Dates for your diary
Sat 8th June Barbecue at the home of Bert and Val Alldis. 12.30 for 1pm. Tickets £10 per person, includes glass of wine/soft drink. Under cover if wet.
Sat 20th July Steam Train from Smallhythe (Nat. Trust) in Tenterden to Bodiam, visiting Bodiam Castle (Nat. Trust). With Lunch or Afternoon Tea. Details to follow
August
(Precise date Afternoon Tea at Teapot Island, Yalding
To be advised)
September/ Film Show
October
December Christmas Lunch
Website News
A new page on Bidborough, complete with photographs, has been included. Updates have been made to several other pages too. We are always looking to find interesting facts and photographs to add. We plan to add a page on the green plaques, which were erected last year on houses in Southborough, High Brooms and Bidborough to commemorate six renowned persons, who have lived in our district. Our aim, in addition to the main objective of creating awareness of SAKA, is to tell internet viewers of the interesting places to be found in Kaniv and our catchment area of Southborough, High Brooms and Bidborough. For instance – how many know there is a copy of a section of “Madonna of the Magnificat” by Botticelli displayed on the organ case at St. Thomas’ church?
Brian Dobson
Lotto Club
The Club is well under way with 26 members having subscribed already, so I am encouraged to think my target of 50 members by the end of October will be reached or even exceeded. Joining costs just £10 and entitles Members to participate in all ten monthly prize draws, provided subscriptions are paid before the first five draws (March to July) are made at our July event. The August and December draws will be made after our Christmas Lunch as they were in 2011 and last year. I trust you will have read details of the 2012 final draw in our last Newsletter. Half of the money raised supports our projects in Kaniv and the amount remaining funds the prize money for the lucky winners. A membership of 44 in 2012 meant that we raised £220 towards our projects in Kaniv. This will be helpful in funding the Environmental Garden being established at the front of School Number 6, There is also the new Classroom Project, a very enterprising scheme, and, of course, welfare support for several elderly folk, to help them through the cold winter period. Whilst we supply the funds, friends in the Kaniv and Southborough Association (KASA) do the work. It is good to know that children are keen to undertake a share of the work. In this way they are learning about Southborough and the friendship existing between our two towns. If you haven’t done so already, please join the Lotto Club this year and encourage family members and friends to join in the fun too.
Mike Handcock
“Start of the Year Dinner”, Saturday 9th March 2013
This has become an annual SAKA social occasion, which was well supported again this year – an enjoyable evening. It is held at Café Bliss, which is a non-profit making social enterprise in Southborough, run by Elaine Lawrence (who has a holiday home in Ukraine) and volunteers from all walks of life. The main aim of the café is to give the community a voice on local issues that affect them and to help those seeking a job with work experience. In February 2013 Elaine and her team were delighted to receive the Employer Partnership Award, which is sponsored by Job Centre Plus, for both the small business category and the overall award for the whole of Kent. Many congratulations Elaine! Very well done!
Marian Attwood
Membership
Our membership has increased to 70 people and we are looking to build it even more. For full details, go to the Membership page.
Visit Ireland
Former Membership Secretary Mike Bailey keeps in touch from his new home in Killagoley near Enniscorthy in County Wexford.He and Caroline would welcome visitors to their bungalow.
The Committee 2013-2014
President Jacqui Jedrzejewski
Acting Charman Mike Handcock
Acting Vice Chairman Bob Marsh
Treasurer Angela Trowell
Secretary/Newsletter Editor Lynda Emberson
Minute Secretary Marian Attwood
Webmaster Brian Dobson
Membership Secretary Trevor Poile
Other serving members Paddy Moran
Bert Alldis
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Friday, 29 March 2013
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 24, dated January 2013
The Medway Cruise – Sunday 30th September
The repeat performance of last year’s successful trip on the Allington Belle did not disappoint! The meticulous organization by Mike Handcock paid off and we gathered in good time at the Malta Inn. It was a warm overcast afternoon – ideal for cruising! On embarkation we were welcomed by the proprietors, the Henderson family, who had prepared a tempting spread of sandwiches, scones and cakes, together with tea and coffee. Drinks were also available at the bar for anyone wanting anything a little stronger. Despite an initial hold-up, due to a race by oarsmen from the Maidstone Rowing Club, the trip to East Farleigh Lock and back took about two hours. It was interesting to see Maidstone from a new perspective and see the gardens of the riverside properties. This was both an enjoyable and profitable fundraising event. Marion Attwood.
QuizNite – Saturday 27th October
On a windy night towards the end of October my husband two friends and I made our way to the Village Hall in Bidborough. We were planning to take part in the Quiznite, arranged by the SAKA Committee. Once inside we discovered the gathering was fairly small, but enough to make up 3 teams of four. Mike Handcock was our very able quizmaster, providing questions ranging from the Olympics to Space! We had a break after a while and ate a delicious supper, provided by Lynda Emberson and Marian Attwood. It gave us time to chat and mix with everyone. Amazingly, at the end, my team discovered we had won, by just one point. We were delighted and won some lovely prizes. Everyone who attended had an opportunity to win a prize, because we also had a raffle and there were plenty of nice things from which to choose. All in all, it was a good night out. Our friends are looking forward to the next QuizNite. Why not join us? Val Alldis
Film Show at St. Thomas’ Church Hall – Saturday 10th November
The Film Show was something different. David Ward kindly offered two of the special films from his collection. The first featured Laurel and Hardy and the second was a George Formby classic. During the interval, while David needed to change spools, we held a raffle, organised by committee member Paddy Moran. Donations were also kindly given for the evening and we made in total £108, including the raffle money and entrance fee. It was indeed a social evening and something I feel we will surely do again in the future. It was a truly enjoyable evening and very amusing, bringing back lots of memories for many. Our thanks to David and to Mike Handcock, who organized the refreshments. Lynda Emberson
Christmas Lunch at the Royal Wells Inn – Sunday 2nd December
This was a new venue for us and a very successful one. Our thanks to Brian for organizing it. We had twenty members and guests and the feedback received was all positive. The 3-course menu was excellent and good value for money. We had all the trimmings and an opportunity to chat to other members and guests. Lynda Emberson
Pre Christmas Lunch e-mail via Bert Alldis from our friend TonyWainainah in Africa
Hi Bert. How have you been? How is your dear wife and the children? My family is fine. My last born boy Teddy has grown big and very playful. Bert, you and the S.A.K.A. are now warming up for the annual lunch on Sunday at the Royal Wells Inn. I am sincerely envious of that great occasion. I wish you all a ravenous appetite on that day. Thank you for all the good work you have done in this year and in future. Receive greetings from the good people of Molo. I also wish you all a Merry Xmas and Bright 2013. Tony Wainainah
Lotto Club 2012
Following our splendid Christmas Lunch the diners were invited to retire to the hotel lounge for coffee and it was there that the draws took place to ascertain the five winners of the monthly prizes for the months August to December 2012. Those successful were:-
August No. 2 Bert Alldis won £20
September No. 38 Peter Hayward won £20
October No. 9 Trevor Poile won £20
November No.19 Elaine Lawrence won £20
December No.33 Dr. Jay Hill won £60
Congratulations to all winners in 2012 and grateful thanks to all those who joined the SAKA Lotto Club in what was only its second year. Having 44 members meant we raised £220 towards our projects in Kaniv, distributed “215 in prize money and still had a fiver to put towards the licence we need to be able to run the Lotto Club in 2013. We are properly licenced by Sevenoaks District Council under the Gambling Act of 2005 and have to make a Return to the Council each year. It’s a bit of fun for a membership fee of just £10 for ten months March to December; and it’s best to join early, normally at the Start of the Year Dinner, being held at Café Bliss on Saturday 9th March. Mike Handcock
Visit Ireland
Former Membership Secretary, Mike Bailey, has kept in touch and he and Caroline have a spare bedroom in their bungalow. Tjhey will be pleased to hear from anyone wanting to visit Ireland. The address is: 1 Marfield Gardens, Killagdey, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland.
Visitors from Kaniv
This was written by Katia Lyzogub and is presented in the Newsletter exactly as she wrote it.
“The Bridges of Friendship: Kaniv – Southbourne”
From 28th July till the 5th August senior pupils and two teachers-accompaniers from Kaniv visited the settlement of Swattenden in England at the invitation of sister city of Southbourne. Katia Lyzogub, Anna Antonova, Anastasiya Zuhuravel, Olha Velychko, Daryna Bondarenko, Anton Kotliar, Vlad Nalivayko, Oleksandr Gurbych and two accompaniers – the English teacher Iryan Datsenko and the French teacher Svitlana Yakimenko wewnt to the camp for the Olympic games’ celebration and for the sport competitions, which was organized by Regional Office of Youth Kent.
