On 18 February Sue Duckworth spoke to us about Folklore of East Kent.
On 26 February we had a repeat trip to the Clifton Hotel for afternoon tea which was thoroughly enjoyed by the 15 members who attended.
Our annual online charity auction was held this month again raising a fantastic £600 for our Chairman's Charity, the Rising Sun domestic abuse charity. The Club is really appreciative of all those who donated lots to sell, bid on items or donated money for the charity.
After lunch our speaker was Jane Mackenzie who talked about the Benefits of Pilates with the opportunity to participate.
On 5 December 20 members attended a festive lunch at the Imperial Hotel with Michael Bublé tribute act.
On 18 December we were thoroughly entertained by Julie Balchin with music, singing and very competitive musical games.
Our speaker following lunch was Alan Haines who amused us with his entertaining talk on Baby Boomers.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 16 October. After the formal business of the AGM we held a bring and buy sale of jewellery, scarves and handbags which raised funds for this year's Chairman's Charity.
Our 20th Anniversary Lunch took place on 18 September.
A Wine Evening took place on 7 August.
On 14 August a repeat visit to the ever popular afternoon tea at the Clifton Hotel took place. This was well attended by members who enjoyed good company with a filling and delicious tea.
A further wine evening took place on 3 July with 6 members attending (a big improvement on the June attendance!)
On Saturday 6 July we held a very successful fundraising coffee morning at 101 Community Hub. The event was well attended by Club members and we also welcomed members of the public who learned about the work of 101 and about our Club. We were also fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to display information about the Club in a window display at 101 for a two week period.
After our lunch meeting on 17 July we were fascinated to learn more about the work of our Chairman's Charity, the 101 Open Door Project, from Nettie Wren.
June has been a busy month for the Club with 4 events to report on. On 4 June several members enjoyed good food at the Burlington Hotel in Folkestone at the invitation of the Probus Club of Folkestone and District. The meal was followed by a talk on Nat King Cole which was very entertaining.
The monthly wine evening at Henry's took place on 5 June - although enjoyed by the two members who attended we need more support if we're to continue with these events!
Our monthly lunch meeting on 19 June was followed by an informative and interesting talk by Neil Nixon on Elvis.
On 25 June, when the warm weather had finally arrived, 16 members enjoyed a wonderful trip to Allington Castle via the Kentish Lady river cruise ship.
Our first Wine Evening of 2024 took place on Wednesday 1 May.
On 15 May our after-lunch speaker was Sue Duckworth who spoke to us about Smuggling on the Romney Marsh. She ended by reciting Rudyard Kipling's Smuggler's Song -
"If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street.
Them that ask no questions isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!"
On 17 April Helen Kendall-Tobias gave us a fantastic presentation to show how we're never too old to put our best foot forward! She gave us examples through the centuries of women who have tried to keep themselves looking younger for longer. However, no matter how much money you may have, or the lengths you may be prepared to go - wrinkles are an inevitable part of getting older. She explained some simple steps that we can all take…which while they won’t erase the signs of ageing, will certainly help to minimise them.
On 20 March Gerry Skinner gave us a fascinating talk on the RNLI Then and Now which included local history.
On 21 February Andrew Ashton gave us an interesting and illustrated talk on the Art of Forgery. He spoke about several prolific art forgers. These included the forger Hans Van Meegeren who faked the artist Vermeer. Also Shaun Greenhalgh who was convicted for forgery - his fake Roman silver Risley Park lanx is shown here, it was made from Roman coins which were smelted together to produce the fake lanx!
At our regular lunch meeting on 17 January our after lunch speaker was Dave Chisholm who gave an interesting and extremely enjoyable talk about being a Cartoonist. We were even able to test our artistic skills by sketching a couple of cartoons.
On 31 January 19 of us enjoyed a fantastic afternoon tea at the Clifton Hotel in Folkestone.
We had a fantastic attendance for our Christmas lunch on 20 December. The Hotel Imperial did us proud by providing a choice of menu and the beautiful festive decorations made the room look splendid. We had a bumper raffle and after lunch we were thoroughly entertained by our speaker Mel Rees with his amusing tales.
Our Chairman announced members' birthdays which occur before our next meeting and, as in November, another member is reaching the milestone age of 90. She was surprised when presented with a celebration cake.
