Graeme    and    Linda    Dargie    welcomed    us    to    their    lovely    house    and    garden    to    participate    in    the President’s   Hello.         The   afternoon   got   off   to   a   great   start   with   a   fly   over   by   the   Red   Arrows      -   even previous   President   David   Williams   didn’t   manage   that   despite   all   his Royal Air Force connections. The   sunny   weather   was   also   just   about   perfect   and   a   good   turn   out of    Rotarians    and    guests    stood    around    conversing    happily    until    Graeme    made    the    magical announcement    ‘foods    ready’.        After    meals    were    duly    chosen    from    an    amazingly    wide    and appetising    selection,    conversations    were    resumed    from    seated    positions    between    delicious mouthfuls. Graeme   and   Linda   have   a   beautiful   garden   which   includes   a   water   feature   with   water   cascading over   some   shiny   stone   spheres,   rumour   has   it   only   very   recently   installed   for   the   benefit   of   the Hello. The   forecasted   rain   (well,   on   some   phones   anyway),   did   not   appear   and   the   weather   seemed   to get   hotter   later   on.      Everyone   agreed   it   was   a   wonderful   day   and   felt   well   and   truly   welcomed,   a   great   hello   from   our   new President   Graeme   and   from   Linda.      Thanks   to   them   and   to   all   who   helped   by   providing   food   and   helping   with   set   up   and   take down. Words by Ray Munden.  See the photo album here.

9th July - President’s Hello

What   a   beautiful   day   it   was   for   our   annual   event   on   Therfield   Heath,   the   winds   were about   12mph   and   the   sun   was   out   for   most   of   the   day   -   and   the   rain   stayed   away,   thank goodness. We   had   many   hundreds   of   visitors   again   this   year,   many   staying   for   the   whole   day rather   than   just   the   morning   or   afternoon.     This   year   we   also   had   the   historic   vehicles on    display    and,    although    it    was    their    first    time    at    the    show,    approx    65    vehicles attended. The   kite   festival   had   all   the   usual   attractions,   not   the   least   being   the   famous   “Teddy bear   drop”   where   a   few   bears   are   hoisted   aloft   by   kite   but   come   down   on   their   own little parachutes.  The youngsters really enjoy that spectacle. Many   thanks   to   our   Kite   Festival   organiser   for   this   year,   Jonathan   Berks,   and   to   his   committee   and   all   the   various   helpers   (including partners) who always do so much to make this event the success it was. Click on the link to see the photos of the Kite Festival here  and for the Historic Vehicle Show here .

6th August - Kite Festival & Historic Vehicle Show

This    was    the    first    Rotarian    walk    we’d    organised    so    we    were    a    little concerned   that   the   weather   would   be   foul,   that   no-one   would   turn   up, that   the   pub   would   get   the   meal   choices   wrong,   or   worse,   that   I   had booked the wrong weekend; it has happened to me before! But   what   a   morning!      We   were   blessed   with   good   company   (twenty   one Rotarians,    spouses    and    guests),    bright    sunshine    along    with    a    cooling breeze and a pub that was ready and willing to welcome us back. It   was   a   gentle   walk   starting   from   the   village   of   Aspenden,   along   a   mixture of   farm   tracks,   shady   footpaths   and   Roman   roads.      After   six   miles   we   were   all   pleased   to   see   the   pub   and   judging   from   the   lively conversations in the restaurant everyone seemed to have enjoyed the morning.

