AGM 2017

The Club's 39th Annual General Meeting was held in the Spen Cama Pavilion at Sussex County Cricket Club in Hove and was attended by 45 members.

At the AGM, our Chairman Roger Francis, led the proceedings and mentioned in his annual report that whilst number had remained fairly constant, there wasn't a great number of newly retired people joining the club. He said that nevertheless we continue to flourish and that 2016 had been one of the best years he could remember for the variety and content of the social programme. Roger thanked and congratulated Don and Norma for organising these events and asked that members support them during the coming year. Roger then thanked Graham Clark as Vice Chairman for his moral support and encouragement. He also thanked the Committee members for their support as well as Don wearing his hat as Treasurer, and Jean as Secretary and host of our committee meetings. These thanks concluded his report.

Don reported on the accounts that were adopted and a small gift was handed to Robin Frost for the work he does as accounts inspector.

Graham Clark spoke briefly about the welfare situation and then went to mention about the importance of members having completed a will and in many cases a Power of Attorney for both Finances and Health and care decisions.

The AGM was followed by a splendid buffet lunch that was thoroughly enjoyed by all the attendees and many commented on how lovely the venue was and the friendliness and efficiency of the staff who looked after us so well.

22 members arrived for the now traditional bacon roll and coffee at East Brighton Golf Club, situated close to Brighton Marina. It was a bright sunny day, although just a little chilly with a breeze coming off the sea.

The course was in excellent condition and there were no excuses as the golfers attempted to accumulate stableford points during their round.

After the golf, we all enjoyed a two course meal and then listened to the joint organisers, Chris Hudson and the rather tanned John Jago announce the winners of the competition and the nearest the pin prizes.

The winner of the competition and the R.T. Box Memorial Cup was ..... Richard Box, yes the son of Ron Box after whom the trophy was originally made in his memory. Richard mentioned that he was proud to have won this trophy and told a short story of how he had recovered the trophy some years ago. The runner up was David Kaye, with Brian Haite in third place. The prize for the best first 9 holes went to Graham Clark and for the best second nine holes to David Pitts.

Pictures below show the winners and a few other shots taken during the day, including action shots of Arthur Elliott, David Oliver and John Mace

46 members and their guests enjoyed an excellent three course meal and watched live greyhound racing at the Coral Stadium in Hove.

As usual Don organised a voluntary betting syndicate that got off to a slow start, but had a strong finish and for probably the first time ever, made a profit for those that entered. For their contribution of £10 that covered a £1 bet on each of the first 10 races, they received back £15 each and helped make their day even more enjoyable.

On a bright and sunny day, 36 members and their guests boarded the coach at Withdean to make the short journey up the A23 to Wimbledon and to the home of British tennis at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

We were made to feel most welcome by our guide, Brian, for the first part of our walk around this famous venue. Starting at the statue outside Centre Court of Fred Perry and walking through the media centre and various outside courts, through the players lounge and finishing at the iconic Centre Court. There was a lot of building work going on as they are currently half way to putting a sliding roof onto number one court. Brian was full of interesting facts and figures and was humorous and answered all of our questions, however obscure!

After the tour we sat down and had a splendid buffet tea, finished off with strawberries and cream....of course!! Then off to the Museum to browse through the artefacts and photographs showing the history of tennis from the very first winner, Spencer Gore in 1877 through to the tennis outfit worn by Andy Murray in 2016.

It was a warm summers day when the 29 members and their guests boarded the coach to make the short journey up the M23 and across to Sevenoaks and to Ightham Mote. This National Trust property is described as an 'Outstanding 14th-century moated manor house' with a long history of various owners and different styles of architecture that have made the house what it is today.

We arrived in good time for some light refreshments before making our own way around the house and gardens. There were a number of guides spread throughout the house who were on hand to answer questions or to tell some important detail about a certain portrait or feature. The earliest records show that the estate was first owned by a knight of the realm, Sir Richard Cawne, who acquired the property in 1360, although little is known of this man other than he earned his fortune fighting in the 100 years war against the French. More details about the property can be found on the National Trust web site.