On Tuesday 5 December some of out Club members attended a Christmas lunch with the Probus Club of Folkestone and District at the Burlington Hotel. Good food, good company and some festive treats were enjoyed by all. On Thursday 7 December, 20 of our members enjoyed a complimentary festive lunch with Michael Bublé tribute act at the invitation of the Hotel Imperial. The food, entertainment and company made for a wonderful afternoon with most members taking to the dance floor.
At our regular lunch meeting on 15 November our Chairman announced members' birthdays taking place before the date of our next meeting including a very special 90th birthday which was celebrated with cake! Our after lunch speaker was Stewart Weller who gave a fascinating talk on the history of Folkestone and Hythe depicted by old postcards. The talk was thoroughly enjoyed and the images evoked memories of past times.
On Saturday 4th November 13 members enjoyed a trip to Bluewater. The inclement weather did not deter spirits or spending!
Our Annual General Meeting took place after lunch on 18 October. This was well attended by 39 members. Our new Chairman announced that she is supporting the Open Door Project based at 101, High Street, Hythe as her charity this year.
On 1 September our Chairman and Acting Vice Chairman visited the Parkinson's Centre for Integrated Therapy and presented a cheque to support the great work that they do.
On 6 September 5 members enjoyed a pleasant Wine Evening at Henry's chatting and appreciating some of the beverages available.
On 20 September we were delighted to welcome back Andrew Ashton who gave an interesting talk on "Making Scents." This covered the history, the production methods, and different styles of scents. A great tip given by Andrew was to try a perfume before investing in it and he recommended a website which provided sample sizes - www.fragrancesamplesuk.com.
Although we do not meet for a formal lunch in August we still hold weekly coffee mornings. Our monthly wine evening took place at Henry's on 2 August.
As a further treat we attended the Clifton Hotel in Folkestone on 16 August for afternoon tea. This event was very well attended and a great time was had by all.
On 5 July at our regular wine evening at Henry's we enjoyed tapas as an accompaniment to our alcoholic beverages.
On 19 July after our monthly lunch at the Hotel Imperial our Chairman explained the family link which had influenced her choice of charity. We also learnt about the great work carried out at the Parkinson's Centre for Integrated Therapy in Canterbury.
On 28 July we held an additional coffee morning at the Imperial Hotel.
On 6 June a number of our members attended lunch hosted by the Probus Club of Folkestone and District at the Burlington Hotel in Folkestone. We held our regular wine evening on 7 June and an additional coffee morning at the Imperial Hotel on 9 June. After our monthly lunch on 21 June our speaker was Andy Wall who gave us an interesting, illustrated talk on his experiences as a Royal Marine Bandsman.
May was a busy month for the Club with 4 events plus our regular Thursday coffee mornings. Our wine evening took place on Wednesday 3 May and on 10 May we held an additional coffee morning at the Imperial Hotel. On 13 May a successful fundraising coffee event took place at the "101" Community Hub in Hythe. On 17 May our speaker was Prue Anderton who gave an entertaining, amusing yet poignant talk.
Another Wine Evening took place on Wednesday 5 April.
On 19 April a splendid lunch was followed by a Coronation Quiz. The members of the winning team (decided by a tie break question!) received a right royal goodie bag. The Quiz was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
On 25 April 8 members enjoyed a trip to Pashley Manor in East Sussex. Thankfully the weather was dry although the ground a little muddy underfoot! The trip coincided with the tulip festival.
Our regular Wine Evening took place on Wednesday 1 March.
On 15 March our speaker was Emma Batten, a local author of historical fiction set in the Romney Marsh area. Emma gave a delightful talk about her writing and told us about 3 female characters from her novels. Fictional characters are put into recognisable settings as Emma tells the story of their lives. Her novels include A Place Called Hope, Secrets of the Shingle and The Pendant Cross.
Another Wine Evening took place on Wednesday 1 February and on 8 February 17 members and guests attended afternoon tea at the Clifton Hotel which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
On 15 February our speaker was Melanie Gibson-Barton on the subject of Suffragettes and Suffragists. The term ‘Suffragette’ will always be associated with women’s fight to win the vote but Melanie’s fully illustrated talk presented a much wider insight into the struggle that took over a century. The early, often overlooked, pioneers of women’s rights were presented to show the difficult path to Britain’s universal suffrage. Melanie discussed the numerous crossroads during the campaign and how each resulted in disappointment for women at the hands of those men and women fearful of losing power. The difference between the Suffragettes and the Suffragists was explained and Melanie showed how the personalities of the key players shaped their campaigns and even how women’s fashion forced change as the years went on.