13th August - Monthly Walk - Organised by Steve and Sue Higginbotham

We   are   so   sad   to   announce   the   death   of   David   Williams,   who   has   been   one   of   our staunch   members   for   many   years.   David   had   such   a   charming   manner   that   he   would immediately   put   you   at   your   ease   and   was   always   interested   in   what   you   had   to   say   to him.      He   had   a   wealth   of   stories   and   anecdotes   to   entertain   which   were   suitable   for every   occasion.      He   had   been   a   very   successful   President   of   the   Club   for   the   Rotary year   2015/2016   and   during   this   year   was   able   to   present   a   cheque   for   £6,000   on behalf of the Club to the Willow Foundation, a charity very close to his heart. David   began   his   career   as   an   RAF   officer,   gaining   his   navigator’s   wings   and   posted   to 617   Squadron   (The   Dam   Busters)   flying   Avro   Vulcan   jets   during   the   cold   war.      A   later posting   saw   him   commanding   a   squadron   of   Victor   refuelling   tankers   during   the   first Gulf   War.   He   finished   his   military   career   with   the   rank   of   Air   Commodore   having   just   previously   been   the   station   commander   at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. On   retiring   from   the   RAF   David   joined   the   Willow   Foundation   as   its   CEO   and   spent   many   years   with   them   building   it   up   from   a   small local   charity   into   one   that   now   has   a   national   presence.      It   was   natural   therefore   that   the   Willow   Foundation   would   be   David’s nominated charity during his presidential year. David’s   funeral   took   place   on   31st   August   at   Barley   Church   and   it   was   such   a   tribute   to   him   that   over   300   mourners   from   all   over the country came to pay their respects.  The church was full to overflowing with standing room only. David   was   a   real   family   man   and   we   pass   our   condolences   on   to   his   wife   Sue   and   to   their   two   sons   Simon   and   Jamie   and   their families. David will be sorely missed!

15th August - Our Past President, David Williams OBE, Has Died

Saturday   16th   September   saw   the   annual   Rotary   contribution,   jointly   with   the   Royston   Methodist   Church,   to   the   Royston   Arts   Festival.      We were privileged to hold one of the first events of the Royston arts festival, featuring the Phoenix Chorus. The   Phoenix   Chorus   can   be   up   to   80   strong,   but   on   this   occasion   we   had   50.      Phoenix   is an   award   winning   women’s   choir   (they   were   wearing   medals   as   proof)   who   have   sung   at the   Albert   Hall   and   have   recently   won,   by   merit,   a   place   in   a   forthcoming   international competition   to   be   held   in   St   Louis,   Missouri   (and   Jonathan   via   TaxAssist   kindly   offered   to sponsor   them   as   there   will   be   significant   costs).      They   sing   “a   cappella”   songs   in   the barbershop    style    and    their    harmonies    were    beautiful.        Even    more    impressively    the singers   for   each   voice   weren’t   standing   together   but   were   interspersed   throughout   the choir, so managing to stay in such close harmony was amazing. We   were   treated   to   a   wide   range   of   tunes,   including   pop   and   rock   songs   from   Queen   (Don’t Stop   me   Now),   Simon   and   Garfunkel   (Bridge   Over   Troubled   Water),   Adele   (Rolling   in   the   Deep),   a   hymn   by   Horatio   Spafford   (All   is   Well   With my   Soul,   written   after   a   series   of   horrendous   disasters   in   which   he   lost   most   of   his   family   and   his   wealth   –   its   worth   a   web   search   on   his name)   and   tunes   from   musicals   such   as   Anthem   from   Chess.      Several   times   quartets   broke   out   to   perform,   again   with   very   close   harmony, and   we   even   had   a   Hen   Party   quartet   along   with   jokes      –      the   bride   to   be   was   wondering   how   she   could   remember   the   stages   of   the wedding.      Easy   she   thought,   I   have   to   go   up   the   aisle,   then   I   have   to   change   my   name,   then   there   will   be   a   hymn,   so   all   I   have   to   remember   is ‘Aisle Change Hymn’ (say it out loud and you’ll get it)! The   audience   obviously   appreciated   the   performance   as   was   evidenced   by   the   very   loud   applause.      Many   thanks   to   those   from   Rotary   who helped   with   the   tea,   coffee   and   biscuits   at   the   interval,   to   Howard   for   doing   ticket   sales   and   of   course   the   Methodist   Church   for   providing   the venue   and   for   booking   Phoenix.      The   end   result   was   £100   raised   for   the   Church   and,   including   the   retiring   collection,   £240   for   the   Garden House Hospice - and all whilst everybody had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Words and picture by Ray Munden