It was started on 28th July. It was hot and sunny in Ukraine. But after a few hours of flight a complete change of climate met us. The sky of England was covered in grey clouds, it was drizzling. But nothing could change our good mood.! Just we got off the plane in the English airport Gatwick the representative of association Southbourne-Kaniv Mike Handcock and Bryan Dobson met us and presented us books of classic English literature. In an hour we went to our comp in the Swattenden Kent County. The staff welcomed us, showed us the territory of our residence, rooms for activities and rest, the dining hall and the Internet-café. Where we could be in touch with our relatives and friends. Young people frm Ukraine, Russia, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, England, Germany, Finland, South Korea, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Austria, Liechtenstein and Sweden visited the camp. It was a great opportunity to learn about the culture, customs of others nations, to learn simple words in different languages. At the opening ceremony we got acquainted with the staff and strict camp rules: we had to go to bed at 11pm. And get up at 7am. We had to go to the competitions and activities in time and it was obligatory to participate in all games. No alcohol, smoking – only in designated areas. The whole day is in strict regulations, which we had to follow, every evening – interesting events or concerts. But we didn’t lack fun – we spent time with benefit and pleasure! Soon, we went to the Bewl Water for sport activities. Canoeing, funny games on the water, mountain biking around the picturesque lake. Unforgettable impression! The next day was named as Sports Day. Volleyball, climbing the wall, basketball challenge, archery mix-it-up. An intensive program and only short breaks for the rest. Evening entertainments were no less exciting – we learned how to play ingomas – drums without drumsticks, which have cylindrical shape. What a fantastic sound when more than 100 palms beat the rhythm of the same melody! The fifth day we spent in London. Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London eye, National Gallery, Queen Victoria Memorial, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Changing the guard near it, Covent Garden, South Bank street artists, famous London cabs, red telephone boxes and red buses for tourists will never be forgotten! On the sixth day we plunged in art: we made different bracelets with the inscriptions for each other, made a small copy of the Earth with all members of the camp, painted and designed own photos. However, it was not done without extreme: we climbed the high ropes, practiced Low Zipline and Postman’s Walk. Next day we visited Rochester, incredibly beautiful town. Narrow streets, which are decorated witht flowers and bright signboards of small shops impressed us by their beauty and diversity of colour. And now = the last day of our huge adventure. But there was not time to be relaxed or sad! From the morning and till the evening funny competitions, which were called “It’s a Knockout!” were held between the teams of the whole camp – and these are 240 people! 24 commands fought for the first places. Creative games, competitions and activities now and then were interrupted by short-term rain, after which the sun was shining brightly again. And in the evening all members of the camp gathered together at the clothing ceremony. We exchanged with presents, addresse, hopes, wishes, thoughts with our new friends from the shared one tent. And we had to say goodbye to our English curators – Philipa and Ben, who were like mom and dad during these short eight days. And of course, it was the saddest moment to say goodbye to our friends: Kathie, Molly and Ryan from England, Rosa and Ebi from Finland and to the whole team from Russia, with whom we really “found the common language”. Next morning with the suitcases, unforgettable impressions, with undisguised sadness we left Swattenden Center. Already accustomed to life in the tents, to the busy day regimen, to strictEnglish discipline and to cold climate we returned home to our native Ukraine. Kent Global Camp 2012 – we are really missing you. Katia Lyzogub
The repeat performance of last year’s successful trip on the Allington Belle did not disappoint! The meticulous organization by Mike Handcock paid off and we gathered in good time at the Malta Inn. It was a warm overcast afternoon – ideal for cruising! On embarkation we were welcomed by the proprietors, the Henderson family, who had prepared a tempting spread of sandwiches, scones and cakes, together with tea and coffee. Drinks were also available at the bar for anyone wanting anything a little stronger. Despite an initial hold-up, due to a race by oarsmen from the Maidstone Rowing Club, the trip to East Farleigh Lock and back took about two hours. It was interesting to see Maidstone from a new perspective and see the gardens of the riverside properties. This was both an enjoyable and profitable fundraising event. Marion Attwood.
QuizNite – Saturday 27th October
On a windy night towards the end of October my husband two friends and I made our way to the Village Hall in Bidborough. We were planning to take part in the Quiznite, arranged by the SAKA Committee. Once inside we discovered the gathering was fairly small, but enough to make up 3 teams of four. Mike Handcock was our very able quizmaster, providing questions ranging from the Olympics to Space! We had a break after a while and ate a delicious supper, provided by Lynda Emberson and Marian Attwood. It gave us time to chat and mix with everyone. Amazingly, at the end, my team discovered we had won, by just one point. We were delighted and won some lovely prizes. Everyone who attended had an opportunity to win a prize, because we also had a raffle and there were plenty of nice things from which to choose. All in all, it was a good night out. Our friends are looking forward to the next QuizNite. Why not join us? Val Alldis
Film Show at St. Thomas’ Church Hall – Saturday 10th November
The Film Show was something different. David Ward kindly offered two of the special films from his collection. The first featured Laurel and Hardy and the second was a George Formby classic. During the interval, while David needed to change spools, we held a raffle, organised by committee member Paddy Moran. Donations were also kindly given for the evening and we made in total £108, including the raffle money and entrance fee. It was indeed a social evening and something I feel we will surely do again in the future. It was a truly enjoyable evening and very amusing, bringing back lots of memories for many. Our thanks to David and to Mike Handcock, who organized the refreshments. Lynda Emberson
Christmas Lunch at the Royal Wells Inn – Sunday 2nd December
This was a new venue for us and a very successful one. Our thanks to Brian for organizing it. We had twenty members and guests and the feedback received was all positive. The 3-course menu was excellent and good value for money. We had all the trimmings and an opportunity to chat to other members and guests. Lynda Emberson
Pre Christmas Lunch e-mail via Bert Alldis from our friend TonyWainainah in Africa
Hi Bert. How have you been? How is your dear wife and the children? My family is fine. My last born boy Teddy has grown big and very playful. Bert, you and the S.A.K.A. are now warming up for the annual lunch on Sunday at the Royal Wells Inn. I am sincerely envious of that great occasion. I wish you all a ravenous appetite on that day. Thank you for all the good work you have done in this year and in future. Receive greetings from the good people of Molo. I also wish you all a Merry Xmas and Bright 2013. Tony Wainainah
Lotto Club 2012
Following our splendid Christmas Lunch the diners were invited to retire to the hotel lounge for coffee and it was there that the draws took place to ascertain the five winners of the monthly prizes for the months August to December 2012. Those successful were:-
August No. 2 Bert Alldis won £20
September No. 38 Peter Hayward won £20
October No. 9 Trevor Poile won £20
November No.19 Elaine Lawrence won £20
December No.33 Dr. Jay Hill won £60
Congratulations to all winners in 2012 and grateful thanks to all those who joined the SAKA Lotto Club in what was only its second year. Having 44 members meant we raised £220 towards our projects in Kaniv, distributed “215 in prize money and still had a fiver to put towards the licence we need to be able to run the Lotto Club in 2013. We are properly licenced by Sevenoaks District Council under the Gambling Act of 2005 and have to make a Return to the Council each year. It’s a bit of fun for a membership fee of just £10 for ten months March to December; and it’s best to join early, normally at the Start of the Year Dinner, being held at Café Bliss on Saturday 9th March. Mike Handcock
Visit Ireland
Former Membership Secretary, Mike Bailey, has kept in touch and he and Caroline have a spare bedroom in their bungalow. Tjhey will be pleased to hear from anyone wanting to visit Ireland. The address is: 1 Marfield Gardens, Killagdey, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland.
Visitors from Kaniv
This was written by Katia Lyzogub and is presented in the Newsletter exactly as she wrote it.
“The Bridges of Friendship: Kaniv – Southbourne”
From 28th July till the 5th August senior pupils and two teachers-accompaniers from Kaniv visited the settlement of Swattenden in England at the invitation of sister city of Southbourne. Katia Lyzogub, Anna Antonova, Anastasiya Zuhuravel, Olha Velychko, Daryna Bondarenko, Anton Kotliar, Vlad Nalivayko, Oleksandr Gurbych and two accompaniers – the English teacher Iryan Datsenko and the French teacher Svitlana Yakimenko wewnt to the camp for the Olympic games’ celebration and for the sport competitions, which was organized by Regional Office of Youth Kent.