In January our past Chairman presented a cheque to the Rainbow Centre in Folkestone, her ultimate chosen charity for 2021/22. The Rainbow Centre offers a range of services including homeless support, winter shelter and foodbanks.
On 18 January our speaker was James Willmott who entralled us all with his excellent talk on Memories of Japan. This was an illustrative, informative and humorous talk on his several visits to Japan. He covered so many fascinating areas including transport, etiquette and customs, martial arts, food and drink, fashion and places of interest.
Our Thursday coffee mornings are proving very popular with a record attendance of 15 on 19 January.
December turned out to be a busy month for us with 4 social activities to report on.
On 1 December many Club members attended the Michael Bublé tribute act and festive lunch as guests of the hotel. We enjoyed good food, good company and great entertainment which resulted in many of us showing our dancing skills!
On 6 December a number of members attended the invitation festive lunch hosted by the Probus Club of Folkestone and District. This took place at the Burlington Hotel in Folkestone. There was a great festive atmosphere and after lunch we sang carols.
Four members ventured out for the Wine Evening on 7 December and despite the low attendance we enjoyed a good chat with our vino.
Our regular lunch meeting took place on 21 December and this was well attended by members. Again we enjoyed good food and good company. After lunch we had musical entertainment supplied by Richard Baulch and members enthusiastically participated in musical games and singing the parts they were allocated in the 12 Day's of Christmas! A great time was had by all.
Another Wine Evening took place on Wednesday 2 November. These evenings have now become a regular feature of the Club's activities.
We met for lunch on 16 November when our speaker was Veronica King who entertained us all with her interesting and amusing tales of her work as a private investigator.
On the evening of 5 October we met again at Henry's for another Wine Evening.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 19 October. Following the formal business of the AGM members participated in a feedback session and gave the Committee helpful views on all aspects of the Club's activities.
On the evening of 7 September another regular Wine Evening at Henry's took place.
Our regular lunch meeting at the Imperial Hotel took place on 21 September. After lunch Helen Kendall-Tobias gave an excellent talk on Pearls and Princesses. The talk covered a variety of aspects of pearls and pearl jewellery including care and storage, how to wear with different necklines and of course Princesses and how they’ve worn pearls. The combination of a little history, anecdotes and practical information had the audience (who were themselves wearing their own pearls) entralled.
On 3 August our regular wine evening was well attended by 9 members. The warm weather enabled us to sit outside in the courtyard garden at Henry's. On 24 August a number of members enjoyed an excellent afternoon tea at the Clifton Hotel.
We met again at Henry's for another Wine Evening on 6 July. This time it was warm enough for us to sit outside in the Courtyard garden.
On 20 July our speaker was Elizabeth Villaneuva (Ely) from Crisis UK. Ely gave us a very informative talk about the vital work of the charity which offers support, advice and courses for homeless people. The charity also campaigns for the changes needed to end homelessness for good.
On Sunday 31 July seven members attended a trip to Bluewater with Crosskeys. An enjoyable time was had by all with a diverse range of purchases including luxury cashmere garments, a frying pan and some first aid plasters!
On the evening of 1 June another regular Wine Evening at Henry's took place.
On 7 June a number of members attended the Burlington Hotel in Folkestone on the invitation of the Folkestone and District Probus Club. Following a delightful lunch Doug Bannister, Chief Executive of Dover Harbour Board gave an extremely interesting talk on the Port of Dover.
Our regular lunch meeting at the Imperial Hotel took place on 15 June. After lunch Mandy Matcham gave an informative talk on the benefits of aromatherapy. As well as learning about many essential oils and their uses and benefits we had the opportunity to sample a number of them.
Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 May saw an unprecedented amount of social activity for the Club! On 4 May we were delighted to accept an invitation from the Inner Wheel of Folkestone to attend their 90th Anniversary Interclub Lunch at Lympne Castle. This gave the opportunity for a stroll round the beautiful castle and grounds before a delightful buffet lunch including dessert, coffee and birthday cake. Wilf Lower spoke on "Lost Empires - the last days of Music Hall and Variety." Our members who attended received a warm welcome and had a most enjoyable and interesting time. On the evening of 4 May another regular Wine Evening at Henry's took place.
On 5 May our regular coffee morning took place with a handful of members as this was the day of another outing for the Club. The Crosskeys trip to Leonardslee was well attended by members who gave unanimous positive feedback about the day. The outing involved a trip to Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens situated in Lower Beeding, Horsham. The garden was alive with a riot of colour including magnolias, camellias, and many hundreds of rhododendrons including several rare species. Deep in the valley, this array of colour was reflected within the lakes, creating breath-taking views. The visit also included cream tea at Mannings Heath Golf & Wine Estate.
