I would like to thank Admiral of the Fleet Mike Aldrich and Admiral Bert Oslar for our wonderful first cruise, as the Thames Valley Centre, on the River Thames. We may only have one ship in our navy but we our very proud of the Caversham Lady! Everyone had a great time on what was a lovely balmy evening. Listening to the talented jazz band under the stars, slowly drifting along was just magical. I was sorry that we had to turn people away as all the tickets had sold out with no cancellations. We hope to hold this event again but we shall probably go for a bigger boat next time. However, there will always be a limit, so I would recommend next time booking as early as you can as we take bookings on a first come first served basis.We strived to be as fair as possible.
Interestingly, many of you may know that Mike Smith is cataloguing old copies of Miscellany for archive purposes. Well back in June 1977, Mike has found the following under the Reading Centre notes: - An Announcement - River trip on 30th July from Caversham Bridge, Reading 8 p.m. to midnight. Disco, bar, and buffet. Tickets around £3.50 per head. Limit of 55 heads. Book early with John Timms. We were known as Grogmog then - still it is nice to know that we are continuing along in our esteemed predecessors foot steps or waterways however you wish to look at it. Frightening to think that it was almost twenty years ago! I note the disco; Mike tells me in those days there was Saturday Night Fever - sounds catchy to me! - Thank you Mike for bringing this to our attention. Amazing how the prices have changed over the intervening years. I look forward to our next cruise and hope to see you there.
Also, in June several of us had a very enjoyable stay in Cornwall. The weather was wonderful allowing us to experience Cornwall at its best. I was envious of those of you that managed to see the Dolphins playing in Sennen Cove - it must have been a magnificent sight. On behalf of the Centre I would like to thank Glenn Davis for coordinating our very pleasant stay in Cornwall.We shall have to go back. Sennen is a very special place.
I was very pleased to hear in July that Terry Tedman and the newly revitalised 'Duke' were included in the first car parade through London as an opener to the London International Motor Show. Congratulations Terry, I look forward to hearing all about the ceremony. Don't forget that David Smith and Sandra Stuart are planning a rehearsal next month for their MOG 007 Gymkhana. Please contact David and Sandra if you would like to help out. The practice will aim to check timings and the general linkage of the various tests with the emphasis on having fun. From what I have seen of David and Sandra's plans, I think this will be a very special 007 Gymkhana. I hope you will be able to help us.
The most important event for us this month will be the Twenty-four hour charity run that we are organising over the weekend of 23rd to 24th. Please contact Mike Smith, Andy Doughty or Brian Miller if you would like to take part. It will be a very special weekend with a humungous hog roast to enjoy at the Hampden Arms on 24th over Sunday Lunchtime. There will also be a raffle along with some extra fun and games. Entry forms for the charity runs over the weekend are available from our web site or direct from Mike Smith. I hope you will be able to take part. All Centres are most welcome. The proceeds from the weekend will be going to the AnthonyNolan Trust. I hope you will be able to support us - thank you.
Also, in September we have been invited by the Brighton Centre to a weekend in Sussex. On Saturday 9th we shall be attending the Brighton Speed Trials, enjoying a pleasant meal in the evening in the Brighton Lanes at the famous Italian Restaurant, Donatello and then the next day visiting the Brighton Centre's barbeque, Sunday lunchtime on our way home. Please contact me if you would like to join us. It should be a great weekend.
If you are thinking of attending the Good Revival meeting this year, Robin Henderson can provide you with some helpful advice and information. Please contact Robin if you would like to go. Thank you very much Robin - I look forward to seeing you there. It's a busy month! We shall be returning to the Chilterns for a nice country walk this month, details are provided on the events page. I hope to see you there.
Take care & see you all soon