It was started on 28th July. It was hot and sunny in Ukraine. But after a few hours of flight a complete change of climate met us. The sky of England was covered in grey clouds, it was drizzling. But nothing could change our good mood.! Just we got off the plane in the English airport Gatwick the representative of association Southbourne-Kaniv Mike Handcock and Bryan Dobson met us and presented us books of classic English literature. In an hour we went to our comp in the Swattenden Kent County. The staff welcomed us, showed us the territory of our residence, rooms for activities and rest, the dining hall and the Internet-café. Where we could be in touch with our relatives and friends. Young people frm Ukraine, Russia, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, England, Germany, Finland, South Korea, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Austria, Liechtenstein and Sweden visited the camp. It was a great opportunity to learn about the culture, customs of others nations, to learn simple words in different languages. At the opening ceremony we got acquainted with the staff and strict camp rules: we had to go to bed at 11pm. And get up at 7am. We had to go to the competitions and activities in time and it was obligatory to participate in all games. No alcohol, smoking – only in designated areas. The whole day is in strict regulations, which we had to follow, every evening – interesting events or concerts. But we didn’t lack fun – we spent time with benefit and pleasure! Soon, we went to the Bewl Water for sport activities. Canoeing, funny games on the water, mountain biking around the picturesque lake. Unforgettable impression! The next day was named as Sports Day. Volleyball, climbing the wall, basketball challenge, archery mix-it-up. An intensive program and only short breaks for the rest. Evening entertainments were no less exciting – we learned how to play ingomas – drums without drumsticks, which have cylindrical shape. What a fantastic sound when more than 100 palms beat the rhythm of the same melody! The fifth day we spent in London. Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London eye, National Gallery, Queen Victoria Memorial, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Changing the guard near it, Covent Garden, South Bank street artists, famous London cabs, red telephone boxes and red buses for tourists will never be forgotten! On the sixth day we plunged in art: we made different bracelets with the inscriptions for each other, made a small copy of the Earth with all members of the camp, painted and designed own photos. However, it was not done without extreme: we climbed the high ropes, practiced Low Zipline and Postman’s Walk. Next day we visited Rochester, incredibly beautiful town. Narrow streets, which are decorated witht flowers and bright signboards of small shops impressed us by their beauty and diversity of colour. And now = the last day of our huge adventure. But there was not time to be relaxed or sad! From the morning and till the evening funny competitions, which were called “It’s a Knockout!” were held between the teams of the whole camp – and these are 240 people! 24 commands fought for the first places. Creative games, competitions and activities now and then were interrupted by short-term rain, after which the sun was shining brightly again. And in the evening all members of the camp gathered together at the clothing ceremony. We exchanged with presents, addresse, hopes, wishes, thoughts with our new friends from the shared one tent. And we had to say goodbye to our English curators – Philipa and Ben, who were like mom and dad during these short eight days. And of course, it was the saddest moment to say goodbye to our friends: Kathie, Molly and Ryan from England, Rosa and Ebi from Finland and to the whole team from Russia, with whom we really “found the common language”. Next morning with the suitcases, unforgettable impressions, with undisguised sadness we left Swattenden Center. Already accustomed to life in the tents, to the busy day regimen, to strictEnglish discipline and to cold climate we returned home to our native Ukraine. Kent Global Camp 2012 – we are really missing you. Katia Lyzogub
Monday, 7 January 2013
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 23, dated August 2012
Dates for your diary
The Medway Cruise on the Allington Belle will set sail from The Malta Inn, Allington at 1.30pm on Sunday 30th September.
A Quiz Night will be held at Bidborough Village Hall at 7.30pm on Saturday 27th October.
A Beetle Drive will be held at The Arc, Gallards Almshouses, Southborough at 7pm on Friday 23rd November.
The Christmas Lunch will be held at the Royal Wells Inn, Tunbridge Wells at 12.30pm on Sunday 2nd December.
Obituary – Ian Hughes Hinton
It is with sadness that we have to display yet another obituary within the pages of our Newsletter. Ian was known to many of us. At Easter, he and his family were involved in an awful road accident, to which reference was made in our last edition. He survived for six weeks under the care of both Glasgow and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals and finally succumbed to his injuries.
Ian was born in Eltham and was educated at Eltham College and Tonbridge School. He graduated from Oxford University and was later called to the Bar. He worked for a time on the editorial staff of The Times and then became a lecturer at Kingston University, but it was the sea that was always in his blood. He rose to Lt. Commander in the Royal Navy Reserve and was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration. As an ardent sailor himself, he thrived on teaching others the skills of seamanship, especially with the London Sailing Project “making young lads sick for a week!” But it was as a family man, a father and grandfather (of eleven grandchildren) that he will be remembered, as well as someone who has played an active part in local charities as well as in his home village of Bidborough. He was a Reader in the local church and his spiritual side made him a person of great compassion, as well of endearing wisdom. He was also a very amusing man, revelling in a good joke and often chuckling at the surreal side of life. Taking into account his popularity, it was no surprise that Bidborough Church was packed out at his funeral, with many people standing outside the church listening to the service on the relay system. He now rests at Bidborough Churchyard.
His sort of compassion and generosity led him to join SAKA and he and Rosemary attended our various meetings and events when they could, bearing in mind that in later life Ian was suffering from painful disabilities. I and so many – whether in SAKA, Bidborough or the wider community – will miss him enormously and will count it a great privilege to have known this lovely, remarkable man.
Michael Lee
The Medway Cruise – Sunday 30th September 1.30-3.30pm from The Malta Inn, Allington ME14 3AS
£18 per adult and £10 per child, including light lunch.
“Of all the events we held last year, the most enjoyable was the cruise on the Allington Belle along the River Medway. It was so relaxing to travel along Kent’s premier river at a gentle unhurried pace, enjoying the riverside properties, gardens, the dozens of boats tied up along the banks, the bird life and the pleasant company of good friends. The delicious tea provided was much appreciated and excellent value – and the bar remained open!” –
Mike Hancock
Congratulations to SAKA members Farah and Nasir Jamil
Nasir and Farah were blessed with a baby daughter, Minal, on 17th June. As you know, Farah and Nasir hail from Pakistan. There is an Islamic tradition for the parents, in celebration, to shave the hair from the baby’s head after seven days, weigh it and donate the equivalent weight in gold as a zakat, a charitable donation to the poor. The ceremony resulted in £200 being duly sent to Nasir’s father to distribute amongst the poor in Farah and Nasir’s home village of Jalal Abad. Following another tradition, Aqeegah, within seven days Nasir’s father sacrificed a goat, the meat of which was distributed amongst the poor. Minal was appropriately born on Father’s Day. On starting school, Minal will, of course, automatically become a family member of SAKA.
Who else can claim to come from a town or village named after a relative? Jalal Abad was named after Nasir’s grandfather, Jalal Din, who was Finance Minister in the State of Bahawalpur before the partition of India.
More than one winner of Euro 2012!
So at last, The European Cup Football Tournament is over and Spain won! But what of the host countries, Poland and Ukraine, who received such a bad press before the tournament began. Did they come out of it as winners or losers?
The only disturbing incident I can recall was a clash between Russian and Polish supporters, when the two teams played each other and that could hardly be attributed to negligence on the part of the Polish Authorities. There were also some firecrackers thrown onto the pitch by one group of spectators, but the stadium stewards seemed to have dealt with this calmly and efficiently. Certainly no blame could be attached to the host country. In fact, it appears that those who attended the matches and visited both countries were treated with politeness and consideration throughout. Those who ventured into the towns and countryside liked what they saw and enjoyed the hospitality of the local people.
I hope those who visited Ukraine will wish to return in the future and get to know it better. It was a shame that the European dignitaries - who decided not to attend the tournament due to the imprisonment of the opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko – denied themselves the opportunity of learning more about the country and meeting some of its people. Tymoshenko herself made it quite clear that she did not want them to stay away. In an article to the Guardian newspaper, the Ambassador of Ukraine, Volodomyr Khandogiy, responded to the hostility of some of the press coverage prior to the start of the tournament. He wrote:
“My countrymen are looking forward to show our openness and hospitality to the World. Recent allegations about racial intolerance in Ukraine are scaremongering. Boycotting the Euros or Olympics would take us back to the times of the Cold War. We are not perfect, but nobody is. So instead of puzzling over finding ways to punish, it might be better to look for ideas how to help”, -I agree with His Excellency
I remember how dubious I was when I first visited Ukraine in September 2003, but being met at Borispol International Airport near Kiev with kisses, hugs and bouquets of flowers set things off to a good start and the four of us were treated throughout our stay with generous hospitality and great kindness wherever we went. No wonder I have been so often and am confident of encouraging SAKA members to visit Ukraine.
The magnificent capital of Kiev, where the final of the tournament took place, is thought of as “The Heart of Ukraine” and our friendship town of Kaniv is considered to be “The Soul of Ukraine”. I have stayed in both and rejoice that I have had the opportunity to do so. There are many other parts of this vast country I would like to have seen, but my chances of doing so are now pretty remote, so I must be grateful for past pleasures, happy memories and the many friendships made over the years since that first visit.
Despite the scare stories before the event, I believe the host countries did extremely well for their visitors. So yes, Ukraine and Poland too were, in my opinion, winners during the major football tournament of 2012.
Mike Handcock, Chairman
The Garden Friendship Afternoons in May and June
We did things slightly differently this year. Instead of having three or four gardens to visit in one day, we visited one garden each over four consecutive weekends. The first of these was Mike and Rhona Handcock’s garden in Bidborough on Saturday 12th May, followed by David Ward’s garden, also in Bidborough, on Saturday 19th. On Saturday 26th we were in Southborough at the garden of Bert and Val Alldis. On each Saturday the weather was lovely. Keith and Lynda Emberson opened their garden on the garden in the Broadwater area of Tunbridge Wells on Sunday 3rd June, the day of the Queen’s Jubilee River Pageant. As everyone will recall it rained most odf the day and therefore much of the time had to be spent indoors, but we all braved the weather for a photo! It was agreed that Val and Bert should receive recognition for their hard work and they were awarded the trophy for Best Garden. Lynda Emberson
Over the four week period £158.56 was raised to boost our funds. Altogether it was a very worthwhile activity, thanks to all our hosts and to those who visited one or more of the gardens, enjoying very pleasant surroundings and good company. Mike Handcock
Coffee Morning on Sunday 22nd July and the Lotto Club Draw
A most enjoyable social occasion hosted by Lynda and Keith Emberson at their home in Tunbridge Wells. As always the food and drink was delicious and it was pleasant enough to sit in the garden, chat and take part in a raffle.
The first set of draws took place in this year’s Lotto Club and an amazing thing happened. The promoter is always careful to ensure the cards with the members’ numbers are firmly held with the numbers face down. After each draw the winning card is returned to the pack and the pack is then shuffled. Our President, Jacqui Jedrzejewski drew the first number and then others present took turns to draw the next four winners and this is what happened:
March – winning number 22, Michael Lee
April – winning number 22, Michael Lee
May – winning number 3, Arthur Angel
June – winning number 1, Val Alldis
July – winning number 22, Michael Lee.
