GOLF DAY 29th AUGUST 2014

What a fabulous summer and fortunately the weather on our golf day was once again kind to us. We had 18 golfers sign up, so it worked perfectly without drafting in any of our stalwart extras.  Mike Stythe was due to join us but sadly suffered some cracked ribs at the last minute and had to withdraw.  We had an additional 6 members came for lunch which was great.  Our President was unfortunately called away to America and was unable to join us.

IMG_4406The results were as follows:

Winning team:  Colin Thomas, Margaret Broomby, Marilyn Evans

IMG_4416IMG_4405IMG_4408Marilyn had a brilliant round, scoring top marks, 44 stableford points.  Jasper Garnham had the highest score for the men of 34.  Colin and Pam Britton won nearest the pin and the longest drives were won by Margaret and Gwyn Owen.  Ann Lawrence, who was unable to play due to injury this year, kindly presented the prizes.

Robert Britton addressed everyone, suggesting that maybe another year we should go to pastures new with fresh organisers and a new format.  No-one volunteered to take over the helm, and the consensus seemed to be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’!  So we have booked the same Friday next year at Oakland Park.

Colin gave a vote of thanks to Pam and Rob for organising the event.

London Walk

On a sunny Saturday morning on 26th July a group of about a dozen members met our guide Caroline James, at the foot of The Shard to explore sites around Southwark. IMG_0771
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The area is at the southern end of London Bridge which in Medieval times was closed at night.

Many inns were built there and thrived as staging posts for travellers. Theatres opened there, as did hospitals for the poor, sick, incurables, and homeless.  Bear baiting, prostitution, and similar activities, which were illegal in the City, all flourished.

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The ‘garret’ of the c17th St Thomas’ hospital houses its c19t operating theatre.

Betsi Cadwaladr from Bala worked there. She worked as a nurse in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale though their personalities clashed as they were from completely different backgrounds.

In the collonade of the adjacent Guy’s hospital a niche, from the old London Bridge, houses a statue of Keats.

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Off a short stretch of Borough High St are the ’Yards’ of many ancient galleried inns. Only the splendid George Inn remains and is often seen in historical films.
Little Dorrit Park and Marshalsea Rd were reminders of Dickens stories set in this locality.

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Nearby Redcross Gardens with its gabled cottages are a haven of serenity. They were founded by Octavia Hill who was one of the founders of the National Trust.

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In Tabard St the Cross Bones graveyard is an overgrown, unconsecrated plot where about 15,000 bodies of suicides, prostitutes, plague victims and other ’undesirables’ are buried. We all felt sorrow just being there.

The Welsh Borough Chapel has just been renovated. One of its founders was ‘Gin Shop Jones’. An old sign on its rear wall reads ’Commit No Nuisance’IMG_0780

From near the Globe theatre the dramatic view across the Thames included the recent ’Gherkin’,  ‘Walkie Talkie’, and ’Cheesegrater’ buildings, all of which were outshone by glorious St Paul’s.

Near the riverside Anchor pub was the site of the Anchor brewery which in

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the 18th century had the greatest output in the world. The wife of it’s owner, Henry Thrale MP, was Hester Salisbury  a socialite from a wealthy Caernarvonshire family.

Little remains of Winchester Palace from which the Bishop once issued permits for prostitution in the area (these poor girls were known as Winchester geese).

We concluded our walk at Southwark cathedral and thanked Caroline for planning a walk with such a variety of places of interest to show us.

Ralph Broomby