Welcome to the April edition of Area Gazette, congratulations to Adam Redshaw for organizing this year Spring holiday at Brean, in April we have the 27th Midland Area Conference coming up, which will be held on the 26th April, at this conference will be holding the awards for 2008 to the different Midland Area groups. 

 

5th A&SE Conference

12th Easter Sunday

19th April A&SE Visit to Hampton  Court Palace

25th Redbridge Charity Quiz

26th April 27th Midland Area Conference & awards

16th May NEC Meeting

17th May Midland Area Pitch n Putt

 

Brean 2009

Many thanks to Adam Redshaw who organized the Plus Spring Holiday to Brean leisure park this year. This year Plus had the very good weather, sunshine every day.

Most of the ninety plussers started to arrive at Brean from Friday afternoon, the traffic on the M5 for those travelling from the Midlands & North was light compared to other years, Friday night was a chill out night listening to Gary Jay who again was providing the Disco for the weekend. Chris Porter asked for Stairway to Heaven— the Rolf Harris cover which Gary Jay threat to play at some point. On Saturday morning it was up early for Corinna & Richard Teale quiz which was won by a team from Anglia & South East area, Solihull came a credible third.

In the afternoon it was Garyoke with Gary Jay.

For most it was a chance to visit Burham, or Weston to see what was left of the pier or visit any of the Cider farms in the area.

The Main Saturday night band was called My Immortal. My Immortal are a rock band based on the music of Evanescence. The act members all came from the Birmingham area and allow plussers to get out their leathers for the night. And the females to dress as Rocks Chicks as Lichfield did. On Sunday 20th March it was mother day in the UK for the plussers at Brean it was a case of nursing sore heads and seeing which caravan you had woken up in.

After breakfast which was either a cold breakfast or over to the venue for a cooked breakfast. Adam had organized Tai Chi and Qigong demonstration which cover plus to lunch time, which then you could then watch the Sunday movie which was Kung Fu panda starring the vocal talents of Jack Black or go and explore the Burham, Weston or Cheddar.

In the evening the main band was The Man from Funkle a five piece band from the Bristol area with the vocal talents of the  lovely Gemma Saunders After Gary Jay had played the Yogi bear song one more for Lisa Ward et al benefit it was time to find the traditional Brean parties which Hillingdon group hosted this year.

All in all well done to Adam Redshaw for doing a very good job this year

 

National Badminton

On Saturday 7th March over 20 members from the National Federation attended the annual Hit the shuttlecock competition know as the National Badminton Competition.

As usually the event was hosted by South Bucks Quest group on behalf of the Federation. Results as follow

 

Male

1st Rob Buffman (Dunstable)

2nd Steve Sykes (Reading)

Female

1st Serna (??)

In the doubles competition

First was Coventry Plus represented by Dave Filer and Pete Mann

Afterwards was the post Badminton party which was held by Adam Redshaw and Excalibur Roadshow.

 

27^th Midland Area Conference

On Sunday the 26th April 2009 all midland area groups are required to attend the April conference at the Plough and Harrow pub in Four Oakes, Sutton Coldfield. As usual Midland area will provide each delegate with a meal voucher up to the value of £5.00 each, along with observers. At the end of this conference the Midland area awards for 2008 will be presented in the following categories.

 

Membership Increase

Events

Programme

Scrapbook,

Richard Thomas Magazine

Efficiency

Charity

Footsore

Travellers in Transit

Area Entreprise Trophy (Best Group)

 

Agenda to be issued shortly.

 

Midland Area Ten Pin Bowling

A week after Brean Midland Area  hold it annual Ten Pin Bowling Competition, This was held at the Acock Green Bowl about 30 members from Midland Area attended this event.

Once again a buffet snack was offered as part of the price of event. Results as follow

1^st Solihull A 1033

2^nd Solihull B 897

3^rd Coventry 848

4^th Sutton Coldfield A 786

5^th Scratch team Erica Knight & James Oliver 696

6^th Sutton Coldfield B 678

7^th Sutton Coldfield C 672

 

 

Individual Results

1^st Matt Bonnar (Solihull) 298
2^nd Mark Hewson (Solihull) 274
3^rd Dave Filer (Coventry) 268
4^th Kathy Morris (Solihull) 261
5^th James Collins (Solihull) 255
6^th Russell Chambers (Coventry) 241
7^th Lisa Ward (Sutton Coldfield) 237
8^th James Foxall (Solihull) 218
9^th Cherry Morgan (Solihull) 217
10^th Dave Bilbie (Sutton Coldfield) 215
11^th Paul Turner (Solihull) 207
12^th Dan Snow (Sutton Coldfield) 203
13^th Dave Parfitt (Solihull) 200
14^th John Douglas (Sutton Coldfield) 194
15^th Chris Gray (Sutton Coldfield) 193
16^th Nicola Poppitt (Coventry) 187
17^th Erica Knight (Lichfield) 183
18^th = Antonia Bilbie (Sutton Coldfield) 179
18^th = Corinna Teale (Sutton Coldfield) 179
20^th David 177
21^st James Oliver (Solihull) 165
22^nd Wendy Robinson (Sutton Coldfield)) 161
23^rd Mark Harrington (Coventry 152
24^th = Joseph O'Sullivan (Sutton Coldfield) 120
24^th = Richard Thomas (Sutton Coldfield) 120

 

SADY 2009

For its fifth year on the 12th to 15th June Corinna Teale is once again organizing the annual Summer Camp weekend at Dalesbridge in Yorkshire.

