THE ROTARY CLUB OF FERNDOWN

In this issue

George’s Gossip

Graham Barnett

Everything’s Coming

up Roses

Sports report

Club Golf Day

Shoe Boxes

Jaguar Visit

David Daniels

Inner Wheel

News from France

Fireside Chats

Special points of interest:

Meets at Cobhams Sports and Social Club

Merley Park Road Wimborne

Telephone: 01202 885773

E-Mail: cobhamsport@btconnect..com

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George’s Gossip

Sad news about Graham. Our thoughts are with his daugh-

ters and their families. I’m sure he is in a happier place now,

and re-united with Jo.

It looks like I jinxed August with my comment about how

lovely the weather was. Talk about it never rains but it pours.

Still, we’ve been able to get away for a couple of weekends and

hope you have too. Now starts all the serious fun of Rotary,

with programmes getting into gear. Christmas collections are

on the horizon, along with shoe boxes for disadvantaged chil-

dren. We have the first meeting for the Ferndown Fete on the

Field on 28th September. Do let Derrick or me know if you

would like to get involved. The more, the merrier! Partners’

evening is at the end of the month and I’m looking forward to

seeing you there. We have a great speaker, Captain Phipps,

talking to us about Trinity House. I did some work for them

while with E&Y, so I’m looking forward to hearing how things

have gone over the last couple of decades.

You may be aware by now that the Police Awards will be bi-

annual. This will avoid the Commissioner’s election next

spring as well as give more time for nominations to be earned.

This also gives us more time in our diaries to take on the many

other projects being developed.

George

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of

our friend Graham Barnett.

Graham has been a stalwart of Ferndown Rotary Club

for many years.

He was a part of what was termed ‘The Fabulous Four’

Mike and Marlene Core and Graham and Jo Barnett

Sadly only Marlene is left.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family for their

great loss of Father, Mother and Brother over the past

two years.

Everything’s coming up Roses

At least it will if you have David Bryant as your gardener. The talk “ The Gardening Game “ by

David was a great success. Monty Don eat your heart out. David confessed that he was not much

of an after dinner speaker, but it turned out that he was. Not only did he try to bring ailing plants

back to full bloom, he tried to do the same for people who had problems, such as drink or drug ad-

dictions. He admitted that he had more success with plants. So if you feel to old to mow your lawn

of prune your herbaceous border David and his men are who you want. Apparently he has done

wonders for Helen.

Sports Report

By

John Smith

Unfortunately we will only be entering the District Boules

and Skittles Competitions this year as we can not find the re-

quired number of people for the other categories. So its Balls

or nothing for the Club.

Club Golf Day

At

Canford Magna Golf Club

It was A great day for a game of golf, the weather was perfect. There was 10 of us playing and a

further 7 guests came and joined us for the evening meal, which was Roast Shoulder of Dorset

Lamb followed by Strawberry & Apple Crumble. Once again Jim Sanders was the Champion

Golfer for the Year, with Les Whittingham a close second, he also had the score on the front nine

holes, Chris Loring & Bill Field shared the prize for the best score on the back nine. Trevor

Longcroft was the winner of the Guests Competition. Mike Sismey won the Bill Field Look-a-

Like Trophy for having a bad day. But a very good day was enjoyed by everyone.

Trip to Jaguar Visitor Centre

SHOEBOX SCHEME

We now have the shoebox leaflets that explain what has to be done, and they will be at meetings

from 16th September to remind everyone what to buy for the various age groups and gender. I ask

all members to participate, so get out there and buy lots and lots of shoes! Our deadline for shoe-

boxes to be gathered in is 31 October to meet the District deadline of 12th - 15thNovember at the

collection point which has yet to be nominated. Chris Loring is the Club co-ordinator, so please

liaise with him.

CHRIS MARSHALL

Chairman International

If you’ve ever wondered how a Jaguar is brought to life, here’s your chance to

see the process from start to finish. We’ll take you behind the scenes, where

you’ll see how our specialist teams put these remarkable cars together with

care and craftsmanship.