Most members then stopped for a bite to eat before exploring the moat and gardens with an attractive lake and short woodland walk. At various locations were strategically placed deck chairs where we could sit out of the warm sunshine .

A fascinating place to visit and as usual here are some photos which show some of the features of the house and gardens.

It was a breezy but warm day when 65 members and their guests arrived at Eaton Road Hove for the annual mid-summer lunch that has been held every year since 2005.

A refreshing glass of Pimms was waiting for us as we arrived and a splendid buffet lunch was served by the helpful and friendly staff.

After the lunch was had a talk and presentation from Liz Gibson from the Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust. Unfortunately some technical difficulties with the equipment meant we didn't see all the photos, but her talk was very interesting and a question and answers session that followed gave Liz the opportunity to explain further the workings of the Air Ambulance.

After the talk, the Deputy Chairman, Graham Clark thanked Liz for her attendance and handed her an envelope containing £350 being the total collected by way of the extra amount added to the price of the tickets and some donations from members who had been unable to attend the lunch. The collection boxes raised a further sum of £150 that Liz was delighted to receive on behalf of the Air Ambulance who rely almost entirely on voluntary contributions to cover the £6 million that it costs to run the service for a year. ** See below.

There was a bit of drizzle in the air as 46 members and their guests boarded the coach to make the journey to Eltham Palace and Gardens, an English Heritage property near Greenwich.

We met our Blue Badge Guide, Sarah, at the entrance to the Palace and after resting for a while with coffee or tea and a comfort break, we made our way to the Palace with a very informative talk from Sarah who told us the story of Eltham from being a medieval palace in which Henry Vlll grew up through to the Art Deco home of the Courtauld family in the 1930's. Described as a 'home for millionaires and a showpiece of cutting edge 1930's design.

The rooms were stunning and it was clear to see how in its day it was a place to behold. From the wartime bunker in the basement, through to the luxurious bedrooms, the entire house was fascinating and they even provided a tasting session for foods from that era that was amazing.

From indoors out into the gardens where the drizzle had cleared and been replaced with bright sunshine. A fabulous place.

We then took the short journey across to Greenwich town centre and the 'Spanish Galleon' for our lunch of Fish & Chips. Overall this was a reasonable meal, albeit with some exceptions! Eating custard with a knife and fork will always be a challenge!!

After lunch we had just enough time to have a look round Greenwich Market or the information centre and we strolled through the grounds of the Naval College and Maritime Museum on our way to Greenwich Pier to catch the cruiser up the River Thames to Westminster. Whilst most of us had seen the sights before, the commentary given by the 'East London' captain was exceptional and both interesting and quite hilarious.

We board the coach in the shadow of the Houses of Parliament, say goodbye to Sarah, our guide, and make our way back home after a successful trip.

It wasn't long before the 32 members and their guests arrived at Beaulieu on a cloudy but warm day, After a brief break for tea or coffee and a cookie, we split into two groups to meet our guides for the tours round the Palace House and the Motor Museum.

The tour round the Motor Museum with over 250 vehicles was superb and the guides were most knowledgeable and spoke with enthusiasm and not a little humour about the numerous cars and other vehicles that were housed in the museum. We were told of the history behind the cars and some amusing anecdotes that helped make the tour an absolute winner. Whilst down at the Palace House, a Victorian-styled country house, the guide called William, dressed as a butler was amazing with his animated stories of the families and the history of the house.

The two groups met for a very nice lunch and both groups said the same thing...the guides were brilliant. So after lunch the groups then visited the other attraction and were then left with some spare time to look around the rest of the site with the Abbey ruins, gardens and a secret army exhibition.

Here are just a few of the photos taken by either myself or my sister Pat during the visit:

The weather couldn't have been better as the Brighton Spread Eagles Golfing Society met for their Autumn Meeting at Singing Hills Golf Club.

17 members, some with tee shirts and shorts in the autumn sunshine, set out on the River and Lake courses hoping to take fewer shots than their colleagues and win one of the many prizes on offer to the competitors. Some succeeded, to a degree, others not quite so competitive. The results were soon calculated by the scores committee and after a very nice two course lunch, the winners were announced.

