINTER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

footing as everyone else. Getting to know new people can become part of the process of learning something new.

Volunteering

If you have spare time on your hands, think about whether you could spend a few hours working as a volunteer. Aside from getting involved as a volunteer with us there is plenty of information on local groups, cultural societies, sports organisations, evening classes and voluntary groups at your local library, in your local newspaper and online.

You can find full details of the various volunteer opportunities the CSRF has available on our website or by calling us on 020 8691 7411.

Useful Information MIND (working for better mental health)

Information Line: 0300 123 3393 www.mind.org.uk MIND have a number of useful free publications available - for a catalogue of publications from Mind, send an A4 SAE to:Mind Publications, 15–19 Broadway, London E15 4BQ

The Samaritans

Helpline: 08457 90 90 90 www.samaritans.org.uk

Keep in touch

Modern technology can provide a valuable lifeline if you are on your own. Keep in touch with friends and family by email or skype (a quick, easy and cheap way to call anywhere in the world). Social networking sites can also offer a chance to make new friends all over the world.

Need a buddy, Be a buddy

As part of our plans to build member benefits and services we are launching a ‘phone buddy’ scheme at the beginning of 2012 that is aimed at alleviating social isolation and combating loneliness whatever your age.

So if you would like to register as a volunteer caller or as a recipient of a regular call then contact us on 020 8691 7411 or fill out the form on page 5 and send back to us using our freepost address, or email us at info@csrf.org.uk

talk tous Have you suffered from but overcome loneliness in the past?

Let us know your tips, stories and experiences which may help other members.

Write to the Editor using the contact information at the front of the magazine.

feature Portrait of Charles Dickens 19th century Š Museum of London

Two centuries of

Dickens

As the nation prepares for Dickens 2012, Paul Allen considers the lasting appeal of one of England’s finest novelists.

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Dickens

C

rime, social class, ambition and redemption. The themes which Charles Dickens tackled in his thirteenth novel, Great Expectations, are as resonant today as they were when it was published in 1860. This enduring relevance, coupled with the iconic Victorian’s mastery of plot and character, have ensured that the adventures of the orphan Pip are rediscovered and loved by each new generation.

Since its original publication, Great Expectations has been reworked countless times for TV, film and stage. For many, David Lean’s 1954 film version starring John Mills as Pip with Jean Simmons as young Estella remains the gold standard.

Anthony Hopkins also played a memorable Magwitch (with Simmons this time cast as Miss Havisham) in Kevin Connor’s 1989 TV adaptation. Nine years later, Alfonso Cuarón, whose credits include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, gave the Dickens masterpiece a Hollywood makeover with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow in the lead roles.

And this won’t be the last interpretation.

In 2012, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, there will be another adaptation of Great Expectations, this time from English director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). The cast is suitably stellar: Ralph Fiennes will play Magwitch, Helena Bonham-Carter takes on the role of Miss Havisham, and there are parts for David Walliams, Jason Flemyng and Robbie Coltrane.

The film will be just one of a year-long series of publications, talks, showcases and events lined up for the bicentennial anniversary. Indeed, Dickens 2012 is billed as an “international celebration of the life and work of Charles Dickens”, which will include, among other attractions, the largest ever retrospective of film and TV adaptations at London’s BFI Southbank and the world’s biggest Dickens festival in the Netherlands. In addition, Royal Mint has announced they will be producing a Special Edition Dickens 2012 coin to mark the bicentenary.

As we continue to celebrate him today,

and London

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens in 2012, the Museum of London is hosting the UK’s first major exhibition on the author for 40 years. Dickens and London opens on 9 December 2011 and runs until 10 June 2012.

Recreating the atmosphere of Victorian London through sound and projections, visitors will be taken on a haunting journey to discover the city that inspired his writings. Paintings, photographs, costume and objects will illustrate themes that Dickens wove into his works, such as poverty and childhood, while rarely seen manuscripts including Bleak House and David Copperfield – written in the author’s own hand – will offer clues to his creative genius. Highlights of the exhibition will also include an innovative audio-visual experience

bringing to life the desk and chair where Dickens wrote some of his greatest works, and a specially commissioned film by one of the UK’s leading documentary filmmakers, William Raban, which will explore the similarities between London after dark today and the night time city described

by Dickens.

For Alex Werner, exhibition lead curator and Head of History Collections at the Museum of London, there could be no better time to celebrate the writer’s life and works.

“Dickens is the first author to describe the modern city of the 19th century and its profound impact on society and, in particular, on ordinary people,” he says.

“London was Dickens’s inspiration.

He knew its alleys and streets better than anyone. His writings remain relevant today especially for the rapidly developing mega-cities around the world today, which face many of the problems and challenges that impacted on Victorian London 150 years ago.”

York Water Gate and the Adelphi from the River, 1845-1860 by Henry Pether © Museum of London

it is worth remembering that when Dickens sat down to write Great Expectations, he was already a national hero. He had penned Oliver Twist more than 20 years previously and had enjoyed huge success with this and works including Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge. These, like most of Dickens’ novels, were serialised over a number of years in monthly London periodicals. Among other talents, the format helped Dickens to master the art of

writing cliff-hangers.

His enduring mass popularity, however, is not simply down to his gift for storytelling but his fearless social commentary.

Dickens’s are among the most evocative and powerful depictions of poverty and class injustice in Victorian society, and he never shied away from revealing the true horror of penury and financial destitution.

Unlike many other writers of his day, this honesty ensures that Dickens has never

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feature LEFT: Scrooge from Disney’s 2009 adaptation of A Christmas Carol; BELOW: Dickens Dream © CharlesDickens Museum

become an anachronism. The London of Nancy Sykes and Oliver Twist may look different almost two centuries on, but the masterfully told stories of poverty, abuse and want – as well as friendship, honour and charity – remain every bit as real for a 21st century readership. In today’s economically challenging times, Little Dorrit has a particular relevance with its warnings of the perils of unregulated market speculation.

Dickens therefore remains a modern writer, and his bicentenary will be a truly 21st century affair. It may not trump that other global event coming to the UK in summer 2012, but Dickens 2012 is already looking to be a very big occasion. Divided into five strands – exhibitions; film, radio

Hard times?

As a teenager, Dickens had first-hand knowledge of financial meltdown. In 1825, eighty banks failed and 500 companies went bankrupt when the Bank of England refused to advance any more money cheaply to local banks and businesses.

Writing in the Telegraph, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst notes that the first chapters of Little Dorrit were written in June 1855, the same month in which the

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and TV; literature and education; theatre and performing arts; and festivals – it will quite simply be impossible to avoid the great man in 2012.

As well as Dickens and London at the Museum of London, highlights include a major show of original manuscripts at The Morgan Library in New York City, a new Dickens monument to celebrate some of his most famous characters in Southwark, a literary exhibition in Zurich and even a Dickens half marathon in Texas.

The BFI’s film and TV groundbreaking retrospective at the South Bank will delight movie buffs in January 2012, while the BBC’s ‘Dickens Season’ will guarantee several new adaptations for the small screen too. Meanwhile on the stage, Dickens’s The Life of Our Lord will be staged for the first time in a one-man production adapted by Broadway writer Jeffrey Hatcher (arriving in London’s West End in spring 2012), while Dickens’s Women will see BAFTA-winning actress Miriam Margolyes starring in a one-woman stage show exploring Dickens’s female characters.

Charles John Huffam Dickens was

ancient banking-house of Strahan, Paul & Bates spectacularly folded. Meanwhile, John Sadlier, MP, a Junior Lord of the Treasury, widely admired as a financial wizard, plundered the Tipperary Bank until it too collapsed, with debts of £400,000.

However, even in Little Dorrit, that “great warning-cry about the financial mess that people can get themselves into”, the author says that Dickens offers a cheering alternative to the credit-crunch, because another word that binds the

Dickens World

DickensWorld offers visitors the chance to enjoy an assortment of Dickensian attractions. You could experience the Great Expectations Boat Ride, step back in time to a Victorian school or brave the horrors of the 1859 Haunted house. If that’s not enough, you also have a chance to interact with some of Dickens’s literary characters.

Dickens World is located at Chatham Maritime adjacent to the Dockside outlet centre and the Odeon Cinema. It is easily accessible by the Medway tunnel via the M2 (A2) and the A289 and the nearest railway station is Chatham.

Entry tickets are priced £13 for adults, but special rates are available for groups over 15 people, for more information call 01634 890421 or visit their website, www.dickensworld.co.uk 58 when he died in 1870. An epitaph circulated at the time of his funeral read: “To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England’s most popular author). He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.”

Little could those mourners know, however, just how Dickens would survive.

As the novelist’s stories continue to feature on stage, the silver screen, and the school curriculum into the 21st century, it is clear that while the great man may be lost, he will never be forgotten.

novel together is ‘credit’.

This is not just a reference to financial wheeling and dealing, but also what people earn by their actions in each other’s eyes, as when Arthur Clennam decides that nothing he does should interfere with his business partner’s “honour and credit”.

“It is a curiously upbeat message from a novelist whose face used to glower out from the £10 banknote,” says DouglasFairhurst. “Perhaps we should take the hint.”

feature

it’s good to

LAUGH Paul Allen celebrates the important role of satire in society

T

he British have a curious relationship with authority.

Neither passionate revolutionaries (at least not for a few centuries) nor content to serve under a dictator, we prefer instead to cajole, critique and chastise those in power and authority. Our disrespect for politicians, business magnates and aristocrats is perhaps no better exemplified than through our enduring love affair with Private Eye magazine.

There is an irony that so irreverent a publication should find itself granted an exhibition at such a venerable institution as the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum. But after five decades of wry humour and ruthless investigative journalism, 50 of the best trademark front covers – one from every year the magazine has been published – will be arranged in a timeline, offering a graphic satirical history of the news over five decades.

Queen Victoria and her subjects, of course, were no stranger to satire themselves.

Charles Dickens (see our feature on page 16) frequently dipped his quill in satire when describing the injustice of class divides.

This was also a time when many satirical publications were born, most notably Punch which ran from 1841 until its closure in 2002. The arch exponents of the day, however, were Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan, whose

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wildly popular operettas were loaded with satirical verse and ribald humour.

They too were following in a long line of satirists reaching as far back as Ancient Egypt in the 2nd Millennium BC – although many of these writings now seem far less biting than much of our modern satire. The first Roman to properly discuss satire as a form was Quintilian, who coined the term to describe the writings of Lucilus, while the two most prominent and influential ancient Roman satirists were Horace and Juvenal. (Incidentally, while the Ancient Greeks certainly used satire, notably Aristophanes, the word bears no etymological relation to “Satyrs”, the pipe-playing woodland deities.)

With such a rich heritage, it is little wonder that we are so familiar with satire as a form today. Novelists George Orwell and Aldous Huxley were among those to exploit its potential in the early 20th century, while the advent of television and movies opened up a host of new satirical possibilities. For many, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove is the epitome of cinematic satire – a brilliantly farcical study of war and sex.

At this stage, it’s perhaps worth stepping back and defining “satire”.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that in satire, “vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement”.

This, of course, is precisely what has happened on the pages of Private Eye for the past five decades. For editor Ian Hislop, it continues to be a worthy pursuit. Speaking in the Guardian in

2011, he rounds on critics who argue that his publication actually harms society.

“All satirists have been told, ‘You’re making the job of government impossible’ when all we are really doing is trying to keep them honest,” he says.

“Of course their job is difficult, but it’s better to say that these things are going on than say, ‘This is a tough job, give them a break.’ That leads to Italy or Greece.”

Reputedly the most sued man in Britain, Hislop is following in the footsteps of many controversial British satirists. In the late 1970s, one programme marked a turning point in modern satire. The TV series Not the Nine O’Clock News, which introduced Mel Smith, Pamela Stephenson, Rowan Atkinson and Griff Rhys Jones to our screens, lampooned popular culture and the news media through spoof news and TV sketches.

Following close behind, Spitting Image enjoyed twelve years of satirical success through its use of rubber-faced puppet caricatures of politicians and celebrities – the most famous take-offs being those of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

During the 1980s and 1990s, it outraged MPs as it delighted viewers with its merciless denigrations of Whitehall.

John Major was a frequent target. Not only did Spitting Image always portray him coloured completely grey, it also invented an affair between Major and Virginia Bottomley. (It later transpired that he had indeed had an affair, only with Edwina Currie.)

While the slapstick silliness of Spitting Image was clearly tongue-in-cheek, some of the very purest satire, however, has

often been a victim of its own success.

One of the most controversial satirists in recent years is Chris Morris, whose Brass Eye series in the late 90’s satirised media portrayal of social ills, in particular moral sensationalism – and fooled public figures into supporting fictitious, and often absurd, charities and causes.

David Amess, then the Conservative MP for Basildon, for example, was duped into filming a video warning against the dangers of a fictional drug called Cake – even asking a question about it in Parliament. In a later programme, Morris convinced celebrities, including Gary Lineker and Phil Collins, to support a fictional anti-paedophilia charity, Nonce Sense (involving Collins saying, “I’m talking Nonce Sense!”)

While Morris has been both loved and loathed for his fearless satire, most recently deployed in his spoof terrorism movie, Four Lions, this misunderstanding is nothing new, however. This same misconception was suffered by the main character of 1960s British television comedy satire, Till Death Us Do Part.

Writer Jonny Speight intended the character of Alf Garnett (played by Warren Mitchell) to reveal the stupidity of narrow-minded, English racists.

Instead, his character became a sort of anti-hero to people who actually agreed with his views.

But this too was far from unique.

Almost three centuries ago, for example, readers were misconstruing Jonathan Swift’s intentions in A Modest Proposal, assuming it to be a serious recommendation of economically motivated cannibalism.

Today, many recent television satires retain the same streak of parody and caricature – and animation has increasingly become a popular format to exploit its possibilities. American imports The Simpsons and South Park tackle the same themes as Dickens – politics, religion, society – albeit in a very different way. And as they are animated, the creators often also have greater licence to push the boundaries of comedy (and taste) without incurring public anger or legal action.

This, however, is not the world of Private Eye, where people’s lives are investigated, analysed and exposed every fortnight. If it has corrupt politicians and businessmen as worried today as it did when the magazine was launched 50 years ago, this is something for which we should all be grateful.

Private Eye: The first 50 Years is on display at the V&A museum until 9 January 2012. Visit www.vam.ac.uk for more details.

FROM L - R: Private Eye front cover, No.594, 21 September, 1984; Private Eye front cover, No.1147, 9-22 December, 2005; Private Eye front cover, No.340, 10 January, 1975.

TOP: Private Eye Cartoon by Ken Pyne, 1986; RIGHT: Not The Nine o’clock News; Brass Eye;

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feature

let music be the food of life Martin Sayers explores how music can improve your quality of life

H

ave you heard of the Zimmers?

Taking their name from the zimmer frame, they are believed to have the oldest band members in the world, with around 50 members ranging from 60 to 100, a cumulative age of 3,700 years! The group was formed as a result of a BBC documentary called ‘Power to the People’, which investigated the feelings of powerlessness and isolation experienced by many older people. Presenter Tim Samuels recruited pensioners to make a record to air their grievances and the result was a version of The Who’s My Generation that became an instant hit on the YouTube website and ended up reaching no. 26 in the charts. International fame followed and the group even appeared alongside George Clooney on US prime-time TV programme, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The group still performs regularly today – banging out versions of hits such as My Way, We Will Rock You and Let it Be to audiences in the UK and across the world.

The Zimmers are a powerful example of just what a positive and life-affirming experience making music can be for older people and shows that music can have the effect of enhancing and improving both

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health and quality of life.

This is also backed up by research - a recent American study has suggested that membership of musical groups can have a significant benefit for older adults. The research from the University of Rochester in New York showed that retired people who engaged in communal music-making enjoyed the camaraderie and reported that it helped them cope with the loss of identity that many felt after leaving their jobs. Music can even help with those suffering from arthritis and other conditions that cause chronic pain – a study found that people suffering from osteoarthritis suffered from less pain when listening to or playing music. Other research has shown that just listening to music can have a profoundly positive effect, as the pleasure that results from enjoying tunes stimulates the release of neural growth factors that promote the health, growth and replacement of brain cells.

