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Probus Christmas Lunch 2012 |
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Numbers were down yet again for this year's Christmas Lunch at the Chadwick - just 75 people (ten less than last year), despite an increase in the price of only 50p to £18 each. However, those who did come really enjoyed it, from the feedback I was given, so there's no danger of it being abandoned any time soon! Brian Johnstone and Harold Stokes both had to cancel at the last moment for health reasons, and Geoff Hayman and Jeanne also had to miss it because of Geoff's hospitalisation, but fortunately all of them now seem well restored to health and are back at the weekly meetings. Geoff had been persuaded to entertain us this year, so we lost out on that as well, but again we were very lucky that Roy Winter was able to fill the gap so ably at short notice. We had a little quiz, very comfortably during the coffee and mince pies, interspersed with one-liners and the whole thing went down very well indeed! Geoff has offered to do a spot for us at the next Christmas Lunch, so we have gratefully accepted. The raffle is no more. The big disadvantage of the Chadwick dining room is the many thick and intrusive pillars which means that those guests away from the Top Table can have a poor view of proceedings. However, one 'benefit' of the decreasing numbers has been that this is becoming less of a problem as our group becomes more compact and very few tables are now shielded from view. We have frequently looked at possible alternative venues, mainly for this reason, but keep coming back to he Chadwick as so many members say they find it comfortable and familiar. It was my privilege to present Mavis Barlow, our President Keith Barlow's wife, with a bouquet of flowers, and a further privilege to honour Marie Walker, Life Member Ted Walker's wife, with a bouquet - as this day happened to be her birthday! Very many thanks to everybody who supported the function and special thanks to Keith Barlow (who, apart from his and Mavis's Presidential duties, printed the souvenir menus and provided me with all the photographs, even though he had had to delegate most of the photography this time), Roy Winter for saving the day with his performing skills and Matthew Willey for holding the whole thing together as MC. Let's do it all again next year! I'll give you a date in the near future. Cliff Elliott |
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