On 6 April we met again at Henry's Wine Bar and Chocolate Cafe for a further wine evening and the wine and chat flowed. This regular event, which now takes place at 5pm on the first Wednesday of every month, can be thoroughly recommended.
On 8 April a few members attended the Crosskeys Trip to Teapot Island. This involved a picturesque drive through the Kent countryside followed by a visit to Teapot Island near Yalding including refreshments. An exhibition houses over 7,600 teapots each with its own unique history.
On 20 April our after lunch speaker was Peter Legg who gave us an interesting, informative and illustrated talk on Unfinished Voyages.
Our wine evenings at Henry's Wine Bar and Chocolate Café are becoming a regular feature in our programe of activities. On 2 March we met again for an evening of good wine, cocktails (non-alcoholic for the drivers!) and great company.
At our meeting on 16 March we were delighted to welcome members of the Probus Club of Folkestone and District.
Our Speaker was Graham Dear who gave us a fascinating and informative talk. Graham was a member of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and we were enthralled to learn about the role of the Body Guard at ceremonial and state occasions.
On 23 March a number of members enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea at the Best Western Clifton Hotel on the Leas in Folkestone. Sadly many of us were unable to attend this event due to Covid. However, on the recommendation of those who did attend we will arrange a repeat visit soon.
At our lunch meeting on 16 February our speaker was Andrew Ashton on the subject of Banksy. This fascinating talk gave us an insight into this anonymous but very effective artist. Andrew's extensive slide show provided us with a comprehensive look at Banksy's work much of which has irony behind it.
Our second wine evening at Henry's took place on 2 February.
Our first lunch meeting of 2022 took place on 19 January. Our speaker was Mel Rees who thoroughly entertained us with his talk entitled "And another thing I meant to say". His talk was very amusing, light hearted in a chatty style and the room was full of smiles and laughter.
Our final lunch meeting of 2021 took place on 15 December. Our planned entertainment was unavailable at short notice so a quiz was held after lunch. This was thoroughly enjoyed by members as it gave the opportunity to mix and chat and a fun-time was had by all.
On 7 December we held our first wine evening at Henry's Wine Bar and Chocolate Café. Despite terrible weather there was a good turn-out and we all enjoyed the company and the beverages. We plan to have further wine evenings so keep an eye on the diary page.
On 1 December, at the invitation of the Hythe Imperial Hotel, 32 members enjoyed a festive lunch followed by a Michael Bublé Tribute Act. During the second half of the entertainment we all danced and had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
On 17 November we were pleased to welcome Melanie Gibson-Barton as our speaker. Melanie’s ‘The Life of Eva Braun – Victim or Contriver?’ presented the story of the woman who devoted her life to Hitler. The material of the talk was sensitively delivered to convey the life story of the seventeen year old girl who met the forty year old Adolf Hitler in a shop during the years leading to his rise to power as Chancellor of Germany. Melanie’s interest in Eva began on seeing Eva alongside Hitler on ‘The World at War’ television programme in 1973 and the talk included many of the photographs from her extensive collection compiled since then. The presentation included the rivals for Hitler’s attention and discussed the role of women in Germany in the 1930s. The talk presented an alternative dimension to Hitler illustrated using the words of those of his inner circle to chillingly suggest an ordinary man who was capable of monstrous actions. The audience were asked to consider while they heard Eva’s life story whether she was a victim or a contriver as the story of her life unfolded. Melanie reassured the audience that the material of the talk would be sensitively presented in order to appeal to a wide audience. The thought-provoking talk resulted in much discussion between our members.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 20 October. After the formalities of the AGM we had a sale of jewellery, scarves and handbags donated by members to raise funds.
On 15 September we were delighted to welcome Phil Heading, Chairman of the Hythe District Photographic Club, who showed us wonderful photographs with amusing stories of wildlife adventures during his time in South Africa.
This year the Club had an August lunch meeting which was very well attended by members and we were also pleased to welcome 2 guests. The guest speaker was Simone Field from the Canterbury District, Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) - our Chairman's Charity for the year. Simone gave us an extremely interesting talk about the work of the CAB. Our Acting Chairman presented a cheque for this worthwhile charity from monies raised by the Club's online auction.
