On this page we report our social and fundraising events of the past year with the latest photos.

2012 Quiz Evening

Nearly 40 of us turned out for this year’s quiz on Saturday 21st January at Brown Court. Carole and Keith Youles devised the quiz and a superb buffet was provided by Sandra Adkin and her excellent team. There was also a raffle organised, as usual, by the highly efficient Winnie Meadows.

In addition to the main contest there were quiz sheets covering sweets and desserts and recognition of well-known national logos and this time, as we had a good attendance of children, there was also a section within the main quiz for them.
A close-fought contest was finally won by the Maltby’s and Robinson’s team from Griffydam, who received the Pithiviers wine and the children, too, participated in the prizes. Another outright winner was the Association as we raised some £200 to boost our funds!

It was a great evening and thanks are due to everyone involved in the organisation as well as all of those who took part. Special thanks also to James Weir and our other new members from Brown Court, who provided one of the most congenial venues we have yet had the pleasure of experiencing. Click on the link, below to see a short video of this event:

2012 Quiz Evening

Christmas Walk and Lunch

Wednesday 7th December dawned showery, cold and windy. However by 11.00 am the showers had thankfully moved away and the sun was shining as 14 intrepid members of the Association set off from the car park of the Mount Pleasant Inn on the traditional pre-lunch walk. The pleasant views of the attractive countryside around Repton and the friendly conversation made the walk most enjoyable.
After about an hour’s walking in the blustery wind we had worked up good appetites and then met up with the others who simply turned up to offer moral support at the end. With muddy boots changed we entered the cosy and welcoming atmosphere of the pub to join the rest of our colleagues for lunch. The fact that 41 members sat down to the meal was a tribute to the warm welcome and excellent fare provided by our hosts. We tucked into seasonal turkey and all the trimmings . The obligatory corny jokes in the Christmas crackers added to the festive and cheerful mood. It was a most pleasant occasion when we were able to get together for a chat and catch-up with people we had not seen for a few months.
It was in fact the fourteenth consecutive occasion on which this event had taken place at the Mount Pleasant Inn. We gave a vote of thanks to Joe Shaw for all his hard work down the years which has made things go so smoothly.

Santa at Sunnyside

We had a very good turnout on Friday 18th November at Sunnyside Garden Centre in Ibstock with over 30 of us attending. Thanks to the arrangements negotiated by our Chairman, Joan Inchley, 'Sunnyside', the garden centre in Ibstock, was opened specially for members of our Association and their families.

The evening started with a two course meal which by general opinion was first rate. The gateaux were the best many of us had ever tasted.
Santa Claus arrived by sleigh bearing a gift for each young person present. There remained time for us examine the Christmas goods on offer and purchase if we wished.

 It was a wonderful evening that also contributed some £300 to our funds. Well done to everyone taking part!

The Biennial Dinner

This year the biennial dinner was held at the Bay Tree restaurant in Melbourne. Despite the necessity of some last minute rearrangements 16 of us duly presented ourselves to take advantage of the first class fare for which this establishment is justly renowned.

It proved to be a most agreeable evening during which Geoff Cort made his final speech as chairman reminiscing about his years as a member, his belief in the twinning ideal and some anecdotes about past members and events.

The food and drink was excellent and some of us struggled to accommodate the delicious small but potent home-made chocolate treats that rounded off the meal!

A most convivial evening and an apt way to celebrate yet another year in the life of our thriving Association.

Brief Video of the Dinner

Ride or Walk to Picnic

Sunday 4th September saw yet another successful trial of a new event for us. A picnic was held in the garden of the home of Joan and  Mike Inchley after participants had taken a walk or a cycle ride around the local area to work up an appetite. The event was well-attended by over twenty members and the weather - which had appeared threatening at first - was especially kind to us. Elaine Shaw with Pat and Geoff Cort were the only cyclists and took advantage of the nearby Cloud Trail to spend a pleasurable hour and a half "in the saddle". Whilst a rather larger number took the ramble on foot around the local footpaths before everyone returned to the Chateau Inchley for a first class picnic with a fine collection of both savouries and sweets, washed down with something more reminiscent of France! A fine time was had by all and thanks are due to Joan, Mike and helpers for a wonderful "end of summer" evening amongst friends.

