News from around the clubs - April 23

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Cooden Millennium Afternoon Townswomen's Guild

ON Wednesday afternoon our chairman Mrs K Murphy welcomed 46 members and three new members to our April meeting. The hot cross bun coffee morning at Jackie's was an enjoyable event.

We were pleased Christine was able to attend the meeting after her bad fall and we wished her a speedy recovery.

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We received a letter of thanks from St Michael's Hospice our 2009 charity for our donation for the year.

In 2010 our chosen charity is to be the Alzheimer's Fund.

The Federation AGM last month held at the Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonards-on-Sea, was well-attended.

The retiring president Mrs Barbara Inder invited all members to a buffet lunch at the Hastings Angling Association Hall, Marine Parade, on June 1 at 12noon.

The next luncheon club venue will be the Bridge Inn at Winchelsea on Wednesday April 21 at 12noon.

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Outings include a visit on June 10 to Ardingly. On June 23 there will be a trip to Merriment Gardens. Also on July 28 there will be an outing to St Hill Manor,visiting the Llama Park for coffee, East Grinstead for lunch then onto the Manor.

The Federation is holding a music and drama event at St Peters Hall, Old Town, on April 19 from 10am. It is hoped members will attend to support their guild and enjoy the entertainment.

Before our afternoon talk we had hot cross buns with our tea provided by Francis to celebrate her birthday.

Our speaker Mrs Sue Smith represents a very worthy charity, Thank the Forces. Its aim is to send "gifts from home to show we care".

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All gift boxes for the present serving men and women in Afghanistan are sent to the military chaplains who pass them on to where the need is greatest.

Mrs Smith's son is in the Army and spent time in the battle areas so is well acquainted with the extreme conditions of heat, sand and deprivation that the forces encounter - not forgetting the dangers.

Members were very moved by the description of the day-to day-living of the forces away from home.

The charity is based in Hailsham, where it has a community cabin. A tea shop is also available.

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The public is most welcome to visit the shop and learn about the other support responsibilities the charity provides for our troops

A collection raised 140 for this worthy cause to support our young men and women serving their country.

We meet next on Wednesday May 5 at 2pm in Little Common Community Hall and welcome members and visitors to our interesting meetings.

Bexhill Philatelic Society

OUR next meeting is on Tuesday April 27 from 7pm to 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House Albert Road.

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Our visiting speaker is Dr Brian Austen, who will present a display of Malta.

Visitors and potential new members are always welcome at our meetings. For more information please telephone 01424 731845.

Bexhill and District Gardens and Allotments Society

ON Easter Monday we set off on the society's annual holiday, bound for Torquay, arriving in good time for dinner.

Tuesday was the driver's day off so everyone was able to please themselves to look around the area in the sunny but windy weather or having a rest at the hotel.

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Wednesday proved to be a busy day with a visit to the Plymouth Gin Distillery, a tour over Dartmoor, then calling into the House of Marbles at Bovey Tracey. This is a fascinating museum of games , glass and pottery and has the largest collection of marbles.

Thursday brought bright sunshine so a visit to Paignton Zoo was good. It is home to some of the world's most endangered plants and animals. They care for and breed rare species, carry out studies and support conservation projects both at home and abroad. On the home we called into Buckfast Abbey for afternoon tea.

Friday afternoon the weather was really warming up and the visit to the home garden at Yelverton was really spectacular as the sun had opened the flowers in the Alpine and Spring rockery garden. After lunch we moved on to Buckland Abbey, which was the home of the Elizabethan seafaring adventurers Drake and Grenville. Inside, there were interactive galleries and Drake's Drum - which is reputed to sound when England is in danger to summon Sir Francis to save us.

Saturday proved to be really warm and we went to a mansion and grounds which are used by the local council to house the mayor's office, register office and the like.

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The stairs had been constructed in different coloured marble and the walls and ceiling paintings really were wonderful - all paid for by the Singer sewing machine family.

Later in the morning we moved on to the fishing harbour of Brixham for lunch.

By now there was a really summer holiday feel about the place, which must have pleased the ice cream sellers! After leaving Brixham, we travelled to Coleton Fishacre, which proved to be very interesting.

The house was the holiday home of the D'Oyly family (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame). A stylish house imbued with 1920s elegance set in a magical valley garden filled with tender exotic plants. The Arts and Crafts-style house with elegant Art Deco-influenced interiors is really stylish.

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The first visit of Sunday was to the eccentric 16-sided house "A la Ronde" which is crammed with souvenirs from European travels of the Parminter cousins in `1796. The final visit of the day and the holiday was to Killerton, one of Devon's great estates, with its family home and garden. There was a special exhibition this year about the war-time evacuation to the house of children from Vinehall School, Battle.

Small world!

All too soon we were on our way home via Shaftsbury. We thanked Trevor, our driver, and Dick Lancaster, our chairman, for all the organising that went into such a splendid holiday.

Little Common Photographic Club

THE club's fourth and final trophy competition took place on March 29, with Peter Hall judging the entries.

There were 18 to choose from in the General Slides category, with Ray Noble's Canna Leaves coming first with 19 points, and a three-way tie for second.

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The joint runners-up on 18 points apiece were were Ray Noble's Colourful Clown, John Larkin's Deserted Beach and June Larkin's White Rose. Going into this last round, John and June Larkin, Dorothy Reeve and Sue Clarke were all in close competition, with only four points separating.

But with only three entrants from the regular six actually completing all four rounds, the final positions for the 2009/10 competition remained unchanged. Sue Clarke was the winner with 140 points, closely followed by John Larkin on 138 and June Larkin on 136.

The Natural History section drew 14 entries, and Ray Noble collected 20 points for both Juvenile Chiff-Chaff and Canary Islands Speckled Wood.

Second place was a four-way tie with Ray Noble's Rock Hyrax, John Larkin's Fishing, and June Larkin's Peregrine Falcon and No Title each receiving 19 marks.

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This gave final positions for the year of first John Larkin, 143 points; second June Larkin, 141 points and third Sue Clarke, 138 points.

The set subject for all prints was Faces, and in the large prints section June Larkin's Ever Watchful came top with 20 points. June and John Larkin tied for second on 19 points with, respectively, Having A Bad Hair Day and Eagle Owl. Seven prints from five members all shared third place with 18 points.

Sue Clarke's Imogen topped the small prints section with 20 points and also gained second with 19 points for Thomas the Tank Engine.

There is just one more competition to go for the Print and Slide of the Year contest at the club's next meeting on Monday, April 26 for which members select their own choices of four entries per category from photographs submitted throughout the season.

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The club's annual general meeting on May 10 will be the final gathering of the year. The club meets fortnightly at Little Common Community Centre in Shepherds Close, starting at 7.45pm.

For further details contact Sue Clarke on 01424 224979 or John Larkin on 01424 842364.

Bexhill Widows, Widowers and Over 55s Singles Club

SOME 50 members and friends attended the group's 21st anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, April 13, featuring a superb buffet and lively entertainment from The Goodall Brothers.

On Sunday, April 18, a party of 16 members enjoyed a day in Chichester, West Sussex, with an afternoon harbour cruise in good sunshine. Many thanks to Ken for driving us.

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On Tuesday, April 27 the group will enjoy a Cockney Night, with a pie-and-mash supper served by the committee.

There are still rooms available for anyone wishing to join the Tinsel and Turkey trip to Bournemouth in November.

Further information is available from the secretary on 01424 712803 or chairman, 07769 270276.