Thanks to all those who have joined the club so far. There are Thirty-nine Lotto Club members so far. If you would like to be in with a chance for the five months from August to December, please send in your application by Wednesday, 31st October latest! We do know that the December prize will be at least £50 and the draw will take place after the Christmas lunch.
Updating our website
Negotiations are in progress and it is hoped to be announced very soon that we have a local company sponsoring our website.
We are constantly keeping our eyes open for more interesting items about Southborough and Kaniv to include in the website. In recent months, pages have been added for Barnetts Wood, the Botticelli copy at St. Thomas’ Church and the memorial in St. Matthew’s Church to the HMS Hythe WWI disaster, Southborough and High Brooms’ worst wartime tragedy. Updates have been made to the pages for the Colebrook Viaduct, St. Peter’s Church, Southborough Common, David Salomons’ House and the C.J. Gallard Almshouses.. We are currently researching Bidborough and keeping our eyes on the planned siting by the Southborough Society of green plaques outside the homes of prominent former citizens. More information has been received from Kaniv, but it has not been easy translating from the Ukrainian originals. Take a look at the Southborough Gallery right now! Brian Dobson
Membership matters
We are pleased to welcome David Marriott to membership and hope he will be able to take part in the remaining activities we are planning for 2012.
Unfortunately Keith Bridgland is no longer able to continue his membership. Sadly his eye problems have meant he has had to give up driving and he lives out in Hawkhurst. Taking part in activities, as he would like to, has become very difficult, so it is a sensible decision to resign, but if he moves back this wa, he will rejoin. He sends his best wishes. We will miss him and wish him well in the future.
Membership currently stands at 66.
Supplement to Newsletter 23
More on the Behaviour of Football Fans
Mike Handcock shared with me his article on the UEFA 2012 Football Championship. I too was saddened by reports of alleged football violence in Ukraine, which I could not believe. From the autumn of 1999 until January 2002 I worked in Kiev and regularly attended football matches. Not once did I see the slightest sign of violence. Indeed the Ukrainians showed me something our own football crowds come nowhere near to matching for sportsmanship.
Towards the end of the season 2000-2001 Dynamo Kiev played at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, at a time when both teams were contesting the league championship. So many people wanted to see the match, that it was transferred from Dynamo’s 16,000 capacity stadium to the 85,000 capacity Olympic Stadium in Kiev. 25,000 fans from Donetsk travelled to Kiev by coach, a distance equivalent to that between London and Edinburgh, to see the match. Most Dynamo fans were seated in the main stand and all around the lower tier surrounding the pitch to create a sea of blue, while the Shakhtar fans were seated above them in the upper tier, a solid block of orange. Shakhtar won the match 2:1. At the final whistle the Dynamo fans stood up, looked towards the upper tier and burst into applause. The Shakhtar fans responded likewise.
In our media in Britain, during the 2012 Euro Championship, the role of the media in provoking violence between the Polish and the Russian fans was not reported. Take a look at the front page of the pre-match Polish edition of Newsweek. It reads “Poland-Russia. Battle of Warsaw 2012. Why in matches with Russia it is not just football.” The illustration has been mocked up to show Polish trainer Franciszek Smuda dressed in a Polish officer’s uniform, circa WWII. Remember that in 1940 Josef Stalin ordered all prisoners-of-war officers of the Polish Army to be taken to the Katyn Forest near Smolensk and be executed. Is it any wonder that emotions were running high?
Brian Dobson
The Medway Cruise on the Allington Belle will set sail from The Malta Inn, Allington at 1.30pm on Sunday 30th September.
A Quiz Night will be held at Bidborough Village Hall at 7.30pm on Saturday 27th October.
A Beetle Drive will be held at The Arc, Gallards Almshouses, Southborough at 7pm on Friday 23rd November.
The Christmas Lunch will be held at the Royal Wells Inn, Tunbridge Wells at 12.30pm on Sunday 2nd December.
Obituary – Ian Hughes Hinton
It is with sadness that we have to display yet another obituary within the pages of our Newsletter. Ian was known to many of us. At Easter, he and his family were involved in an awful road accident, to which reference was made in our last edition. He survived for six weeks under the care of both Glasgow and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals and finally succumbed to his injuries.
Ian was born in Eltham and was educated at Eltham College and Tonbridge School. He graduated from Oxford University and was later called to the Bar. He worked for a time on the editorial staff of The Times and then became a lecturer at Kingston University, but it was the sea that was always in his blood. He rose to Lt. Commander in the Royal Navy Reserve and was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration. As an ardent sailor himself, he thrived on teaching others the skills of seamanship, especially with the London Sailing Project “making young lads sick for a week!” But it was as a family man, a father and grandfather (of eleven grandchildren) that he will be remembered, as well as someone who has played an active part in local charities as well as in his home village of Bidborough. He was a Reader in the local church and his spiritual side made him a person of great compassion, as well of endearing wisdom. He was also a very amusing man, revelling in a good joke and often chuckling at the surreal side of life. Taking into account his popularity, it was no surprise that Bidborough Church was packed out at his funeral, with many people standing outside the church listening to the service on the relay system. He now rests at Bidborough Churchyard.
His sort of compassion and generosity led him to join SAKA and he and Rosemary attended our various meetings and events when they could, bearing in mind that in later life Ian was suffering from painful disabilities. I and so many – whether in SAKA, Bidborough or the wider community – will miss him enormously and will count it a great privilege to have known this lovely, remarkable man.
Michael Lee
The Medway Cruise – Sunday 30th September 1.30-3.30pm from The Malta Inn, Allington ME14 3AS
£18 per adult and £10 per child, including light lunch.
“Of all the events we held last year, the most enjoyable was the cruise on the Allington Belle along the River Medway. It was so relaxing to travel along Kent’s premier river at a gentle unhurried pace, enjoying the riverside properties, gardens, the dozens of boats tied up along the banks, the bird life and the pleasant company of good friends. The delicious tea provided was much appreciated and excellent value – and the bar remained open!” –
Mike Hancock
Congratulations to SAKA members Farah and Nasir Jamil
Nasir and Farah were blessed with a baby daughter, Minal, on 17th June. As you know, Farah and Nasir hail from Pakistan. There is an Islamic tradition for the parents, in celebration, to shave the hair from the baby’s head after seven days, weigh it and donate the equivalent weight in gold as a zakat, a charitable donation to the poor. The ceremony resulted in £200 being duly sent to Nasir’s father to distribute amongst the poor in Farah and Nasir’s home village of Jalal Abad. Following another tradition, Aqeegah, within seven days Nasir’s father sacrificed a goat, the meat of which was distributed amongst the poor. Minal was appropriately born on Father’s Day. On starting school, Minal will, of course, automatically become a family member of SAKA.
Who else can claim to come from a town or village named after a relative? Jalal Abad was named after Nasir’s grandfather, Jalal Din, who was Finance Minister in the State of Bahawalpur before the partition of India.
More than one winner of Euro 2012!
So at last, The European Cup Football Tournament is over and Spain won! But what of the host countries, Poland and Ukraine, who received such a bad press before the tournament began. Did they come out of it as winners or losers?
The only disturbing incident I can recall was a clash between Russian and Polish supporters, when the two teams played each other and that could hardly be attributed to negligence on the part of the Polish Authorities. There were also some firecrackers thrown onto the pitch by one group of spectators, but the stadium stewards seemed to have dealt with this calmly and efficiently. Certainly no blame could be attached to the host country. In fact, it appears that those who attended the matches and visited both countries were treated with politeness and consideration throughout. Those who ventured into the towns and countryside liked what they saw and enjoyed the hospitality of the local people.
I hope those who visited Ukraine will wish to return in the future and get to know it better. It was a shame that the European dignitaries - who decided not to attend the tournament due to the imprisonment of the opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko – denied themselves the opportunity of learning more about the country and meeting some of its people. Tymoshenko herself made it quite clear that she did not want them to stay away. In an article to the Guardian newspaper, the Ambassador of Ukraine, Volodomyr Khandogiy, responded to the hostility of some of the press coverage prior to the start of the tournament. He wrote:
“My countrymen are looking forward to show our openness and hospitality to the World. Recent allegations about racial intolerance in Ukraine are scaremongering. Boycotting the Euros or Olympics would take us back to the times of the Cold War. We are not perfect, but nobody is. So instead of puzzling over finding ways to punish, it might be better to look for ideas how to help”, -I agree with His Excellency
I remember how dubious I was when I first visited Ukraine in September 2003, but being met at Borispol International Airport near Kiev with kisses, hugs and bouquets of flowers set things off to a good start and the four of us were treated throughout our stay with generous hospitality and great kindness wherever we went. No wonder I have been so often and am confident of encouraging SAKA members to visit Ukraine.
The magnificent capital of Kiev, where the final of the tournament took place, is thought of as “The Heart of Ukraine” and our friendship town of Kaniv is considered to be “The Soul of Ukraine”. I have stayed in both and rejoice that I have had the opportunity to do so. There are many other parts of this vast country I would like to have seen, but my chances of doing so are now pretty remote, so I must be grateful for past pleasures, happy memories and the many friendships made over the years since that first visit.
