PROGRAMME 2008
Usually members of the local community
or
Guest Speakers talk
about their interests and experiences.
|
Date
|
Title
|
Speaker
|
|
09 January
|
Glad Rags and Sad
Rags
|
|
|
23 January
|
New Year Meal
|
Ponteland Smithy
6pm
|
|
06 February
|
Cézanne's
Provence
|
Dr. Lewis
Hanna
|
|
20 February
|
Three Northern
Saints
|
Mrs. Marjorie
Wood
|
|
05 March
|
Culinary
Delights
|
|
|
02 April
|
Two Northumbrian
Women
|
Mrs. S.
Lenderyou
|
|
16 April
|
50th Anniversary
Celebration Meal
|
Church Hall
|
|
30 April
|
The Road to
Mandalay
|
Mrs. Aline
Shepherd
|
|
14 May
|
Chocolate
Heaven
|
Thornton's , Royal
Quays
|
|
28 May
|
How did I get
here?
|
Mr. Sid Cowan
|
|
11 June
|
Summer Outing to
Bywell, Guided Tour
|
Professor Richard
Bailey
|
Look out
for the Autumn and Winter Programmes, coming
soon!
Golden
Jubilee for Ladies' Coffee Club
A
celebratory dinner was arranged to mark 50 years
for St Mary's Coffee Club. Forty members and guests
were present including one of the founder members,
Mrs Kathleen Almond. The food was superb, supplied
by a caterer from Pegswood, the wine and chat
flowed and memories were recalled by the ladies.
There was one brave man, the curate, Tim Ferguson
who came with his wife Pru. Reverend Christine
Brown also came but Reverend Barbara Chandler was
unable to make it. A splendid cake had been baked
by June Nisbet and was shared among the
diners.
Kathleen Almond told us
about Darras Hall and Ponteland when she and her
husband came to the area in the 1950s, bought a
plot and built their own house. It all sounded very
different from today. Then the present secretary,
Marjorie Peet, recalled some of the earlier
activities of the club from memorabilia which she
found in a box handed on to her by Daphne
Masterton. She admitted that she hadn't
investigated this treasure till recently but there
was a minute book and various programmes with the
list of speakers. Who could remember the lady
talking about Spirella fashions or the talk about
Greenshield stamps? Daphne Masterton was on the
committee for 13 years, arranged many of the annual
outings, and was remembered with affection after
her death earlier this year.
There was a lot of fund
raising over the years through the sale of clothing
and cards, coffee mornings and the Christmas
raffle. The ladies supported many church projects
such as Flower Festivals, the new church hall and
the millennium bells. Funds were also sent to
charities, chief of which was LEPRA but there were
many others. The ladies are now mature but their
aims of fun, friendship, fellowship and mutual
support are as strong as ever.
Some of the ladies
who came to the dinner.
The top
table. Marjorie Peet, secretary, Joan Snowdon,
chairman, Brenda Fleck, assistant secretary.
In
front, Rev Christine Brown, Kathleen Almond, Rev
Tim Ferguson and his wife Pru.

Margaret
Carr and Jean Boothby, the longest serving
committee members, received flowers from Marjorie
Peet.
Report
and photographs: Muriel Sobo
Outings
in the Past
|
|
|
|

VISIT TO THE WINTER ~
|

~GARDENS
SUNDERLAND
|
A morning visit to
Kirkharle to see the Exhibition,
have coffee and then
a tour of Bavington Hall and Gardens
Why not come and join
us?
|