Happily, anybody that wants to get more involved in music is spoiled for choice, as there are schemes across the UK designed to help older people enjoy and participate in music. The Sage Gateshead – a prestigious music venue in the north-east of England - runs one such scheme through its special ‘Silver Programme’. This promotes, supports and develops participation in singing across Northumberland and is designed to encourage people aged 55 and over into a wide variety of musical enterprises. This is achieved through a range of different community groups that gather at both the venue itself and throughout the wider area. These include Silver Divas - a performance group for men and women, who sing along to everything from popular

songs to Broadway classics accompanied by piano, and Silvers Rock – a multiinstrumental group where people gather to perform hits from the 60s and 70s.

Elsewhere in the country, the GoldenOldies charity, which operates throughout the West of England and Wales, works hard to introduce older people to music through its ‘Sing for Life’ initiative. The charity’s patron is Sir Cliff Richard and its weekly ‘Goldie’ singing sessions bring older people together to enjoy fun and friendship. Its aim is to expand into a national organisation over the next ten years.

These are just a couple of examples.

Whatever your level of musical ability – even if you have never picked up a musical instrument or sung a note in your life – there will be a musical group out there for you. From local community centres to the University of the Third Age, there are plenty of opportunities for older people who want to become involved in music.

Shakespeare famously wrote of music being the food of love but perhaps, for older people at least, it can also be the food of life.

talk tous Have you taken up a musical instrument since retiring? Or have you got involved with a musical group or choir? Share your musical experiences (and pictures!) with us. Send your letters to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine.

Join a Choir Helped by television programmes such as Last Choir Standing, choirs are enjoying a resurgence across the country and apparently there are now more community choirs in the UK than there are fish and chip shops!

It is often older people leading the way and new members are the lifeblood of any choir, so you can expect a warm welcome.

Learn an Instrument Not being able to play an instrument is often one of people’s biggest regrets in life but it really is never too late to start. Instruction groups take place in community centres across the country and the University of the Third Age runs many classes on how to learn an instrument.

Useful Information U3A

The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a group of self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older people no longer in full-time work. It has branches all over the country and offers a multitude of different music classes.

Tel: 020 8466 6139 www.u3a.org.uk

BBC Sing website

This BBC website has lots of great information and resources for anybody interested in singing. www.bbc.co.uk/sing

British Choirs on the Net

Ways to Make the Most of Music Enjoy Live Music

Many people, whatever their age, have never been to a live musical event. This is a shame as live music can be a wonderful experience – from stadium pop shows to classical recitals in intimate venues, there is something for everyone and a quick scan of a local newspaper or community website should provide a host of options.

Go to Church Churches are full of music and guarantee a singsong every Sunday. Going to church gives you the chance to sing along and enjoy the community of others. On Sunday evening, tune into Songs of Praise and do it all again!

This is a fantastic website for anyone interested in joining a choir. It has lots of great information and resources, including a geographical listings page to help you find the choir nearest to you. www.choirs.org.uk

Golden-Oldies

The Golden-Oldies Charitable Trust is based on the well documented fact that singing is good for you.

It encourages good breathing and brightens up your day as well as giving you a chance to meet other people.

Tel: 01761 470006 www.golden-oldies.org.uk

The Silver Programme

The Silver Programme provides a wide variety of daytime musical activities for people over the age of 50, within a relaxed, informal and supportive environment – including singing, steel pans, guitars, recorders and rock ensembles.

Tel: 0191 443 5034 www.silverprogramme.co.uk

The Zimmers

Find out more about world’s oldest band and follow their activities and where they will be performing. www.thezimmersonline.co.uk

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technology

Understanding

applications

The ‘app’ has radically changed the way in which we can access information and has taken technology to the next level.

What is it?

The word app is a noun, and it’s short for “application.” Application refers to a software application (or program) and is a special type of software program that typically refers to software used on a smartphone or mobile device such as the Android, iPhone, BlackBerry or iPad.

Download it

There are now over 250,000 apps available and some of the best are free.

Here are some we thought worth considering:

Thomson Reuters News Pro

Offers a good mix of coverage, which allows you to tailor the app to the UK giving you quick access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage.

Wikipanion

This is the ‘app’ version of Wikipedia which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search and viewing options with no adverts appearing on the page (unlike the Internet version).

Around Me

In an area you don’t know and want to find out what’s around you? Well this app lists local services (such as banks, petrol stations and shops).

Dictionary.com

Words will never fail you with this free offline dictionary and thesaurus containing over a million definitions and 90,000 synonyms. The app is fast and efficient and includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words.

Angry Birds

One of the most popular apps about – you use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playfield. Simple, yet funny and very addictive!

Stanza

Download books from various sources (many of which offer free titles), and you can also transfer your own ePub, PDF or eReader titles from the free Stanza Desktop.

GarageBand

Turn your screen into a vast collection of instruments including pianos, guitars and drums. They are played by touch and they sound just like the real thing. Plug in your headphones and play out your rock star fantasies!

Movies by Flixster

With this movie app, you can watch movie trailers, find timings and read reviews. If you enjoy the cinema this is all you need to keep abreast of everything coming to the big screen near you.

Don’t forget the Kindle The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader, which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media.

The Kindle is priced from £89 and is available to buy from Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk 24

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FURTHER INFO iPAD for the Older and Wiser

by Sean McManus ISBN 978-1119975366 A useful read for anybody wanting to further their understanding of the iPAD. It offers plenty of easy to follow and handy hints that will allow you to make the most of your iPAD.

You can order it online at Amazon or by telephone by calling 0800 496 1081 To find a complete list of Apple’s retail stores in the UK visit www.apple.com/uk/retail or call 0800 048 0408

talk tous If you have discovered a fun or handy app then share it with other members. Send your app recommendations to the Editor by email to: avanti@square7media.co.uk

A

the iceman cometh He became a household name in his teens, went on to win Gold at the Olympics and then took his spectacular skating skills on tour, wowing audiences across the world, and earning himself a prestigious position within the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Looking back on some of the many highlights of an impressively eclectic career, Robin Cousins takes time out of his post-retirement schedule – which is busier than ever – to talk to Stephen Davy-Osborne

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passion for the theatre and a natural flair for performance, thanks - in part - to idol Gene Kelly, along with an appetite for dance nurtured the young Robin from a very young age and it was clear from the beginning that a future in performing lay ahead for the child star. Upon discovering the ice rink and the creativity it can afford to those who are able to master it, Robin’s life took on a whole new direction: “When I discovered ice skating it was something that was able to take those ideas on another level and the freedom of the ice allowed me to be as fast as I cared, jumping as high as I could without actually thinking about the consequences of landing.”

Robin’s skill on the ice was quickly noticed and it wasn’t long before he was competing at national – and soon after – international level.

“When I was 14 or 15 and going to places like Russia and East Germany, as it was then, I spent time thinking that these are places that most people are only ever seeing in geography books. It’s thrilling to have been where I’ve been; although mostly only wherever there’s an ice rink,” he reminisces.

Robin went on to win Gold at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid in 1980 aged just 23, which, in addition to all his preceding achievements earned him an esteemed title, if - as he recalls - rather earlier in his life than expected: “Being awarded the MBE for the Services to Sport after the Olympics was sort of like doing a This is Your Life – I thought, I haven’t had a life yet! It was thrilling. You then spend the rest of your life making it count and earning that accolade, which I am happy to do on a daily basis.”

Shortly after the Olympics, Robin was approached by the production company behind the immensely popular Holiday

feature on Ice shows, who invited him to make the transition from professional athlete to professional performer as part of their touring show.

“It was the perfect fit for me to take what I was doing as an Olympic athlete in front of an audience,” recalls Robin. “The biggest difference was going from doing eight championships a year to doing eight performances a week of the same routine, but I know that my work in the ice shows is helped by the theatre work I’ve done and vice versa.”

In 2000, still very much at the top of his game, Robin decided to retire from professional skating and take a more hands on approach to choreographing and producing of performances.

“I knew that it was the right thing to do,” he states. “I could no longer do the things that I wanted people to see. And I didn’t want people going “oh, he’s not what he used to be!” I knew that I wanted to create and that I wanted to choreograph.”

Despite being retired from professional skating, Robin is still very much hard at work behind the scenes of the Holiday on Ice shows, and somehow still finding time to run his own production company. But perhaps his most prolific public appearance in recent years had been sitting on the judging panel of the hit television show Dancing on Ice, which will begin its seventh run in the New Year.

“January will come around and I will be back in the chair on a Sunday night for the 12 weeks. It’s very enjoyable; it’s a strong show that people have engaged with.

“I love my time at home and am very protective of my time that I have. I enjoy gardening because it is instant gratification, pulling out weeds and cutting things back and just being able to sit there at the end of the day with a beer and see the work that’s been done” Celebrities have committed to having to work hard; we never knew that people would put the time in and I don’t think we expected them to go quite as far as they have. It’s one of those shows where the audience watching can absolutely understand and follow the process and the difficulty of learning a craft like skating. It’s great for the sport and something that I am very proud to be a part of.”

But Dancing on Ice only makes up a small part of Robin’s 2012 calendar, as the summer will also see him return to the Olympic sphere 32 years after achieving Gold in Lake Placid; though this time not competing, but rather through his involvement with the 2012 Olympic Ambassador programme, which sees him imparting his experience on tomorrow’s hopefuls.

“I think the idea of the ambassador programme is to give these athletes - who are not only going to be competing in an Olympic Games for the first time, but in one that happens to take place in their own

country - all the information we can to make the experience the best possible for them in order for them to do what they do at their best. There is no manual, there is no guidebook. We are there to give as much information - not just for the athletes, but also for the coaches and the friends and families who have been their support systems throughout their careers - to enable them to enjoy and focus on what they need to do. This is a once in a lifetime chance and I am very honoured to have been asked, and I’m loving it at the moment – it’s great!”

While not having to train to compete himself, Robin reveals that there are huge challenges involved with the run up to the games, especially as his involvement is with non-skaters. It’s a huge learning curve, but the challenge is relished and proving fruitful, for both the athletes and himself: “My personal involvement at the moment is with the synchronised swimming team who I am mentoring, which is great fun. There is a synergy between the two sports, which I wasn’t aware of before. To be accepted into their world and being able to talk to them about

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feature

member OFFER

music, choreography and performance levels makes me feel very connected to them.”

While prepping Britain’s athletes for what will hopefully be a very successful Games, Robin – in his capacity as part of the National Skating Association - is also very busy choreographing the opening ceremony for the European Skating Championships being held in Sheffield in January. Many would be exhausted just thinking about the number of projects he has on the go simultaneously. Robin laughs it off: “Busy busy, and then a little bit more busy. I don’t like twiddling my thumbs! I do feel much better when I have more than one thing going; I can rely on one to help me through another, and take my mind off one thing with another. It’s a case of having the balls in the air and seeing which ones juggle and which ones drop. As long as at the end of the day you can commit to doing 100% of what you need at that point with that given job.”

In spite of his incredibly hectic schedule and performance commitments, Robin does understand the importance of taking some time out to himself away from the spotlights, and most importantly enjoying his retirement.

“I love my time at home and am very protective of my time that I have, knowing that in a few days time the bag gets packed and off you go again. I enjoy gardening because it is instant gratification, pulling out weeds and cutting things back and just being able to sit there at the end of the day with a beer and see the work that’s been done. There’s something nice about having that instant fix. Or just sitting and enjoying a BBQ with friends and family and just think: this is why we work, so that we can

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enjoy our time off.”

And despite being officially retired for more than a decade now, Robin shows no signs of letting up or slowing down. He is already eager to make a return to the theatre once the 2012 Games are but a distant memory.

“There’ll be another audition here, there or somewhere. I’ll keep pushing things out there. Any theatre I’ve worked in is intimate compared to the big national arenas I’ve skated in, so I love the idea of having an audience right there and being very very close, and having to work with an ensemble cast, because that’s something I never got to do when I was competing. Once I’m on stage the one thing I don’t have to worry about is sliding and falling over. But I do enjoy the vocal challenge, I’ve always sung and I enjoy vocalising. I have drawn on anything that I have learned during my career to help push it forward in other capacities.”

While his involvement with numerous projects often takes him away from the ice into other performance and sporting fields, it is always to the rink that he returns, which just goes to show how enduring his affair with the ice has been over the years.

“I always knew that the only way it would work was if I continued to do it for the right reasons, and I have always prided myself on the fact that I only ever put my skates on because I wanted to, never because I had to, and the important thing for me was never to forget the reason you started doing this in the first place is because you love it, and I think the longevity and the way things have worked out is because I still have that same ideology, I still live by those same words; I still have the passion and the drive for it.”

Holiday on Ice Club Tropicana ‘Passion on Ice’ tour is offering CSRF Members.... the ‘Buy Silver, Get Gold’ Offer which allows customers to upgrade their seats free of charge, i.e. they get gold tickets (Adults £32, Seniors £28, Groups (10+) £26) for the price of silver (£29, £26 and £24 respectively.) All children’s tickets are £12.

The show dates are as follows – The Brighton Centre 13-29 January 2012 Exec Peterborough – East of England Showground 2-5 February 2012 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff 7-12 February 2012 Westpoint Arena, Exeter 14-19 February 2012 A booking fee of 10% will apply. Tickets are subject to availability.

To book call 0844 581 1313 and quote Robin.

talk tous Are you going to be involved in the 2012 Olympics in any way?

Or perhaps you have tickets for a particular event? Tell us more about your Olympic plans. Send your letters to the Editor using the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine

travel

hot for 2012 We take a look at some of the destinations tipped to be popular next year…

Apulia, Italy This region of Italy, which forms the ‘heel’ of the country is one of the more undiscovered parts of the country and has a relaxed and untouristy feel to it.

There are plenty of things to engage any type of traveller from the glorious seaside at Santa Maria di Leuca (the meeting point between the Ionian and Adriatic sea) to the Murgia National Park with its Umbrian forests, lakes and saltpans.

For those seeking a little more history then the cities of Bari, Brindisi, Foggia and Lecce provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy and explore ancient ruins, renaissance buildings, historic churches and architecture.

Wine lovers will enjoy tasting the local grapes - the region was once known as “the wine cellar of Europe”.

Castel del Monte is produced in the north, and in the south, full-bodied reds such as Negroamaro and Malvasia

The beautiful harbour of Santi Maria di Leuca

Nera are popular. The local whites are lighter and include those from Locorotondo and Martina Franca.

The region is also becoming popular with golfers, as the climate is warm and sunny all year round.

Useful Information

Experience the Putignano Carnival - since its conception in 1394, this carnival is one of the oldest and the longest in Europe – starting 26th Dec and running until Shrove Tuesday (Feb 21 2012). Its origins stem from St John knights taking St Stephen’s relics to a place of safety during a Saracen attack, only to be followed by locals who abandoned their work to join the procession.

For further travel advice and information visit the Italian state tourist board website at http://web.italiantouristboard.co.uk/it/

Muscat, Oman The capital city of Oman lies sparkling white, topped with golden minarets in the middle of a maze of brown pleated mountains reaching down to the Arabian Sea. Described as “Arabia’s jewel”, this city is a blend of the old and the new.

Muscat defies being classified as part of a desert country by being surprisingly green.

The roads are lined with well-manicured green lawns and trees. During winter this is interspersed with a profusion of

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat

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travel multicoloured flowers. The city has steadfastly retained its old-world character. Old Muscat has a quaint charm about it with many forts, castles, mosques and towers dotting the landscape.

Of particular note are Jalali and Mirani forts flanking Al Alam Palace.

The Corniche, with its promenade and souqs (markets) is one of the highlights of the city. The old souq of Muttrah is an ideal spot for tourists to buy keepsakes and treasures. Greater Muscat boasts high-rise business properties, world-class highways, upscale suburbs rooted in traditional Islamic architecture, elegant mosques, large green parks, archaeological sites, museums and world-class hotels.

Singapore Singapore is a hot tip for travel in 2012 and the entire Asian continent is the fastest growing destination for travellers.

Though backpackers have long flocked to Thailand and Cambodia, Singapore represents a different kind of experience for the discerning traveller. A modern metropolis influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Malay food and culture, it is a uniquely

Useful Information

There are quite a few restrictions on what you are allowed to bring into the country (e.g. no more than one bottle of alcohol adult) and customs generally require a copy of your packing list to clear your personal effects quickly and easily.