Despite the scare stories before the event, I believe the host countries did extremely well for their visitors. So yes, Ukraine and Poland too were, in my opinion, winners during the major football tournament of 2012.
Mike Handcock, Chairman
The Garden Friendship Afternoons in May and June
We did things slightly differently this year. Instead of having three or four gardens to visit in one day, we visited one garden each over four consecutive weekends. The first of these was Mike and Rhona Handcock’s garden in Bidborough on Saturday 12th May, followed by David Ward’s garden, also in Bidborough, on Saturday 19th. On Saturday 26th we were in Southborough at the garden of Bert and Val Alldis. On each Saturday the weather was lovely. Keith and Lynda Emberson opened their garden on the garden in the Broadwater area of Tunbridge Wells on Sunday 3rd June, the day of the Queen’s Jubilee River Pageant. As everyone will recall it rained most odf the day and therefore much of the time had to be spent indoors, but we all braved the weather for a photo! It was agreed that Val and Bert should receive recognition for their hard work and they were awarded the trophy for Best Garden. Lynda Emberson
Over the four week period £158.56 was raised to boost our funds. Altogether it was a very worthwhile activity, thanks to all our hosts and to those who visited one or more of the gardens, enjoying very pleasant surroundings and good company. Mike Handcock
Coffee Morning on Sunday 22nd July and the Lotto Club Draw
A most enjoyable social occasion hosted by Lynda and Keith Emberson at their home in Tunbridge Wells. As always the food and drink was delicious and it was pleasant enough to sit in the garden, chat and take part in a raffle.
The first set of draws took place in this year’s Lotto Club and an amazing thing happened. The promoter is always careful to ensure the cards with the members’ numbers are firmly held with the numbers face down. After each draw the winning card is returned to the pack and the pack is then shuffled. Our President, Jacqui Jedrzejewski drew the first number and then others present took turns to draw the next four winners and this is what happened:
March – winning number 22, Michael Lee
April – winning number 22, Michael Lee
May – winning number 3, Arthur Angel
June – winning number 1, Val Alldis
July – winning number 22, Michael Lee.
Thanks to all those who have joined the club so far. There are Thirty-nine Lotto Club members so far. If you would like to be in with a chance for the five months from August to December, please send in your application by Wednesday, 31st October latest! We do know that the December prize will be at least £50 and the draw will take place after the Christmas lunch.
Updating our website
Negotiations are in progress and it is hoped to be announced very soon that we have a local company sponsoring our website.
We are constantly keeping our eyes open for more interesting items about Southborough and Kaniv to include in the website. In recent months, pages have been added for Barnetts Wood, the Botticelli copy at St. Thomas’ Church and the memorial in St. Matthew’s Church to the HMS Hythe WWI disaster, Southborough and High Brooms’ worst wartime tragedy. Updates have been made to the pages for the Colebrook Viaduct, St. Peter’s Church, Southborough Common, David Salomons’ House and the C.J. Gallard Almshouses.. We are currently researching Bidborough and keeping our eyes on the planned siting by the Southborough Society of green plaques outside the homes of prominent former citizens. More information has been received from Kaniv, but it has not been easy translating from the Ukrainian originals. Take a look at the Southborough Gallery right now! Brian Dobson
Membership matters
We are pleased to welcome David Marriott to membership and hope he will be able to take part in the remaining activities we are planning for 2012.
Unfortunately Keith Bridgland is no longer able to continue his membership. Sadly his eye problems have meant he has had to give up driving and he lives out in Hawkhurst. Taking part in activities, as he would like to, has become very difficult, so it is a sensible decision to resign, but if he moves back this wa, he will rejoin. He sends his best wishes. We will miss him and wish him well in the future.
Membership currently stands at 66.
Supplement to Newsletter 23
More on the Behaviour of Football Fans
Mike Handcock shared with me his article on the UEFA 2012 Football Championship. I too was saddened by reports of alleged football violence in Ukraine, which I could not believe. From the autumn of 1999 until January 2002 I worked in Kiev and regularly attended football matches. Not once did I see the slightest sign of violence. Indeed the Ukrainians showed me something our own football crowds come nowhere near to matching for sportsmanship.
Towards the end of the season 2000-2001 Dynamo Kiev played at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, at a time when both teams were contesting the league championship. So many people wanted to see the match, that it was transferred from Dynamo’s 16,000 capacity stadium to the 85,000 capacity Olympic Stadium in Kiev. 25,000 fans from Donetsk travelled to Kiev by coach, a distance equivalent to that between London and Edinburgh, to see the match. Most Dynamo fans were seated in the main stand and all around the lower tier surrounding the pitch to create a sea of blue, while the Shakhtar fans were seated above them in the upper tier, a solid block of orange. Shakhtar won the match 2:1. At the final whistle the Dynamo fans stood up, looked towards the upper tier and burst into applause. The Shakhtar fans responded likewise.
In our media in Britain, during the 2012 Euro Championship, the role of the media in provoking violence between the Polish and the Russian fans was not reported. Take a look at the front page of the pre-match Polish edition of Newsweek. It reads “Poland-Russia. Battle of Warsaw 2012. Why in matches with Russia it is not just football.” The illustration has been mocked up to show Polish trainer Franciszek Smuda dressed in a Polish officer’s uniform, circa WWII. Remember that in 1940 Josef Stalin ordered all prisoners-of-war officers of the Polish Army to be taken to the Katyn Forest near Smolensk and be executed. Is it any wonder that emotions were running high?
Brian Dobson
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 22, dated April 2012
Date for your diaries
The series of Garden Friendship Days, running throughout May, will end with the fourth to be held at the home of Lynda Emberson on Sunday 3rd June, 2.30 – 4.30.
A Coffee Morning will be held from 10am-noon on Sunday 22nd July at the home of Lynda Emberson
Obituary – Hilary Clements
Although afflicted by ill health throughout virtually the whole of her adult life, Hilary Clements was one of the most cheerful people one could ever hope to meet. It was a joy to be in her company and a great sadness to learn of her death on 15th February at the early age of 59 years. She had a wide circle of friends, despite the difficulties she encountered due to mobility problems and numerous weeks spent in various hospitals. It was no surprise therefore that her funeral was attended by some two hundred people, many of whom had travelled a considerable distance in order to be there to say their farewells to a remarkable, much loved, greatly admired lady and to support her dear mother, Dorothy, who has lost not only a beloved daughter but a best friend and wonderful companion. Hilary and Dorothy joined SAKA soon after its formation and, although unable to attend many events, they have been loyal, generous members throughout, always keen to be kept informed of our activities. Our warm friendship with Dorothy will continue just as our memory of Hilary will forever remain one of gratitude, that we were fortunate enough to know her.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
The Hinton Family – Sam deserves a medal!
Whilst on holiday in Scotland recently, the Hintons were involved in a horrendous road accident, when the vehicle, in which they were travelling, skidded on an icy road and plunged into a loch. For some time they were trapped, with poor Ian under water. However grandson Sam instructed by his mother, Rebecca, managed to hold Ian’s head above water. When they managed to get free, Ian was helped out of the icy water and swiftly taken to hospital, where he spent several days in intensive care. Thankfully he is recovering, as are the rest of his family. Well done Sam, who, despite his own injuries, did a wonderful job in helping to save his Grandad’s life.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
A Message from Our New President, Jacqui Jedrzejewski
As you will see from this edition of the Newsletter, it has been a very active last few months, the highlights being our AGM and our “Start of the Year Dinner”. It was my great pleasure to be selected as your new President at the AGM and I very much hope to be able to continue to champion the SAKA twinning activities and fundraising events over the next twelve months. Being the current Town Mayor, as well as a Councillor, I hope to be able to raise the profile of SAKA and meet as many of you as I can over the coming months ahead. Of course my acceptance of the role is bittersweet, given that the vacancy was due to the sad passing of Councillor Peter Crawford. I would like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to Peter, who did so much for our Association and was such a keen supporter. You will all know by now, to our great regret, that he died suddenly at home in January. I am passionate about twinning and enabling communities from different countries to establish a link which enables the citizens of both those communities to get to know each other. The aim is, quite simply, to let people discover what life is like in the twin town; how the people live, work and play. The building of individual friendships and shared experiences plays a vital part in better overall international relations and highlights how we can help support each other. I am keen to widen our base of supporters in the area and want to try and establish a list of residents in and around Tunbridge Wells, who were perhaps born or have lived in Ukraine. I am sure, that, if we can locate them, they will be interested in joining SAKA. I would also like to personally thank all the committee members for the continued enthusiasm and hard work in keeping the Association going and for all that they do. They are the driving force behind all the activities we get to enjoy and frequently give many hours of their own time to this good cause.
Jacqui Jedrzejewski.
The annual “Start of the Year” Dinner
A reasonably-priced three-course meal with three choices was offered by a hard-working team. It was a social occasion, which was well supported by members and guests, and included our newly elected President. Despite her injured right elbow, Cllr. Jacqui Jedrzejewski, the Mayor of Southborough, managed to attend and enjoyed the occasion, as we all did. Our congratulations to Elaine Lawrence, whose idea and ambition it was to provide a community facility for the people of Southborough and High Brooms to enjoy. Bliss Café is much more than a place to eat. There is a well-used billiard table, a room upstairs where meetings can be held and a toddlers’ playpen. Well done Elaine as once again you did us proud. Keep up the good work! Thank you!
