IBM Retirees Club (Midlands)
(www.retireesmidclub.org.uk)
December 2009 Newsletter
Editorial
The Lebanese meal in Warwick was voted a great success by all the attendees and our thanks to Dave Compton for his organisation. More please, Dave!
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The 2010 calendar of events is being announced as is customary at the Christmas Lunch and you will find a new link at the end of this Newsletter entitled 2010 Diary. The list is not quite complete as we still have to put dates against some events but will give you a good idea of what's on offer. As you will no doubt have noticed, we have already announced some 2010 events - the Chinese meal in January is already fully booked and you will find announcements and booking form for the Spring Lunch (is it Spring in February?), the already pre-announced trip to Scotland and a weekend in Dorset.
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Finally, may I wish all members and their families a Very Happy Christmas and New Year.
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Brian Wilson, Newsletter Editor. Telephone: 01926-777710 e-mail: brian_h_wilson@msn.com
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New Membership Rules
A lot of work, driven largely by IBM HR, has been going on in the background. Ken Hope, our previous chairman, continued to act for us on the membership front which ended up with us having new membership rules. They convert some Associates to Members, widen the numbers who can be Associates and give more choice on which club a retiree can select.
You might want to take a look at a new UK wide web site which details all of the changes and gives access to UK club web sites. It's at http://www.ibmclub.org.uk/home/ibmclub.shtml
An important point is that there are no changes for Midlands Retiree Club Members who wish to carry on as before. That means, for example, that our Retiree Club Members can continue to participate in the Warwick Employee Club activities including joining sub-sections
Alan Bridgman supported us by leading the effort for all retiree clubs in producing a new common constitution. We will take a vote on formally adopting ours (the common one plus local bye laws) at the 2010 AGM. It will be found as an Appendix to our January 2010 Newsletter.
Alan Palmer, Chairman
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Chairman's Jottings
It's not yet our official AGM year end time, but it is December, so please forgive a little reflection.
Hopefully many of you will agree it's not been a bad year at all. In fact we, on the committee, are pretty pleased at the numbers participating in most events. There have been quite a numbers of "new faces" which is great. Several trips have been full to busting; even the Highgrove trip organised at great speed by Carole.
A couple that were highly praised didn't get the numbers they seemed to deserve. It's difficult to understand why that sometimes happens. Let's hope the Christmas lunch, which has attracted 113 so far, will round the year off with the right kind of bang.
Looking forward to 2010 events; we would love to be scrambling to try to lay on extra places for ALL trips, so take a look at our programme and pencil some dates into your diaries up front. You often don't have to finally commit until fairly near the date.
Have a very happy Christmas and an event filled New Year.
Yours sincerely
Alan Palmer
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Spring Lunch with Speaker - Thursday 18th February 2010 (organiser Brian Wilson)
I'm not sure whether we should continue to describe what has become an annual event as 'Spring Lunch' but no matter, they always seem to be enjoyable and we hope 2010 will be no exception. Normally, this event is held at lunch-time on a Sunday but speaker availability dictates that it has to be a Thursday this time.
We are returning to Ryton Organic Gardens which last time was rather hard to get at due to road works but is now much easier to access, being sign-posted off the roundabout on the A45 just east where the old Peugeot works used to be at Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Our speaker is from the Warwickshire Police helicopter team who will no doubt regale us with some interesting stories and who has been recommended by one of our members.
The cost for three course lunch with welcome drink and tea/coffee to follow together with our speaker will be £17 per head for members and first guest and £26.50 for second guests. Please note that the welcome drink will be wine or fruit juice but if anybody would prefer beer I will arrange this. Timing is 12:15 for 13:00 - allow time to look round Ryton before or after.
So get your booking forms to me with your menu choices.
Brian Wilson
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West Coast of Scotland – Sunday 11/04/2010 to Thursday 15/04/2010
The planned trip to the West Coast of Scotland is now finalised, in terms of cost and hotel, see below. The day trips included are shown, the exact days for each trip will depend upon ferry times etc. and details will be available closer to the date.
Hotel and location - Based at the Caledonian Hotel in Oban - 5 days - 4 nights' dinner, bed & breakfast. Their website is http://www.obancaledonian.com/
3 star Superior
Seafront location
4 nights dinner, bed & breakfast
Lift serves most floors
All bedrooms with Private Facilities, Colour TV and Tea/coffee making facilities
Day Trips - as below with an option to visit Tobermory at your own additional cost, details will be provided,
· SUNDAY - approximate 7.30am/8.00am departure from IBM Warwick for the journey northwards, arriving at your hotel late afternoon for the following 4 nights dinner, bed and breakfast.