On 21 July we were able to resume our lunch meetings at the Hythe Imperial Hotel. On this occasion we lunched in the Ballroom and the Terrace Bar was available for pre-lunch drinks. The use of this venue was ideal for those nervous about socialising in a large group as we were able to spread out and the venue had plenty of fresh air. The chatting was animated with 25 members and 1 guest attending. It was a very special event after a long period of lockdown restrictions.
We have continued our coffee mornings at Henry's whenever possible since 2020 taking into account Covid 19 lockdown restrictions. The courtyard garden has been a perfect place for us to meet and observe social distancing rules. Members have appreciated being able to socialise and catch up with each others' news during these difficult times.
On Thursday 30 July we were delighted to resume our coffee mornings. The venue was changed to Henry's Wine Bar and Chocolate Cafe at 152-154 Hythe High Street as the large spacious courtyard enabled us to observe social distancing rules. Those attending were delighted to resume social contact with other members. Some members have stayed beyond coffee and enjoyed lunch at Henry's too giving the opportunity to chat and catch up.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lunch meetings and coffee mornings were cancelled from March 2020. The Committee is regularly reviewing the situation in the light of government legislation regarding social distancing and lunch and coffee morning facilities available for us.
On 19 February Dr Gehad Homsey talked to us about Mercy Ships.
On 10 January we were invited to a "Frugal Lunch" by Folkestone Inner Wheel comprising homemade soups and crumbles. This took place at St John's Church Hall in Folkestone with proceeds going to the charity FoodStop.
On 15 January Wilf Lower gave an extremely entertaining talk on Behind the Scenes of Television's Golden Years.
Our Christmas lunch on 18 December was most enjoyable and the festive layout of the venue was extremely impressive. We were well entertained by Mel Rees who gave us an amusing talk on "My Family and Other Setbacks."
Thank you to members for their generous gifts of raffle prizes.
On 20 November Delia Taylor gave us an extremely interesting talk on the Roaring 20s. We relived the decade of the four F’s – Fashion, Flappers, Film and Fun. It was interesting to learn how the younger generation wanted to forget about past traditions of behaviour and instead wanted to ‘Live for the Moment’ following World War I. We saw how The Bright Young Things went too far and made themselves unpopular with the general population. We also enjoyed the video clips with music of the era.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 16 October. Before the AGM we welcomed Bob Nott from Hythe Rotary to say a few words about how our Club was founded. After the formalities of the AGM we celebrated our 15 year anniversary with Prosecco and cake. We also displayed photographs and documents showing important Club events throughout the last 15 years.
On 18 September we were delighted to welcome back Commander Colin Tozer who gave us another excellent talk "Choppy Passage Part 2."
On 27 September a number of members attended the Coffee Morning run by Folkestone Inner Wheel at the Burlington Hotel in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
On 17 July Dr Stephen Summerfield gave us an excellent talk on behalf of the Shorncliffe Trust. He spoke about the defence of Kent and also gave information on the Shorncliffe Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Shorncliffe Garrison.
On Sunday 28 July we ran a Boot Fair Stall on Hythe Green to raise funds for Folkestone and Hythe Samaritans. Despite a cloudy and overcast start we had a very successful day with lots of laughs along the way. A big THANK YOU to all those who donated goods, helped on the stall or visited us to give support.
On 4 June a number of members attended the invitation lunch from the Probus Club of Folkestone and District at the Burlington Hotel. An enjoyable lunch was followed by a talk by Noel Varley on a Cowboy in Venezuela.
On 26 June we were pleased to welcome Jo and Maddie from Folkestone and Hythe Samaritans to give a talk on this year's "Chairman's Charity."
The talk was thoroughly enjoyed by members and our Chairman was delighted to make a cheque presentation for the work of this worthwhile charity.
May has been a busy month for the Club with 3 events to report on.
On 17 April we were delighted to welcome 10 members of the Probus Club of Folkestone and District.
Our speaker was Lenny Clark who gave us a fascinating and informative talk on Canterbury City. We learnt a great deal about the history of this great City and thoroughly enjoyed the slide presentation.
On 20 March we were delighted to welcome Steve Richards from the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway (RH&DR) as our after-lunch speaker. Steve enlightened us on the history of the railway from its beginnings as the brainchild of Captain J. E. P. Howey - a millionaire racing driver and miniature railway enthusiast and Count Louis Zborowski - an eminent racing driver of his day. Sadly the Count died prematurely in a motor accident but Captain Howey was undeterred and pursued his vision. The railway between Hythe and Romney was officially opened in 1927 and the following year the track was extended to Dungeness. During World War II the army took over the railway and even today the results of the German bombings can be seen along the track. In the 60’s, with the advent of “package holidays”, the number of visitors waned. But today the RH&DR is still one of the top attractions for our area and one of which we are proud.