Contact with Friends in Molo
Good neighbours of mine, Val and Tony Fitzpatrick, have recently visited Molo in Kenya, so I had the opportunity of sending with them a letter for Anthony Wainainah, whom we met with his colleague Stephen Ikenye, when they joined us for a Christmas lunch at the Abergavenny Arms in 2010. They have kept in touch since and Bert has emailed to them our newsletters. So I was delighted to receive letters from both our friends, when Val and Tony returned home. This is what Anthony wrote and I would like to share it with you.:-
Dear Mike,
I too couldn’t miss this wonderful opportunity to salute all of you good S.A.K.A. friends. I must admit I was elated to receive the letter thru’ Val and Fitz! We are all good friends and God loves us ALL.
The week has been busy, dusty and dry! Val and Tony have been around. They have been having good times with the community. God willing, you will also have the chance to come and visit us.
Thank you for your prayers, which were helpful, and continue praying; and we will also keep praying for all of you.
We will continue communicating through the emails. Tell the S.A.K.A. members to keep up the good work they are doing for the community. God bless them all. I’ll e-mail soon.
Bye to you all,
Tony Wainainah
I also received an interesting letter from Stephen – thanks to them both. Whilst it would be great to visit Molo, I think it unlikely for me. A number of us showed support for our Kenyan friends by attending the Nairobi Chamber Chorus Concert at Salomons. The Choir is performing at Windsor Castle in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
The Annual General Meeting, 18th February 2012, at Gallards
Sadly our Chairman, Mike Handcock, had to start the proceedings by acknowledging the deaths of our former President, Councillor Peter Crawford, who died on the 21st January, and also Bob Constable, Pat Heywood-Young and most recently, on 15th February, of Hilary Clements. Members stood for one minute’s silence in memory of those four loyal and generous friends, who are much missed. Reports were then received from the Chairman Secretary and Treasurer. These were duly approved. Copies are available on request from the Secretary. Councillor Jacqui Jedrzejewski, Mayor of Southborough, joined us last May and agreed to become our new President until her term of office ends twelve months later. She has now confirmed her willingness to continue beyond then, a decision about which we are very pleased. Jacqui presided over the election of the Committee, at which the existing members were re-elected for another year. A very interesting illustrated talk was given by Brenda Greenwood about the excellent work the charity “Hope Now” is carrying out in Cherkassy, which is the main city of the region in which Kaniv is situated. This made a very pleasant ending for the 24 people present and our thanks go to Barbara and Phil & Vera Sandford. Phil and Vera are local members of “Hope Now” and arranged for Brenda to be our speaker.
Keep an Eye on the Website!
Work is in progress to add some new pages to the website. In addition we shall be adding new photographs to some of the existing pages.
Global Camp 2012, Cranbrook, 28th July – 5th August
Following the success of Euro Camp 2010 the Kent Youth Service is organising another such event this summer at Swattenden, near Cranbrook. Iryna Datsenko and Svitlana Yakymenko, who both teach at School No. 6 in Kaniv, will lead the group from Ukraine. Some of the youngsters in the group have attended previously and Iryna has been a welcome visitor to Southborough on four occasions. She speaks and understands English very well and it will be great to see her again. Svitlana is fluent in French, superb on the dancefloor (where language skills do not matter at all) and her English is improving. We have no plans to host our friends as we did in 2010, but it is hoped that some provision can be made for those members, who wish to meet them.
Membership Update
We now have 67 members, of whom 34 have already renewed their membership, and five have standing orders to renew on specific dates during the year. At the AGM it was agreed that we would retain the cost of membership at the same rate as last year: £4 per adult or £7 for a family membership. May we please issue a gentle reminder to those intending to renew.
Lotto Club 2012
The series of Garden Friendship Days, running throughout May, will end with the fourth to be held at the home of Lynda Emberson on Sunday 3rd June, 2.30 – 4.30.
A Coffee Morning will be held from 10am-noon on Sunday 22nd July at the home of Lynda Emberson
Obituary – Hilary Clements
Although afflicted by ill health throughout virtually the whole of her adult life, Hilary Clements was one of the most cheerful people one could ever hope to meet. It was a joy to be in her company and a great sadness to learn of her death on 15th February at the early age of 59 years. She had a wide circle of friends, despite the difficulties she encountered due to mobility problems and numerous weeks spent in various hospitals. It was no surprise therefore that her funeral was attended by some two hundred people, many of whom had travelled a considerable distance in order to be there to say their farewells to a remarkable, much loved, greatly admired lady and to support her dear mother, Dorothy, who has lost not only a beloved daughter but a best friend and wonderful companion. Hilary and Dorothy joined SAKA soon after its formation and, although unable to attend many events, they have been loyal, generous members throughout, always keen to be kept informed of our activities. Our warm friendship with Dorothy will continue just as our memory of Hilary will forever remain one of gratitude, that we were fortunate enough to know her.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
The Hinton Family – Sam deserves a medal!
Whilst on holiday in Scotland recently, the Hintons were involved in a horrendous road accident, when the vehicle, in which they were travelling, skidded on an icy road and plunged into a loch. For some time they were trapped, with poor Ian under water. However grandson Sam instructed by his mother, Rebecca, managed to hold Ian’s head above water. When they managed to get free, Ian was helped out of the icy water and swiftly taken to hospital, where he spent several days in intensive care. Thankfully he is recovering, as are the rest of his family. Well done Sam, who, despite his own injuries, did a wonderful job in helping to save his Grandad’s life.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
A Message from Our New President, Jacqui Jedrzejewski
As you will see from this edition of the Newsletter, it has been a very active last few months, the highlights being our AGM and our “Start of the Year Dinner”. It was my great pleasure to be selected as your new President at the AGM and I very much hope to be able to continue to champion the SAKA twinning activities and fundraising events over the next twelve months. Being the current Town Mayor, as well as a Councillor, I hope to be able to raise the profile of SAKA and meet as many of you as I can over the coming months ahead. Of course my acceptance of the role is bittersweet, given that the vacancy was due to the sad passing of Councillor Peter Crawford. I would like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to Peter, who did so much for our Association and was such a keen supporter. You will all know by now, to our great regret, that he died suddenly at home in January. I am passionate about twinning and enabling communities from different countries to establish a link which enables the citizens of both those communities to get to know each other. The aim is, quite simply, to let people discover what life is like in the twin town; how the people live, work and play. The building of individual friendships and shared experiences plays a vital part in better overall international relations and highlights how we can help support each other. I am keen to widen our base of supporters in the area and want to try and establish a list of residents in and around Tunbridge Wells, who were perhaps born or have lived in Ukraine. I am sure, that, if we can locate them, they will be interested in joining SAKA. I would also like to personally thank all the committee members for the continued enthusiasm and hard work in keeping the Association going and for all that they do. They are the driving force behind all the activities we get to enjoy and frequently give many hours of their own time to this good cause.
Jacqui Jedrzejewski.
The annual “Start of the Year” Dinner
A reasonably-priced three-course meal with three choices was offered by a hard-working team. It was a social occasion, which was well supported by members and guests, and included our newly elected President. Despite her injured right elbow, Cllr. Jacqui Jedrzejewski, the Mayor of Southborough, managed to attend and enjoyed the occasion, as we all did. Our congratulations to Elaine Lawrence, whose idea and ambition it was to provide a community facility for the people of Southborough and High Brooms to enjoy. Bliss Café is much more than a place to eat. There is a well-used billiard table, a room upstairs where meetings can be held and a toddlers’ playpen. Well done Elaine as once again you did us proud. Keep up the good work! Thank you!
Contact with Friends in Molo
Good neighbours of mine, Val and Tony Fitzpatrick, have recently visited Molo in Kenya, so I had the opportunity of sending with them a letter for Anthony Wainainah, whom we met with his colleague Stephen Ikenye, when they joined us for a Christmas lunch at the Abergavenny Arms in 2010. They have kept in touch since and Bert has emailed to them our newsletters. So I was delighted to receive letters from both our friends, when Val and Tony returned home. This is what Anthony wrote and I would like to share it with you.:-
Dear Mike,
I too couldn’t miss this wonderful opportunity to salute all of you good S.A.K.A. friends. I must admit I was elated to receive the letter thru’ Val and Fitz! We are all good friends and God loves us ALL.
The week has been busy, dusty and dry! Val and Tony have been around. They have been having good times with the community. God willing, you will also have the chance to come and visit us.
Thank you for your prayers, which were helpful, and continue praying; and we will also keep praying for all of you.
We will continue communicating through the emails. Tell the S.A.K.A. members to keep up the good work they are doing for the community. God bless them all. I’ll e-mail soon.
Bye to you all,
Tony Wainainah
I also received an interesting letter from Stephen – thanks to them both. Whilst it would be great to visit Molo, I think it unlikely for me. A number of us showed support for our Kenyan friends by attending the Nairobi Chamber Chorus Concert at Salomons. The Choir is performing at Windsor Castle in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant.
Mike Handcock, Chairman.