For further travel advice and information visit the Oman tourism website, www.destinationoman.com

Asian city with a high percentage of expats from all over the world, making it a truly international hub. Its top-ranked airport and ultra-modern, clean, transportation system makes getting there and around a breeze.

Architecture connoisseurs will enjoy the Esplanade, the city’s library, theatre and opera house while the Singapore Art Museum is home to an impressive collection of art and artefacts. No visit to the city would be complete without a trip to the Botanic Gardens to enjoy a picnic amidst the exotic plants.

Singapore is also a dream for any food lover, featuring authentic cuisines from around the world. Try the food hall at Lau Pa Sat, a Victorian-style structure where you can try anything from laksa (a Peranakan dish which uses elements of Chinese and Malay cooking) to spicy dan dan noodles.

Useful Information

Chinese pagoda in Chinese Garden, Singapore

Singapore Airlines runs regular flights from the UK to Singapore but if you would prefer to consider a budget flight then the tourist board recommends AirAsia (www.airasia.com), which offers some good low-cost travel options and also offers travellers the opportunity to book hotels as well.

For further travel advice and information visit the official tourism website for Singapore, www.yoursingapore.com

The Datça Peninsula, Turkey

The blue sea of the Lycian coast

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Infrastructure came late to the Datça Peninsula; hence it remains one of the most unspoilt corners of Turkey’s Lycian Coast and will continue to attract discerning guests in 2012. The region is the most southwesterly tip of Turkey, where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas meet. Characterised by unspoilt villages, beautiful coves and an abundance of history, life on the peninsula has changed little. Agriculture remains the main industry and the area is famed for its almonds.

The Hellenistic ruins at Knidos are typical of this stretch of coast - an open-air museum where the ruins lie pretty much as they fell. Visitors can amble around the ruins at their leisure stopping for a bite in the small restaurant that overlooks

the harbour. All around the peninsula are untouched beaches including the jaw dropping Ovabuku with its creamy shingle, a handful of restaurants, backed onto by pine forests, myrtle and carob trees.

Useful Information

Exclusive Escapes (T: 020 8605 3500 or www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk) offers seven nights’ B&B at Mehmet Ali Aga Mansion (a restored boutique hotel which dates back to 1809) from £900pp sharing, including return flights (ex Heathrow, Bristol or Manchester) to Dalaman, transfers and a Turkish Bath.

For further travel advice and information visit the official tourism website for Turkey, www.gototurkey.co.uk

Travel round-up Some other destinations worth keeping in mind

With the Olympics coming to the UK next year the charming Shropshire town of Much Wenlock is likely to be ‘hot’ in 2012. Hidden in the heart of rural Shropshire it offers a beautiful setting for country walks as well an unexpected Olympic history. This quaint market town had a big impact on modern sport when it established the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850. The games were the inspiration for the modern International Olympics.

The much-awaited launch of the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience takes place in Belfast next year. So hop over to Northern Ireland to take part in the Titanic Belfast Festival in April/May. The event will include concerts, talks, tours, a centenary commemoration and light show. More information www.titanicbelfast.com As the UK’s financial woes continue to affect households up and down the country, next year’s sun-seekers will be looking for cheaper alternatives to their usual foray to the South of France

or one of the Costas. The Black Sea seaside resort of Balchik, in north-eastern Bulgaria offers all the essentials for a summer break plus picturesque cobbled streets, pretty historic houses, lush green gardens and vineyards... and all for a fraction of the price of more mainstream competitors. For example, Holiday-home specialist Campaya (www.campaya.co.uk) has a great selection of properties to rent in Balchik, ranging from cosy one-bedroom boltholes to superb sea-view properties suitable for sharing by a group of friends or several families. Prices start at around £350 (total) for a week’s stay at a two-bedroom holiday home, sleeping four. Flights and car hire are extra.

Based on the famous novel

by John Le Carre, tense spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is tipped for glory at the 2012 Oscars, with man of the moment Colin Firth, and old favourite Gary Oldman both in line for gongs. Much of the action takes place in the backstreets and bazaars of Istanbul – where east meets west in a clash of culture – and the film should thrust Turkey’s

capital into the spotlight next year. Check out Travelzest’s Tapestry Collection (0800 171 2162, www.travelzest.com), which offers a three-night stay at the luxurious Acra Hotel, located in the heart of the old city centre, from £649 pp (two sharing). The price includes flights (London), transfers and B&B. Firmly back on the international travel radar following prodemocracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s approval for the return of tourism, demand for fascinating Myanmar (formerly Burma) will continue to grow in 2012. The most appealing travel itineraries will be those that are carefully created to be both sensitive to –

CLOCKWISE FROM L-R: Much Wenlock; sunset over Istanbul; the famous Tick Bridge at sunset in Myanmar ; the Titanic Exhibition, Belfast

and supportive of local interests, combining visits to picturesque pagodas, monasteries and hill stations with a cruise on the iconic Irrawaddy River. For example, a 14-night ‘Discover Burma’ tour costs from £1,995 pp (two sharing) with Voyages Jules Verne (0845 166 7035, www.vjv.com) including flights (Heathrow), UK departure taxes, transfers, B&B, seven lunches and seven dinners, sightseeing and the services of guides/local representatives.

talk tous Where are you planning to go in 2012? Have you recently had a great holiday? Write in and share your travel experiences with other members. Send your letters marked for the attention of the Editor to the Fellowship Office address appearing at the front of the magazine

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the good life HOW TO LIVE

With self-sufficiency proving ever popular during these economically challenging times, Martin Sayers looks at how you can turn your garden into an outdoor larder

A

nybody that remembers the 1970s is familiar with The Good Life – the classic BBC sitcom that followed the trials and tribulations of Tom and Barbara Good as they gave up the travails of the rat race and tried to become self-sufficient suburbanites. The show provided much laughter as their efforts to grow produce and raise livestock in their back garden led to regular disaster and plenty of raised eyebrows from respectable neighbours Margo and Jerry.

Yet what once existed as sitcom fiction is now increasingly turning into reality. As the effects of the recession start to bite and the cost of food soars, more and more householders are now turning to their gardens as a way of providing some extra grub.

In fact, turning some of your garden over to food production is a

fantastic way of saving money and producing delicious, fresh and readily available produce. But how exactly should budding Tom and Barbara’s go about preparing themselves? Here’s our guide to living the good life.

Vegetables

Anybody with the slightest interest in selfsufficiency should start with vegetables. A vegetable plot can be started in even the smallest of gardens and even that isn’t a pre-requisite – grow bags can be bought in garden centres and DIY shops, which can be kept in yards or on balconies and planted up with easy growing crops such as potatoes or runner beans.

Once you have weeded and dug over a suitable patch of ground, or bought your grow bag, then all that’s needed to get started are some seeds – follow the instructions on the back and you are away! However, do bear in mind that your crop will be at risk from caterpillars, rabbits, slugs and snails so you may also need netting, slug traps and/or slug pellets.

Another thing vegetables need is plenty of fertiliser, as feeding your produce will result in a bigger and healthier crop.

This can be bought at garden centres but a cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, method of feeding your vegetables is through compost. Simply

Allotments offer a lot!

If you are short on space or don’t want to grub up your garden then you could think about getting an allotment. Allotments are usually managed by local authorities, so contacting the allotments department of your local council is the first step in acquiring one. If none are available then you will be put on a waiting list and receive your patch when one becomes free.

As well as allotments there are community gardens and orchards up and down the country that are run on a charitable basis – these allow local people to come together to produce food and enjoy the company of other gardeners.

fence off a small section at the back of your garden, or buy a compost bin, and fill it with all your waste fruit and vegetables, grass cuttings, leaves, and hedge trimmings. The waste will quickly rot down to produce a free fertilizer for your veggies.

Buying a good book that details what to plant when is another sound investment to ensure that you are planting and harvesting at the correct time of the year.

Gardening websites can also help with this.

Fruit

Growing fruit needs more space, time and effort than tends to be required for vegetables but is still very much worth the effort. A good way to start is through

‘Anybody with the slightest interest in self sufficiency should start with vegetables. A vegetable plot can be started in even the smallest of gardens.’

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feature

Useful contacts The Soil Association

This organisation promotes organic food production in the UK and its website has plenty of information that is of interest to the budding food gardener (organic or not), such as a handy calendar of what to do in your vegetable patch on a month-to-month basis.

Tel: 0117 314 5000 www.soilassociation.org BBC Gardening soft fruits, with blackberries probably the easiest option for a beginner – this fruit will grow in most soils and is ideally suited to our climate. It’s a good idea to plant a blackberry cane against a fence or wall and to prune regularly, as they can grow rampant. Strawberries and raspberries are other good options.

Fruit trees are also a great addition to a garden - care and tend for an apple tree for example and when it is fully-grown it will supply you with a yearly crop of delicious fruit. More exotic fruit trees such as orange and lemon trees can also be grown in the UK but need to be protected from the frost in winter, so try planting them in a big pot that can come indoors during the colder months.

Livestock

Keeping animals doesn’t have to mean having a spare field to fit a herd of cows in, or letting a gaggle of geese ride roughshod over your carefully tended lawn. Poultry

MEMBER OFFER

such as chickens or ducks can be kept in larger gardens, with chickens probably the best option for the beginner. Keeping chickens is an enjoyable, productive and relatively inexpensive way of keeping animals and once you have tasted an egg from one of your own hens you will never want to go back to eating the supermarket variety!

Young chickens can be bought for around £10 a bird and you will also need a large and secure coop to keep them in.

Security is paramount as the big threat to any chicken colony is the fox – city dwellers need to be just as careful as those in the country as foxes are now a common sight in urban areas.

If you are adventurous enough to want to start breeding your chickens then remember the golden rule that you must only have one cockerel per group of hens - more than that will lead to excessive mating, as well as fighting between the male birds.

Which? are offering CSRF members a special rate to purchase copies of ‘The Gardener’s Year Made Easy’. Packed full of useful tips and guides it offers year round easy to follow advice to ensure you can make the most of your garden and keep it looking good.

To buy a copy of The Gardener’s Year Made Easy for the special price of £8.99 (rrp £10.99) incl.p&p call 01903 828557 and quote AVGARDEN. Offer ends 31 Jan 2012.

This website is a veritable treasure trove of online hints and tips for any gardener, with plenty of very useful advice on planting and growing vegetables.

www.bbc.co.uk/gardening Smallholder Magazine

A subscription to this excellent magazine is a good idea for anyone looking to take their quest for selfsufficiency into the realms of serious food production and animal husbandry.

Some good tips are also available for free via the publication’s website

www.smallholder.co.uk Tel: 01823 365203 (subscriptions) Allotment Growing

This is the most popular allotments website in the UK and offers plenty of hints and tips on how to make the most out of an allotment.

www.allotment.org.uk

talk tous Are you a budding Tom or Barbara?

What is the most unusual vegetable or fruit you have grown? Or have you won a prize for your allotment or produce? Please let us know if you’ve got any pictures, handy tips or experiences you’d like to share with other members. Send your letters to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine

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entertainment

leisure life

Our regular round up of books and entertainment

books New releases reviewed

by Janet Tester

A Force to be Reckoned With

By Jane Robinson (Virago Press)

You Talkin’ To Me?

By Sam Leith (Profile Books) This book is highly entertaining. Sam Leith examines the art of persuasion from its Attic origins to the present day.

He explains how rhetoric works and, importantly, how much better it can work for us when we have an understanding of its ‘nuts and bolts’.

This is quite an academic piece of work but written with such charm and persuasion that, in no time at all, you too will be able to use with confidence some of the tricks of the trade. You will become familiar with such erudite terms as ethos, pathos and logos, and maybe even chiasmus, occultatio and zeugma!

Don’t be put off by these terms, learn to spot them and see how rhetoric can become your ally rather than the bamboozler. It’s a brilliant book, both for reading right through and then for constant reference. If you like words and enjoy language you will love this book.

Jane Robinson, a social historian, has written a most engaging and truly enlightening history of the WI, due to celebrate its centenary in the UK in 2015.

There are fascinating stories of how women gathered together in both wars to keep the home fires burning and much more.

They formed pig clubs, rabbit clubs (the one in Scaynes Hill, Sussex raising ‘patriotic’ rabbits), they collected waste paper, scrap metal, rags and bones and kitchen refuse and, yes, they also made jam and canned food and contributed hugely to the welfare of the country.

Modern day members have posed for calendars, lobbied parliament on matters of community concern and slow hand-clapped a Prime Minister.

Their refusal to become affiliated to any political party is a continuing strength and they will certainly remain a force to be reckoned with.

The Spade as Mighty as the Sword

By Daniel Smith (Aurum) Daniel Smith tells the story of World War Two’s ‘Dig for Victory’ Campaign that turned out to be one of the most successful propaganda campaigns of all times.

This book tells the full story of when spades and forks became weapons that the ordinary citizen could take up against the enemy. After food rationing was introduced in 1940 and German U-boats began threatening merchant shipping that was bringing in the essential foodstuffs, the Ministry of Agriculture had to make Britain more self-sufficient. It is an interesting fact that no lessons had been learnt from the days of the Great War when little had been done to redress the shortages of home produced food. Once again the country ran the risk of being starved into submission if something was not done and this campaign became so successful that by 1942 half the population was taking part and even the Royal Family had set an example by turning over their rose beds to growing onions.

This is a fascinating study of how wars can be fought without bloodshed and it sowed the seeds for the modern allotment movement. Amusingly the term ‘Dig for Victory’ was coined by the non-gardening Michael Foot.

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dvds A Short History of England

By Simon Jenkins (Profile Books)

Bred of Heaven

By Jasper Rees (Profile Books) You may have been lucky enough to catch the reading of this very enjoyable book on Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4 but in case you didn’t it is to be recommended for its humour and sheer inspiration as Jasper Rees tells how he seeks to reclaim his Welsh roots.

He always wanted to be Welsh. Despite having Welsh grandparents and a Welsh surname, he is an Englishman by birth, upbringing and temperament. He also has a strong determination and the ability to see things through which has stood him in very good stead in achieving the huge goal of learning to sing, play, work, worship, think and speak like a true Welshman.

This voyage of self-discovery takes him deep into the heart of the cultural history of Wales and it would seem that he has left no stone unturned in his quest for ‘Welshness’ and the result is an enjoyable and informative exposition of national identity and the joy of belonging.

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This delightful book has been written in conjunction with the National Trust and is beautifully presented with stunning coloured illustrations throughout.

Simon Jenkins has managed to combine a comprehensive history of our country with reference to all the key individuals and events into a single, sturdy volume. From the Saxon dawn to the present day of Thatcher’s children, the narrative ties together the massive history of this small country, blending together culture, wars, famines, victories and people into a readable and informative whole. The book ends with a short epilogue, a list of one hundred key dates, a list of the kings and queens from 1066 and another of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom.

This is the sort of standard reference book that will be in constant use for the foreseeable future and the illustrations are superb.

Sarah’s Key Released by Studio Canal, RRP £17.99 Based on the best-selling French novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah’s Key tells the story of Sarah, a ten-year-old girl taken with her parents by the French police as they go door-to-door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her brother Sarah looks him in a bedroom cupboard (their secret hiding place) and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released. Sixty years later Sarah’s secret is discovered

by American journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas) who decides to discover the truth about what happened next. First class acting from Scott Thomas (who garnered a Cesar nomination for her performance) in this dramatic and heart-breaking tale!

Larry Crowne Released by Studio Canal, RRP £17.99 This heart-warming tale features Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. When Larry Crowne (Hanks) is fired from his job as a Big Box store clerk he has the opportunity to make some changes in his life so he returns to college. After making friends with his fellow students he also finds himself falling in love with his speech class instructor Mercedes (Roberts). Uplifting, funny and with two great performances from the ever dependable Hanks and Roberts, Larry Crowne is the perfect optimistic and romantic comedy!

The Princess of Montpensier Released by Optimum, £17.99 Nominated for the Palme D’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film festival this film is a historic epic set amidst the religious wars that blighted France in the 1560’s.

It follows the story of Marie de Mezieres, heiress to one of the kingdom’s greatest fortunes. Marie is in love with the dashing Duc de Guise but is forced to marry the Prince de Montpensier to advance her family’s standing within the nobility, a man she has never met.