 This year Corinna has moved the event back to its usual time so the weather will be good, for the weekend. Details as follow Cost is £45.00 per member for that you will get entertainment for 3 days with Bands on Saturday & Sunday night, Resident DJ for the three nights—Gary Jay, BBQ with bucking Bronco, Ramble and Real Ale trip to be provided by a shuttle service. More details from Corinna Teale

email:-sady@...

 

NGOOT 2009

From Friday 31st July to Sunday the 2nd August 09 NGOOT return to Plus after a one year break. Organized by Adrian Barnard. Veterans will note this event is approximately 18 hours shorter than a number of previous ones. It means you may well get away with not taking the Monday off work. Getting there on the Friday would however be greatly advantageous to your teams standing over the weekend. So please try and get there for around the arrival time. Team size should be four members. 

The theme of the weekend will be the Oxford Monopoly board, will a copy of it help you? Marginally perhaps. What will I need? It'll include your membership card, at least one means of digital picture capture and display per team, torch advised, mobile advised, pens, pad advised, walking wear strongly advised, some cash - funnily enough while breakfasts and a BBQ will be provided there's likely some pub visits that we don't cover. We are limited to 40 members, at four to a team that makes for a maximum of 10 teams. Accommodation is in dormitories compiling of 2 x 4, 1 x 18 & 1 x 19. Toilets and wash room are in this compound, showers are a short walk away. The mess is a few minutes walk away. It is possible to camp if you want your own space but only within the confines of the dormitory compound,... which takes up most of that space!  Price is the same.

 What's the price?!... still working that one out, I'll get back to folks on that soon. 

 

Where is it? Hill End near Oxford. An SSSI site, so you'll have to behave on it and indeed most activities will be offsite

 

Diary 2009

April

Sunday 5th April A&SE Area Conference

Friday 10th—Mon 13th Easter

Bank Holiday Weekend

Sat 19th A&SE Visit to Hampton Court  Palace

Sat 25th Sol Greyhound Racing

Sun 26th A&SE Pitch n Putt

Sun 26th April 27th MAC

Sun 26th Southern Area Council Meeting

May

Friday 1st May to Mon 4th Sutton Coldfield Upton Upon Severn Camping

Sat 2nd May Stevenage Spring Dance

May 16th NEC Meeting

Sun 17th May Midland Area Pitch n Putt

Sun17th A&SE Badminton

Mon 25th A&SE Visit to the South end Air Show

June

5th—8th June 2009 Southern Area Centre Parcs Weekend

Friday 12th to Monday 15th SADY

20th Southern Area Beach BBQ

Sunday 28th National Tennis Competition

July

Saturday 4th July 2009 National Football, Redding

Saturday 4th A&SE Visit to London Zoo

Sunday 12 July Midland Area Archery

Friday 19th King Lynn Summer Xmas Do

Including

Sat 18th National Rounders

Sunday 26th July MAC

Friday 31st July 2009 NGOOT.

 

August

Sunday 2nd August NGOOT ends

15th NEC Meeting

Sat 29th Southern Area Aunt Sally & BBQ

 

September 2009 MAD Weekend

11th Sept—18th Sept National Holiday Abroad—Tenerife

Tue 22nd— Tues 29th SA Cyprus Holiday

October 2009 NEAT

Saturday 31st Oct Halloween Party

Fri 13th— Mon 16 November WASH 26

Sunday 22nd November Midland Area Pool Competition

 

December 2008 SA Centre Parcs Weekend

December 2008 Midland Area Xmas Dance

 

Sutton Coldfield May Day Bank Holiday

From Friday 1st May to Monday 4th May Sutton Coldfield Plus is off to Upton upon Severn for a  camping weekend incorporating the Upton Upon Seven Folk music festival now in its 20th year. Cost is £45.00 per person but that includes your camping for the weekend, and access to the festival. Artist appearing in 2009 include Little Rumba, Belshazzar's Feast, Ian King & musicians with Colette Todd, (Sat/Sun/Mon),   Calan (Wales) (Saturday) The Tindalls (Fri/Sat/Mon) Bordewey & Young (Sun/Mon).

More details from Sutton Coldfield Plus group

 

NEC Vacancies

People wishing to stand for the vacant NEC position are reminded to attend the NEC Meeting on Saturday 16th May 2009 if they wish to be Co-opted in.

Positions vacant include, NEC Administrator, National Activities Officer, HGS, National Training Officer, National Publicity officer.

 

Brean Quiz Results

1st Totally Crackers 90
2nd Skiing Instructors 71
3rd Solihull 69 (Solihull)
4th Erica's Knights 65 (Sutton)
5th Team D 64
6th Dogs for Unity 63
7th Barking & Redbridge 62
8th Team X 60 (Coventry)
9th University Challenge 56