The Annual General Meeting, 18th February 2012, at Gallards
Sadly our Chairman, Mike Handcock, had to start the proceedings by acknowledging the deaths of our former President, Councillor Peter Crawford, who died on the 21st January, and also Bob Constable, Pat Heywood-Young and most recently, on 15th February, of Hilary Clements. Members stood for one minute’s silence in memory of those four loyal and generous friends, who are much missed. Reports were then received from the Chairman Secretary and Treasurer. These were duly approved. Copies are available on request from the Secretary. Councillor Jacqui Jedrzejewski, Mayor of Southborough, joined us last May and agreed to become our new President until her term of office ends twelve months later. She has now confirmed her willingness to continue beyond then, a decision about which we are very pleased. Jacqui presided over the election of the Committee, at which the existing members were re-elected for another year. A very interesting illustrated talk was given by Brenda Greenwood about the excellent work the charity “Hope Now” is carrying out in Cherkassy, which is the main city of the region in which Kaniv is situated. This made a very pleasant ending for the 24 people present and our thanks go to Barbara and Phil & Vera Sandford. Phil and Vera are local members of “Hope Now” and arranged for Brenda to be our speaker.
Keep an Eye on the Website!
Work is in progress to add some new pages to the website. In addition we shall be adding new photographs to some of the existing pages.
Global Camp 2012, Cranbrook, 28th July – 5th August
Following the success of Euro Camp 2010 the Kent Youth Service is organising another such event this summer at Swattenden, near Cranbrook. Iryna Datsenko and Svitlana Yakymenko, who both teach at School No. 6 in Kaniv, will lead the group from Ukraine. Some of the youngsters in the group have attended previously and Iryna has been a welcome visitor to Southborough on four occasions. She speaks and understands English very well and it will be great to see her again. Svitlana is fluent in French, superb on the dancefloor (where language skills do not matter at all) and her English is improving. We have no plans to host our friends as we did in 2010, but it is hoped that some provision can be made for those members, who wish to meet them.
Membership Update
We now have 67 members, of whom 34 have already renewed their membership, and five have standing orders to renew on specific dates during the year. At the AGM it was agreed that we would retain the cost of membership at the same rate as last year: £4 per adult or £7 for a family membership. May we please issue a gentle reminder to those intending to renew.
Lotto Club 2012
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 21, dated February 2012
Date for your diaries
Start of Our Year Dinner, Saturday 17th March at 7.30pm
This popular annual event will be held once again at Café Bliss, 142 London Road, Southborough.
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 21, dated February 2012
S.A.K.A. Quiz Nite – Saturday 12th November 2011
Our third annual Quiz, held at The Day Centre Hall, Christchurch, Southborough, was a very pleasant occasion with five teams contesting a very close competition to become Champions. Five testing rounds of questions finally resulted in a win for the team consisting of Bob & Colette Marsh and Alain Lewis. Well done, also to both Lynda Emberson and Marian Attwood and her husband Chris, who provided everyone participating with a delicious Ploughman’s Supper, plus extras. A splendid team-effort, which also involved them in shopping for the food beforehand and clearing everything away carefully afterwards to ensure that our deposit cheque was returned to us uncashed. We were also grateful to Peter Jervis of Downinghbury Farm, Pembury, who kindly donated a generous number of his tasty desert apples once again. Altogether, it was a pleasant occasion and good value for the £6.50 it cost each person attending. Our thanks go to the Church authority for allowing us once more to use the venue.
Christmas Lunch Saturday 3rd December 2011
Rather disappointingly only eight people attended the lunch held at The Abergavenny Arms at Frant. As we tried to organise it we became aware that a Saturday just before Christmas when shopping and other festive commitments are on peoples minds is probably not the best time to try and organise such an event. In 2010 it was held on the first Sunday of the month and was much better attended, but the Abergavenny Arms had decided this time not to make the Sunday available. However, those who did attend had a very nice meal in good company so it was enjoyable and a pleasant start to the Festive Season.
Visiting Kaniv in 2012
In our last Newsletter (No. 20), which is still included below, we reported that it is hoped to gain sufficient support amongst our members to arrange a group visit to Kaniv in 2012. September would appear to be an ideal month for such a trip, when both “The Day of Knowledge” and “The Day of Kaniv” are celebrated against a colourful backdrop provided by Mother Nature as she provides her traditional Autumn splendour. Read again the letter from Alina Kharchenko entitled “The Day of Kaniv is our Local Holiday” and the detailed article on how to enjoy “A visit to Kaniv in 2012”. Under the “Kaniv” section of this website you will find details of all the many interesting attractions to be seen in and around Kaniv. We are invited to stay with our Kanivian friends in their homes. It offers a unique opportunity to sample the Ukranian way of life and enjoy the warmth of affectionate Ukrainian hospitality. To express your possible interest in visiting Kaniv in September, please contact our Chairman, Mike Handcock.
SAKA Lotto Club 2011
Final draw on Saturday 3rd December
After the Christmas Lunch the Draw was made to discover who the winners were for the last five months of the year:-
August Vanessa Andrew
September Shirin Hague
October Jacqui Jedrzejewski
November Peter Hayward
Each won £15.50
December Tom Rusbridge
The Top prize of £45.50
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS IN THIS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LOTTO CLUB!
Thirty-six people joined the Club which means that £180 was paid out in prize money whilst the other £180 went to S.A.K.A. funds to help towards our small projects in Kaniv as agreed at last year’s A.G.M. Certainly we didn’t raise as much money as we have done in past years, when we held a Grand Draw, but circumstances have changed and it was the right decision – again agreed at the 2011 A.G.M., to set-up the Lotto Club. The Licensing Authority is happy for us to have a Lotto Club 2012 and as the Committee supported the idea for the final decision to be taken at this year’s Annual General Meeting. Thanks to everyone who took out membership of the Club in its first year.
Secretary’s Report
Another year has passed and we have once more achieved what has seemed at times like the impossible. Thankfully I have had some additional help from Marian Attwood to become Assistant Secretary. Her help has been much appreciated these last few months. Again it has been an eventful year with Our Annual Dinner, a very successful River Cruise, Afternoon Tea, Cabaret, QuizNite and a Christmas Lunch to mention a few. Some have been more successful than others but they all take valuable time to organise and much of this has been done by your Chairman – Mike Handcock. In addition Mike has introduced the Lotto Club which has been a great success in raising additional funds for SAKA, but has also produced additional work. We hope he will be able to continue with this in the future. I would like personally to thank other members of the Committee for their contributions, their time in particular and their patience when I have not produced something that has been requested on time. Bob Constable died suddenly last March. He had attended the Dinner a week earlier, so it was a great shock to us all. I didn’t know Pat Heywood-Young personally, but I did get to know Peter Crawford – our late President, a very generous man, who came to my house for our Coffee Morning event last Summer. My thanks to Jacqui Jedrzejewski, who stepped in to act as President. We said farewell to Mike Bailey who moved to Ireland earlier this year and had done a grand job as Membership Secretary, we wish him well in the future, and hope he keeps in contact with us all. I stood in as acting Membership Secretary until someone could be found to replace him. I have told the Committee that I am willing to stand as Secretary for the coming year while Mike Handcock is our Chairman if no one else comes forward. However this might be a good time to think about the organisation’s future as my work and family commitments are increasing and I will not be able to continue in my present role indefinitely. We need fresh ideas and more Committee members so please consider joining the Committee.
Lynda Emberson
Cabaret Evening – Saturday 1st October
This turned out to be a successful evening although attendance was low. The young String Quartet did amazingly well and has been asked to entertain other local organisations since. Colette Marsh managed to put together some songs and sketches which were well received and included not only an amusing sketch from Colette but also contributions from Mike Handcock, David Ward and Val Davis. Mary Cottle sang beautifully (as always) and it was good to have her as a guest for the second year running. We changed the venue for this event this year to St. Thomas’s Church Hall in Pennington Road and I think I can speak for all those that attended that the venue was ideal for our needs. I am sure we will be planning a similar event for this year. Do make sure you come along and see the talent that we have in our community. Well done to all of you who took part.
Newsletter Support
If you know of anyone who would be willing to support us by advertising in our Newsletter we would like to hear from them. A new printer is required in the future to support the volume of work created by our success.
Tee-Shirt Orders
Summer is coming and white shirts can be ordered with our SAKA logo in a range of sizes priced at approximately £15.00 depending on the volume of orders. Please contact Lynda Emberson for further details.
Membership Report
Welcome to our newest members for the year 2011/2012:-
Mrs Anne Newman
Mr Christopher Attwood
Mrs Chris Day
Cllr. Alain & Mrs Katherine Lewis
Steve & Beverly Henderson
Obituaries
Pat Heywood-Young
It was with sadness that we learnt of the death of Miss Pat Heywood-Young who had been a member of our Association since its early days. Although Pat was not able to be an active member she regularly renewed her membership because she supported the aims of the Association and liked to be kept informed of our activities. She was also a member of SHDOFA and served on their Committee for many years being largely responsible for organising their very successful raffles.Pat was one of a small group who met on a regular basis to improve their French conversation ability and it was always a pleasure to go to her home in Pembury for the lessons as she provided excellent, home-made refreshments. She was a member of the Women in Harmony Choir and a kindly neighbour for ever attending to the needs of those who lived nearby. When we learnt she was terminally ill we took flowers and a card to her home and though not in she was soon on the phone to the Chairman to thank us for the offer of help and, “The beautiful bouquet of flowers very much appreciated”. She is much missed, a lovely lady and a true friend
Our President – Peter Crawford
Peter became our President in 2010 and it was with great sorrow that we learnt of his death as January drew towards its close. He made a good recovery from the illness he experienced last Autumn, was back working hard for the people of Broadwater Ward which he had served for 10 years as a Borough Councillor. An ex-Serviceman, come rain or shine, he travelled into Tunbridge Wells to collect for the Poppy Appeal at Central Station. He must have raised thousands of pounds over his years of endeavour. For an active person it must have been particularly frustrating when he became an amputee but he coped magnificently and didn’t grumble! For SAKA he was a good President and loyal supporter helping out in anyway he could. He will be sorely missed but not forgotten. We have sent our condolences to his family.