As the war between the Hugenots and Catholics intensifies Marie is forced to deal with her new life whilst at the same time juggling the unwanted attentions of her former lover.

Although the film is subtitled the first class acting, colourful locations and cinematography make this little more than a small inconvenience. For any fan of historical epics this film is a worthy addition to your DVD collection.

culture Exhibitions around the UK

Terence Conran – The Way We Live Now The Design Museum, Shad Thames, London SE1 Entry: £10 (adults); £9 (concs) Runs until 4 March 2012 Sponsored by M&S The Design Museum marks Sir Terence Conran’s 80th birthday with a major exhibition that explores his unique impact on contemporary life in Britain.

Through his own design work, and also through his entrepreneurial flair, Conran has transformed the look of the British home.

He has established a design studio and an architectural practice with a worldwide reach.

He was the founder of Habitat and a pioneer of the new restaurant culture driven by a passion for simplicity.

The exhibition traces his career from post-war austerity through to the new sensibility of the Festival of Britain in the 1950’s, the birth of the Independent Group with its flare for the avant-garde and the Pop Culture of the 1960’s, to the design boom of the 1980’s on to the present day.

For more information on the Design Museum call 020 7940 8790 or visit www.designmuseum.org

Terence Conran photo: Ray Williams;

The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic photography The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace Entry: £9.25 (adults) - pre-booking for the Queen’s Gallery is strongly advised due to high demand on tickets; Over 60 £8.50 Runs until 15 April 2012

FROM TOP: Henry ‘Birdie’ Bowers, At the South Pole, 18 January 1912; Herbert Ponting, Captain Lawrence Oates and Siberian ponies on board Terra Nova, 1910; Herbert Ponting, Captain Scott, February 1911

This exhibition of remarkable Antarctic photography by George Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley marks the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott’s ill-fated journey to the South Pole.

Ponting’s dramatic images record Scott’s Terra Nova expedition of 1910–12, which led to the tragic death of five of the team on their return from the South Pole. Hurley’s extraordinary icescapes were taken during Ernest Shackleton’s Polar expedition on Endurance in 1914–17, which ended with the heroic sea journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia.

Both collections of photographs were presented to King George V and are today part of the Royal Photograph Collection.

For more information on the Queen’s Gallery call 020 7766 7301 or visit www.royalcollection.org

2011 Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 Entry: £9 (adults) £4.50 (concs) Runs until 11 March 2012 This world-renowned yearly exhibition at the Natural History Museum provides a spotlight on the rarely seen wonders of the natural world.

Visitors will enter an atmospheric space inside the exhibition gallery and be inspired by this year’s competition winners. The images are selected from 1000s of international entries and are beautifully displayed in sleek backlit installations.

For more information on the Natural History Museum call 020 7942 5000 or visit www.nhm.ac.uk

ABOVE: ‘Pool of Hippos’ © David Fettes / Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2011; LEFT: ‘Great Catch’ © Bence Máté / Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011

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days out 2012 has some great attractions that will be perfect for a day out for you and the grandchildren!

Cutty Sark reopens

The Queen: Sixty photographs for Sixty years The Drawings Gallery, Windsor Castle Entry: £16.50 (£9 when State apartments are closed); Over 60 - £15.50 Runs from 4 February 2012 –January 2013 Sixty photographs of The Queen, including the work of leading press photographers of the past six decades, will be brought together for a display at Windsor Castle to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

The exhibition presents a portrait of The Queen’s reign as captured in fleeting moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings. With the advent of photography, the boundaries between the officially approved and the spontaneously captured image of the monarch were irreversibly blurred. Most of the exhibition has been selected from photographs submitted by the Royal Rota press organisations.

For more information on Windsor Castle call 020 7766 7304 or visit www.royalcollection.org TOP: The Queen arrives at Aberdeen Airport with her dogs, to start her holidays at Balmoral, August 1974. © Anwar Hussein; LEFT: The Queen watches a flypast of RAF Jaguars during her visit to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk, 17 November 2005, Arthur Edwards, MBE, © The Sun

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As many will know the Cutty Sark is the last and perhaps most famous tea-clipper which broke all records in 1885. It has been closed to the public since November 2006 while an extensive conservation programme was carried out (only to be then put back due to the unfortunate fire).

Scheduled to reopen in spring 2012, for more information visit www.cuttysark.org.uk

Warner Bros Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter This amazing new tour will offer visitors for the first time ever a unique behindthe-scenes tour of the most successful film series of all time. Guests will be able to see firsthand the sheer scale and detail of the actual sets, costumes, animatronics, special effects and props used in all eight of the Harry Potter films.

Spread over 150,000 square feet including two dedicated soundstages at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden this should be a ‘must visit’ for any lover of British film and JK Rowling’s popular books.

Scheduled to open in spring 2012, for more information call 08450 840 900 or visit www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

christmas markets Christmas Markets can be found in all sorts of venues around the country. Very often if your local area is having a Christmas market it will be advertised in your local newspaper.

But here are few you might like to consider:

Festival of Christmas at Norwich Cathedral

Festive shopping at Festive shopping avenues around the Cloisters with a wide selection of amazing gifts for the whole family, Food and Drink Stands, Cookery and Christmas Craft making demonstrations. From 09 -11 December

Caerphilly Medieval Christmas Market

This Christmas Market in Caerphilly is set in front of the imposing backdrop of the castle.

On 10 & 11 December

Leeds Christkindelmarkt Traditional German Christmas Market One of the most established German Christmas Markets in the UK. Located on Millennium Square, the market is a must visit attraction for all the family.Running until 18

December

Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market & Craft Fair

Browse over 180 picturesque stalls at this traditional German Christmas market; enjoy the feel of a small village within the heart of the bustling city centre. Running until 23

December

Manchester Christmas Market

This award winning Christmas market is one of the largest in the UK. For five magical weeks, it winds its way through some of Manchester’s most eye-catching streets and squares.

Running until 21 December

Belfast Christmas Continental Market

Visit Belfast Christmas Continental Market for a traditional Market with that something extra only the Irish can provide. Running until 18

December

Take it away!

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

T? SAY WHAen are

have a

Two elderly wom t one morning eating breakfas ething em notices som when one of th r. ea ’s r friend funny about he ta go ve u’ yo u know ‘Mildred, do yo ’ r? ea ft le your suppository in d ository?’ Mildre pp su A ? ly ‘Do I real stares at it. pulls it out and ing. u yo saw this th ‘Ethel, I’m glad y re m Now I know whe !’ !! is d ai g in hear

CHUCKLE Extracts from Church magazines and announcements in Church The sermon for Sunday morning: “Jesus Walks on Water” The sermon for Sunday evening: “Searching for Jesus” The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.

on 20th October. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

Don’t let worry kill you off – let the Church help.

Ladies, don’t forget the forthcoming Rummage Sale. It’s a chance to get rid of things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Irving Benson and Sarah Carter were married in our Church

Commencing at 7pm on Saturday there will be hymn singing in the park accompanied

by Penhill brass band. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

The Low Esteem Support Group meets Thursdays at 7pm.

Please use the back door.

Weight Watchers meet Fridays also at 7pm. Please use the front large double door.

Sent in by Edward Hellewell

There is a new dish in our local Indian takeaway – Chicken Tarka What is Chicken Tarka?

Well, it’s like Chicken Tikka but is a little ‘otter! (with apologies to Henry Williamson) Sent in by Mr P.F.A. Canning

Can he come?

I heard this joke when I was 13 years old and after 68 years it still makes me laugh. It is not just funny but a very clever (play on words) use of clean language. I’m 81 and still enjoy a good clean funny joke Teacher asked Joan why John her brother was absent from school. She replied ‘Mum told me to tell you John couldn’t come ‘cos he couldn’t go. Mum has given him something to make him go and when he’s gone he can come.”

Sent in by Mrs E Crumlish

Irish Love Story

An elderly man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the doubts of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favourite scones wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning on the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.

With laboured breath, he leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death’s approach, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon the kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his favourite scones.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his devoted Irish wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, when suddenly he was whacked by his wife with a wooden spoon...

“Get your hands off”, she shouted, “They’re for the funeral.”

Sent in by V McMeekin

Train Fun

Three old boys on a train.

Train stops, one looks out and says, ‘This is Wembley’.

Second one says, ‘I thought it was Thursday’.

Third one says, ‘Yes I am too’.

Sent in by T.R.Jenkins

talk to us Do you have a joke or funny story to share? Send in your contributions to the Editor at the Fellowship Office address printed at the front of the magazine

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FESTIVE FACTS

There are a lot of strange and wonderful traditions associated with the festive season, but where do they come from?

Holly - The Romans started using

holly in winter - they gave it to each other as a seasonal gift.

Mistletoe - We kiss under the mistletoe because in Scandinavian legends it was the symbol of love.

Christmas cards

- The first Christmas card was sent in 1840, in Britain.

Boxing day - The day after

Christmas Day was traditionally when churches opened their collection

boxes to distribute the cash to the poor. When Queen Victoria was on the throne, Boxing Day was also the day that rich people would hand over boxes of gifts to the poor.

Mince pies - You should eat mince pies in silence, and make a wish with each one.

Christmas pudding

- This was originally a type of porridge called frumenty, but more and more ingredients got added through the years.

WORDSEARCH

Can you find the listed Christmas related things hidden in the grid? Words run backwards or forwards, up or down or diagonally, but always in a straight line.

advent baubles blitzen cake carols chimney christmas cold comet cupid dancer dasher

december donner eggnog elves gifts holly ivy jingle bells joy lights merry

mistletoe north pole peace pine prancer pudding red nose reindeer rudolph santa sing

sleigh snow snowflake snowman star stocking tinsel toys tree turkey vixen wreath

did you KNOW? As a country we take Christmas pretty seriously, as you can see from these statistics…

1.

We cook over 10 million turkeys worth an estimated £400 million

2. The average turkey weighs 12lbs and costs around £60 3. It is estimated we eat 25 million Christmas puddings

4. We drink around 250 million pints of beer and 35 million bottles of wine 5. Th e average family spends £170 on their Christmas dinner

6. The average Christmas lunch costs £14 per head 7. We spend an eye watering £50.6 million on 370 million mince pies and eat on average 27 mince pies each

8. Over 7 million children leave mince pies and a drink for Santa on Christmas Eve 9. Almost 40% of Christmas dinners are apparently cooked by men

10. We put up 7.5 million Christmas trees worth an estimated £245 million 11. We write 1.7 billion Christmas cards

12. We buy about 25 million crackers

13. Christmas wrapping paper sold in the UK equates to 83 sq km, which is enough to cover 33 Hyde Parks

14. Over 40% of toys and presents given to children at Christmas are broken by March 15. The average shopper spends £384 on presents

16. Christmas costs the average household £975 for the day 17. Alcohol consumption in Britain increases by 40% in December, more than any other country in the world

18. People start thinking about gift ideas on average 11 weeks before Christmas 19. The Christmas period accounted for approximately 29% of total retail sales in 2009

20. The UK spends around £20bn on Christmas with about £1.6bn going on food and drink 44

WINTER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

Prize Crossword

A large number of you tried our Autumn prize crossword, so lets see how you fare with this one! You could be the lucky winner of ÂŁ100 of Marks & Spencer vouchers

ACROSS 1. Derangement (8) 5. Arthur ____: former US tennis player (4) 8. Rugby set play (5) 9. Burial clothes (7) 10. Group of three (7) 12. Anomalies (7) 14. Chirping insect (7) 16. Sport using a bow and arrow (7) 18. Attentive (7) 19. Occur afterwards (5) 20. Derive the benefits (4) 21. Government official (8)

DOWN 1. Office table (4) 2. Words to a song (6) 3. Recall past experiences (9) 4. Disturbs (6) 6. Workplace for an artist (6) 7. Writer of literary works (8) 11. False (9) 12. Figure of speech (8) 13. Programmes or structures (6) 14. Rides a bike (6) 15. State in the central USA (6) 17. Animal with antlers (4)

Solution to Autumn Prize Crossword

1

2

3

4

8

5

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 17 18

19

20

21

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: 6th January, 2012 NAME: ADDRESS:

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

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

45

postbag

POSTbag Digital Inclusion Dear Postbag, I have read with interest the various views on Internet use and availability.

At 76 some would consider me too old to be involved with the technology, but in fact I have been using email and the internet since the early 1990’s when it was all done on dialup telephone connections and was very slow. I was on the pilot scheme for online Banking with Barclays Bank in the late 90’s. I even have a Facebook account.

Computers are not for everyone and that is fine, no one should feel under pressure to “get with it”. It can be a minefield and very confusing to the uninitiated. I get

loads of spam, lots of scam emails from bad people purporting to come from a UK Bank even when I don’t have an account with them. Often these are sent using very realistic logo’s and pages and sometimes the language and spelling is very good indeed. You can easily be fooled; they are crooks and often from outside the UK. The good bits are that you can save a lot of money buying online, not just from EBay but from high street shops too. If you have a model number of an appliance and you do a search online, the savings can be considerable between dealers and can more than offset the monthly cost of your broadband. Getting your energy supply with an online account can also save a lot of money too. It is also fine for finding things that would be near impossible on foot around town. Broadband connections often with free daytime telephone calls can be little more that you would pay anyway on a normal telephone account.

The thing to remember is that like having a car or motorcycle you would not want to buy one unless you could drive already. Go on a course at a local college and give it a go first. If you like it then you can use your local library to use a computer and get one of the free email accounts from someone like Hotmail or Google.

Your views and letters to the Editor

Have fun, build up your confidence and then consider the next step. Meanwhile I will carry on saving money!

Peter Collins, Trowbridge (by email) Dear Postbag, I notice that you received a mixed response on the subject of the Internet in the recent magazines.

I sympathise with those members that dislike computers, I’m not particularly keen myself, but it’s just another tool and all tools have their uses.

Together with a colleague, the Internet has helped us to place local history articles into the public arena in a relatively relaxed manner complete with illustrations and without the strictures of experts, editors and publishers to bother us!

You can read one of our examples, The Adventures of Bertie Blackburn, (my father’s RAF career 1924-42) on our website www.tonyanddave.co.uk.

Yours sincerely, David Blackburn, Northampton (by email)

Ed’s Note – thanks for your ongoing feedback on this important topic do keep your experiences with the Internet coming

Festival of Britain Dear Postbag, I was interested to read the letters regarding the Festival of Britain in the autumn 2011 edition of avanti but none of them mentioned the naval escort aircraft carrier HMS Campania which was loaned to the Festival of Britain Organization in 1950 for use as a mobile exhibition

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WINTER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

ship which, during 1951, sailed to various Ports around the UK to enable those who lived too far away from the London exhibition to get a taste of what it was all about.

In 1951 I was a pupil at Barnstaple Boy’s Grammar School in North Devon when I and many other boys at

the school were coached to Plymouth to enable us to visit HMS Campania and enjoy the exhibits on display. Even after all this time I remember it as a most interesting day out from school.

HMS Campania was paid off at Portsmouth in 1952 and was broken up at Blyth in November 1955.

Yours sincerely, Robin Harman, Barnstaple, Devon

HOLIDAY MEMORIES

CHANGING WORLD OF WORK

Dear Postbag, I am just back from a trip down memory lane to Llandudno where my father was evacuated Dear Postbag, with the Inland Revenue in February 1940 Thank you for publishing the article and we joined him in June.

by Martin Sayers. I spent my career My sister and I were happy to be part of from 1946-85 in the Department of the large influx of additional pupils at John Employment starting as a clerical officer Bright County School. Alas the school is now behind the counter in busy Employment an ASDA (although they have built a splendid Exchanges and dealing with a huge variety replacement nearby). of people in so many different Most of the hotels are still occupations, both skilled and DID looking the same and it was unskilled.

