Things we did in 2011 2012

The Marriott Hotel in Broughton were brilliant enough to donate a voucher for an overnight stay after we held our Charter lunch there in February. After much mulling we decided that we would raffle it at the Regional Meeting and donate the proceeds to Project Sierra as a final fling!

We raised £175 – the winner was Barbara Hulme from Ramsbottom Club. Hope she has a fantastic stay and many thanks to the Marriott.

 

 

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SI Preston held a fundraising evening in June with OneVoice Community Choir.

The hall was packed with people as the choir – all dressed in red and black – sang and clapped and encouraged us all to get up and join in. We learnt some Zulu and we ate wonderful home made cakes. It was a brilliant night – not least because we raised over £800 for this year’s charities.
Thanks to everyone involved.

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Some members of the club got into the swing of things when they attended Blackpool’s Friendship Evening. As it is Blackpool’s 50th year their theme was the ‘Swinging 60s’ – fancy dress optional.
It was held at Farmer Parr’s in Fleetwood in a large barn where we mingled with the other clubs – some in 60s gear – and tried our hand at the 60s quiz. Questions ranged from – ‘what are these sweets’ to the Olympics of the 60s. Let’s just say we didn’t win! But hey! we looked groovy man!

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We’ve had 2 trips over to Yorkshire in the past couple of weeks. Both to the same area – give or take a mile or two.

The first was to the Dewsbury Charter lunch. Dewsbury is one of our Friendship links.
It was a glorious sunny Sunday in June and we all managed to get there in time navigating the rather tricky (unless you know it) junction 27 roundabout.

We all had a brilliant time meeting friends and making new ones. The speaker was author Tony Lee who has spent the past 10+ years writing letters for impossible jobs – to be the Sherriff of Nottingham, to be a Lightening Conductor, to be the Hunchbank of Notre Dame and so it went on. He has an imagination beyond compare – he is the official Beast of Bodmin Moor.

Our second trip over the border was to Floral Arranger Carl Wilde’s house for afternoon tea.

Another really glorious day for us and another quick trip up the motorway – but we are getting to know junction 27 now!

Carl and his partner John live in a cul de sac that backs onto the local cricket ground. Carl designed and had built the terraced garden when they bought the house. We could have been in the Mediterreanean!

We sipped fruit punch as we watched Carl demonstrate three floral arrangements. He used the words ‘bung’ and ‘wack’ several times but the finished articles showed no sign of bunging or wacking. They were sensational.
Afternoon tea was sandwiches – chicken, salmon, cucumber and not a crust in sight followed by scones with thick cream and strawberry jam and plates of wonderful cakes – carrot cake, chocolate fudge, banoffee tarts. Calorie heaven.
John raffled the flowers off and we managed somehow to squeeze them into the minibus.
It was a really lovely afternoon.

 

The theme for this year’s Friendship Evening was Halloween.  Members and guests were invited to enter the ‘spirit’ of the occasion by dressing up which – being vibrant and dynamic – they did!

Guests were welcomed with a Blood curdling Punch  and after being welcomed by President Witchy Karen started the evening by taking part in a Halloween Quiz.  Each team was given a name – Gorgeous Ghouls, Beautiful Beasties and the like and then they took part in a very noisy game of Spooky Charades.  Preston Club member, Barbara Brown then recited two ghostly poems – The Listener and the Highwayman - to a hushed audience.

The quiet was suddenly completely broken when the strains of The Monster Mash broke out and two mad scientists and a monster appeared from behind the screen.  They started to dance – well, one of started to dance – the other two just moved about a bit copying.  The audience were very keen to join in so long as they didn’t have to stand up!

A buffet provided by the members finished the evening off perfectly.

 

 

Some sad news – one of our very long standing members, Beryl Cronkshaw died very suddenly on October 10th – her birthday.  Beryl had been a member of SI Preston for many years and had been a fantastic member and made a brilliant contribution to the club over the years.  It is hard to believe that we won’t see her again.  She will be missed by us all.

 

Members and friends enjoyed a great ‘Night at the Races’ in aid of this year’s club charities.  There were eight races with a winner’s enclosure and owner’s table.  Supper was excellent and everyone had a throughly great time and we raised £360 to boot!

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Welcome to new member Eileen Brierley.  Eileen became a fully fledged member in November.

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Members, family and friends from far and wide enjoyed the ‘Street Party’ Charter Party.  It was the 73rd Charter anniversary for Preston Club and was held at Barton Grange and was to celebrate not only the club’s charter but also Preston Guild and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The room was laid out in street party style and decorated in red, white and blue with bunting and flags and it looked sensational.

After being welcomed by President Karen, the afternoon started with some songs from local Rainbows and Brownies – all potential Soroptimists in fifteen years or so!  Lunch was a delicious buffet after which Preston member Barbara Brown brought back memories for many as she read Joyce Grenfall’s ‘Stately as a Galleon’.

The Toast to Soroptimist International was given by former SI Preston member Irene Curtis who reminded members of her happy times with the club.  Regional President gave a vote of thanks and then members joined in singing alternative versions of ‘All things Bright and Beautiful’ and ‘My Favourite Things’.  This was followed by members of SI Preston who were incredibly enthusiastic in their own rendition of the YMCA but with more pertinent words of ‘SO ROP TI MIST’.  Military Wives started somewhere!

Guests then all joined in with a singalong to ‘Land of Hope of Glory’ whilst waving flags.

It was a really enjoyable and different Charter event.

Members enjoyed a final social event to President Karen’s year when she invited them all to ‘An Afternoon Tea but in the Evening!’ The event was held at Coppers Tea Room in Leyland which was built as the original Police Station and still boasts the cells amongst the original features.

The ladies dined on sandwiches and cakes and generally relaxed and chatted before seeing is everyone could fit into one of the cells.  They could.  The cell was none too comfortable or warm – luckily all members were released without charge!