Committee Members 2011
Chairman and Events Organiser Mike Handcock
Vice Chair Bob Marsh
Treasurer Bert Alldis
Secretary and Newsletter Editor Lynda Emberson
Membership Secretary on retirement of Mike Bailey Lynda Emberson
Assistant Secretary Marian Attwood
Publicity/ Website Editor Brian Dobson
Committee Members Patrick Moran and Trevor Poile
We would also like to acknowledge the work taken on by James Muir who is the webmaster of the website
Start of Our Year Dinner, Saturday 17th March at 7.30pm
This popular annual event will be held once again at Café Bliss, 142 London Road, Southborough.
Excerpts from Newsletter No. 21, dated February 2012
S.A.K.A. Quiz Nite – Saturday 12th November 2011
Our third annual Quiz, held at The Day Centre Hall, Christchurch, Southborough, was a very pleasant occasion with five teams contesting a very close competition to become Champions. Five testing rounds of questions finally resulted in a win for the team consisting of Bob & Colette Marsh and Alain Lewis. Well done, also to both Lynda Emberson and Marian Attwood and her husband Chris, who provided everyone participating with a delicious Ploughman’s Supper, plus extras. A splendid team-effort, which also involved them in shopping for the food beforehand and clearing everything away carefully afterwards to ensure that our deposit cheque was returned to us uncashed. We were also grateful to Peter Jervis of Downinghbury Farm, Pembury, who kindly donated a generous number of his tasty desert apples once again. Altogether, it was a pleasant occasion and good value for the £6.50 it cost each person attending. Our thanks go to the Church authority for allowing us once more to use the venue.
Christmas Lunch Saturday 3rd December 2011
Rather disappointingly only eight people attended the lunch held at The Abergavenny Arms at Frant. As we tried to organise it we became aware that a Saturday just before Christmas when shopping and other festive commitments are on peoples minds is probably not the best time to try and organise such an event. In 2010 it was held on the first Sunday of the month and was much better attended, but the Abergavenny Arms had decided this time not to make the Sunday available. However, those who did attend had a very nice meal in good company so it was enjoyable and a pleasant start to the Festive Season.
Visiting Kaniv in 2012
In our last Newsletter (No. 20), which is still included below, we reported that it is hoped to gain sufficient support amongst our members to arrange a group visit to Kaniv in 2012. September would appear to be an ideal month for such a trip, when both “The Day of Knowledge” and “The Day of Kaniv” are celebrated against a colourful backdrop provided by Mother Nature as she provides her traditional Autumn splendour. Read again the letter from Alina Kharchenko entitled “The Day of Kaniv is our Local Holiday” and the detailed article on how to enjoy “A visit to Kaniv in 2012”. Under the “Kaniv” section of this website you will find details of all the many interesting attractions to be seen in and around Kaniv. We are invited to stay with our Kanivian friends in their homes. It offers a unique opportunity to sample the Ukranian way of life and enjoy the warmth of affectionate Ukrainian hospitality. To express your possible interest in visiting Kaniv in September, please contact our Chairman, Mike Handcock.
SAKA Lotto Club 2011
Final draw on Saturday 3rd December
After the Christmas Lunch the Draw was made to discover who the winners were for the last five months of the year:-
August Vanessa Andrew
September Shirin Hague
October Jacqui Jedrzejewski
November Peter Hayward
Each won £15.50
December Tom Rusbridge
The Top prize of £45.50
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS IN THIS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LOTTO CLUB!
Thirty-six people joined the Club which means that £180 was paid out in prize money whilst the other £180 went to S.A.K.A. funds to help towards our small projects in Kaniv as agreed at last year’s A.G.M. Certainly we didn’t raise as much money as we have done in past years, when we held a Grand Draw, but circumstances have changed and it was the right decision – again agreed at the 2011 A.G.M., to set-up the Lotto Club. The Licensing Authority is happy for us to have a Lotto Club 2012 and as the Committee supported the idea for the final decision to be taken at this year’s Annual General Meeting. Thanks to everyone who took out membership of the Club in its first year.
Secretary’s Report
Another year has passed and we have once more achieved what has seemed at times like the impossible. Thankfully I have had some additional help from Marian Attwood to become Assistant Secretary. Her help has been much appreciated these last few months. Again it has been an eventful year with Our Annual Dinner, a very successful River Cruise, Afternoon Tea, Cabaret, QuizNite and a Christmas Lunch to mention a few. Some have been more successful than others but they all take valuable time to organise and much of this has been done by your Chairman – Mike Handcock. In addition Mike has introduced the Lotto Club which has been a great success in raising additional funds for SAKA, but has also produced additional work. We hope he will be able to continue with this in the future. I would like personally to thank other members of the Committee for their contributions, their time in particular and their patience when I have not produced something that has been requested on time. Bob Constable died suddenly last March. He had attended the Dinner a week earlier, so it was a great shock to us all. I didn’t know Pat Heywood-Young personally, but I did get to know Peter Crawford – our late President, a very generous man, who came to my house for our Coffee Morning event last Summer. My thanks to Jacqui Jedrzejewski, who stepped in to act as President. We said farewell to Mike Bailey who moved to Ireland earlier this year and had done a grand job as Membership Secretary, we wish him well in the future, and hope he keeps in contact with us all. I stood in as acting Membership Secretary until someone could be found to replace him. I have told the Committee that I am willing to stand as Secretary for the coming year while Mike Handcock is our Chairman if no one else comes forward. However this might be a good time to think about the organisation’s future as my work and family commitments are increasing and I will not be able to continue in my present role indefinitely. We need fresh ideas and more Committee members so please consider joining the Committee.
Lynda Emberson
Cabaret Evening – Saturday 1st October
This turned out to be a successful evening although attendance was low. The young String Quartet did amazingly well and has been asked to entertain other local organisations since. Colette Marsh managed to put together some songs and sketches which were well received and included not only an amusing sketch from Colette but also contributions from Mike Handcock, David Ward and Val Davis. Mary Cottle sang beautifully (as always) and it was good to have her as a guest for the second year running. We changed the venue for this event this year to St. Thomas’s Church Hall in Pennington Road and I think I can speak for all those that attended that the venue was ideal for our needs. I am sure we will be planning a similar event for this year. Do make sure you come along and see the talent that we have in our community. Well done to all of you who took part.
Newsletter Support
If you know of anyone who would be willing to support us by advertising in our Newsletter we would like to hear from them. A new printer is required in the future to support the volume of work created by our success.
Tee-Shirt Orders
Summer is coming and white shirts can be ordered with our SAKA logo in a range of sizes priced at approximately £15.00 depending on the volume of orders. Please contact Lynda Emberson for further details.
Membership Report
Welcome to our newest members for the year 2011/2012:-
Mrs Anne Newman
Mr Christopher Attwood
Mrs Chris Day
Cllr. Alain & Mrs Katherine Lewis
Steve & Beverly Henderson
Obituaries
Pat Heywood-Young
It was with sadness that we learnt of the death of Miss Pat Heywood-Young who had been a member of our Association since its early days. Although Pat was not able to be an active member she regularly renewed her membership because she supported the aims of the Association and liked to be kept informed of our activities. She was also a member of SHDOFA and served on their Committee for many years being largely responsible for organising their very successful raffles.Pat was one of a small group who met on a regular basis to improve their French conversation ability and it was always a pleasure to go to her home in Pembury for the lessons as she provided excellent, home-made refreshments. She was a member of the Women in Harmony Choir and a kindly neighbour for ever attending to the needs of those who lived nearby. When we learnt she was terminally ill we took flowers and a card to her home and though not in she was soon on the phone to the Chairman to thank us for the offer of help and, “The beautiful bouquet of flowers very much appreciated”. She is much missed, a lovely lady and a true friend
Our President – Peter Crawford
Peter became our President in 2010 and it was with great sorrow that we learnt of his death as January drew towards its close. He made a good recovery from the illness he experienced last Autumn, was back working hard for the people of Broadwater Ward which he had served for 10 years as a Borough Councillor. An ex-Serviceman, come rain or shine, he travelled into Tunbridge Wells to collect for the Poppy Appeal at Central Station. He must have raised thousands of pounds over his years of endeavour. For an active person it must have been particularly frustrating when he became an amputee but he coped magnificently and didn’t grumble! For SAKA he was a good President and loyal supporter helping out in anyway he could. He will be sorely missed but not forgotten. We have sent our condolences to his family.
Committee Members 2011
Chairman and Events Organiser Mike Handcock
Vice Chair Bob Marsh
Treasurer Bert Alldis
Secretary and Newsletter Editor Lynda Emberson
Membership Secretary on retirement of Mike Bailey Lynda Emberson
Assistant Secretary Marian Attwood
Publicity/ Website Editor Brian Dobson
Committee Members Patrick Moran and Trevor Poile
We would also like to acknowledge the work taken on by James Muir who is the webmaster of the website
Friday, 6 January 2012
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