Croquet Taster Evening

Once again we passed a splendid evening on Wednesday 17th August with Ashby Croquet Club and for a buffet afterwards at the Moira Miners’ Welfare. This year we had an exceptionally good turnout of 23 members starting play at 18.30 and going through to 20.00 when we retired to eat.

With so many players we split into some six groups, playing short games and exchanging partners frequently to help get everyone into the game. For the several newcomers it was a novel and entertaining experience and for those of us who are regular attendees it helped re-ignite the pleasures of yesteryear and lubricate some rusty “skills”.

At the end of play we moved to the Miners’ Welfare Club to enjoy the most welcome buffet that had been prepared for us and talk over the evenings activities. Everyone had a good time and even the weather was kind to us providing a warm and pleasant evening’s exercise for all.

Bastille Day 2011

 About 20 people took part on Saturday 16th July. This was a tribute to their enthusiasm for this popular event as it was pouring with rain at the scheduled starting time of 11 am. A temporary retreat was made into the Belper Arms, where the time before lunch was spent pleasantly, chatting and playing Table Quoits, which Joan Inchley had thoughtfully provided. This proved to be a testing game of skill, which provided much amusement. Meanwhile Sylvie Gough, the organiser, and her team braved the rain to put up a gazebo, which provided some shelter.

Thanks are due to staff at the Belper Arms for changing their arrangements and serving lunch in the restaurant. So after an excellent meal we were able to venture out to start playing Petanque as the weather had improved considerably. Four teams took part and a lively and enjoyable competition ensued, which was won by “The Bandits”, Ann Shilton’s team of ladies with Margaret Barnett and Tina Braithwaite. All in all a successful day with a French flavour in spite of the very English weather!
Peter Wilkinson

The 2011 Treasure Hunt

About 15 people took part in the Treasure Hunt on Sunday 22nd May. As usual Joe Shaw produced a route with clues that tested the little grey cells to the limit and the ingenuity of competitors to find the list of items to take back to the finish. And the finish was at Sunnyside Garden Centre at Ibstock in the Daffodil Café where Sue and Brian had laid on a wonderful buffet meal and homemade desserts.

Disappointingly, only three cars participated which was a great pity given all the organization by all concerned to put on the event. However, it was a very tightly fought contest but the winning team by a gnats whisker was Ian Shaw and his wife, Elaine Shaw and Peter Wilkinson – well done!

The Lola Lamour Concert

What a fantastic time we had of it when, on Saturday 12th March we indulged in the nostalgia of the 40s and 50s with the celebrated Lola Lamour.

The setting was Packington Memorial Hall and the concert was a sell-out, thanks to the efforts of our secretary Joan Inchley and her team. We are now regular customers for this venue, which was always attractive but since the revamp has proved itself ideal for our major events and the evening was made even more pleasurable by the provision of a meal, which helped promote the impression of an old-fashioned music hall or cabaret.

Lola, herself, was everything we had hoped! Those of us who had enjoyed her performance when we first saw her at the National Memorial Arboretum felt fully justified in engaging her services for a wider audience of members, friends and the public at large.
Her repertoire invoked fond memories of days gone by and the opportunity to join in the singing was taken with great gusto! The participation she invited from members of the audience went down particularly well - even if it may have, in some cases, somewhat reduced the overall standard of performance!
Lola proved herself a great entertainer and ensured an evening of great pleasure for us all.

The Beetle Drive

Saturday 19th February saw another very successful and agreeable evening in the form of our second recent Beetle Drive. A group of about 20 of us attended at The Cottage in Ashby in a highly competitive attempt to attach as many body parts as possible to the eponymous Beetle in order to win the much sought-after prize of the bottle of Pithiviers wine. After much moving in all directions the accolade was finally achieved by one of our newer members, Gill Read. Congratulations to her!
An excellent buffet supper was provided by Joan, Carole and friends and wine helped everything to go with a swing. Thanks are also due to Les for organising and executing the competitive part of the evening and to everyone who helped and took part. A good time was had by all.
Beetle Drive Video