Rotary Club of Gloucester

THE VISIT OF HMS Gloucester and its crew to the club and the city will have more significance than usual this year since it coincides with our new president's in-coming celebrations.

At the lunch meeting on Friday, July 2 club history will be made when outgoing President Clive Kingscote hands over to Angela Seddon, the first female president in the club's history. The same evening the club's cricketers will be challenging the ship's crew to a game at Down Hatherley Cricket Club. A barbecue and music will follow this from Mike Westbury et al.

The evening will start at 6pm and finish when people go home. There are good undercover facilities if the weather is unkind.... And the beer's cheap too. The cost will be about £8.

In an e-mail to Rotarian Chris Soane Lieutenant Commander Marc Bye, the club's Liaison Officer on board, says that the ship's cricket team has been warming up against Indian opposition during a recent tour of duty to the East and some of the team are likely to be a little "lively". He doesn't make it clear whether this was with the ball or in the bar!

Marc explained that on their way to the Indian Ocean, stops were made in Barcelona, Toulon and Marseilles as part of a joint exercise with the French Navy escorting their nuclear aircraft carrier, Charles De Gaulle.

The trip through the Suez Canal to India was more exciting than usual with all guns manned!

The ship visited Goa, where most of the crew managed a few days' well-earned rest and found that all the posh hotels were full of Russians. How times change!

The long route home will involve a stay in the Gulf, with anticipated return to Portsmouth in mid-June. HMS Gloucester will dock in Avonmouth early on Friday 2nd July for an intensive weekend visit to Gloucester. Marc hopes to be able to invite a number of Rotarians to visit the ship on Sunday 4th July. More details to follow

COLIN Eynon is still trying to establish the whereabouts of club memorabilia. He made his initial appeal to members towards the end of last year and some items have since been discovered .

However about half the members have not replied to his request for information and Colin explained that he would still like to hear from members even if they can't contribute to his search.

The club is anxious to have a complete record (so far as it is now possible) of all official records, memorabilia, gifts, trophies/shields and equipment presented or awarded to the club or acquired or purchased by the club.

Colin explains that some items could be in the form of a memento/gift which was presented to a president during his term of office and which, in some cases, may still be held by the member, ex-member or in the case of bereavement - by his spouse or family. Some will be held by a member or ex-member for reasons of storage.

If anyone is aware of any such item please let Colin know.

NINE club members together with wives and partners made their biannual pilgrimage to Rodez and as ever were given the warmest of welcomes and were able to enjoy an interesting and varied programme - and the usual generous helping of French hospitality.

For some it was the first visit to Rodez and for others a chance to renew old friendships and also meet some of the newer Rotarians who have joined the French club in the last year or so.

Some of our party took the advantage of the direct flights to Rodez from Stansted, others flew from Bristol to Toulouse while most chose to make it longer break and did the trip by road.

Whatever the form of travel all turned up for the traditional reception soiree and some traditional cake before going to hosts' homes and later to dinner parties with more Rotarians joining in.

By midnight bed was welcome - not least of all by senior vice president Angela who had been at a party on Thursday night and had been awake for 41 hours.

There was an early start on Saturday (8am) for a coach trip to the Roman town of Milieu where members were able to see the beautiful and majestic viaduct designed by Sir Norman Foster. Although it crosses a valley of extreme beauty such is its magnificent design that far from detracting from its surroundings it actually enhances it.

Lunch as usual was protracted but delicious and then it was off to the Caves at Roquefort to see the special cheese being produced and a chance to purchase some of the cheese which is not exported. The evening was again spent with more hosts and new faces.

Sunday dawned wet and so the golfers travelling to the course at Mezerac for the annual challenge thought they were in for a wet time, especially as none seemed to have taken wet golf kit with them. Luckily by the time play started the clouds had parted and sunshine appeared.

Honour prevailed and we again won on French soil. At the lunch which followed where we were joined by many more Rotarians and partners, President Clive was presented with a 'plastic trophy.'

In the afternoon some of us visited Laguiole and we walked in the late season snow before returning to our hosts to prepare for the formal reception and banquet at the traditional FontaugesHotel.

Here we saw President Jean present Past President Bernard Lacaz with a sapphire Paul Harris award for his serves to 'Youth Road Safety.' President Clive gave a speech in French and was presented with the 'real golf trophy' and also a special book depicting the life of Paul Harris.

Finally the cabaret provided by Rotarians Hatt, Fouilland, Fleurqin and their respective spouses included a calypso complete with decorative bananas.
In conclusion the warmth of the reception and hospitality was, as always, emotional and special. Long may our twinning continue.

