Dear Member,
Before looking forward to events at the Club in March it is worth a couple of lines glancing back at the highlights of this month and acknowledging the support of fellow members and friends of the Club. The Valentine’s party will be remembered for the smiles all round. Special thanks go to the House Committee for laying on another great night. In particular, to Derek “The House” Underwood, Mike “Raffles” Nutt, Pat “Money Bags” Harris, Ian “Coleslaw” Kenlin, Mike “The Quiche” Armstrong and special guest Julia “Pop, Fizz, Clink” Hall for helping behind the bar.
February 2017 will also be remembered for the demolition of the trusted boatshed which has served the Club for 30 years. A special “thank you” if you were one of the folk who turned-to and helped clear out the shed and prepare the surrounding ground. By the way, assembly of the new boathouse (by outside contractors) is scheduled to start this coming Monday.
Then there has been the successful winter warm up series of dinghy races and the support of our volunteers in the role of race officer, safety boat crew and in the galley. A special mention goes out to Nigel Darby and to the Shilitoes’ for their help both on and off the water … the lunches served in-between races looked and smelled amazing!
So looking forward, there are the final 2 dinghy “warm up” dates to look forward to in March on Sunday the 12th and 26th respectively. If you fancy getting involved then contact Mark Riley or one of the Sailing Committee. Their contact details can be found in the front of the “Programme of Events” booklet.
Also remember to put the next mid week “Sail & Social” in your diary being Friday 10th March (h.w. 11:17.) The last one was on Friday just gone. David Dean took his Leisure cruiser out while Rob Bodman & Jane Berry where blasting up & down the river in a Super Graduate. They came off the water smiling, but unfortunately it was not the case for David who lost an argument with the boom while trying to retrieve his hat from the water.
If like David you are a cruiser owner then you will be interested to know that the launch dates for MARCH and APRIL are now posted on the Club notice board. (Please do remember that the dates are subject to key members being available to oversee and operate the equipment plus subject to prevailing weather conditions on the day.)
Also applicable to cruiser owners and in particular to those of you who are thinking of selling and buying something bigger or alternatively, perhaps thinking of downsizing then Michael Arrons has very kindly offered to answer any questions you may have, especially regarding the costs involved in selling to a non Club member. Michael can be contacted on 07989 646204.
On the social scene we have our popular first Friday of the month eat-in to look forward to this coming Friday. Please arrive at 7pm for a 7:30pm sit down. This is followed on Sunday 5th by “Club Work Party 1” starting at 9am. We hope to tackle the conservatory with bucket & sponge so please bring along cleaning items. Also, there will be a bit of ditch clearance so picks and spades should be in the boot of your car. Thank you.
Also please make a special note of an impromptu charity quiz night on Saturday 25th March in the Clubhouse. Pat Harris and Penny Yarwood are raising money in order to take part in a charity walk across Great Britain along Hadrian’s Wall. All money raised on the night will go to Alex Lewis and his family. Alex contracted a rare illness which resulted in the amputation of his limbs. Tickets for the quiz night cost £5 per person and includes a “ploughman’s bread & cheese meal. Thank you in anticipation of your generous support on the night.
And finally, if you have not yet renewed your 2017-18 subscription then you are encouraged to do so before the end of MARCH. If you have any questions then David Willsmore our Membership Secretary is on hand. He can be contacted on e-mail at david.willsmore@talktalk.net or his phone number is show inside the front cover of the “Programme of Events” booklet.
I hope you enjoyed this little round up and found it useful.
Regards, Ian
“I must go down to the seas again…” Sea Fever by John Masefield