YOU KNOW? fun to remember that the As a tool, when If you want an audio Marina was C.I.Claims, St customers registered copy of avanti then Georges was F.D.O. and for work and when contact the Fellowship the Hydro where we vacancies were Office for more were staying was D.C.B. notified to us, we information on how As we were billeted in had an Index Code one can be sent to small over crowded guest for classifying every you free of houses we were allowed occupation by a number, charge. to have a bath once a week known as the occupational at the Grand Hotel which is still classification. Unskilled flourishing. or labouring occupations were Another short holiday this year was spent prefixed by an L. I was always impressed at Warners Corton Coastal Village (formerly by the fact (or was it a myth) told me in the Civil Service Holiday camp). Our family my training days that the first classification went there for several years in the 1930s. in the Index was the first number 001 The lovely grounds where children were given to carpenters because Jesus worked taken for an early morning run are no more in that occupation. This system has several but a chalet near the cliff edge brought back objectives and some disadvantages. memories of the hut shared by the whole As far as I can remember the system family. had one drawback in that customers I hope there may be others reading this were registered under one classification who remember both the 1930’s at Corton number and so those with a variety of and the 1940s in Llandudno. skills would not be matched against Betty Vickery nee Hunter, Hove vacancies in their alternative occupations.

This was the case in my early days in the 1950s when the Employment Ed’s Note - does anybody else Service relied on counter clerks to select remember the Civil Service Holiday candidates to submit to employers. We did not display vacancy cards. Much has camp? Did you have a holiday there? changed since then and self-service has If you did, it would be lovely to see helped to remedy this weakness. your pictures and hear about your Joan M Jenkins, Sutton Coldfield memories of your holidays

Genealogy Dear Postbag, When I was nearing retirement my wife and I both realised that we knew very little about our family histories. I knew that my grandfather had come from Jersey and that my grandmother had lived all her life in Cirencester, Glos. My mother’s family came from Wiltshire and Pembrokeshire. My father and mother were both born and brought up in Gloucestershire. My wife’s family came from Derbyshire and Lancashire. It was before the Internet had developed, so it therefore seemed a good idea to combine our holidays with tracing our family histories.

What a voyage of discovery that has turned out to be. I have even found some ancestors in New Zealand, Australia and U.S.A. At first we thought that family history was mainly a matter of finding names and dates, but we soon realised that it became more interesting when we tried to understand the problems our ancestors had to encounter during their lives.

Roy Le Maitre, Heywood, Lancs (by email)

Ed’s Note – keep those stories coming. If you have embarked on some genealogical research and discovered something interesting then share it with us.

talk tous Grand Hotel, Llandudno

If you have a story or picture to share, write or send it to the Editor using the contact information at the front of the magazine.

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group news

GROUPFOCUS News from around the group network with reporting by David Tickner (DT)

news in brief Bournemouth branch will be holding their Annual General Meeting and Lunch at the Miramar Hotel, Bournemouth on 29 March 2012. To register your attendance or for any enquiries, please contact Paul Tabor on 01202 422493 or paul.tabor@tesco.net If you’d like to include any general news items in future issues then please send to Belinda Stalker using the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine

Testing the knowledge

Harrogate & Ripon 18 August Meeting in the heart of the beautiful spa town of Harrogate, the group get together once a month with members and enjoy a varied programme of visiting speakers and entertainment. Harrogate used to be a busy town as far as the Civil Service was concerned with a number of key departments based there providing the group with many potential new members.

Although some of these departments no longer operate in Harrogate there is nonetheless still some Civil Service presence and the stalwart members of the group have them firmly in their sights as they look at their plans for the rest of the year and on into 2012.

I had brought the entertainment for

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their August meeting as I arrived armed with a general knowledge quiz with questions on history, entertainment, Harrogate & Ripon and art & literature.

It’s always very difficult to pitch quiz questions correctly as you never really know how people will react until the quiz begins. But as members were playing in teams that old phrase ‘two heads are better than one’ really came into its own and the results were very close.

It was very nice to meet another of our groups that is determined to boost membership numbers and look at how they can evolve their programme to appeal to the next generation of attendees. (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. There are no forms to fill out either!

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

BEST PRACTICE Phyllis Duignan, Chair of Eltham group shares her tips on how to run a successful group One of the most important things for the success of a group is to have a keen and dedicated team on the Committee. We have built ours up over the years but so long as you have a core number of people who are focused and open to trying new things, anything is possible.

We always make those who do attend the meetings feel special by calling them by their names, which is a good challenge for the memory when you have 70 attendees! We also have a list of all the birthdays of attending members so everyone gets a card on their birthday.

Also at Christmas time we send all our members cards along with our programme for the next year so they can plan their holidays and days out.

Having interesting talks and outings that cover a wide variety of subjects is important. Our group runs trips to the seaside in the summer as well as visiting places of interest in London and surrounding counties. We try and visit the theatre every quarter and have holidays twice a year. Holidays are becoming more expensive so we only go for five days now instead of a week. But all these activities

Harvest tea with friendship

Neath/Port Talbot 27 September

Neath was bathed in sunshine the day I visited to attend their annual harvest tea. The group caters for members in both the Neath and Port Talbot area and

show members that we have something on offer for all ages and interests.

Publicity is very important too - we have taken out advertisements in our local publications and I have invited reporters when we’ve been out on group visits (we had a reporter cover a visit the group made to Eltham Palace).

This approach does usually encourage people to come and check us out.

No matter how large or small your group might be, don’t be afraid to try out new ideas and consider a broad range

offers a busy regular programme that includes visiting speakers and trips out.

Their meeting venue, the centrally located Moose Hall is easily accessible by both bus and train (Neath Station being only a 5-10 minute walk).

The Harvest tea is a popular annual event with members each bringing along food to share (there were some extremely superior home baked produce on offer)! The tea was accompanied by a quiz and raffle before

of tastes when planning your programme.

Do you have some tips you’d like to share with other groups? Perhaps you’ve had a particularly interesting visiting speaker, or put on an event that was well attended?

Send your ideas in to the Editor using the Fellowship Office address at the front of the magazine

members headed home (some armed with doggie bags since there was so much food).

The Neath/Port Talbot area is a popular residential area for many of those who work at the DVLA in Swansea and work is already underway to raise the profile of both the Swansea and Neath/Port Talbot groups within the department.

The Welsh groups are always a joy to visit as their friendship, energy and enthusiasm is very infectious. (DT)

www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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useful information

Making the most of grants There are many grants awarded to ‘community’ groups such as ours across the country.

Whilst there is no guarantee of success this is nonetheless a great potential opportunity for your group to benefit from additional funding and a number of groups who have been successful in their applications have seen a positive boost to their membership as a result.

Publicise your group One of the most effective ways you can promote the activities of your local group is by building a good rapport and relationship with your local news media – whether it be newspaper, radio or regional television.

Most areas around the country still benefit from a daily or weekly free newspaper that gets delivered to all local households and many will have dedicated reporters whose brief is to report on news in your area.

You can usually find the contact details of your local reporter either in the paper itself (if it’s delivered to you, check the information panel, usually at the front of the paper) or on the paper’s website. Typing the paper’s name into one of the main search engines on the Internet should allow you to access the correct site and once online look for the ‘CONTACT US’ field. If in doubt, you can always ring the paper up to ask for the name, telephone number or

email address of your local reporter.

By sending your local paper a press release detailing your activities you can often benefit from seeing your groups activities reported on. Make sure your press release is succinct and to the point.

Try and keep your reporting to one page only and it may help if you send or email a photograph.

If you establish a good working relationship with your local media you might also consider inviting a reporter along to a meeting or event as in many cases they would bring along a photographer to record the occasion. If it is a special occasion why not invite some local dignitaries along too as this will generate additional publicity?

If you would like any further advice on writing press releases or dealing with your local media then contact Fellowship Office on 020 8691 7411

can we help you?

We are here to help – so if you would like to put a request in for a visit by one of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive or avanti Editor then please contact Hannah at the Fellowship Office

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WINTER 2011 www.csrf.org.uk

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 try to submit them as soon as you can to ensure success.

Awards for All Scheme The scheme, supported by the National Lottery, runs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To apply or to find out more ring the following telephone numbers: Scotland 0300 123 7110

☎ ☎ Northern Ireland ☎ 028 9055 1455

England and Wales 0845 4 10 20 30

If you have access to a computer you can download all the relevant application forms and notes direct from www.awardsforall.org.uk

Look to your area There are a number of foundations and grant awarding bodies that are regionally specific and will only support local activities. We have a detailed list of these at Fellowship Office so please contact us and we can give you details of those that may fall within your area to consider.

Don’t be put off by the application process for any of these grants as we can help you complete any application forms.

If you would like any further advice then contact Fellowship Office on 020 8691 7411

1

in pictures 1. Newbury group held its annual Strawberry Tea Party recently at the home of Jenny and John Childs. As usual it was well attended, with over 40 members risking the inclement weather to enjoy the magnificent spread Jenny had arranged. (The umbrellas shown in the picture were a precaution just in case the sun became too strong!!!).

2. Members of Stevenage & Baldock group enjoying a day out to Highclere Castle in late August.

3. Bedford members at The Devonshire Hotel, Torquay. Thanks go to organiser Jackie who arranged a very enjoyable break.

4. Some of the members and friends of the Cardiff (Whitchurch) group enjoyed a day trip to the Hall, at Abbey-Cwn-Hir, near Llandrindod Wells.

5. Members of the Banbridge group enjoying a boat trip on Lough Erne.

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5 6 8

9 10

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6. Sutton group members outside Chiswick House on a recent outing.

7. Lancaster & Morecambe group chair Vida Pritchard snapped on the staircase of the art deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe. Over 25 members recently enjoyed a tour of the hotel followed by a cream tea.

8. Members of the Sunderland and Washington group enjoying a day out to Durham Botanic gardens 9. Members of the Weston-super-Mare group celebrated their 40th birthday in August with a party, complete with celebratory cake!

10. The Mildenhall group have been very busy participating in a number of events to promote the CSRF in their local area. In October they held a very successful recruitment event (that included food tasting provided

by Wiltshire Farm Foods) which has already seen the group gain new members.

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SCOTLAND

group info

N. IRELAND & NW ENGLAND

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

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 j.walker215@btinternet.com We do not hold regular meetings but if you would like further details about coach outings, please contact Pat Greig on 01387 770526. All trips start and finish at Brooms Road Car Park, Dumfries.

07/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Queensberry Arms Hotel, Annan

Dundee Charles Paterson SECRETARY 01382 858862 The Queen’s Hotel, 160 Nethergate, Dundee Second Tuesday of each month at 10.40am

Edinburgh (Corstorphine) Mr V Burchell SECRETARY 0131 334 5781 Martin Shields Hall, St. Ninian’s Church, Corstorphine, Edinburgh Third Thursday of each month October-April at 10.30-11.45am (except Dec) 17/11/11 Coffee Morning 29/11/11 St. Andrew’s Day Celebration, meet at the Royal Overseas League, Princes Street at 12.30, the Robert Louis Stevenson Room for tea and snacks. Please ring Vic Burchell to register your interest (for catering) 0131 334 5781 19/01/12 Coffee Morning 16/02/12 Coffee Morning

Edinburgh (Craiglockhart) Liz Beedie SECRETARY 0131 229 7422 Craiglockhart Parish Church Hall, Craiglockhart Drive North, Edinburgh Second Wednesday of each month October-April at 2pm 29/11/11 St. Andrew’s Day Celebration meet at Royal Overseas League, Princes Street at 12.20 - the Robert Louis Stevenson Room for tea and snacks. Please ring Liz Beedie after 11 Nov to register your interest (for catering) 0131 229 7422 14/12/11 Christmas Social - Mixed Spice

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11/01/12 What have you got in your attic hidden treasures 08/02/12 AGM and Social

Edinburgh, Lothians & Borders (Unaffiliated Groups) Liz Beedie SECRETARY 0131 229 7422 Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, First Floor, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh. Buses to George IV Bridge, there is a lift.

Third Tuesday of the month (Oct to Apr) at 2.00pm. We also run walks throughout the year - meet under the Portico at the National Gallery at the foot of The Mound at 1.30pm on the first Friday of each month.

29/11/11 St. Andrew’s Day Celebration meet at Royal Overseas League, Princes Street at 12.20 - the Robert Louis Stevenson Room for tea and snacks. Please ring Liz Beedie after 11 Nov to register your interest (for catering) 0131 229 7422 20/12/11 Christmas Social - Mixed Spice 17/01/12 Tales out of School - Des Brogan 21/02/12 AGM and Social

Highland (Scotland) Mrs Pam Barnet LOCAL CONTACT 01463 790265 MacDougall Clansman Hotel, 103 Church Street, Inverness First Wednesday of each month at 2pm & coffee morning on third Wednesday of each month at 11am. Walk and Lunch on the Friday 9 days after monthly meeting.

16/11/11 Coffee Morning 07/12/11 Christmas Lunch 16/12/11 Walk 21/12/11 Coffee Morning 13/01/12 Walk 18/01/12 Coffee Morning, Holm Mills 01/02/12 Monthly Meeting - AGM 2.00pm 10/02/12 Walk

Rosneath Mrs Coleen Titcomb SECRETARY 01436 842456 The Howie Pavillion, Rosneath First Monday of the month at 1.30pm 05/12/11 Tea and Chat 05/01/12 Trip to Pantomime 09/01/12 Tea and Chat 06/02/12 AGM

NORTHERN IRELAND & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Banbridge Margaret Stevenson CHAIRPERSON 028 4062 2950 1st Floor, Old Tech Building, Downshire Road First Wednesday of each month at 2pm 07/12/11 Christmas Lunch with Entertainment at Belmont Hotel, Banbridge 04/01/12 Monthly meeting and Guest Speaker Frank Waters on Old Country Remedies 01/02/12 Monthly meeting and Guest Speaker - Recycle Centre Manager

Bangor Miss Pat McNally SECRETARY 028 9146 1398 Hamilton House, Hamilton Road, Bangor Second Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm

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 (except Jan) 01/12/11 Lunch at the Bridge Inn, Port Sunlight 10/12/11 Coach Trip to Tatton Park

Blackpool & Poulton Leonora Sanderson CHAIRMAN/SECRETARY 01253 358435 Council Chamber, Blackpool Town Hall, Talbot Square, Blackpool Second Monday of the month at 1.30-3.30pm 12/12/11 Christmas Luncheon, Stretton Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool 09/01/12 Talk on Fisherman’s Friends, Fleetwood Firm 13/02/12 AGM followed by a Quiz

Bury Gerald Beadling CHAIRMAN 01706 633674 The Mosses Community Centre, Cecil Street Each Wednesday at 2.15pm (except events listed below) 23/11/11 Pub Lunch (venue TBA) 21/12/11 Christmas Tea 16/02/12 Visit to the Fusilier Museum followed by Cream Tea

Crewe Miss Grace Harding CHAIRMAN 01270 250677 Wells Green Methodist Church Hall, Brooklands Avenue, Wistaston, Crewe First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 01/11/11 Jonathan & Pamela Baddeley Christmas music and lively 50s and 60s music 06/12/11 Christmas Party (contact Grace for details) 03/01/12 Evacuees to Nantwich - Mr John White 07/02/12 Crewe in Wartime - Mr Peter Ollerhead

Lancaster & Morecambe Mrs V Pritchard CHAIRMAN 01524 32733 Torrisholme Methodist Church, Longton Drive, Torrisholme, Morecambe Second Tuesday of the month at 2.15pm (venue changes in Dec for Xmas lunch) 09/12/11 Xmas Lunch at Morecambe Golf Club with Martin Yule Music 10/01/12 No meeting 14/02/12 AGM plus Derek Hollinrake - Slide Show

Lisburn Helen Fletcher SECRETARY 028 9261 1604 Bridge Community Centre, 50 Railway Street, Lisburn Second Monday of each month at 2.30pm 12/12/11 Christmas Party 09/01/12 Meal (venue to be arranged)

Penrith Richard Roscoe CHAIRMAN 01697 472383 Different local hostelries each quarter First Tuesday of the quarter (March, June, September, December) at 12.30pm 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Roundthorn Country House, Penrith

Runcorn Mr A Stobbie CHAIRMAN 0151 424 0340 Department of Education & Skills, Castle View House First and Third Thursday of each month at 1pm 12/12/11 Xmas Lunch 15/12/11 Xmas Party

Southport Mrs E Milne CHAIRPERSON 01704 560850 Conservative Club, Bath Street, Southport Third Thursday of each month at 2pm onwards 17/11/11 Monthly Meeting 15/12/11 Monthly Meeting 19/01/12 Monthly Meeting 16/02/12 AGM

Stockport/Grove Park Joan Broadbent SOCIAL SECRETARY 01625 873740 Brookdale Club, Bridge Lane, Bramhall First Thursday of each month at 2.15pm 01/12/11 Music Hall - Rev D Davidson 08/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Davenport Park Hotel

05/01/12 02/02/12

Quiz Afternoon AGM

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 (except Jan) 13/12/11 Xmas Party plus Bingo Dec Christmas Lunch (venue TBA) Jan 12 Annual Lunch (venue TBA)

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 15/12/11 Xmas Lunch - Gibside Hotel, Whickham

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 13/12/11 Musical Memories - Mr Michael Duncombe 10/01/12 Social Afternoon 14/02/12 The Life of Norman Wisdom - talk

by Mrs Pat Osborne

Wesley Chapel (Lower Hall), Oxford Street Third Thursday of each month at 2.15pm 17/11/11 ‘Get Ready for Christmas’ - crafts and quizzes etc.

