IBM Retirees Club (Midlands)
(www.retireesmidclub.org.uk)
March 2011 Newsletter
Editorial
I often receive requests from members on different subjects - many of these questions can be answered by referring to the IBM Pensions Trust booklet which is issued annually. An even better resource is the IBM Pensions Trust web site which contains more useful information and I have therefore revised the link at the end of the Newsletter to point to this web site. Please have a browse and familiarise yourselves with the information - you never know when you might need it!
One query I had recently was on the subject of selling IBM shares and I was pleased to receive 20+ responses to my broacast email asking for information, some telling how easy the process is whilst others wanted to know more. I plan to collate the responses and publish the result in the April Newsletter. Thanks to all who responded.
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Events Status
28th March Annual General Meeting. Please email Carole Robertson if you plan to attend.
8th April PC & Technology Group meeting. Click on link at end of this Newsletter for agenda.
21st April Trip to Highgrove. Fully booked - further requests will be waitlisted.
9-12 May Forest of Bowland. Fully booked - further requests will be waitlisted.
26th May Day trip to Cambridge. Places available - see revised announcement.
8-12 June Trip to Yorkshire. Places available. Due to Dave Compton being out of action (see Chairman's Notes) Carole Robertson is looking after this trip so please direct your queries and booking form to her.
10th August Summer Lunch at Henley Golf Club.
19-25 September Trip to Alsace. See updated announcement in this Newsletter
5th October Windsor - quite a number of provisional bookings already made. Further details and a booking form will be in the April Newsletter.
12th October Visit to Olympic site - details later.
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Brian Wilson, Newsletter Editor. Telephone: 01926-777710 e-mail: brian_h_wilson@msn.com
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Chairman's Notes
My congratulations to Michael Fabianski and Brian Wilson for running a very enjoyable Spring lunch at Warwickshire Golf Club at Leek Wootton. The main challenge was finding the Conference Centre at the end of a mile-long drive.
Sadly I have to report that our Membership Secretary, Dave Compton, was taken seriously ill at the beginning of March. We all wish him a speedy recovery and hope that we have him back in action before too long.
May I put out one last request for more people to join us at the AGM on the 28th March? We have one speaker to talk about local IBM Warwick news and another IBM speaker to describe the wider National IBM position. The free buffet lunch at the British Legion in Knowle last year was one of the best that I have enjoyed for a long time.
Alan Bridgman, (Acting) Chairman, Midlands Retirees Group
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 28th MARCH 2011
SUPPORT YOUR IBM RETIREE CLUB
Our AGM is booked for Monday 28th March as outlined in the February Newsletter - 10:30 for 11:00 start as detailed in the February 2011 Newsletter
We have this year two IBM speakers, one giving us "An Update on the Warwick Site" and the second "IBM in 2011".
To avoid unnecessary paper wastage no copies of the Club's financial statement nor minutes of the last AGM will be distributed at the AGM. Should any person wish to have a copy:-
- For the Club's financial statement, please email the Club Treasurer, Phil Dalton, at phil_dalton@btinternet.com.
- For a copy of the minutes from last year's AGM please click the "AGM Minutes" link at the end of the Newsletter.
Please send me an email to confirm attendance (which is also important for catering numbers), together with any nominations for Committee. Alan Bridgman has been proposed as Chairman and the present committee are prepared to stand again for 2011.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Carole Robertson, Secretary, IBM Retiree Club Midlands, carole.robertson@talktalk.net , or phone 0121 704 9677, before Monday 21st March.
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A Day Trip to Cambridge - Thursday 26th May 2011 (organiser - Alan Bridgman)
We will leave IBM Warwick at 8:00am on Thursday 26th May 2011. May is a lovely time of year to visit Cambridge - all the flowers are out on the banks of the River Cam (the "Backs") and the weather should be warm enough to take a punt out. Pembroke (my old College) will host us for lunch in the Old Library - the Old Library is the oldest part of Pembroke and was originally the College Chapel and built in 1347. Pembroke has a good reputation for the quality of its catering.
You will also have the choice of a number of (optional) activities during the day - a Blue Badge guided walking tour of the city and the University Colleges; a City Sightseeing Bus Tour of the city; a chauffeured, or self-powered punt ride on the River Cam along the Backs; and a treasure hunt for those of you who already know Cambridge well.
If you wish to travel independently to Cambridge, please let me know and I will adjust the cost accordingly and let you know where and when you can meet up with us. We will leave Cambridge at about 5:30pm or 6:00pm to arrive back in Warwick no later than 8:00pm.
The cost of the trip will range from £38 to £43 for Member / 1st Guest (depending on numbers); £54 for second guests. The cost includes coach travel, lunch at Pembroke; and an activity of your choice. Please return your booking form and cheque no later than 31st March please.
Alan Bridgman - Organiser
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Trip to Yorkshire 8 -12 June 2011 (organiser - Dave Compton)
Here is some good news about this trip.
1. We have been able to get the price down to £260 for members and first guest.
2. We can also offer it to second guests at the lower price of £330.
3. Closing date has been extended.
The price includes coach from Warwick; half board hotel in Wetherby; and visits to Harewood House and Gardens; guided tour of the Theakston Brewery in Masham; the Himalayan Gardens; 2 hour guided walking tour of York (followed by free time with an optional cruise on the River Ouse); Castle Howard; Yorkshire Lavender Farm; and RHS Harlow Carr Gardens.
Further information including a link to a brochure can be found in the January Newsletter.
Already excellent value at the old price, this now represents even better value.
Those who have already booked should have already received confirmation that their deposits have been received. If you have not yet booked, please send booking form and cheque to the undersigned by Friday 29th April, please
Carole Robertson Email carole.robertson@talktalk.net , or phone 0121 704 9677.
