December 2013 Newsletter

Editorial

This is the last newsletter of 2013 and only the Christmas Lunch remains. This will be held at Wroxall Abbey on Tuesday 17th December, arrival at 12:30 for the meal at 1:30. The programme for 2014 is taking shape and you can expect to get details at the lunch as usual.

This newsletter has a final call for the Lebanese meal in Warwick as well as the announcements of a visit to Bletchley Park in February and the annual joint trip with the Ramblers in May.

Michael Fabianski, Newsletter Editor. E-mail: ibmmidretnews@gmail.com

IBM Midlands Retirees Club AGM 2014

Please put the date of next year’s AGM in your diaries. The Midlands IBM Retirees Club AGM will take place on Monday 17th March 2014. It will be held at the Royal British Legion premises in Knowle (the same location as this year). There have been a lot of changes made this year that have an impact on the way our Club operates and we must have a quorum of Club members to ratify these changes. So please make every attempt to come along. I will make every attempt to enlist some outside speakers to make the agenda more interesting. And there is also a free lunch for everyone as an final incentive!

Alan Bridgman
Chairman

Event Report: Abbey—Cwm—Hir, Wednesday 20th November

We set out on a journey that none of us had been on before, (including the driver who luckily had his ‘SAT NAV’ in full working order).

We stopped for lunch at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells where we were served an excellent Christmas meal which drew compliments from everyone. We got back on the coach and after another short drive through beautiful countryside, we arrived at the Hall and Abbey buildings. The hall is Grade II listed and was built in 1834. We were all amazed at the contents of the house. Absolutely fantastic!! 52 rooms all differently decorated in a Christmas theme to complement the furniture and style of the rooms, together with local drawings and paintings and hand crafted stencils and friezes around the original windows.

We were all surprised at the quality of each room, (we were told that it took around two months to decorate the 52 rooms we were shown). It was surprising to learn that all of the rooms were in daily use by the family, many of whom were showing their guests around.

A decorated slipper contest was held and judged by the Abbey staff. Ladies’ winner was Margaret Barnes and gent’s winner was Alan Bridgman. Thanks to all entrants.

We then were taken down to the reception area where a huge log fire was burning and we were offered mince pies and coffee until we decided we should leave.

Peter Barnes
Organiser

The winning slippers!

There are more photos on Dropbox.

Events

Click here to see the list of the events which are planned for 2014. The following is the status of those which have been announced.

Tuesday 17 December Christmas Lunch. Event closed. See the November newsletter for details.
Wednesday 15 January 2014 Lebanese Meal. Final call and booking form in this Newsletter; see below.
Tuesday 11 February 2014 Bletchley Park. Announcement and booking form in this Newsletter; see below.
Monday 17 March 2014 AGM.
15-19 May 2014 Hayling Island & West Sussex. Announcement and booking form in this Newsletter; see below.

Booking Conditions. Click here to read the terms and conditions.

Photographs from Past Events. Click here or here to view a selection of photographs from past events.

Lebanese Meal Wednesday 15 January 2014 (Organiser: Dave Compton)

The ethnic meal for 2014 will be, by popular request, a return to the Lebanese restaurant in Jury Street that was such a success a few years ago. After an initial welcome drink, the meal will consist of a variety of cold Mezze; warm Mezze; with a meat main course (vegetarian option available) followed by a sweet. To cater for individual tastes, drinks with the meal and coffee are NOT included but you will be given a £5 voucher per person to spend towards the tipple of your choice (balance payable in cash on the night). The cost will be £24.50 per member and first guest. Second guests may be accommodated at the full price of £35 per person if there is space but cannot be confirmed until after Christmas. Please use the attached booking form and send £24.50 per person to Dave Compton to arrive by 21st December 2013.

To book a place, fill in the booking form and send it with your deposit cheque for £24.50 for member and first guest, made payable to IBM Retirees Club [Midlands], to:-

Dave Compton, Ashby House, Northend, Southam, Warwickshire, CV47 2TN.
Email: dave@compton-family.eu, Telephone: 01295 770355

Refer to the document Event Booking Conditions for terms and conditions.

Go to Booking Form

Bletchley Park, Tuesday 11 February 2014 (Organiser: Michael Fabianski)

This year we have a repeat of the popular visit to Bletchley Park. This will be a self-drive trip which will include:

Arrival refreshments
Guided tour
Lunch

More details will be available nearer the time of the visit.

The cost will be £12.00 for member/first guest and £17.00 per person for second guests.

To book a place, fill in the booking form and send it with your cheque made payable to IBM Retirees Club [Midlands], to:-

Michael Fabianski, 9 Cambridge Gardens, Upper Holly Walk, Leamington Spa CV32 4JN.
Email: michael.fabianski@gmail.com, Telephone: 01926 745391

Refer to the document Event Booking Conditions for terms and conditions.

Go to Booking Form

Trip to Hayling Island on the West Sussex Coast - Thursday 15th May to Monday 19th May 2014 inclusive (Organisers: Barry Wiggins and Alan Bridgman)

Following on last year’s successful stay in Keswick, our combined rambling and sightseeing trip for 2014 is to the sunniest area on the mainland, the coast near the Hampshire / West Sussex border.

The trip is from Thursday 15th May to Monday 19th May 2014 (4 nights) to allow plenty of time to explore the many attractions in this area. We are booked into the Langstone Hotel on Hayling Island, which some members may remember from another life under its older name from their days visiting IBM North Harbour. The hotel is four star and for those who don’t know is located just over the causeway which links the Island to the coast.

On this trip we are again using the services of Group Travel Limited. There will be the usual full programme of sightseeing trips and coach tours put together by Alan alongside many suggestions and details for walks in a spectacular area taking in the coast (no hills) and the South Downs a few miles inland. The strongest contenders for sightseeing trips at this early stage are the Mary Rose Museum in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Arundel with its castle and cathedral, and Chichester. Full details of the programme will be available well before the trip, but please add any suggestions to the bottom of the booking form.

The full cost of this trip will be approximately £260 for members and first guests and £315 for second guests. The cost includes coach travel to and from IBM Warwick, 4 nights’ dinner, bed & breakfast, and the services of the Group Travel tour driver.

Please respond promptly if you are interested in this trip as we have to confirm numbers in January.

Alan Bridgman, Sightseeing Organiser
Barry Wiggins, Rambling Organiser

Refer to the document Event Booking Conditions for terms and conditions.

Go to Booking Form

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:- roger@northside.me.uk Alan Bridgman email:- abri@waitrose.com

Go to meeting dates and other information

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IBM Retirees Rambling Group

Contacts:- Terry King email:- terryaking@hotmail.com Barry Wiggins email:- BWiggins@southbank.freeserve.co.uk

Go to walk dates and other information