In first place, with 33 stableford points, was John Charlton, who can be seen in the photographs below with the Mike Barrett Trophy. Second was Mike Aitcheson and a close third was Roger Tugwell . There were two prizes awarded for 'closest the pin' and these went to Roger Tugwell and Keith Pike. The photograph below shows Roger and Keith enjoying the moment.

Prizes were also awarded for the 'Best Front 9 - Lake' that went to Roger Tugwell and the 'Best Back 9 - River' that went to John Charlton.

At this meeting, the Bob Russell Cup is awarded to the player with the highest combined score at the spring and autumn meetings, and this went to the ever popular Barry Davis who is pictured below holding the spoils from his win. Runner up was David Kaye with Don Semmons in third place.

Chris Hudson and John Jago, the organisors, thanked everyone for attending, especially those who had travelled down from Peterborough, yet again, to join us and meet up with old colleagues. Chris asked for ideas to be put forward for new venues for next season.

45 members and their guests arrived at the Theatre Royal in Brighton to see the Olivier Award Winning Musical, Dreamboats and Petticoats and it was a hit right from the first song through to the finale which saw everybody in the theatre on their feet joining in with the cast with the final few numbers. Most agreed that this was the best local show that we had seen for many many years.

Set in 1961 – in what many would describe as music’s golden era – it features songs from some of the top artists of the time like Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran, and Billy Fury.

Read more at: http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/whats-on/review-dreamboats-and-petticoats-at-the-theatre-royal-brighton-1-8178305

Set in 1961, it featured songs from top artists of that era including Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Billy Fury and Eddie Cochran. and told the story of young musicians Bobby and Norman entering a song writing competition whilst also trying to the get the attention of the adoring girl fans.

The stars of the show, Alistair Higgins (Bobby) and Elizabeth Carter (Laura) both showed their singing ability to the full with the wide range of songs and together with all the other enthusiastic members of the cast, brought back memories with songs including Let’s Dance, To Know Him Is To Love Him, Shaking All Over, Bobby’s Girl, Only Sixteen, Runaround Sue, Happy Birthday Sweet 16, Let It Be Me, Great Pretender, C’mon Everybody and Let’s Twist Again. I am sure that everyone felt 10 years younger by the finish.

After the show, it was a short walk round the corner to Al Duomo Restaurant and a magnificent cream tea including finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam followed by some rather moreish profiteroles smothered in chocolate sauce. The food and the service were excellent and completed another successful outing.

On a bright and breezy day, 49 members and their guests boarded the coach that took us up to London and the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road. We arrived in plenty of time to have a bite to eat or have a coffee in one of the many eating places in the area before going into the theatre for the matinee performance of this highly acclaimed show.

This tells the story of a demobbed American soldier Jerry Mulligan who decides to stay on in Paris after the liberation to nurture his passion as a painter. He then meets up with aspiring composer Adam and would-be singer Henri from a wealthy Parisian family – and falls in love with a young ballerina, Lise. But she, it turns out, is already spoken for with Henri, whose family protected her from the Nazis. However, Lise and Jerry do finally pair up in an emotional finale. The acting and staging were second to none with amazing scenery changes with vibrant colours and movement that complemented the telling of the story.

Unusually, the dancing was more of a ballet content than modern routine, but beautifully performed to enhance the story and give it meaning. The familiar music and songs by George Gershwin completed the enjoyment..

A fantastic show described by many of our members as the best London show that they had ever seen.

After the show, our coach picked us up and made the short journey across London to the Strand Palace Hotel where we enjoyed a splendid 2 course Carvery meal before making our way home after a thoroughly enjoyable day out.

We always save the best until last with another wonderful Christmas Lunch at Deans Place Hotel. 129 members and their guests attended this years lunch and were rewarded with a very enjoyable and fun-filled occasion made even more special by the quality of the meal and the professional service given by all the Deans Place Catering Team.

So a big thank you to them for help making it one of the best, if not, the best, Christmas Lunches that we have had.

Apart from the wonderful meal, prizes were won and the drink flowed, what more could you want from an event that perhaps should be described as a Party and not a lunch.

As always, pictures speak louder than words, so here are a selection of the photos that should give you a flavour of the event.