15/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Ascot House, Kings Road, Harrogate 19/01/12 Group AGM/Quiz 16/02/12 TBA

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 17/01/12 AGM 21/02/12 Growing up in Cornwall – Mr Brian Mitchell

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. No meetings in Jan or Feb. 22/11/11 Trip to Walworth Castle Hotel, Darlington, for lunch 05/12/11 Xmas Buffet and Etnertainment by ‘Trev/Trish’

Bradford

Leeds

Mr N Griffiths SECRETARY 01274 586410 Conference Room, Centenary Court, St Blaise Way Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except Dec) 17/01/12 AGM

Mrs Sheila Huggins SPEAKER & OUTINGS ARRANGER 0113 277 7956 The Victoria Hotel, 28 Great George Street, Leeds Second Tuesday of the month at 2pm 13/12/11 Valparaiso round the Horn - a trip in 1860 with necessary shanties to get you there - Mr J Stead 10/01/12 Lunch at Thomas Danby College (for bookings please contact Mrs Alma Simpson-Hutchinson on 0113 256 6368).

Bridlington Mr J Hughes CHAIRMAN 01262 850916 North Bridlington Library, Martongate, Bridlington Third Friday of the month at 10.30am Nov Social Lunch (TBA) 18/11/11 Coffee Morning/Raffle 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch (11.30 for 12) 16/12/11 Coffee Morning/Raffle 20/01/12 AGM

Durham Richard Wood SECRETARY 0191 384 2628 Newton Hall Community Centre, Ryelands Way, Durham First Thursday of each month at 2pm (except Jan)

Gateshead Mrs J Scott SOCIAL SECRETARY 0191 268 7935 Whitehall Road Methodist Church, Gateshead First Thursday of the month from 10am - 12 noon 01/12/11 Tombola and Bran Tub 05/01/12 Quiz 02/02/12 Bring & Buy and AGM

Harrogate & Ripon Margaret Terry SECRETARY 01423 885297

Middlesbrough Lilian Lloyd SECRETARY 01642 315439 St. Marys Centre, 82-90 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except Dec) 29/11/11 Christmas Party - Feast and Fun 31/01/12 Re-opening of the Globe Theatre Barry Jones 28/02/11 The Yorkshire Moors - Sue (Stan’s daughter)

Newcastle West Mrs E Jackson CHAIRMAN 0191 267 4728 Bentinck Social Club, Bentinck Road, Newcastle upon Tyne Second Wednesday of each month at 10am - 12 Noon 14/12/11 Tombola and Buffet 11/01/12 Bingo 08/02/12 AGM and Quiz www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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Redcar & Cleveland

Ludlow

Ynys Mon (Anglesey)

Myrtle Fishlock CHAIRMAN 01287 641153 Main Ground Floor Lounge, Redcar Youth Centre, Coatham Road Third Monday of each month at 2pm 21/11/11 A Traditional Wedding in Hungary talk by Shiela Scott Anderson 13/12/11 Annual Luncheon - Christmas Fayre at the Spa Hotel, Saltburn Bank, 12.30pm 19/12/11 Christmas Tea Party

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

Mr Eric Maynard CHAIRMAN 01407 720146 The Valley Hotel, Valley, Anglesey Second Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm for lunch

Scarborough Mrs P Mawson SECRETARY 01723 512778 Small Room, 1st Floor, Scarborough Library, Vernon Road, Scarborough First Tuesday of the month at 10.15am 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Mount Hotel, Scarborough, 12 for 12.30pm

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 (except Jan) 05/12/11 Annual Christmas Tea

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 13/12/11 Christmas Gathering - Mince Pies, Raffle, Quiz and Singalong Carols 05/01/12 Our Christmas (yes, that’s right!)

Meal at Cwrt Rawlin (12 noon) 10/01/12 The Life of a Natural History Enthusiast - Mr N Davies 14/02/12 AGM

Neath/Port Talbot Mrs E Northcott CHAIRMAN 01639 887851 Moose Hall, Castle Street, Neath Last Wednesday of each month at 2pm (except Dec) 30/11/11 The Porthcawl Lifeboat - talk by John Williams 06/12/11 Carol Service with Swansea Group, St.Mary’s Church, Swansea 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Neath College Restaurant 25/01/12 AGM, Tea Party and Raffle 28/02/12 Speaker (TBA)

Oswestry Anne Wilson CHAIRMAN 01691 650419 The Wynnstay Hotel, Church Street, Oswestry First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Wynnstay Hotel 03/01/12 AGM followed by Lunch at the Wynnstay Hotel

Penylan (Cardiff) 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 (except Dec) 29/11/11 Talk about Fairtrade - Mr Peter Symes 31/01/12 Talk about Family Tree - Mr & Mrs Brimmicombe-Wood 28/02/12 Talk by Age Concern - Mrs Brigitte Palmer

MIDDLE ENGLAND Banbury 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 13/12/11 Christmas Cheer - Seasonal Drinks/ Nibbles 15/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Banbury House Hotel 10/01/12 Social Afternoon - Refreshments Raffle 14/02/12 The Mountains of Britain - talk by Clive Jones

Bedford Patricia Waters SECRETARY 01234 347443 Bunyan Meeting, Mill Street, Bedford First Tuesday of each month at 10am 06/12/11 Coffee Morning and Christmas Grand Draw 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Swan Hotel, Bedford 03/01/12 Coffee Morning and ‘Call My Bluff’ 07/02/12 Coffee Morning and Group AGM

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

Cheltenham

Irene Williams CHAIRMAN 01743 447279 Roy Fletcher Centre, 12-17 Cross Hill, Shrewsbury Second Wednesday of each month at 2pm 14/12/12 Christmas Lunch (tbc)

John Kennett CHAIRMAN 01242 529757 St. Luke’s Church Hall, St. Lukes Place, Cheltenham Third Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm 16/11/11 Christmas, Past and Present - talk 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Civil Service Club 18/01/12 My Mother was a Cockney - talk

Church Stretton

Swansea

John Brewer SECRETARY 01694 722965 johnbrewer1@talktalk.net Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Road First Friday of the month at 2.30pm 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Clive Restaurant, Bromfield 06/01/12 12th Night Lunch at The Plough, Wall 20/01/12 Coffee Morning (Mayfair) 03/02/12 Talk (TBA)

Coalville & Ashby

Mrs Sylvia Edgell CHAIRMAN 01792 851125 The Vestry Hall, St Mary’s Church, Swansea Last Friday of each month at 2pm (except Dec) 25/11/11 A Famous Composer - Mr Clive Williams 06/12/11 Group Carol Service 14/12/11 Group Christmas Lunch 27/01/12 Group AGM 24/02/12 Humorous Panto Acting Experiences - Kevin Johns

Terry Watson CHAIRMAN 01530 835373 Thringstone Community Centre, The Green, Thringstone Third Wednesday each month 2.00-4.00pm 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Appleby Inn, Appleby Magna 18/01/12 New Year Party at Cattows Farm, Heather

Llandudno

Whitchurch (Cardiff)

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

Mrs H Davis CHAIRMAN 01492 545436 Queen’s Hotel, The Promenade, Llandudno First Tuesday of each month at 10.30am 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch 02/01/12 Coffee Morning 17/01/12 Pub Lunch followed by walk (weather permitting) 07/02/12 Coffee Morning 21/02/12 Pub Lunch and walk

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Shrewsbury

Mrs Mary Minty SECRETARY 029 2061 4445 Ararat Baptist Church, Plas Treoda, Whitchurch, Cardiff Second Wednesday of the month at 10am 14/12/11 Carol Service 16/12/11 Christmas Lunch - Tintern 11/01/12 Bring & Buy 08/02/12 AGM

Donnington

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 (except Jan)

13/12/11 Discuss our personal arrangements for Christmas over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits 10/01/12 Happy New Year to all our members, with tea and coffee and those attending may go for lunch.

14/02/12 A chance to ‘put the world to rights’, swap stories and have tea or coffee with friends.

Melton Mowbray

Grantham

Jim Ford SECRETARY 01908 368410 james296ford@btinternet.com Centrecom, 602 North Row, Secklow Gate West First Monday of each month at 1.30pm (second Monday if first is a Bank Holiday) 05/12/11 Xmas Party - buffet, games, music, quizzes. Cost £5.50 by ticket only but all are welcome.

12/12/11 Xmas Dinner at the Toby Carvery, Shenley Church Inn, Shenley Church End - 12 for 12.30pm 09/01/12 New Year Nibbles - cheeses, nibbles, quiz, bingo.

06/02/12 AGM followed by Quiz and Talk (TBA)

Maurice Whincup CHAIRMAN 01476 572425 mewhincup@gmail.com Church of the Ascension Hall, Edinburgh Road, Grantham First Wednesday every month at 10.00am noon

Hucclecote Mrs B Arnold SECRETARY 01452 618069 Evangelical Church, Colwell Avenue, Hucclecote, Gloucester First Thursday of the month at 2.00pm 24/11/11 Proposed Shopping Trip to Clarks Retail Village, Street, Somerset 01/12/11 Christmas Tea Party 07/12/11 Group Christmas Lunch

Kidderminster Pam Hussey LIAISON OFFICER 01562 755632 The Three Shires, Lower Mill Street Third Wednesday of each month at 11am (except when lunching out) 16/11/11 Coffee Morning 14/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Fox 18/01/12 Coffee Morning 15/02/12 Coffee Morning

Lincoln City Cliff Hopkins SECRETARY 01522 824703 tomcliff2000@yahoo.com St. Benedicts Church Room, St. Benedicts Square, Lincoln First Wednesday of the month at 10.30am 23/11/11 Annual Christmas Lunch at the Lincoln Hotel, Lincoln 01/02/12 AGM and Coffee Morning

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

Luton John Barrett SECRETARY 01582 519886 barrettjb@ntlworld.com The Chaul End Centre, 515 Dunstable Road, Luton First Monday of every month at 2.00pm (unless a Bank Holiday, when it is second Monday) 05/12/11 Our Christmas Tea, entertainment will be ‘Hand Bell Ringing with Delphine’ 02/01/12 No meeting 06/02/12 AGM and Bring & Buy

Lutterworth Mrs J Law CHAIRWOMAN 01455 552141 Cricket Pavillion, Coventry Road, Lutterworth Third Monday of each month at 10.00am

Mr M Johnson CHAIRMAN 01664 566821 School Room, United Reform Church, Chapel Street, Melton Mowbray First Tuesday of each month at 1.45pm (SepApril). Coach Outings are arranged between May and August.

Milton Keynes

Nottingham Pam Bradley SECRETARY 0115 938 4676 pamthedragon@hotmail.co.uk The Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham Second Wednesday of each month at 10.15am 12.15pm 14/12/11 Christmas Party 11/01/12 Age UK 4You and You 08/02/12 Quiz Time followed by New Year Lunch at the Gateway Hotel

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 06/12/11 Coffee Morning 03/01/12 Coffee Morning 07/02/12 Coffee Morning

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 (except Dec 12 noon - 2pm) 20/12/11 Shared Plate Lunch (12 noon 2pm) 17/01/12 A Charity in Africa - talk by Audrey Burr 21/02/12 AGM

Skegness Ray Morris SECRETARY 01754 762060 ray@ bermond.co.uk Phillip Grove Community Rooms, Church Road South, Skegness First Thursday of each month from 10.00am - 12 noon 01/12/11 Xmas Party - gifts, puzzles and bingo

15/12/11 Xmas Luncheon at The Welcome Inn 05/01/12 Story, Free Raffle, Quiz and Bingo with Prizes

Sleaford & Ancaster Mike Smith GROUP PR/CO-ORDINATOR 01526 833273 mjs_consultation@hotmail.com Sleaford: Bristol Bowls Club, Boston Road, Sleaford. Ancaster: Angel Court, Ancaster Sleaford: First Thursday of the month 10.15am - Noon. Ancaster: Second Wednesday of the month 10.15am - Noon

Solihull Margaret Smith SECRETARY 0121 744 6150 me.smith@talktalk.net John Palmer Hall, Union Road, Solihull Second Monday of each month at 10am 12/12/11 Christmas Meeting 09/01/12 New Year Coffee Morning 13/02/12 AGM

Stamford Mrs B Smith CHAIRMAN/SECRETARY 01780 755437 Tenter Court, Wharf Road, Stamford Last Thursday of the month at 2.15pm

Wellesbourne Mrs Iris Herwin SECRETARY 01789 840745 Warwick H.R.I., University Campus, Warwick Road, Wellesbourne Third Thursday of each month at 2.30pm (except Dec) 17/11/11 Thorntons Chocolates - Talk 08/12/11 Christmas Lunch (details in due course)

Wellington & Telford Emrys Jones CHAIRMAN 01952 254252 e30jones@btinternet.com Belmont Community Hall, Wellington, Telford First Thursday of each month at 10am - 12 noon 01/12/11 Coffee Morning and Big Christmas Raffle 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch at White House Hotel 05/01/12 Coffee Morning 02/02/12 Coffee Morning

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) 28/11/11 Founder of ‘Wishes for Kids’ Charity - Mr Russell Brickett 12/12/11 Christmas Party at Royal British Legion 09/01/12 About Residential Homes - Mrs Angie Boyes 23/01/12 Christmas Lunch at Ullesthorpe Court 13/02/12 Madeira, a Garden in the Atlantic Mr Phillip Shreeves 27/02/12 Bring & Buy

Wolverhampton Bryan Morey SECRETARY/TREASURER 01902 753439 www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

55

The Electric Club, St Marks Road, Wolverhampton Every Tuesday at 10.30am to 12 noon (lunch available if required)

Worcester Leigh Watkins SECRETARY 01905 774034 Perdiswell Young Peoples Leisure Centre, (A38) Droitwich Road (opp. Checketts Lane) Second Wednesday of each month at 1pm 14/12/11 Christmas Buffet and Entertainment 11/01/12 New Year Lunch at Buckton Manor 08/02/12 TBA

EASTERN ENGLAND & EAST ANGLIA Attleborough Mrs D Parker SECRETARY 01953 456958 deepea2@uwclub.net Methodist Church Hall, London Road, Attleborough Third Thursday of the month from 10am - 12 noon 17/11/11 Quiz for Group Members 15/12/11 Francis Hart, a Regency Christmas, and Party for Members 19/01/11 New Year’s Lunch Outing 16/02/11 AGM

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) 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch

Billericay Mr J R Smith LOCAL CONTACT 01277 622156 Various venues for lunches at 12.30pm 17/11/11 Lunch at the Blue Boar, High Street, Billericay 19/01/12 Lunch at the Blue Boar, High Street, Billericay

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 06/12/11 Xmas Lunch - Regency House Hotel 14/12/11 Artistry in Cocoa - Cheryl Brighty, Chocolatier 11/01/12 History through Old Newspapers Pip Wright 08/02/12 Group Activities - games etc.

