In this newsletter we have information for the visit to Pete’s Place on Thursday 28th May. This event is not restricted to Retiree Club members – tell your friends and the rest of your family. It’s a great day out for adults and children, especially as it’s school half-term.
We also have a report of the visit to the Stourbridge Glass Museums on Thursday 16th April.
See below for information about Transport to and from club events and events currently proposed for 2026. If you have ideas for future club events please let us know.
Michael Fabianski, Newsletter Editor. E-mail: ibmmidretnews@gmail.com
*********************************************************************
Local theatres
If you are interested in local theatre productions, you might find the following links useful.
- The Loft, Leamington
- The Spa Centre, Leamington
- The Talisman, Kenilworth
- The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
- Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick
*********************************************************************
Transport to and from club events
We are aware that many members may find it difficult to get to club events.
This may be for several different reasons, such as:
- Not having a car.
- Not liking driving at night.
- Public transport not available to get to the venue.
- Having difficulty walking.
etc.
If this applies to you and you would like to attend an event, please let the event organiser know and they will endeavour to arrange a lift from another member attending.
*********************************************************************
Events
The following events are currently proposed for 2026:
- E2605PPL
- Thursday 28th MayPete’s Place – (school half-term) See below
- E2606CAN
- Canal day boat.
- E2608AGM
- Monday 10th AugustAGM plus mini golf and lunch in Gaydon
Photographs from Past Events.
Click on one of the links below to view a selection of photographs from past events.
*********************************************************************
Event Reports
E2604SGM: Stourbridge Glass Museums
15 club members made their way to Stourbridge to visit the Red Cone and Stourbridge Glass museums on Thursday 16th April. Some of the members had local connections to Stourbridge, but nobody had visited them before. We were lucky with the sun, so those that arrived before the museums opened(!) could explore the site and have a morning coffee and health-giving slice of cake.
The lady guide for the Red Cone (a sort of blast furnace for making molten glass) gave a fascinating and detailed description of the history and practice of glass-making, from its ancient origins in the Middle East, via Italy and France to the Hugenot migration to England and finally the industry at Stourbridge, the west Midlands centre for lead crystal glass production. (Until recently there had been 30 similar cones working in the area).
After lunch (many of us sampled a local hostelry), we literally crossed the road to the Stourbridge Glass museum, with its extensive historic and Stuart Crystal exhibits, again with a guided tour. This tour was preceded by a visit to the working Allister Malcolm Glass workshop to see glass-blowing in action. I presume health and safety rules were being stringently followed, but a scary place with white-hot furnaces and red hot glass swinging about.
Feedback was very positive: I think nobody had previously known about Birmingham's cut glass industry.
Paul Gover
*********************************************************************
E2605PPL: Pete’s Place Thursday 28 May (Organiser Gary Wooding)
I am pleased to announce this year’s visit to Pete’s Place is arranged for Thursday 28th May.
In case you don’t know, Pete’s Place is a beautiful 20-acre private park with a lake, a small wood, and a ride-on miniature railway. There is an “African Queen” type of steam boat giving rides around the lake in which there is a small island. The miniature railway which surrounds the lake and circles the wood is almost a mile long and is considered to be one of the finest private ones in the country. There is ample free parking for all cars.
All rides are totally free. Pete, the owner, provides all this completely free of charge; all the Retirees Club asks is that you make a donation of £15 per car to Pete’s favourite charity – the Air Ambulance.
This event is notAir Ambulance, will be collected at the gate. But remember; this is not a commercial enterprise; Pete makes no money from it at all and all proceeds go to Air Ambulance.
Get there in the morning around 11:00 to 11:30 and stay all day, bring a picnic and use the barbeques that are freely available. It’s a day out you will remember – I promise. Children will love it.
Coventry Road
Pailton
Rugby
CV23 0QA
SatNav co-ordinates 52deg,26min,04.99 sec N, 1deg,19min,13.48sec W
So that we can get an idea of the number of attendees, please inform Gary Wooding, either by post or email, to:
64 Binswood Avenue, Leamington Spa, CV32 5RY
Email: binswood@gmail.com, Telephone: 01926 425485 Mobile: 07807 676866
Sub-Groups of Retirees Club and Employee Club
It is hoped to organise occasional rambles with options so that participants can choose a length of walk to suit them.
Please contact Terry King, terryaking@hotmail.com for more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The IBM Tech Club is a place where you can talk to IBM folk about matters technical. For example, help or advice on buying or using computers, smart phones,touch pads; engineering, electronics, wifi, bluetooth, cryptography, bitcoin, using computers to making movies, songs or musical works, best software, streaming, the internet, photography, diy, and anything else about the modern world you would like to understand better.
Apart from the technical discussion we try to have a talk by a club member at each meeting. This depends very much on members volunteering to prepare and show something they are interested in.
Meetings will take place on an ad hoc basis as and when we have members who have a topic to discuss, so please get your suggestions in to John Rickman! On the day of the meeting click on the link below. It should take you straight into the meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88338135221?pwd=eFYyUTdKZjRUSlR4V0RqZmFYMmlCQT09
Meeting ID: 883 3813 5221
Passcode: 395710
If you need help with Zoom contact John Rickman (rickman@argonet.co.uk) in good time before the meeting.
*********************************************************************
Members’ Notices
We all know Midlands Retirees who are undertaking a range of activities to raise money for good causes. The Committee have therefore decided to offer this space to advertise such initiatives and other events which may be of interest.
*********************************************************************
Click on the links below for more useful information.
Midlands IBM Retiree Club Constitution Committee Contacts Committee Meeeting Minutes AGM Minutes IBM Rewards Employee Purchase Plan IBM Pensions Trust