We had a fairly full programme of events last year, with two holidays, six day trips, the Annual Dinner, the Christmas Social and a factory tour. We had to cancel 3 events, one because there was no Dancing on Ice Live Tour, and two due to lack of interest.

Our holidays remain ever popular, as do the City and Village day trips. The holidays went to Eastbourne in September (instead of Scarborough because the hotel closed) and to Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire this last January. The day trips took us to Cambridge for the Fisherman’s Friends Musical in April, The National Arboretum in May, The Duxford Air Show in June, A Newmarket Night concert in August, Southend in August as well, and the York Christmas Market in November.

The Annual Dinner was deemed to be a great success and was reasonably well attended. The Christmas Social was not particularly well attended, and depending on how it goes this year we may review that event. The food is also getting very expensive in Franks.

We did try to plan some events to attract the younger, still working, members but it seems they generally are less interested in coming with the Club. In a way this is understandable because people with families are very busy and will often plan events to suit their family, rather than fixing a date a long way ahead. It remains a challenge to find things that are attractive to those members, and perhaps that is not what they are looking for from the Club.

This year we have a slightly reduced programme, but most of the events are selling well. The Weymouth holiday in September is fully booked, and the Warner holiday next January at Studely Castle in Warwickshire is filling fast. In April we are going to Lavenham and Bury St. Edmunds (where some will visit the Greene King Brewery), to Bedford in May, another Newmarket Night in June, Cromer in August and “Now That’s What I call a Musical” at Milton Keynes in November. This is in addition to the Annual Dinner (forms on the table at the back in case you have not yet signed up), a Factory Tour in October, and the Christmas Social in December. Don’t miss the Annual Dinner – we have some new exciting things planned for it!

A new innovation, which Cliff Gillis is kindly organising for us, is a quarterly Company briefing. This will mainly be of interest to non-working members who want to be kept informed about current developments in the Company. You do need to register your interest for this, so that we can contact you when the dates are arranged. Cliff is working on getting the first one organised during April. There is a sheet at the back for you to put your details on if you have not already submitted a form.

Lastly, I would commend to you our monthly pub lunch social at the Crab and Winkle in Werrington on the first Friday of each month. We get about a dozen or so people there, you don’t have to book, but you can get a pint and something to eat, and also meet some old colleagues.

We welcome Michele Wyld to the Activities Group, and I would again like to thank Garth Perry, Beverley Spridgeon and Anna Errico for their work in the group. Thanks to Garth especially for all that he has done in managing the bookings and hosting most of the trips and holidays. He has decided to lay the baton down after this year, but we will miss him greatly.

I hope we shall see many of you at the Annual Dinner, our Christmas Social and many other trips through 2024.

Bob Gregory-Smith
20/03/2024