Rhinefield Probus Meeting Report Nov 2015 to Jan 2016
The year 2015 ended on a very positive note for Brockenhurst Rhinefield Probus.
In the latter part of the year there was a surge of membership applications and we are now approaching the point where new applicants may be entered on a waiting list. This does not however preclude those very welcome newcomers from attending meetings but is a sign of the popularity of this Club and an indicator that total capacity is almost reached.
January started off on a musical note with a very informative and interesting talk on The History of the Bagpipe. This presentation was made by Mike Gibson an authority on the subject and one of our own members. Mike has practical experience as he also played in the Royal Air Force Pipe Band. He demonstrated and played many types of bagpipe and the chanters (melody pipes) during his talk. We in the UK normally would regard this instrument as of Scottish origin but this is not so. There are examples in church carvings, works of art and stonemasonry showing conclusively that the origins were in the Middle East, Asia and throughout Europe going back many, many centuries. In recent centuries the airbag has been made from leather taken from a large animal. In the early days however the airbag was the cleaned out skin of an animal often using the holes where the limbs joined the body to incorporate the pipes.
In addition to the use of the bagpipe in traditional and military music they were part of a classical repertoire too. An opera was written by Weinberger called “Schwanda the Bagpiper” which features the bagpipes in one of the acts. Interestingly, although we associate the Scottish pipes with blowing into the airbag, there are many variants where the air is pumped into the bag from underarm bellows.
An invitation to members to try the pipes was not taken up !
Jim Forrest gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the members.
The January walk was around Pennington Marshes along the seawall and foreshore near Lymington and ended at The Chequers Inn where walkers were joined by a number of other members for lunch.
Future events include the Annual Dinner, a visit to the Aston Martin factory and a social weekend at a Warners Hotel.
Rhinefield Probus Meeting Report October 2015
Having magical tricks and illusions carried out within touching distance and right before our eyes brings out the child in all of us.
Rhinefield Probus members were transported back to their childhood by the sleight of hand of the speaker at the October meeting when Roger Daniels (no relation to the well known Paul } came to talk on “Magic behind the screens”.
Roger who is a member of the Magic Circle even has an e-mail address to back up his wizard credentials – magic@rdaniels.co.uk . His presentation on the history and background of the art together with baffling demonstrations of the more popular tricks kept all members trying to fathom out how it was done.
Of course in true Magic Circle tradition there was no explanation of his secrets although he did say that at any Public Library there were some very revealing magic books for those who just had to know !
We are all conscious of our good fortune in living in the area of the UK which includes the New Forest and one of the very enjoyable parts of each month in Rhinefield Probus is the Forest Walk. Members and some partners accompanied by dogs, take a leisurely stroll through the New Forest ending up at a local hostelry for lunch.
In October the walk took place in glorious autumn sunshine starting at Godshill where Peter Robson led members on a gentle four mile walk through fields, woods, and along paths and ended up at The Fighting Cocks at Godshill. At the pub, the walkers were joined by other Rhinefield Probus members who were not able to take the walk but wished to enjoy the fellowship over lunch.
The next walk is on November 11th and will be led by John Cripps. It will take about 2 hours in the Arnwood and Knightwood Enclosures and lunch will follow at the Queens Head at Burley.
Rhinefield Probus Meeting Report July, August & September 2015
The latter part of the summer has been very eventful for the Rhinefield Probus Club. In addition to the well attended monthly club meetings a number of major visits and functions have taken place.
The annual golf competition took place in late July at The Dibden Golf Centre in perfect weather with a good turnout of members supplemented by guests from another local Probus Club. The game was followed by a light dinner. In a closely fought competition Peter Parrott won the Rhinefield Tankard and therefore has the doubtful honour of arranging the competition next year.
The weather makes a huge difference to outdoor events. Tuesday 11th August and Thursday 13th were days of rain and wind. On Wednesday the 12th, the in between day, the sun shone and it was a warm short sleeved sort of day so the club members made the most of their visit to Highclere Castle, the location for the Downton Abbey television series. It turned out to be an inspired choice for not only was the historic house of great interest to the followers of the TV programme but a previous owner, the 5th Earl Carnarvon, sponsored the excavation in Egypt where he and Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. The extensive Tutankhamun exhibition in the Castle is alone worth the visit.
Taking to the water, in August club members were treated to trips around the Solent on The Alison Macgregor a specially adapted vessel for the disabled and their carers which operates, year round, out of Hythe Marina manned by experienced volunteer crews.
Then in September, there was a sea trip from Bournemouth on The Waverley. This is the world’s last sea going passenger paddle steamship in operation and provided a very unforgettable experience for the Rhinefield Probus members!