14/03/12 Role of Police Wildlife Crime Officer - Barry Kaufman-White

Colchester Joan Gomer SECRETARY 01206 794656 St Margaret’s Anglican Church Hall, Stansted Road, Colchester Third Monday of each month at 2pm (except Dec, change of venue or date and time). Please note from January 2012 we will meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 2pm 21/11/11 Essex at War - Douglas Killick 12/12/11 Christmas Luncheon (time and venue TBA) 17/01/12 Quiz 21/02/12 AGM

Croxley Green & Rickmansworth 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

Dereham 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 09/12/11 Christmas Party and Music Master 60’s Quiz 13/01/12 AGM 10/02/12 Guest Speaker (TBA)

Drayton - Norfolk Derek Heffer CHAIRMAN 01603 861554 Various venues for lunch quarterly 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Cock Inn, Drayton (1pm)

Harlow Mrs Edna McNaughton SECRETARY 01279 865102 edian.mcnaughton@tesco.net Toby Carvery, Harlow First Friday of the month at 12 noon Nov Christmas Lunch at Civil Service Club (details TBA)

Harpenden Mr Tony Thomson GROUP REPRESENTATIVE 01582 713250

Hemel Hempstead Miss Joan Ibbett SECRETARY 01442 259674 Methodist Church Hall, The Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead Second Wednesday of each month at 10.30am 08/02/12 AGM

Chelmsford

Hertford

Mrs Christa Bringloe CHAIRPERSON 01245 420555 Room 3, Christ Church URC, New London Road Second Tuesday of each month 10.00am 12.30pm 13/12/11 The Entertainers 16/12/11 Christmas Lunch 10/01/12 No meeting

Mrs Olive Smith CHAIRMAN 01992 550753 Methodist Church Hall, Ware Road, Hertford First Monday of each month at 2-4pm (except Bank Holidays) 21/11/11 Visit to Thursford 05/12/11 Norfolk and Northumberland - talk

by Ian Torrence 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Roebuck,

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09/01/12 06/02/12

Ware Social Afternoon AGM

Huntingdon Mrs Gillian Greville SECRETARY 01480 458098 Little Stukeley Village Hall, Low Road (off Mill Road), Little Stukeley, Huntingdon Last Thursday of the month at 2.30pm (except Dec) 24/11/11 The Art of Glass Blowing - Robert Scott 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Dolphin Hotel, St. Ives 26/01/12 My Life as the Wife of a Navajo Indian Chief - Linda Shepherd 23/02/12 Chocolate Experience - Susan Stevens

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 (except Dec) 21/11/11 Musical Memories - talk by Ivy Ball (Member) 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch 16/01/12 A Talk about Noel Coward (with Songs) - Frank Oliver 20/02/12 Nurses Training in the 60s - talk by Sheila Billins

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 07/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Black Horse Inn (11.30am for noon) 04/01/12 Armchair Aerobics - Jean Pearson 01/02/12 AGM and Bring & Buy. Visit by David Tickner, Editor of avanti

Loughton Eric Adams CHAIRMAN 020 8508 7207 Jazz Archive Room, Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton Third Monday of each month at 2pm 21/11/11 Tea and Chat 19/12/11 Christmas Past and Present 16/01/12 New Year Resolutions 20/02/12 Tea and Chat

Lowestoft Kate McNamara TREASURER/SECRETARY 01502 714380 kate_mcn@talktalk.net Beaconsfield Club, 7 Surrey Street, Lowestoft First and Third Wednesday of each month at 10.15am 16/11/11 Lunch 07/12/11 Coffee Morning 21/12/11 Christmas Lunch 04/01/12 Coffee Morning and Lunch 18/01/12 Coffee Morning and Lunch 01/02/12 Coffee Morning 15/02/12 AGM followed by Lunch

Mildenhall Mr Martin Claridge SECRETARY 01842 810096 Mildenhall Social Club, Recreation Way

First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 06/12/11 A Musical Serenade with a Christmas Theme with Breckland Breezes, a String Quintet 07/12/11 Luncheon and afternoon entertainment in the Galaxy Club, RAF Mildenhall, hosted by the American Air Force 03/01/12 Movement to Music especially for the over 60s 18/01/12 Post-Christmas Lunch (venue TBA) 07/02/12 Foot Care - talk by Sue Hart

Newmarket Les Beament CHAIRMAN 01638 744005 St. John Training Centre, Newmarket Hospital, Exning Road Second Wednesday of each month at 2.15pm 14/12/11 Christmas Party 11/01/12 AGM 08/02/12 A Victorian Presentation - talk by Trevor Burlingham

Norwich Mary Weatherhead SECRETARY 01603 410821 Reading Room, Doughty’s Hospital, Golden Dog Lane Second Monday of each month at 10am for 10.30am 07/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The George 12/12/11 Christmas Party 09/01/12 Members’ Meeting 13/02/12 AGM and Quiz

Rayleigh Mrs F Cohen SOCIAL SECRETARY 01702 342426 Cloister West, Parish Rooms, Rayleigh Church, Rectory Garth (off Hockley Road), Rayleigh First Thursday of each month from 2.00-4.00pm 08/12/11 Christmas Party 05/01/12 No meeting 02/02/12 Travels with Me - Bruce Bellinger

Rochford Mrs F Cohen SOCIAL SECRETARY 01702 342426 Parish Council Rooms, 82 West Street, Rochford Third Thursday of each month from 145-3.45pm 17/11/11 AGM 15/12/11 Christmas Party 19/01/12 New Year Lunch 16/02/12 Travels with Me - Bruce Bellinger

Shoeburyness Mrs F Cohen SOCIAL SECRETARY 01702 342426 Thorpdene Community Centre, Delaware Road, Shoeburyness First Tuesday of each month from 2.00-4.00pm 06/12/11 Christmas Party 03/01/12 No meeting 07/02/12 More Travels with Me - Bruce Bellinger. Bring & Buy

St. Albans Mrs B G Hill SECRETARY 01727 858198 barbara. hill5@ntlworld.com Friends Meeting House, Upper Lattimore Road, St. Albans First Thursday of the month at 10am 01/12/11 Christmas Entertainment 05/01/12 The Samaritans 02/02/12 AGM

Stevenage & Baldock Helen Leisk SECRETARY 01438 355131 helen. leisk@firenet.uk.net United Reformed Church, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage First Thursday of every month at 2pm 01/12/11 Flowers, Felines and Feathered Friends - Cape Town to Kruger National Park - a talk by Margaret Rogers 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch 05/01/12 New Year Party 02/02/12 AGM

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 20/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Canary & Linnet, Fransham, at 12 o’clock

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

Westcliff-on-Sea Mrs F Cohen SOCIAL SECRETARY 01702 342426 Balmoral Community Centre, Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff on Sea Fourth Wednesday of each month from 2.004.00pm 23/11/11 PALS Update - Lesley. Bring & Buy 14/12/11 Christmas Social. Choir with Mrs Knight 25/01/12 Switzerland - Tony Curtis 22/02/12 Laurel & Hardy - Mr Robinson

SOUTHERN ENGLAND Ascot & Sunningdale Sylvia Hennah SECRETARY 01344 620860 National School of Government at Sunningdale Park, Larch Avenue, Ascot Third Friday of each month at 12 noon 18/11/11 Arthur Ransome - talk by Neil Aufflick 16/12/11 Christmas Lunch 20/01/12 North to Alaska - illustrated talk by John Cook 17/02/12 Bring & Buy

Basingstoke Janette Davies CHAIRMAN 01256 321471 Brookvale Village Hall, Lower Brook Street, Basingstoke First Wednesday of each month at 10.00am 07/12/11 Coffee, Lunch and Entertainment 17/02/12 Tour of the Olympic Sites (including lunch)

Bexhill Hilary Markham SECRETARY 01424 210985 Bexhill Sailing Club, Marina, Bexhill-on-Sea

Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10am (except Dec) 22/11/11 Coffee Morning with Mince Pies 16/12/11 Annual Christmas Lunch at the Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne 24/01/12 Coffee Morning 28/02/12 Coffee Morning and Group AGM

Bitterne (Southampton) Joan Dunnings CHAIRMAN 023 8057 6784 St. Johns Hall, Dean Road, Bitterne First Friday of each month at 2.00pm (doors open at 1.15pm, tea and biscuits available before the meeting) 02/12/11 Christmas Party 06/01/12 Talk about Bitterne 03/02/12 Ruth Warren talks about Church Organist

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 07/12/11 Eats & Quiz 09/12/11 Annual Lunch at Elstead Hotel 04/01/12 FOCUS Group - Alison Butler 01/02/12 The Trumpet Shall Sound - Malcolm Torrent

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 07/12/11 Christmas Social 14/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Royal Albion Hotel, Brighton 04/01/12 Musical Event - return of Rita & Theresa 01/02/12 Bring & Buy Sale

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 (Dec may vary) 23/11/11 Coffee Morning 07/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Greyhound Inn, Keymer, 12 for 12.30pm 25/01/12 Coffee Morning and Group AGM 22/02/12 Coffee Morning

Chandlers Ford Ken Willcocks CHAIRMAN 023 8076 0102 Chandlers Ford Community Centre, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford First Friday of the month at 10am 02/12/11 A Day in Iran as a Housewife - Mrs Sandra Simmons 20/12/11 Xmas Lunch at Keats Restaurant, Ampfield 06/01/12 Great Exhibition of 1851 - Miss R Brandham 03/02/12 Arctic Circle Expedition - Mr Jim Bettley www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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Christchurch & Highcliffe Paul Tabor 01202 422493 paul.tabor@tesco.net

Crawley Jim Piercey CHAIRMAN 01293 409332 Bill Buck Room, Crawley Library, Southgate Avenue, Crawley Fourth Friday of the month at 2pm (except Dec) 25/11/11 Christmas Party 27/01/12 Reminiscences 24/02/12 AGM

Eastbourne Audrey Fewtrell CHAIRMAN/SECRETARY 01323 730570 St. Saviour’s Church Hall, South Street, Eastbourne Third Wednesday of the month at 10am 16/11/11 The Canadian Rockies - Mr Alan Carter 21/12/11 Christmas Coffee Morning

Emsworth & Havant Ralph Whitehouse CHAIRMAN 01243 374081 Emsworth Community Centre, Church Path, Emsworth First Friday of each month at 10am (except Dec) 02/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Brookfield Hotel, Emsworth 06/01/12 No meeting 03/02/12 AGM

Fareham Bill Sculpher CHAIRMAN 01329 519613 Holy Trinity Church Hall, West Street, Fareham First Tuesday of the month at 2.00pm (first Wednesday in December) 07/12/11 50+ Choir 03/01/12 TBA 07/02/12 AGM followed by Mike Martin - A Diver’s Story

Fleet Dorothy Brookman CHAIRMAN 01252 684368 dorothy.brookman@ntlworld.com Baptist Church Hall, 115 Clarence Road, Fleet Third Tuesday of each month at 2.15pm (except Dec) - December meeting at 10.30-11.30am at the Harlington Centre, Fleet Road.

20/12/11 Christmas Coffee Morning and Tombola at the Harlington, Fleet 10.30-11.30am (note different venue and time) 17/01/12 AGM followed by a Speaker (TBA)

Hailsham Jeanne Archer VICE CHAIRMAN & SECRETARY 01323 832055 St. Marys Church Lounge, St. Marys Church, Vicarage Road, Hailsham Second Tuesday of the month at 10.15am (except Dec) 06/12/11 Group Lunch at The King’s Head, Horsebridge 10/01/12 Beetle Drive 14/02/12 AGM

Hassocks Dennis Miles CHAIRMAN 01273 845693

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jodem38@live.co.uk Adastra Hall, 31 Keymer Road, Hassocks First Thursday of each month at 10.30am 01/12/11 Christmas Social Morning 05/01/12 Chat Morning 02/02/12 AGM

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) 23/11/11 Coffee Morning and talk by Valerie Jones on ‘A Tour of Egypt’ at 3 Landen Park, Horley (please note change of venue) 14/12/11 Christmas Meeting and Lunch 25/01/12 Coffee Morning and talk by Tony Hazeldine on ‘The Future for the Fellowship’ 22/02/12 Coffee Morning and Group AGM

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 06/12/11 Christmas Entertainment at the Keyboard (Bashley) 09/12/11 Annual Lunch at the Barton on Sea Golf Club. Enquiries to Sandy Whittaker, telephone 02380 282157 03/01/12 TBA (Milford) 07/02/12 TBA (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 05/12/11 Christmas Lunch 12/12/11 Christmas Tea Party 09/01/12 Group AGM 06/02/12 Group Committee Meeting 13/02/12 Talk on Cuba - Michael Braide

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

Portsmouth North Janie Quayle CHAIRMAN 023 92 641954 janiequayle@googlemail.com St. Nicholas Church Hall, Battenburg Avenue, Copnor Second and fourth Monday at 2pm (except Bank Holidays) 28/11/11 Bring ‘n’ Buy Afternoon 12/12/11 Last meeting of the year Christmas Cards, mince pies and entertainment by Steve Harris 09/01/12 Chat, Tea, Raffle etc.

23/01/12 Gosport 1642 Living History Village - talk by Yvonne Hoskins 13/02/12 AGM, Bingo, Chat, Raffle etc.

27/02/12 Caroline Heywood - Mezzo Soprano Singer

Ringwood & District Ray White CHAIRMAN 01425 476037 rm-white@tiscali.co.uk Greyfriars Community Centre, Ringwood First Friday of each month at 10am 22/11/11 Annual Lunch at the Mayflower 02/12/11 Christmas Celebration 06/01/12 Cyprus Naturally Part II - Mr John Coombes 24/01/12 Pub Lunch at Tyrrell’s Ford Inn, Avon 03/02/12 Memories of the BBC - Mrs Hilary Warner 28/02/12 Pub Lunch (venue TBA)

Swanage Mrs Irene Greenway 01929 423394

Tadley 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 when advance notice is given to our members) 01/12/11 Dickens at Christmas 05/01/12 David Leeks, Mayor of Basingstoke 02/02/12 Keeley Gallagher Environmental Services

Totton & Waterside Mrs P Shakespeare CHAIRMAN 023 8087 2035 Totton & Eling Community Centre, Civic Centre Building, Library Road, Totton First Friday of each month at 10.00am (except Jan) 02/12/11 Christmas Party 03/02/12 Speaker (details TBA)

Twyford & Wargrave John Keast SECRETARY 0118 940 2975 john@ keast.go-plus.net Hannen Room, St. Marys Church, Station Road, Wargrave Third Tuesday of Feb, Apr, June, Oct and Dec

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.

01/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Nutley Arms, Nutley 05/01/12 New Year Lunch and Quiz 02/02/12 Rudyard Kipling - talk by Richard Rattle

Wimborne & Ferndown 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.

14/09/11 Coach Outing to Street - details from Eric Basire

Wokingham Bernard Good SECRETARY 0118 978 2350 bernard.good@btinternet.com The Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue Third Wednesday of each month at 2.30pm 16/11/11 Alan Copeland’s Big Picture Show Alan Copeland 21/12/11 Christmas Fayre and Carols 18/01/12 New Year Lunch 15/02/12 Trash or Treasure? - Alec Simmons

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) 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch 17/01/12 Old Worthing - illustrated talk by Brian Hayes 16/02/12 AGM

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND Amesbury Mrs Dorothy Weston SOCIAL SECRETARY 01980 624589 Antrobus House, 39 Salisbury Road, Amesbury First Tuesday of each month at 2pm 19/11/11 Autumn Bazaar 25/11/11 Turkey & Tinsel at Falmouth (25-28 Nov) 06/12/11 Handbell Ringers 16/12/11 Christmas Dinner at the Black Horse, Hurdcott 17/01/12 New Year Lunch at the George, Amesbury 07/02/12 Valentine Tea

Bath Roy Burnett CHAIRMAN 01225 426583 St. John’s Parish Hall, South Parade, Bath First Thursday of each month at 10.30am (except Jan when it may be the second Thursday) 21/11/11 Creative Travel Holiday in Bognor Regis (21 - 25 Nov) 30/11/11 Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre Royal at 2.30pm 01/12/11 Christmas Coffee Morning 03/01/12 Committee Meeting 05/01/12 New Year Coffee Morning 02/02/12 Group AGM and Coffee Morning

Blandford Forum Mrs M Chambers SECRETARY 01258 456572 Contact 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 Dec) 17/11/11 Coach Trip - Christmas Shopping at Exeter 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch - Leigh Park Hotel

09/01/12 13/02/12

Meeting - New Year Party Meeting - AGM with Quiz

Brixham Mrs Edna Wright CHAIRMAN 01803 855638 ewright238@btinternet.com Various local restaurants, usually Waterside Paignton Usually second Thursday of the month at 12 noon - contact Mrs Wright for details.