· MONDAY - Full day tour taking the ferry from Oban over to the Isle of Mull, travelling via the southern point of the Island via Glen More before catching the ferry (foot passengers only) which will take you the short distance onto Iona. Time to view Iona Abbey. Return back to Oban retracing your steps.
· TUESDAY - Relaxed tour along the shores of Loch Linnhe to Fort William, standing in the shadow of the mighty Ben Nevis. Continue back to Oban via Scotland's most famous Glen, Glencoe, since the notorious massacre of 1692, Glencoe is set in stunning surroundings and offers views of some of the finest hill scenery in the central Highlands.
· WEDNESDAY - A relaxed scenic drive today takes you across the "Bridge over the Atlantic" to the Slate Islands, Seil and Easdale, separated from the mainland by the thinnest of sea channels with views out over the Firth of Lorn.
· THURSDAY - After breakfast you will commence your return journey back to Warwick, arriving back at IBM early evening.
The cost will be £290.00 per person, for members and 1st guest, with no singles supplement. Second guest's costs are £379.50, when available.
A deposit of £35.00 per head is required before the 18th January 2010, please.
We've had a large amount of interest already, so an early booking is advisable.
Any queries, contact myself or Simon, details below.
Tony Mancell Email: Tony@Mancell.com Telephone: 01926-613313
Simon Barratt Email: sjbarratt@btinternet.com Telephone: 01608661996
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Trip to the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset - Monday 17th May - Thursday 20th May 2010
(Organiser - Alan Bridgman)
I have been travelling down to this beautiful part of Dorset for the past 30 years - initially to dig on the site of a Roman Villa and then to help co-ordinate the work of research and publication. So I thought that it might be fun to arrange an IBM trip to the Isle of Purbeck and share one of my passions with you.
The Isle of Purbeck is some 60 sq. miles of land in the SE corner of Dorset and bounded on almost all sides by water - not a true island but very nearly so! We will be based in a 3-star hotel in Swanage, a beautiful Victorian seaside resort, which has the Swanage Steam Railway linking it with the picturesque village of Corfe Castle, dominated by the massive ruins of Corfe Castle itself (NT). From Swanage, the World Heritage site of the Jurassic Coast begins and includes the whole of the Purbeck coastline and represents 185 million years of geological history.
Itinerary
The trip will hopefully include the following attractions:-
· The Swanage Steam Railway
· Corfe Castle (the village and the castle)
· Site of the Bucknowle Roman Villa (my Villa!)
· Purbeck Vineyard tour
· Lulworth Cove and Durdle Dor (on the Jurassic Coast)
· Bovington's Tank Museum
· T.E. Lawrence's home (Lawrence of Arabia)
· Dorchester County Museum
Provisional Cost
Depending on the number of people who wish to go on this trip, the cost for the IBM member and 1st guest will range from £218 to a maximum of £236 per person. The cost reduces as the number of people increases (to a maximum of 30 people). The 2nd guest, unsubsidised, cost will be £286.50.
The cost will include 3 nights Dinner, Bed and Breakfast at the 3* Pines Hotel in Swanage, the Purbeck Vineyard Tour, return train ticket on the Swanage Railway and entry to the Bovington Tank Museum.
Alan Bridgman Email: abri@waitrose.com
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IBM Club Birmingham - London Weekend 22-24 January 2010
I am always happy to publicise events run by other clubs and individuals where thay are relevant to our membership and do not clash with any events that we are running.
Here is one you may be interested in. IBM Club Birmingham are running a trip to London from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th January 2010. The coach will leave IBM Warwick at 15:15 on the Friday, check in at the Tower Guoman hotel with the evening free. Saturday, the coach will drop you off in Central London, or anywhere en route, with a pick-up 16:00 at Charing Cross Station for a return to the hotel; there will be a further journey to Central London at 18:00, depending on numbers, making you own way back to the hotel. Sunday there will be a short tour of London ending up at Covent Garden with the coach returning to Warwick at 15:30 from Charing Cross.
The cost for two nights bed with English Breakfast is £115 per member and guest with insurance of £5 each if required. If you are interested, contact Mike Cashmore on 0121 745 9693 for further details and booking.
Brian Wilson
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Click on the links below for specific information. Links to booking forms are from the event announcement.
2010 Diary General Notes about Events Photographs from Past Events
Retiree Club Constitution Committee Contacts AGM Minutes
Newsletter Archives Newsletter Production
PC and Technology Group (Founded by Harry Green)
IBM Pensions Trust IBM Alumni Programme