Each car is made to order and you’ll see how they go through thousands of

precision processes and quality checks on the way through the factory before

each car rolls off the production line en route to it’s new owner , Bill Field has

arranged for a group of us to visit Jaguar on the 27th of October

David Daniels

My Time with Col John Blashford-Snell Expeditions

David a retired dentist came from a Medical Family, Father was a Dentist, Brother was a Doctor

and his Son and Daughter are Doctors and both are married to Doctors. David was a Past Chair-

man of Ringwood Furum Club and has been on three Blashford-Snell Expeditios. South America,

East Timor and Mongolia. He took to Mongolia Dental equipment ,( which this Club helped with

the donation ) for a dental Surgery there. It is good to see where our donations go and hear of how

it helped to improve lives. David managed to give dental treatment to some Mongolians and col-

lected some species of plants for the survey. Though the Mongolians lived in tent like buildings

called Gers, some even had satellite TV, but it was a long way to the nearest supermarket. David

didn’t reckon the Yaks milk and East Timor was in the midst of a revolution, with armed men and

children all over the place, so they didn’t stay there that long.

Mongolia Gers

Mike & David

East Timor Houses

East Timor

INNER WHEEL CLUB OF FERNDOWN

Mike and Sue Sismey kindly hosted a tea party in their lovely garden. On a beautiful after-

noon, members and husbands enjoyed scones, cream and jam along with a mouth-watering

selection of cakes. Craft sessions (plus tea and chat!) are being held to make decorative items

for our stall at the District International Rally in November. In-house instructors are coaxing

amazing creations from inexpert but willing hands.

In March 2009 we became the Sister Club of IW Ipswich Queensland, where Jean Hunter is

welcomed when she and Paul visit Australia. We maintain a lively correspondence. We rejoice

in our similarities as members of IIW but are intrigued by the differences arising from culture

(Morning Tea?), climate (Christmas cooking in 40+ degrees!), and the reversal of seasons

(summer break in January). The venue of a District meeting can bring our counterparts

within range of a Sugar Cane Railway, a Turtle Centre or the Great Barrier Reef.

Our main fundraiser tends to be a quiz, theirs a fashion show (in May 2014 ‘An Afternoon to

Remember’, with fashions through the years).

It was good to have local detail and be able to contribute to worldwide IW support in recovery

from flooding in 2010/11. We look forward to continuing this link.

Mary Tuffrey

Club Correspondent

News from France

Summer in the Vendee

with

Julian & Jenny

We have spent a wonderful summer in the Vendée this year. Quite unexpected because our English

tenants requested an additional 6-months lease during the summer. Wonderful, not only the weather

but all the fun and experiences we have had. The weather has been virtually wall-to-wall blue sky

and sun. A few days of tremendous rain much needed by the farmers, although not enough, and not

needed by the holiday makers - you can't please them all! We arrived back in France beginning of

June and a week later we drove down with the caravan to Avignon which is a long drive south from

us so necessitated a stop-off at one of our favourite camp sites, a small, friendly, family run site

just off the auto route in Bordeaux. The temperature was 40 degrees - stifling - however did manage

a trip to the local supermarket to buy a couple of boxes of Graves, the wine which is produced in the

region and is one of our favourites.

Next day trundled off to Avignon after an early start and arrived late

afternoon. We were there specifically for the annual "Festival" which

is a festival of theatre. There were 1,350 professional theatre groups performing in a period of two

weeks. Every possible venue was booked .

It was the 50th anniversary of the event which was the brain child of the "well-known" actor Jean

Vilar who wanted to bring the theatre within the reach of all. With tickets ranging from 16 - 25 eu-

ros I am not sure he succeeded. Several of the groups were staying in our campsite which gave it a

lovely atmosphere. We were opposite the famous "Pont d'Avignon" and the Popes' Palace which

was well worth a visit.

Did you know that Avignon was a Papal State before the popes departed for Rome? We were also

just 7 minutes walk from the centre of town, which was very convenient since no cars were permit-

ted except for residents with a permit. Marie-France and Pierre were staying in the apartment be-

longing to Pierre's cousin ( Evelyn) who has lived there 30 years and was accorded may privileges

which we were delighted to share. They all met us on our second day for "a coup" (a glass of wine

or two) in our caravan and, after lunch in a restaurant, she took us to a "cave" where we spent sev-

eral hours browsing and tasting and bought a few bottles including "Beaunes de Venise". We then

went on to an amazing local vegetable market. We sat at a bar (as you do) until 6pm when the mar-

ket opened and everyone surged in. It was a market of local producers and boxes of produce liter-

ally flew off the stalls.

