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Bexley & District NHS
Retirement Fellowship
Newsletter Issue No 39 - October 2016
From ourChairman
Dear Members
I cannot believe that we are in October already. The last few months have continued to be good for the fellowship with excellent speakers and an enjoyable August social and quiz. It is nice for the members to have time to chat and relax. Some of the questions were challenging but fun and our thanks go to Eileen Ramberan for organising the questions.
As we look forward to the rest of the year we will have our December Social meetingon 13th December with a raffle for a Christmas Hamper. We will have our usual post-Christmas ramble and our New Year’s lunch which is again at Da Peppino in Welling. Do try and come as the food is great and again another opportunity to chat with one another.
Christel is busy looking at outings for next year. She may try to organise a theatre outing before Christmas, details will be given at this October meeting. Speakers for next year are being arranged by Chris Davine, any suggestions are warmly welcome.
Please let us know about any members who are unwell so Carol can make contact. Also inform one of us if anyone is struggling to attend meetings or if anyone feels able to offer a lift to another. Remember the Fellowship is all about helping one another.
Finally I look forward to seeing you all over the next few months and please do not hesitate to speak to me if there is anything you would like to discuss
Best Wishes
Sue Sauter (Chair)
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For Those Born Before 1940
We were born before Penicillin, Polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, videos, Frisbees and the Pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball point pens, before dishwashers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip dry clothes and before man walked on the moon.
We got married first then lived together (how quaint can you be?) We thought “fast food” was what you ate in Lent. A Big Mac was an oversized raincoat and “crumpet” we had for tea. We existed before househusbands, computer dating, dual careers and when a meaningful relationship meant getting along with cousins, and “sheltered accommodation” was where you waited for a bus.
We werebefore day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We had never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt and young men wearing earrings. For us time-sharing meant togetherness, a “chip” was a piece of wood or fried potato, “hardware”” was nuts and bolts, and “software” wasn’t a word.
Before 1940 “ made in Japan” meant junk, the term “making out” referred to how you did in your exams, “stud” was something to fasten a collar to a shirt and “ going all the way” meant staying on a double decker to the bus or tram depot. Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of.
In our day cigarette smoking was “fashionable”, “grass” was mown, “coke” was kept in a coalhouse, a “joint” was a piece of meat you had on a Sunday, and “pot” was something you cooked in. “Rock music” was a grandmother’s lullaby, Eldorado was an ice cream, a “gay” person was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while Aids was just beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.
We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder we are so confused and there is a generation gap today!
By the grace of God we have survived. What a hardy lot we are!
Our thanks to Gillian Symes for this article.
Thank you
Our thanks go to Chris Beadle for managing the tea break for some years. She has passed this duty to Eileen Wilson, Chris Davine and Leslie Summers with help from Randolph Lynch.
There will be a £1 charge for tea/coffee, to boost our income, from October as agreed by the majority at the September meeting.
News about our Rambles
Hello my name is Jan Herron. I am the rambles coordinator which means that I ensure that we have someone each month to lead and organiseour rambles. For anyone who is not aware the rambles are monthly from March to October and just after Christmas. Details are given out at the monthly meetings.
We are fortunate in our branch to have members who belong to rambling associations and therefore have the knowledge about a variety of lovely rambles usually in Kent. We meet at about 10-00am in a car park usually by a pub where we can order lunch and use the toilet facilities, (most important when one is to ramble for about 2 hours) we then get underway by 10-30am.
I have been on all the rambles this year and I have found the countryside and views very enjoyable. It is interesting to walk, talk and mix with other members whilegetting to know each other better. Of course the fresh air and exercise is beneficial and I am always pleased to see the lunch venue insight then enjoy a well-deserved meal. So come and join us.
So far this year in March we have been to Harrietsham, led by Terry. In April I led the group around Chalk wood and Joydens wood. Chris and Lesley led the ramblers around Leeds castle the following month, while in June Lorna and Nula took us toTeynham. Jack and Mei took the lead in July through Knolepark onto Sevenoaks, followed in August with Eileen and Paul leading the members around Kemsing. For Septemer the walk, headed by Tom who recently retired from the vice chair position, was in his home area. Afterwards Tom and his wife Joan provided a superb buffet lunch for the walkers
You can see that we have been to some wonderful places and eaten some lovely lunches so consider coming along, you will be most welcome.
Jan Herron.
Outings with members from the NHS Retirement Fellowship
We planned a walk from Blackheath Railway station to Canary Warf. The date was 19th July 2016, one of the hottest days this summer. 12 intrepid members turned up with suitable head gear and off we set via Blackheath Common into Greenwich Park. The flowerbeds were lovely and we walked passing the Greenwich Observatory down the hill towards the Greenwich University’s Painted Hall. It was graduation day and the painted Hall was packed with Students and Visitors. We managed to view some of the lovely paintings before someone recognized that we did not look like parents who had come to admire their offspring. Unfortunately the Chapel was also closed so we made our way to the Visitor Centre. By this time the temperature was rising so the group was looking forward to entering the tunnel under the Thames. Some members had not been through the tunnel before and with the cool air it was an enjoyable experience.
Coming out at Island Gardens, the north side of the Thames, we viewed the Old Naval College and then set off towards Canary Warf. By the time we arrived at the underground shopping mall we set off in small groups to have our lunch in one of the many coffee shops and restaurants. The mall was air-conditioned so we all felt refreshed before taking the DLR back to Lewisham and then continued home by train.
Despite the heat we all had a good day out.
Our next Outing is a walk in Oxleas Woods and lunch at the ‘City View Restaurant’ at Shooters Hill College. This has been arranged on 18th October
A Theatre visit is to be arranged for November and details will be available at the next Fellowships meeting.
Christel Davenport
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A note from Carol Rowe
I hesitate to write that I am the “Editor” of this newsletter, as “Tom’s shoes” will be difficult for me to fill. We do thank Tom and his helpers Val Bamber, Heidi Baisch and Dennis Smith for producing all the newsletters in the past 13 years. However I have temporarily volunteered to produce some sort of newsletter but I am a novice to this type of thing. Please if anyone would like to produce future newsletters please let me or Sue know. Meanwhile please send/give me articles of interest to include.