On 20 February Betty Black gave us a fascinating insight into the start-up of Skyways at Lympne Airport, begun by an entrepreneur with an eye for detail - from the state of the art control tower to an actual “moving” baggage belt and even a bicycle to expedite communications between the ramp and the Captain once the aircraft was on the runway. These were the exciting early days of civil aviation affordable to most and long before electronic communications and mobile phones.
On 16 January Dean Caston gave us a comprehensive talk on the History of the British Circus. His talk covered the origins of the circus through to the present day giving rise to some nostalgia as we relived our own childhood circus visits.
Our Christmas lunch on 19 December was well attended and we were thoroughly entertained by Cheryl who sung us a great repertoire of songs.
We are grateful to members for their generous gifts of raffle prizes.
On 21 November we were given an extremely interesting talk by Bill Foreman about his experience as a jeweller with Garrard’s. We were fascinated to hear his stories about jewellery he has been commissioned to make for the very rich and famous. The pictures of jewellery he had created left us all in admiration of his craftsmanship.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 17 October. After the formalities of the AGM members chatted and enjoyed a quiz.
On 12 September more than 20 members attended Calendar Girls: The Musical at the Marlowe Theatre which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
On 19 September Anne Petrie shared her extensive knowledge of Hythe Local History and gave us an interesting talk on Hythe through the ages.
On 18 July we were given an excellent talk by Jack Deans on Fingerprints and Murder.
We were fascinated by Jack's stories about his time with Scotland Yard and the part he played in solving major crimes including murders. We also enjoyed Jack's unique presentational style which ensured that there was no "after lunch dozing!"
June has been a busy month for us with 3 activities to report on.
On 5 June a number of members attended an invitation lunch with the Probus Club of Folkestone and District at the Burlington Hotel. After an enjoyable lunch there was a fascinating talk by Liz Mulqueen and Michael Claughton on the history of the Leas Pavilion.
On 20 June Ali Chambers from the Folkestone Rainbow Centre attended to talk to us about the work of this worthwhile charity. The Rainbow Centre is a Christian charity that delivers a range of services in the area to provide support and hope to individuals and families experiencing deprivation or hardship. The Folkestone Rainbow Centre is our Club's "Chairman's Charity" this year and our Chairman was delighted to present a cheque to Ali as a donation for their important work.
On 21 June 13 members and guests attended a trip to Penshurst Place and Downderry Lavender Farm organised by the Hythe Garden Shop. The sun shone brightly for us and the day was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended.
On 2 May a number of members were delighted to attend an Interclub lunch with the Inner Wheel of Folkestone at the Grand. A delicious lunch was enjoyed and an interesting speaker talked about a school that she had set up in Gambia.
On 16 May we were delighted to welcome Alison Ruyter from Kent Wildlife Trust to talk to us about “How Farm Animals can Create Wildlife.” Alison spoke with great enthusiasm about her role as Area Warden for Medway and Mid-Kent Downs explaining how livestock itself plays its part in management of the habitat on the reserves. Alison provided an excellent and informative slide presentation on this fascinating subject.
On 18 April Melanie Gibson-Barton gave an excellent talk on the Life and Times of Edith Cavell.
We heard the story of a British heroine, born in Norfolk, who went on to pursue a nursing career in England and then in Belgium. Sadly in 1915 she was charged with treason by the Germans and executed.
At our meeting on 21 March we were delighted to welcome members of the Probus Club of Folkestone and District.
Our Speaker was Graham Dear who gave us a fascinating and informative talk. Graham was a member of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and we were enthralled to learn about the role of the Body Guard at ceremonial and state occasions.
On 21 February Dean Caston gave us an extremely interesting history of The Royal Variety Performance from the first Royal Command performance in 1912 through to the current day.
We thoroughly enjoyed the pictorial slide presentation and the nostalgic musical clips.
On 17 January our speaker was Commander Colin Tozer RN who engaged us all with his fascinating talk "A Choppy Passage in the Royal Navy." This included the previously untold story of how the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe was sunk.
We were pleased to learn that Commander Tozer has a repertoire of talks so watch the diary page!