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The North Wales Explorer - Steam Rail tour - Saturday August 20th (Organizer: Phil Dalton)
A full day excursion of a steam hauled rail tour, hauled by Great Western Castle 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe" from Tyseley Warwick Road Platform (within the Birmingham Railway Museum) to Llandudno Junction via Stafford, Crewe and Chester and the scenic North Welsh cost. Upon arrival, passengers transfer to a service train for the short journey to Llandudno, for a day at this classic Victorian seaside resort.
Alternatively, passengers can take an optional excursion to experience the latest progress on the spectacular scheme, which has seen the long dormant Welsh Highland Railway completely re-opened throughout to Portmadoc from Carnarfon . Travel by road coach for the journey through the beautiful scenery of Snowdonia to join the Welsh Highland Train at Portmadoc for a journey along the length of this award-winning railway. This journey takes you through the spectacular Aberglaslyn Gorge and past the very foot of Snowdon itself, taking in the majesty of Carnarfon Castle at journey's end. After a short break the road coach returns you back to Llandudno Junction for the return journey to Tyseley.
Optional pick-up points are Walsall, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe. Due to possible engineering works, passengers joining at Walsall may be set down at Tame Bridge Parkway , travelling back to Walsall by London Midland service train.
Included in price is travelling in First Class Premier Dining, which includes a full English Breakfast and a traditional 3-course dinner and drink.
Cost: To Llandudno - £100 for members/1st Guests; £147.30 for Second Guests
To Llandudno Junction and optional Welsh Highland Railway excursion - £115 for members/1st Guests; £170 for Second Guests
Phil Dalton Email:- phil_dalton@btinternet.com
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Alsace - 19-25 September 2011 (organisers Simon Barratt/Tony Mancell)
We have made some adjustments to our earlier announcement – in particular the dates by which the deposit and final payments are required.
Accommodation for the three days of our visit is booked in Alsace at the Mercure Centre Mulhouse (http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1264-mercure-mulhouse-centre/index.shtml) on a Half-Board (DB&B) basis.
The cost will be in the region of £476 per person for Members and First Guests (£590 for Second and subsequent guests), including all entrance fees as detailed, and will be based on:
Monday 19 September -- IBM Warwick to Dover/Calais, then on to our hotel in Reims for dinner and overnight stop.
Tuesday, 20 September -- Reims to Mulhouse, with a lunch stop en route, possibly in Nancy (130 miles from Reims). Dinner in our hotel in Mulhouse.
Wednesday 21 September -- Full day in Strasbourg, to include a canal cruise (http://www.batorama.fr/ ). Dinner in our hotel in Mulhouse.
Thursday, 22 September -- Excursion to Riquewihr for lunch, then to Hunawihr stork farm(CRCL -- (http://www.cigogne-loutre.com/ ), followed by a local wine - tasting (Sipp Mack -- http://www.sippmack.com/), before returning to our hotel for dinner.
Friday 23 September -- Visit to the French Railway Museum (http://www.citedutrain.com/en/train/ ) or Automobile Museum (http://www.collection-schlumpf.com) in Mulhouse (2 hours), then to Ribeauvillé for lunch and eau-de-vie tasting (Windholtz Distillery -- http://www.distillerie-windholtz.com/fr/distillerie-windholtz.html), before returning to our hotel for dinner.
Saturday, 24 September -- After breakfast, we will return to Reims, and if we arrive in time, a visit to a Champagne house for a tour (at additional cost).
Sunday, 25 September -- Reims to IBM Warwick, via Calais/Dover.
To reserve your place on this tour, please send a cheque for £50 for each Member, by 15 April 2011, to Tony Mancell, 73 Mill Street, Harbury, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV33 9HS, email tony@mancell.com, telephone 01926 613313.
The balance will be due by 1st August 2011.
Simon Barratt
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Members' Adverts
Account Manager Opportunity…
…to sell our Internet products which our customers use to build and update their own websites or we build and they update them.
For more information, see www.upperbridge.co.uk
The company founder is a former IBMer as are two of our Account Managers.
If you are interested, please contact Roger Withnell on 01497 831267 or roger@upperbridge.co.uk
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Sub-Groups of IBM Club and Retirees Club
IBM Retirees PC and Technology Group (founded by Harry Green)
The IBM Retirees PC and Technology Group meets every alternate month for a lively discussion on PC and technology topics in the digital age. There are usually one or two specific presentations given by members or by outside speakers, which the members of the Group have requested. We try to provide a reasonable balance between PC "techie" topics, new technology, and topics of a more general nature such as digital television, Internet telephony and digital photography . So whether you are a newcomer to the PC or a more experienced user, we hope you will find something of interest. You are very welcome to join us.
Contacts:- Roger Goodman email:- ladevie@dsl.pipex.com Alan Bridgman email:- abri@waitrose.com
- Go to meeting dates and other information
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IBM Midlands Golf Society
IBM Retirees and spouses/partners are eligible to play, the events being subsidised by IBM. The fixture list for 2011 is attached, together with proposals for 2012.
Please contact one of the undersigned with any queries.
Contacts:- Graham Seal email:- gaseal@sky.com Michael Davies email:- enosmd@ntlworld.com
- Go to Fixture List and contacts
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Click on the links below for specific information. Links to booking forms are from the event announcement.
2011 Diary Booking Conditions for Events Photographs from Past Events
IBM Midlands Retiree Club Constitution Committee Contacts AGM Minutes
Newsletter Archives Newsletter Production
IBM Club Warwick IBM Alumni Programme
IBM Pensions Trust (includes EPP, Rewards, IBM Contacts and other useful information)
Parking at Bedfont Lakes and Harrow
- Return to Current Newsletter