Club members have enjoyed several four day breaks at country house hotels over the years. The most recent was at Littlecote near Hungerford in late September. This beautiful Tudor palace was the perfect setting for a weekend of relaxing and socialising with good evening entertainment and excellent dining.
Pictures from the event can be found here.
June 2015
There can be nothing more English than having a Garden Party amongst friends on a summers day when all the right elements come together.
In this particular case the Rhinefield Probus Annual Barbeque was held in a member’s garden which was spacious, filled with summer shrubs and flowers and immaculately kept by its owners. The weather was perfect with wall to wall sunshine and just a slight breeze to retain a pleasant temperature.
A splendid lunch was provided from a communal barbeque at tables shielded by colourful gazebos. The wine flowed freely and, as they say, a good time was had by all.
At the June meeting at The Forest Park Hotel Mr John Ellis gave a talk on the history of the motor car. The early days of motoring was the province of the wealthy but also beset by all types of teething problems from mechanical breakdowns (frequent) to punctures (even more frequent) and one must have been a real pioneer to embark on journeys with all the difficulties that arose.
It is enlightening to think of such a common and reliable product which we now take for granted as being one fraught with problems in those early days.
May 20th Club Meeting
Now you would think that a lady Solicitor giving a talk on Probate to an association of retired businessmen would lead to a few of the listeners nodding off over their morning coffees. In fact one might be tempted to put money on that happening.
A seemingly dry as dust topic like Probate given by a legal eagle!! – a sure bet.
But…nothing remotely like that happens when Alex Jennings is standing up before an audience!
She has an almost breathtaking mastery of her brief and a style of delivery which brings a relevance, interest and humour to her subject – helped of course by her audience who are at that certain age when subjects like Probate have an increasing urgency about them!
Amongst other points in Mrs Jennings’ talk were the rights of survivors to joint assets and the opportunities to defraud the taxman by non tax exempt person benefiting from jointly held assets passing over on death without declaration for tax.
Another little known ploy which was highlighted during the recent elections (as part of a character assassination ) is the use of a Deed of Variation to beneficially alter certain aspects of a will within 2 years of death which acts as if the deceased had made the change.
A thoroughly entertaining hour was spent with Alex followed by a deluge of questions on the subject which she made especially interesting.
May 7th Honda Factory visit
Many Rhinefield Probus members also had a very enjoyable visit to the Honda factory at Swindon on May 7th and were given a brief introductory talk followed by a conducted tour of the site. The visit ended with a typical Japanese lunch, which was much enjoyed by all.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT). Melissa Haworth of HIWWT came to The Rhinefield Probus this month to explain the workings and the responsibilities of this organisation. Part of the UK wide Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts umbrella, the HIWWT is autonomous but works closely with many other of the 47 Trusts around the Country.
The HIWWT spent £3.2 million last year managing their 48 nature reserves in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area and, in addition to opening for visitors they hosted over 3,000 school children. This was achieved with the total staffing of the Trust of only 111. Their big strength however is their volunteer force of 900 who turn out to help with all manner of tasks in all weather throughout the year.
The HIWWT success stories are many and have been brought about by concentrating on acquiring sites and getting the habitats right for the wildlife to thrive. From the otter to white clawed crayfish, lapwings to water voles their strategies and policies are clearly bringing benefits which can be enjoyed by all nature lovers.
Reserves within easy reach of The New Forest are Blashford Lakes near Ringwood and the Testwood Lakes outside Totton. Both well worth a visit.
The disappointing fact however is that only 1.5% of the population of Hampshire and The Isle of Wight are members of the Trust however, the work of HIWWT so inspired Rhinefield Probus that some members immediately signed up for HIWWT membership !
Other events
The Rhinefield Probus Annual Dinner was held at the end of March at The Lord Bute Hotel in Highcliffe when members and their wives and partners enjoyed a first class evening socialising and taking part in a table quiz with champagne for the winning table and in early April members visited the Watermill Theatre at Newbury to have dinner and to see Tuxedo Junction
Rhinefield Probus April News
April meeting
The Verderers, Commoners and all those who are lucky enough to live in and around The New Forest agree it is a very special place and an environment well worth the protection it receives.
There are however many other natural areas in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and around the County shores that are equally precious habitats for wild creatures and these are under the dedicated care of The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT). Melissa Haworth of HIWWT came to The Rhinefield Probus this month to explain the workings and the responsibilities of this organisation. Part of the UK wide Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts umbrella, the HIWWT is autonomous but works closely with many other of the 47 Trusts around the Country.
The HIWWT spent £3.2 million last year managing their 48 nature reserves in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area and, in addition to opening for visitors they hosted over 3,000 school children. This was achieved with the total staffing of the Trust of only 111. Their big strength however is their volunteer force of 900 who turn out to help with all manner of tasks in all weather throughout the year.