Burnham-on-Sea Joyce Beard SECRETARY/TREASURER 07706 868648 joyful18@live.co.uk Burnham Area Youth Centre, Cassis Close, Burnham on Sea Fourth Tuesday in each month from 10am to 12 noon (except Dec)

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 22/11/11 Eddie Lane - Film about Vietnam and Cambodia 13/12/11 Christmas Coffee Morning, Raffle and Chat

Chippenham Mr J A Sutton CHAIRMAN 01249 461892 a-tsutton@tiscali.co.uk Rotary Hall, Station Hill, Chippenham First Wednesday of each month at 2pm 07/12/11 Christmas Tea 15/12/11 Christmas Lunch at North Wiltshire Bowls Club 04/01/12 Skyrail - talk by Mr G Bennett 01/02/12 Vietnam and Cambodia - slide show

Dawlish Mrs M Carter SECRETARY 01626 888275 The Manor House, Old Town Street Second Friday of each month at 2pm 09/12/11 Christmas Party and Quiz

Dorchester Mike Rogers SECRETARY 01308 420755 michael@mikerogers3.plus.com Dorset Youth HQ, Lubbecke Way, Dorchester Third Thursday of the month at 10.15 for 10.30am 17/11/11 Training Dogs for the Disabled Jien Clarke 15/12/11 Christmas Party 19/01/12 Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre - Mike Colbourne 16/02/12 RNLI - Martin Newbury

Exmouth Carol Brett SECRETARY 01395 442671 Bastin Hall, Elmgrove, Exmouth First Wednesday of each month at 10am 07/12/11 Christmas Coffee Morning 04/01/12 Coffee Morning 01/02/12 Coffee Morning

Ham (Plymouth) Veronica Smerdon SECRETARY 01752 318672

veronicasmerdon@aol.com The Halcyon Centre, Dingle Road, North Prospect, Plymouth Every Monday at 2.00pm 28/11/11 Christmas Raffle 12/12/11 Christmas Tea

Minehead Isabel Dobson 01643 703199 Foxes Hotel, The Esplanade, Minehead Last Tuesday of the month at 10.15am (except Dec) 29/11/11 Coffee Morning 08/12/11 Christmas Lunch (12 for 12.30) 24/01/12 Coffee Morning 28/02/12 Coffee Morning

Princetown Mike Fitzpatrick SECRETARY 01822 890799 mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Prince of Wales, Tavistock Road, Princetown First Thursday of the month at 12.30pm 01/12/11 Surveying Birds in South Africa talk by Ray Lovett, RSPB 15/12/11 Christmas Lunch and Party with entertainment by the duo ‘Scandal’ 05/01/12 Dartmoor - talk by Paul Randall 02/02/12 The History of Horse-drawn Transport - talk by Gerald Williamson

Salisbury Plain 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 22/11/11 Gloucester Waterfront & Town by coach 20/12/11 Christmas Luncheon and Draw 17/01/12 New Year Party with Finger Buffet and Entertainment 21/02/12 AGM

Sidmouth Margaret Adams CHAIRMAN 01395 577622 rjadams39@waitrose.com Sidholme Hotel, Elysian Fields, Temple Street Second Wednesday of each month at 10.25am 22/11/11 Lunch at Halfway Inn, Sidmouth Road, Aylesbeare 14/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Sidmouth Golf Club

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

Sturminster Newton Robert Scott- Puttock SECRETARY 01258 471011 Meetings and venues are arranged on an ad hoc basis.

Tamar/Tavy (Tavistock) Mike Fitzpatrick ACTING SECRETARY 01822 890799 mikeandkate3@talktalk.net Burrator Inn, Princetown Road, Dousland, Yelverton Second Thursday of the month at 12.30pm 08/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Burrator Inn www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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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 Public Holiday in which case third Friday) 09/12/11 Christmas Party with Prize Draw (exchange Christmas cards) 13/01/12 General chat, Miscellaneous Bring & Buy 10/02/12 AGM

Trowbridge Peter Collins SECRETARY 01225 768370 petercollins@vulnera.freeserve.co.uk Old Manor Hotel, Trowle, Trowbridge/ St. 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) 16/11/11 Christmas Shopping Trip to Poole, Dorset 07/12/11 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 21/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Old Manor Hotel 04/01/12 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 18/01/12 AGM and Speaker, Steve Oakes the World of Woodpeckers 01/02/12 Coffee Morning at the Old Manor Hotel 15/02/12 TBA

Wadebridge 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 07/10/11 Lunch at Trehallas Hotel

Warminster Ted Bryant SECRETARY 01985 218289 Warminster Town Football Club, 73 Weymouth Street, Warminster First Monday of each month at 2pm (except Jan) Second Monday if Bank Holiday 05/12/11 Speaker from ‘Crime Stoppers’ 14/12/11 Christmas Lunch 19/12/11 AGM

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 16/11/11 Outing to Bullring Shopping Centre 21/11/11 Meeting and Speaker - Frome Camera Club 12/12/11 Christmas Party 14/12/11 Outing to Christchurch

Weston-Super-Mare Alan Jackson CHAIRMAN 01275 858766 jackson-a21@sky.com Friends Meeting House, corner of High Street/ Oxford Street, Weston-Super-Mare

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First and third Thursday of the month at 10am (for coffee mornings, other events listed below) 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Commodore Hotel, Sand Bay 19/01/12 Group Lunch 14/02/12 Coach Outing to Swindon (Designer Outlet)

Weymouth Geoff Greenstreet VICE CHAIRMAN 01305 832432 St. Nicholas Church, Buxton Road, Weymouth Second Thursday of each month at 2.30pm 23/11/11 Coffee Morning at the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church

Yate & District Donald Kirkham CHAIRMAN 01454 317242 kirkhamdh01@blueyonder.co.uk Yate Parish Hall, Station Road Fourth Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except Dec) 22/11/11 Brunel and the Suspension Bridge Mr Dan Avans 13/12/11 Christmas Party with Entertainment

by Spectrum Ladies Musical Group

LONDON & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND Ashford (Kent) Mrs Sylvia Willis SECRETARY 01233 624754 Baptist Church, Station Road, Ashford Last Thursday of each month at 10am - 12 noon 24/11/11 Film Show - Ashford Camcorder Club 01/12/11 Christmas Lunch

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 Dec [Christmas Lunch] - venue to be announced) 29/11/11 Coffee Morning Dec Christmas Lunch (date and venue tba) 31/01/12 Coffee Morning 28/02/12 Coffee Morning

Bexleyheath Sylvia Lynds CHAIR/TREASURER 020 8310 6169 St. Andrews Church Hall, Brampton Road, Bexleyheath First three Wednesdays in every month at 1.453.45pm 16/11/2011 Saucy Seaside Postcards - A Payne 30/11/2011 Christmas Lunch at Riverside Restaurant, Rye 07/12/2011 My Family - Mel Rees, Raconteur 14/12/2011 Christmas Festivities with John Crawford & Co 04/01/2012 New Year Tea Party, Entertainment

by Martin Charles 11/01/2012 Smuggling - Fred Carpenter 18/01/2012 Social Afternoon and AGM 01/02/2012 History of Kentish Seaside Resorts prior to WW1 08/02/2012 Social Afternoon and Bingo 15/02/2012 30 Years of Beekeeping - Lesley Fancote

Camberley Jenny Ingoe RECORDS SECRETARY 01483 558152 jenny954@btinternet.com High Cross Church, Knoll Road, Camberley Fourth Tuesday of each month at 2pm (except Dec) 22/11/11 The Census - did I count? - talk

by Colin Van Geffen about his experiences as an enumerator during the 2001 Census 13/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Camberley Golf Club

Edgware & Stanmore Ray Broom SECRETARY 020 8427 8659 St. Lawrence’s Church Hall, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware Second Monday of each month at 2pm 09/01/12 AGM 13/02/12 Inheritance Tax and Wills

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) 05/12/11 Christmas Party and Buffet 09/01/12 Illustrated talk by Natalie Gordon on behalf of North London Hospice and the new ‘Drop In’ centre under construction in Palmers Green 06/02/12 AGM and Mini Quiz

Kenton (Middlesex) Daphne Radford SECRETARY 020 8908 4099 dmradford@btinternet.com St. Anselm’s Church Hall, Uppingham Avenue, Stanmore Third Wednesday of the month at 2pm 16/11/11 Israel & Jordan - illustrated talk by Mr French 30/11/11 Branch Christmas Lunch, 12.30 for 1.00pm, at Police Club, Bushey 14/12/11 Group Christmas Lunch, 12.30 for 1.00pm, at Travellers’ Rest, Kenton 21/12/11 No meeting 18/01/12 Group AGM 15/02/12 Speaker (TBA)

Kingston & District John Hobday CHAIRMAN 020 8546 5214 Kingston Methodist Church Hall, Avenue Road, Fairfield South, Kingston Third Tuesday of each month at 2pm. For outings programme contact the Secretary.

05/12/11 Lunch Meeting (deferred until Christmas week) 20/12/11 Meeting. Hand Bell Ringers (TBC)

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 02/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Leatherhead Leisure Centre (12.30 for 1pm) 06/01/12 Travelling through American

Parks - illustrated talk by Martina Bennellick 03/02/12 The Work of the Grange Centre, Bookham - talk by Judith Walker, Chief Executive

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 17/11/11 Bingo 01/12/11 Christmas Tea 15/12/11 TBA 05/01/12 Bingo 19/01/12 Entertainment 02/02/12 AGM 16/02/12 Talk

London - Catford & Lewisham Peter Maple SECRETARY 020 8699 2002 St. Laurence Church Hall, Bromley Road, Catford Second Tuesday of the month at 10am 13/12/11 Christmas Social with Mince Pies and Snacks 15/12/11 Christmas Lunch 10/01/12 Coffee Morning and Bingo 14/02/12 Coffee Morning and AGM

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. We also have a monthly pub lunch - for details please contact the Secretary

London - Dulwich & Norwood Mrs Pat Belsey SECRETARY 020 7701 4992 Railway Club, Selhurst Station Approach Fourth Tuesday of each month at 10.30am (except Dec) 22/11/11 Christmas Meal 24/01/12 Coffee Morning 28/02/12 Quiz

London - Edmonton Mrs Sheila Lamonte CHAIRPERSON 020 8886 7873 Ambassador Room, Millfield House, Silver Street, London Third Monday of each month from 10am - 12 noon 21/11/11 Christmas Cards - How to make your own 19/12/11 Christmas Party 16/01/12 AGM 20/02/12 The Life of Florence Nightingale Sue Sims

London - Eltham Phyllis Duignan CHAIR 020 8265 0810 phyllis. duignan@gmail.com United Reformed Church,Sherard Hall, Court Road, Eltham

Fourth Thursday of each month at 10am - 12 noon 24/11/11 Coffee morning followed by David Roy-Martin singing ‘Songs from the Shows’ 08/12/11 Coffee morning followed by carols, mince pies with exchange of Christmas cards and bumper raffle.

15/12/11 Christmas Lunch at Dolomiti, Sidcup Road 17/12/11 ‘Sing Along Christmas Carols’ at the Royal Albert Hall 12/01/12 Coach Outing to The Fighting Cocks, Kentish pub for lunch 26/01/12 Coffee morning followed by a talk on The Life and Times of Lady Hamilton - Martin Heard

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 (except Dec)

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 13/12/11 Our Christmas Party - a lovely afternoon you will all enjoy (cost £3.50 per head) 10/01/11 The New Year starts with drinks, mince pies and nibbles as usual, followed by tea 14/02/12 Bingo - come along and try your luck. Prizes for lines and full houses.

North/South Harrow Mrs Margaret Pickard SECRETARY 020 8866 5708 ja.pickard@btinternet.com St. Albans Church Hall, Norwood Drive, North Harrow Last Tuesday of the month at 2pm (except Dec) 29/11/11 Humorous Moments during the career of Mr Wass, a Police Officer 31/01/12 Cheese and Wine Fun Quiz Party 28/02/12 AGM followed by a talk on ‘Signing for the Deaf and its History’ by Mrs Emma Garner

Orpington Sid Towner CHAIRMAN 01689 838567 The Memorial Hall, Methodist Church, Sevenoaks Road, Orpington Second Friday in the month at 1.45pm 09/12/11 Maureen’s Music 13/01/12 AGM 10/02/12 The Other Villages around Oprington - Mr Howitt

Romney Marsh Mrs Win Owen CHAIR 01797 362598 winefrideowen@aol.com The Assembly Rooms, Church Approach, New Romney Second Wednesday of each month at 10am 14/12/11 Matt Munro - John Pearce (talk and songs) 11/01/12 Rex Remembers - Rex Swaine 08/02/11 AGM and Social Morning

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 08/12/11 Christmas Buffet Party 12/01/12 TBA 09/02/12 AGM

South East Middlesex Mrs June Brown SECRETARY 020 8891 4680 junebrownuk@hotmail.com Various venues Various dates and times 06/12/11 Christmas Lunch - Cole Court, London Road, Twickenham.

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 17/11/11 Informal Lunch at the H G Wells, Cheam Common Road, North Cheam 28/11/11 Wood Carving. A talk by Mr A Webb followed by Festive Refreshments 12/12/11 Christmas Lunch at the Cock & Bull, Sutton High Street 16/01/12 Informal Lunch (venue and date tbc) 30/01/12 AGM and Social Afternoon 13/02/12 Informal Lunch (venue and date tbc) 27/02/12 The Humorous Side of being an Actor. A talk by Mr J Fryer

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) 05/12/11 Christmas Lunch at The Worcester 09/01/12 The Concorde Experience - talk by Roger Bricknell 06/02/12 Evacuation in World War Two - talk

by Mike Brown

ENTER YOUR POSTCODE AND FIND YOUR NEAREST GROUP ONLINE at www.csrf.org.uk www.csrf.org.uk WINTER 2011

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the last word

My

favourite things…

Pam Ayres MBE is a poet, songwriter, radio and television presenter who has entertained millions throughout her career.

She achieved her big break in 1975 after an appearance on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks and has never looked back. With an autobiography just published by Ebury we managed to catch up with her while she was touring Australia to find out more about ‘her favourite things’

1

Painting

A painting of the Murray River, in South Australia, by John Hinge. I have a special affection for this area because when I first worked in Australia I did a tour through this beautiful region for the South Australian Arts Council, and it made a huge impression on me, with mile upon mile of lemon and orange plantations. Here the Murray is painted in all its marvellous and still solitude; something I’ve always thought magical. The painting is in a private collection in Robe, South Australia.

2

Novel

My current favourite is The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.

Part of it is set in the Far East, where I was stationed with the WRAF in the sixties, but mostly I love it because it has everything: characters I really cared about, an eerie element, and a great story.

3

Music

I like the great rip-roaring song Master Of The House, from Les Miserables.

Funny, great use of words, and conjures up a hilariously horrible scene.

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SPRING 2011 www.crsf.org.uk

Film

Witness as I love the theme music.

It’s Harrison Ford at his best and a great love story. It also presents an interesting depiction of life in the Amish community.

5 6 7 8 9

Quotation

Margaret Thatcher: ‘Don’t waste a second’

DESTINATION

Our home, a kindly 300-year-old stone house in the Cotswolds.

COLOUR

The autumn colours - orange/ green/browns.

ANIMAL

Our small, fat, moustachioed, feisty, stands-no-nonsense Jack Russell terrier, Tats.

Historical Figure

RODIN - I love The Prodigal Son, The Burghers of Calais, and Nijinsky.

10

Flower

The pyracantha or firethorn.

This is a wonderful plant, available everywhere, and inexpensive. In autumn great ropes of scarlet berries feed the birds, and in spring a great foam of creamy flowers provide nectar for hordes of insects.

The Necessary Aptitude by Pam Ayres is published by Ebury Press price £20

chance towin We have 3 copies of ‘The Necessary Aptitude’ to give away. For your chance to win, let us know who you would nominate to be interviewed for ‘My Favourite Things’. Simply write into Fellowship office at the usual address (with your details) marking your entry ‘Book Competition’.