Probus Club of Kidsgrove > Newsletters > November 2020

November 2020

PRESIDENT’S REMARKS

Welcome Gentlemen to our last General Meeting of the year. Let’s hope next year brings us more hope and relief from Covid19.

Many thanks to our Vice President Victor Fayers-Hallin for presenting our Probus wreath at the cenotaph on remembrance Sunday.

I would remind you that Peter Lloyd is again organising a photo competition and so far, his message has received only 6 replies so can members please help him out. You can send by e. mail or text or however and have until 30th December 2020.

Our member Bob Kay is not very good at all so I am sure you will join me in wishing him well and also include our members Norman Hart and John Crutchley who are both not feeling very well.

This month I nominate our member for special praise as Graham Tunnicliff who for many years has done an excellent job organising Probus walks and presiding as our Archivist. Well done Graham and please keep up the good work.

Meanwhile you all enjoy the Probus Newsletter so if you have any amusing stories or anecdotes to contribute please pass them on via our Secretary Mike Nield.

Finally, I wish you all and your families a Xmas as good as possible in these troubled times.

Regards

John Dunn.

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BIRTHDAYS IN DECEMBER 2020

Peter Groom (23rd), John Dunn (24th), Stephen Rhodes (23rd).

BIRTHDAYS IN JANUARY 2021

David Birchall (10th), Graham Tunnicliff (20th), Barry Knapper (28th)

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THE ONCE LOVELY GAME OF FOOTBALL

I used to love watching a game of football

But now it appears to be heading for a fall

The Players don’t really care at all

They just demand payment whatever the call

At the slightest contact they fall to the ground

And roll in agony even though they feel the sound

They lie and cheat and are always looking

To make sure their opponents get a red card booking

Before each game they bend their knee

And then blame their fouls on the referee

Offside was a rule we were once coached into using

But now V.A.R makes it so very confusing

So when is a good goal disallowed

And when is a no goal allowed

The answer is when V.A.R makes the decision

Based on a slow replay of exact precision

Can anyone explain it all to me

If so I will gladly bend my knee.

Submitted by John Dunn

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WALK REPORT

There are still several local walks you can explore to help to keep your fitness levels

Up, Joan and I walk in the Bathpool area most days it is not very busy providing you keep away from weekends and bank holidays, we find it best late afternoons.

This week we have been to Rudyard Lake. Park at the Rushton Spencer end and walk around the lake anticlockwise and you will not find it too busy. The bonus is the toilets are open and the snack bar is serving takeaways.

Another one is Knypersley Reservoir. Park on the top car park and walk clockwise to avoid most of the dog walkers.

Keep safe and carry on walking

Best wishes Graham.

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SOCIAL REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2020

Nothing socially to report this month other than the Christmas Luncheon at the Manor House Alsager has had to be cancelled so I’ll try and fill in the column with a bit of amusing nostalgia about driving and motor cars and children.

The Surveyor’s office where I started to work wanted me to drive and at the age of seventeen arranged for me to have driving lessons from a retired policeman in a little Standard 10. I passed my driving test first time and then was able to drive the office vehicle, a Jowett Bradford Van with a terribly misused gearbox.

I didn’t buy my own car until I was twenty-nine years old and that was a yellow Austin Mini. which I bought from Simpson Bros Garage in Congleton Road, Butt Lane (now Selecta Tyre). The Registration Number was 77 SBF and it cost me £450.00.

I remember collecting the car all clean and polished on the Saturday morning and after lunch took Marjorie and our children Jerold and Wendy up to Hanley to do some shopping. We parked on what was the old Port Vale Football Ground car park (now part of the Potteries Shopping Centre) which was then supervised by the Royal British Legion and I paid the princely sum of one shilling for the afternoon parking.

We completed our shopping, returned to the car park, got into the car and drove homewards. Marjorie sitting in the front with me noticed a peculiar smell and thought it may be the newness of the car, I thought it was one of the children in the back.

Arriving home at Lawton Avenue, Church Lawton we alighted and I noticed Jerold walking up the path appeared to have a lump of mud on one of his sandals which on closer examination by eyes and nose proved to be dog muck. I then examined the inside of the car and saw that he had done a very good job and spread the dog muck all over the light blue rear carpet of the car.

It is not difficult to imagine my rage at this point and to pacify me Marjorie immediately set to work with soapy water, disinfectant, scrubbing brush and rags to clean up the mess and although Jerold had walked into the house without removing his sandals fortunately it appears he had left most of the muck in the car.

Some things have a lasting memory and although I am not anti to dogs, to this day I do not want one myself.

Hope that story amused you.

Keep safe, keep well and keep smiling.

Ken Williamson

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 PROBUS WINTER BOWLING AT BIDDULPH LEISURE CENTRE

Len Dale has advised that the indoor bowling on the mats at Biddulph Leisure centre has been cancelled throughout the winter period due to the virus.

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SEASONAL GREETINGS

Frank Timmis and Margaret would like to wish all Probus Members, friends, wives and partners a very healthy and peaceful Christmas,

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Michael Nield has compiled and published the Probus Newsletter. Articles of interest to members should be sent by Email to Michael at michael.nield@btinternet.com or phone 01782 782004 in the first instance. For an inclusion in the next newsletter, articles should be delivered to the editor at least 7 days before the monthly meeting