News from the Social Secretary

News from the Social Secretary – March 2016

I am aware that the Social Programme page on the website is somewhat "thin" at the moment, whilst we work to clarify dates and venues for the 2016/17 social programme. I hope to get it into shape in the next few weeks.

Here then is a taster of what we are planning and hope to finalise soon.

Firstly, it is with great pleasure that I report that Peter Robinson has volunteered his services to help Jan and I organise and deliver the programme. Peter is organising 2 local evening trips this summer, one to Joe Heller Cheese at Hatherton and the other to the Michael Owen Racing Stables near Malpas and hopes to fix dates in May and August for these trips. More news to follow on these.

We now have 2 day trips scheduled for the summer months, both full days using Happy Days Coaches. The first is on Friday 6th May to the RHS show at Malvern. This trip is made possible by the change in date for the annual holiday and will I hope prove a popular attraction. The estimated cost for the day will be between £35 and £40 per head depending on numbers wishing to go and I will start a booking sheet at the AGM next week.

The second day trip planned is to the Severn Valley Railway and the National Trust property Dudmaston Hall. I have rescheduled this trip to Tuesday 26th July to avoid a clash with the Nantwich Show date. The day will include a ride on a steam train from Bridgenorth to Kidderminster lasting about 70 minutes, followed by a buffet lunch at the Valley Suite at Kidderminster station. In the afternoon we will move onto Dudmaston Hall at Quatt, a National Trust property offering a house of many contrasts and extensive gardens and parkland. The cost for the day, including lunch, is expected to be around £35 for NT members plus an additional £8 for non- NT members.

The other day trip we are hoping to fix will be to the Mersey Gateway project in September but I do not yet have a date for this. The day will also include a visit to the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum which shares the same building. Alan Joslyn, our Speaker Secretary, has arranged for Dr Diana Leitch, a Trustee of the Catalyst Centre, to talk to us at our meeting on the 23rd June about the work of the centre and the industial history of the Runcorn/Widnes area, so the 2 foci of the day trip should dovetail well together. Further detail on this day to follow when available.

It is our turn to host the October lunch for the 4 Probus clubs in the Nantwich area, more detail to follow shortly. Don't forget our club's annual lunch will take place at Brookfield on 12th January 2017. I will start planning other social events for the autumn and winter shortly, watch this space.

Please get in touch with me, John Evans (812765, jhevans@totalise.co.uk) for more information on any of the above.

2016 Holiday to the Yorkshire Dales
I am pleased to report that the itinerary and arrangements for this are now complete. We currently have a full coach but if you are interested in joining us please get in touch and I will add your name to the waiting list as last minute withdrawals are sometimes inevitable.

The holiday will include visits to :

• Salts Mill at Saltaire near Bradford, boasting an extensive collection of David Hockney paintings (he is a "Bradford Boy")
• The Leeds and Liverpool canal at Skipton including a 1 hour boat trip
• Grassington, a popular venue in Wharfedale
• Leisure time in Harrogate
• Harlow Carr, the RHS gardens in Harrogate
• Fountains Abbey, an extensive site with a ruined Abbey and water gardens
• Newby Hall comprising an historic house and gardens
• York, a "do your own thing" day
• Leyburn, Hawes, Wensleydale and Kirkby Lonsdale