MATLOCK ROTARY WELCOMES POLLYANNA PICKERING AS AN HONORARY MEMBER
Matlock Rotary President Paul Fryer welcomes Pollyanna Pickering as a new Honorary Member of the Club
TISSINGTON TRIANGLE TAKES OFF
After 6 months of planning, the Tissington Triangle Charity Cycle Challenge took place on April 6th, a taxing day for a taxing ride. The cycle ride team had organised everything down to a tee but the one thing that could not be organised was the weather. All week we checked the forecast and every day up the event it said the same – snow! We were a bit worried that it might have to be cancelled but thank goodness that the judgement to continue was made and the ride went ahead, on time, with good support and difficult conditions to contend with.
The trail at Parsley Hay was icy and covered in a thin layer of snow. A cold northern wind was blowing but it was forecast to keep bright until about 2 o’clock. The snow was slowly melting. Cyclists were arriving from all over – Wolverhampton and Telford being about the furthest, and at the start we had 67 entrants, which is not bad for a first event.
After President Paul set everybody off, on a mass start at 9.15, the first faller crashed out after 15 yards. Luckily she was not hurt too much but had to retire with a grazed knee. Riders set quite a pace to say it was so cold. The first back only took about two and a half hours for the 28 mile route. Others kept coming back until about 3 O’clock. All said that they enjoyed it and asked us whether we would we do it again. A few dropped out and were picked up by car and brought back to the finish. A couple on a tandem did well to finish. Two riders took a wrong turn to Ashbourne, so we will have to waymark a bit better at Tissington and we need to find a way of identifying the riders, but the ride can only get better as we learn from the experience.
Many thanks to all who helped and provided kit. About a thousand pounds to Helen’s Trust (which provides care at home for terminally ill people) was raised and the money is still coming in. It was a good start to what will be an annual event (weather permitting).
MATLOCK ROTARY CASINO NIGHT RAISES £1,500
Our ambitions were to raise £800 and £1000. The Charity to benefit is the well worth while one -the Kankudibi Clinic. This health clinic is in Central Gambia and is approaching completion of the structural build. It needs our further support –
We were delighted to clear a profit of £1500 on the event and equally delighted by the positive comments by the ‘Punters’ who appeared to have enjoyed the evening.
The Object of the ‘Casino’ Night was for guests to increase the £330,000 that each was given at the beginning of the evening. By a combination of playing the four Black Jack tables, the two roulette tables, the two ‘Escalado’ courses as well as the two screened ‘Snail Races’ (No snails were hurt in this process) the guests aimed to more than ‘double their money’.
In fact local Vet Eric McCarrison saw off a competitive field by finishing up with a total in the region of £78 million and thereby went home with the evening’s star prize.
All who came seemed to enter into the spirit and enjoyed the evening not least as a result of the superb buffet which had been prepared meticulously by various supporters including Sheila Allen, Rosemary Cuff and Janet Fleming who have our grateful thanks. Many thanks also go to Geoff and Julie Henson from the project for their support and for selling over 25 of the 100 tickets sold.
Also a big thank you to Simon Brister and those helping organise and run the event.
President Paul Fryer was in the chair, when the Rotary Club of Matlock, celebrated their 80th Birthday at the New Bath Hotel, Matlock Bath, on Monday 17th March 2008.
Principal Guest and speaker was Allan Jagger, National President of Rotary International Britain and Ireland from Elland in Yorkshire.
Other distinguished guests included Matlock Mayor Councillor David Barker, Rotary District Governor Roger Pursey, and President of Matlock Inner Wheel Rosemary Ripamonti.
The club were particularly pleased to welcome Assistant Governor Isabel Flores and two other Rotarians from Matlock’s twinned club the Rotary Club of Silves in Portugal. During their visit the Portuguese Rotarians have spent some time at Highfields School making arrangements for a student exchange with a school in the Algarve.
