Fryern ladies joined by one man for sixth probus lunch

‘It’s amazing how time flies’, one lady remarked as the ladies settled into their sixth Probus lunch at The Roundabout Hotel in West Chiltington.
Terry and Russ toasting SUS-140807-130704001Terry and Russ toasting SUS-140807-130704001
Terry and Russ toasting SUS-140807-130704001

They were joined by one, brave, lone male who was the invited Speaker of the Day – Terry King.

Terry, who had in fact eaten lunch there the day before, with his own Probus of West Chiltington, was heard to say that ‘This is the best meal I’ve ever eaten here’ and asked if he could have a copy of our table menu to show to his committee. Terry who is the retiring President of West Chiltington Probus had been persuaded by the ladies to share some of his life’s experiences, and we were certainly in for an interesting time.

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Initially Terry outlined the history and the foundation of Probus from 1965 and how it had rapidly travelled into most corners of the colonial areas notably New Zealand/1974, Australia/1976 and Canada/1987. These days this interest has rapidly spread and you can find many Probus groups worldwide and in many diverse areas of the world. He reminded us that the word Probus is made up from PROfessional and BUSiness people who are keen to make and maintain friendships once retired.

Terry also spoke about his early life in the forties (we could all identify with that) and how he had progressed to greater and higher accolades - judging from his impressive CV he had certainly done better than most. We were most intrigued by his sea travels as he took us on a voyage from the U.K. via the unpredictable Bay of Biscay via the Med. through to the Suez Canal and on to the Far East and eventually landing in Japan. His easy style and throw away delivery amused the ladies and it was nice to reminisce over well - loved and remembered places along the way. In particular the ex - colonials amongst us appreciated long forgotten glimpses of Malaysia and such land marks as Raffles in Singapore and the Peak Tram and Aberdeen Fish Restaurants in Hong Kong. Jill Watson warmly thanked Terry for his most enjoyable talk and we all appreciated his giving up of his time to entertain us.

Our next meeting will be on Thur. 7th Aug when we shall hear from Tony Girard on the seasonal topic of ‘Managing our Bees’.

Picture shows Terry and Russ toasting.

Report and picture contributed.