The HIWWT success stories are many and have been brought about by concentrating on acquiring sites and getting the habitats right for the wildlife to thrive. From the otter to white clawed crayfish, lapwings to water voles their strategies and policies are clearly bringing benefits which can be enjoyed by all nature lovers.
Reserves within easy reach of The New Forest are Blashford Lakes near Ringwood and the Testwood Lakes outside Totton. Both well worth a visit.
The disappointing fact however is that only 1.5% of the population of Hampshire and The Isle of Wight are members of the Trust however, the work of HIWWT so inspired Rhinefield Probus that some members immediately signed up for HIWWT membership !
Other events
The Rhinefield Probus Annual Dinner was held at the end of March at The Lord Bute Hotel in Highcliffe when members and their wives and partners enjoyed a first class evening socialising and taking part in a table quiz with champagne for the winning table and in early April members visited the Watermill Theatre at Newbury to have dinner and to see Tuxedo Junction.
Rhinefield Probus March News
MJ’s Lunch
To experience a gourmet meal prepared, cooked and served by enthusiastic sixth form students at a local college is to see the young people of this country at their very best.
The Rhinefield Probus Club had the pleasure of visiting MJ’s Restaurant at Brockenhurst College on March 6th where students studying to qualify in the Hospitality Industry man the kitchens, greet the guests and serve in the restaurant and bar – all of course under the watchful eye of a senior tutor.
The standard of food and service were of the highest quality and the whole lunch experience was exceptional. So much so that a booking has already been made for a repeat visit in 2016 when once more a full house is expected.
March Meetings
The speaker at the March meeting of the Club was Mr Ron Kirby whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the local area and its people brought to life his talk on “Interesting People of the New Forest”. There is a local graveyard for instance where Jane Austen’s character D’Arcy is said to be buried with a headstone as proof and of course most people know that “Alice” the girl for whom Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland, is interred in the churchyard at Lyndhurst.
The ferry to the Isle of Wight provided inspiration for Alfred Lord Tennyson who in 1889 wrote his famous Crossing the Bar poem whilst on the ferry from Lymington – three years before his death.
Highcliffe Castle has a considerable history. In 1907 prior to the First World War Edward Wortley, the owner of the Castle invited Kaiser Bill as a guest and in later years Highcliffe Castle was leased to Harry Gordon Selfridge founder of the eponymous store in Oxford Street. Even though he did not own the Castle he installed modern lighting and heating throughout. Mr Selfridge is buried in St Marks churchyard in Highcliffe.
Rhinefield Probus meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at The Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst. The meetings comprise coffee on arrival, a short business meeting followed by a speaker and then lunch.
Details can be found on our website www.rhinefieldprobus.org.uk or telephone 01590 624527.
Rhinefield Probus Report – February 2015 Meeting
The present state and plight of the fifty eight surviving piers in the UK was the subject of the talk at the February Meeting of The Rhinefield Probus Club held at The Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst. Mr Tony Wills, Media Officer of The National Piers Society gave a talk entitled “Piers of the Realm”.
To most of us the seaside pier is an integral part of our heritage and one to be enjoyed with our children and grandchildren who love the thrill of walking over water, enjoying the entertainments and watching the fishermen standing for hours hoping for a catch – usually it seems, unsuccessfully ! Some piers have thriving theatres and art galleries on them as part of the attraction.
It was therefore a very big surprise and a disappointment to find that many of the surviving piers are not covered as Listed Buildings and can be allowed to deteriorate until they fall into the sea or until some benefactor comes along to rescue them. This deterioration arises as the cost of maintaining the piers is generally not matched by the income from visitors or the owners of the pier based entertainment –much of which is seasonal.
The loss of piers is very substantial. Initially used as embarkation points around our shores, there was a great demand in Victorian times and the engineers and entrepreneurs of the day had created about a hundred by the early 1900’s.
The building of these piers also became a matter of civic pride and a must have for the large seaside towns often building two or more as in Brighton, Blackpool and Southsea.
At present only 58 of these are listed as surviving – some of which are in grave danger of being lost as collapse threatens due to neglect and winter storms. Brighton for example had three piers of which only one survives.
There are however some glimmers of hope sometimes in the form of Lottery Grants which often amount to millions of pounds as renovation work on these old structures can be extremely expensive.
The National Piers Society, founded by Sir John Betjemin, is at the forefront of the protection of these national treasures and is actively supporting owners in protecting and renovating the great structures.
Bob Coombs gave a vote of thanks to Mr Wills for a most interesting talk and slide presentation.