Junior Vice President Albert Ripamonti was Toastmaster for the evening, Rotarian Sharon Shirley said grace, and Secretary Peter Hume presented the roll call of visiting clubs and guests.
Senior Vice President Andrew Hodkin proposed the toast to Rotary International, and Roger Pursey, Rotary District Governor responded, complimenting the Matlock Club on it’s programme of work over the last year, and proposing a toast to it’s continuing success.
President Paul Fryer then responded, outlining with some justifiable pride, many of the noteworthy activities of the Matlock Club over the last year, and over the past 80 years. He named some of the many beneficiaries, and thanked his colleague Rotarians and the people of Matlock and district for their excellent support of the club and it’s work.
Rotarian Chris Collison proposed the final toast to visitors and guests, and National President Allan Jagger brought the evening to a close with a superb speech on the work of Rotary throughout the world filled with witty anecdotes and wonderful Yorkshire humour.
The formal dinner organised by Past President John Shipman was attended by 37 Matlock Rotarians and their guests, members of 23 other Rotary Clubs, Matlock Derwent Valley Lions, Matlock 41 Club, Matlock Speakers Club and Matlock Forum Club – a total of 127.
President Paul Fryer , Matlock Mayor David Barker, National President Allan Jagger and Assistant Governor Isabel Flores from Silves Rotary Club in Portugal
President Paul Fryer , District Governor Roger Pursey, National President Allan Jagger and Assistant Governor Isabel Flores from Silves Rotary Club in Portugal.
Roger Hardy, Roger Crabtree, Paul Fryer and Barbara Wilson
At a concert presented by the DerbyshireCity and County Youth Wind Band in the Assembly Rooms, Derby, the Rotary Club of Matlockhanded over music folders for the embryonic City and County Youth Chorale.
The formation of the Chorale is a long held ambition of one of Matlock’s members, Roger Crabtree and his late wife Eileen. Donations from Roger and Eileen’s Golden Wedding, andfollowing Eileen’s funeral, have already helped Phillip King, the Schools Improvement Officer with special responsibility for the Music Partnership, to start turning this dream into reality.
Matlock Rotary Club was keen to help Roger with his quest, and has already purchased the sheet music for the chorale. “The music folders will provide the choir with a professional image when they start performing for the public” says Phillip King, “we have already recruited over forty choristers, but are still looking for more”.
President Paul Fryer presented the folders to Councillor Barbara Wilson, Chair of the elected Management Committee for the Music Partnership, during the Concert, supported by Roger Crabtree and immediate past President Roger Hardy.
The International Committee arrange a monthly toast to a most recently chartered Club to welcome them to the world-wide fellowship of Rotary International. The Clubs, from countries throughout the World, are selected from the R.I. Directory. When a Club is toasted, a greeting card, carrying our website address and giving some information about our Club and the area, is posted to them.
Clubs toasted in the recent past are:-
Bursa Cekirge, Turkey, District 2440 St. Petersburgh, Russia, District 1430 Klaipeda Maris, Lithuania, District 1460 Binche Leptines, Belgium, District 1620 Courbevoie, France, District 1660 Museun Sueile,Bonn, Germany, District 1810 Furstenfeld, Austria, District 1910 Bihac Bosnia and Herzegovina, District 1910 Split Plus, Croatia, District 1910 Szert Gellert, Budapest, District 1910 Markdorf, Germany, District 1930 Tongi, Bangladesh, District 3280 Obereichefeld-Heilbad Helligenstadt, Germany, District 1950 Corinto-Centenario,Brazil, District 4760 Misty Hills, Karnataka, India, District 3180 Moscow Arbat,Russia, District 2220 Seoul Ambassador, South Korea, District 3640 San Pablo Cabagan Isobella, Philippines,District 3770 Moscow Arbat, Russia, District 2220 Karalkala Kerratte, India, District 3210 Munchen, Bavaria, District 1844 Bom Conselho,Pe, Brazil, District 4500 Bono Goceano,Sardinia, District 2080 Murum Mah, India, District 3130