The next evening we had a table reserved for us at a bar in the centre of Avignon (not normally pos-

sible) so we could watch in comfort the

spectacular parade on the annual opening. All the groups were dressed

and performing according to their individual roles. On another occasion Evelyn took us to a wonder-

ful seafood lunch in a tiny restaurant run by the local fish stall in the market. Fresh food, quality

service and presentation and a wonderful atmosphere. The downside was that the temperatures

ranged from 29 degrees in the morning to 39 degrees during the day. Too hot for us. We made a

point of visiting the many interesting places in the area during the mornings and relaxed in the af-

ternoons. Pont du Gard, the Camargue, Even the shade was too hot! We did enjoy our nocturnal

strolls around the town, however, which was teeming with activity. Each day from about 4'30 until

the early hours of every day there were performances "on every "street corner" - jugglers, singers,

dancers, bands, acrobats etc - the atmosphere was electric. Every restaurant and bar was brimming

with people - a swirling, whirling singing dancing multi-coloured mass of humanity. It was a won-

derful, not to be missed experience.

More news from La Belle France

A week later we went to St Jean de Monts, in the Vendée, again with the caravan, with Morgane,

our granddaughter, this time, to join up with a group of English caravanners who were there for

their annual Rally.

About 30 caravans of families including youngsters of her age and Morgane had a wonderful time.

They invited her to join in all their activities and she even played rounders, a game unknown to

French children, which she played amazingly well.

In August in France in all regions there are countless events. For example the "Pique-nique" with

our walking group. there were aperos to start (wine and nibbles) , and we all brought our own pic-

nics. A visit to one of the little local towns was included with a guide who recounted the bloody

and murderous history of the Vendéen wars - Royalists against Republicans. After the picnic a

friendly game of boules and then, would you believe, more wine appeared.

On another occasion we played in an open boules competition at La Garnache, the town near to us

but this was a real war and although we both played extremely well we were "bombed out" by play-

ers from Challans (our nearest major town) who were there to win at all cost - not fun!

Rotary also is quite different in July/August. Every 2nd week instead of a meeting there is a get-

together at the home of one of the Rotarians. Everyone brings a contribution and the wine is freely

available - a very sociable event.

Too many other events to describe but this week the "bonjours and the "au revoirs" to our friends in

the Village and nearby"l'équipe" (the team) as Marie France calls them. We visit them at around

mid day when we are offered a "coup" which means usually a glass of Muscadet followed by an

"aperitif" which for us is quite strange because it is port, whisky, sparkling wine etc - the sort of

drink we would expect after a meal. Vive la différence.

And now the downside! Having enjoyed a wonderful summer in France, we are returning for Au-

tumn, perhaps a bit of late summer but hopefully not winter. However, lots to do and lots of peo-

ple to catch up with.

Nonetheless we shall be looking forward to going back to a milder winter climate and a new round

of social events.

St Jean de Monts

“FIRESIDE CHATS”

Wednesday, 23rd September 2015 @ 1900 for 1930 hrs

“Duties of Hosts”

Provide Dinner and liquid refreshments to your Guests.

Collect £10.00 from each guest to help reimburse your costs.

Collect a further £2 from everyone for Foundation and pass money collected to the Club Treasurer.

Act as Chairman for the principal discussion topic, if time discuss the second topic..

Decline to be Group Spokesperson (unless you really want to do it!), to give feedback at the Club

Meeting on 14th October.

Group 1: HOST: Bill Field

Guests: Richard Giles, John Flude, Bob Jones.

Group 2: HOST: Mike Fenner

Guests: Malcom Day, Mike Sismey, Les Whittingham, Mike Clampin

John Smith, Janet Day

Group 3: HOST: Gerry Clarke

Guests: Neville Platt, Jim Sanders, Paul Hunter, Gordon Lewis, Derrick Powell

Group 4: HOST: Martyn James

Guests: Julian Daniel, Paul Bennett, Chris Loring, Neil Meldrum, Helen Chiari

A GRATEFUL “THANK YOU” TO YOU ALL FOR ACCOMMODATING YOUR

FELLOW ROTARIANS AS THEIR ‘HOSTS.’

Any Queries

Contact

Neville Platt

The Object of Rotary

The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as

a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and fos-

ter:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.

2. High ethical standards in business and professions, and the

recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the

dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to

serve society.

3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s

personal, business and community life.

4. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill

and peace through a world fellowship of business and

professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The “Four-Way Test”

First: Is it the truth

Second: Is it fair to all Concerned?

Third: Will it build goodwill and better friend ships

Fourth: Will it be beneficial to all concerned

Business Partners of Ferndown Rotary Club Helping Our Community

Haskins Garden Centres

Henderson’s Opticians

Hendy Group Motor Dealers

Insley & Partners,Solicitors

A.E.Jolliffe & Sons, Funeral Directors

Merlo UK Ltd

Moors Pharmacy

Simon R Puddle, Certified Accountant

Swift Body Repairs

The Practice at Ferndown, Osteopaths

We are extremely grateful for their support