MORE of Gloucester's fascinating 2000 year history has been revealed following archaeological investigations at Llanthony Priory - the subject of a lunch talk by Simon McCudden who was introduced to the club by Jeremy Wilkinson, vice principal of Gloscat.

The further education college, which has, at present, got its Gloucester base in Brunswick Road, is hoping (money permitting) to move to the priory site by the side of the canal and docks and build a new city college for the 21st century. Such a building would be an integral part of an ambitious Quay's scheme, which would also include a supermarket and new marina.

In anticipation of such a move the college commissioned an archaeological study of the site had been carried out under the auspices of Mr McCudden.

He explained to members what had been found there. Although in quantity the findings had been disappointing nevertheless they were significant and showed that the actual priory was considerably larger than had originally been thought.

Mr McCudden also said that there was a possibility of unearthing more of the city's past when the present college buildings in Brunswick Road are demolished

The cup is back home! In our picture on the left we see District Governor Mike Gelder handing over the District Skittles Cup to a delighted club captain Colin Dunford

In Millennium Year our club lost in the District Skittles final to the Royal Forest of Dean Club. This year's final was a repeat of that match - but with a different result.

The first couple of legs were close but by the end of the fourth leg we were leading by 23 pins.

Our friends from the Forest staged a minor revival and going into the last leg our club was 16 pins up.

Bowling first we had a leg of 61 (the highest of the evening) and under pressure our opponents could only muster a leg of 36 (the lowest) leaving us victors by a very comfortable margin of 41 pins.

There was steady skittling from all the team, Chris Soane being 'top dog' with an excellent 60.

Others in our successful team were Angela Seddon, Chris Soane, Roy Lewis, Tony Tetley, Howard Johnson, Rob Hall and David Seed. Congratulations to them all.

Insight into a Victorian home

A fascinating insight into Victorian domestic life was presented to club members by Mike Sargent who drew on the contents of Mrs Beeton's invaluable handbook on household management.

He explained that although its contents might have been the refined experience of a lengthy lifetime's experience, Mrs Beeton who was born in 1836 died at the age of 28 after giving birth to her fourth child.

The book on household management, which she wrote and was first published in 1861 eventually, sold more than two million copies and was reprinted many times.

Mike's own copy from 1909 gave an intriguing insight into a Victorian household and not only included the expected recipes (such as Roasted Larks and Sheep's head broth), helpful hints (i.e. 'No work like early work' and 'Green vegetables should be boiled fast with the lid on'), but also a daily list of work to be done by the domestics.

Mike also fascinated us by reference to some of the advertisements in the 1909 edition (lino a shilling a square yard, rump steak 9d a lb, sirloin 1/- a lb., hearts 2/- each and chickens 3/- each) but set prices in context by explaining that the average annual wage then was for a farm labourer, police officers miners engineers and solicitors a huge 00.

He also commented on some of the politically incorrect observations contained in the book on Germans, Indians and Americans.

It was definitely a talk with a difference and one deserving of being given a longer time and in front of a larger audience.

Still a great event

Annual party for old folks

EACH year the value and format of the annual Old Folks' Easter Party is questioned ....Are the most needy guests invited? ....Is the format a little stale? .....Does it still serve a useful purpose?

However many of these questions and doubts can now be put to one side following this year's event which attracted a large number of appreciative guests, and - with the exception of running short of trifle - was a huge success.

Once again members of Inner Wheel with the help of Rotarian wives and partners came up trumps with a superb range of delicious food. They were helped at the event by a number of King's School pupils and together they provided our guests with a slap up afternoon tea.

Entertainment was provided by a concert party of members of the Gloucester Operatic and Dramatic Society who reprised many memorable songs of yesteryear.

As usual the highlight of the afternoon was Mike Westbury's Bingo session where there were so many winners that half filled bottles of sherry were being found for the prizes!

As the party drew to a close Mike and the 'Everly Brothers' (Smokes 'Everly' and Drinks 'Everly') in the guise of Ken Watson and Pat Daly kept things rocking with a selection of hits from the 60s.

Such was the infectious nature of the music that organiser Jeremy Keck and Sue Smith were jiving to the sound ....a sight not usually seen at an old folks party. The afternoon ended with President Clive thanking everyone who had been involved and every guest went home with a lovely pot plant.

Our reporter Colin Rogers adds: "It would be unfair to single out anyone for special thanks but all who attended felt that the pleasure received by so many elderly citizens was thanks enough."? Jeremy tells us that one poor guest was inadvertently left at home all dressed up and with nowhere to go. A transport oversight was blamed. Still the debonair Jeremy subsequently visited visited the guest with a bouquet of flowers and all's well that ends well