16th September - Concert By The Phoenix Chorus

At   our   meeting   tonight   we   were   delighted   to   welcome   MIKE   DAY   and   NICHOLA SHARPE   to   the   Royston   Rotary   Family.      Following   their   successful   election,   club President    Graeme    Dargie    presented    both    of    them    with    their    badges    and    a welcome pack.  The   photo   shows   (from   left)   Graeme,   Mike,   Nichola   and   Martin   Berry   who   was   their membership sponsor. We   look   forward   to   getting   to   know   Mike   and   Nichola   even   better   in   the   months ahead.

26th September -  Election of New Members

About   30   Rotarians   and   partners   met   up   at   the   American   Cemetery   at   Madingley   near   Cambridge   for   a   tour by   Tracy,   one   of   the   permanent   guides.      On   first   arriving   one   cannot   fail   to   be   impressed   with   the   layout   of the   site   and   the   neatness   of   it   all.      There   are   over   3,000   headstones   placed   in   a   series   of   semi-circles, radiating   outwards   from   the   raised   flagpole,   which   is   intended   to   be   the   focal   point   of   the   site.      Apparantly every single headstone is washed three times every week. We   were   taken   to   the   “Wall   of   the   Missing”   and   our   guide   explained   that   over   5,000   names   were   carved   into   the   long   tablets   of   Portland Stone.      She   proceeded   to   bring   some   of   these   names   to   life   by   relating   stories   of   how   specific   people   were   lost   and   showed   a photographs of those persons.  It was a sobering experience listening to the stories of these brave men and women. We   visted   the   Chapel   of   Remembrance   with   it’s   stunning   mosaics   on   the   ceilings   and   all   down   the   east side.      On   one   wall   was   an   enormous   frieze   showing   in   relief   the   various   theatres   of   war   of   WW2   and   the involvement   of   the   US,   British   and   Canadian   forces   in   each   of   them.      At   that   point   the   tour   ended   and   we individually browsed around the physical burials and the very interesting visitor centre. At   4.30   we   were   privileged   to   be   involved   with   the   lowering   of   the   American   flag.      Once   lowered   there   is   a   set   sequence   of   folding   until there   is   just   a   small   triangle   showing   the   stars   on   the   flag.      President   Graeme   performed   this   with   aplomb   but   with   more   than   a   little help! Photos by Neil H, Bryony and Tony

29th September - Visit to The American Cemetery at Madingley

Many a Yee-Haw was heard today at our Wild West Party as Rotarians gathered for a fancy dress evening kindly hosted at David and Liz Beardwell’s home.  As is typical of these events a fiendish quiz had first been set to test out our knowledge of the Wild West.  Your scribe’s team only managed to score 6 out of a possible 15 whereas the winning team scored a creditable 11 points. It was soon time for chow-down and the cookhouse staff had prepared a typical cowboy’s meal of sausages, bacon and plenty of beans.  The delicious puddings and cheese that were to follow were never experienced in any old westerner’s ranch house but were nevertheless much appreciated by all. We then came to the shooting competition where we were each given three shots to knock down a few empty bean cans.  What a dismal failure we all were!  There was many a shout of “aim low” and “shoot high” but without much success.  Only a few of our sharpshooters were able to knock down any of the cans despite the fact that the distance from gun to target was only 5 feet! Linda Dargie announced that the prize for the best outfit went (deservedly) to David Easthope for also bringing his horse along (see picture)!  There were a few other honourable mentions which included Jon and Linda Berks (pictured above).  A great night’s entertainment and grateful thanks to the army of caterers who prepared the food, and to the Sports and Social team for arranging it all.  Thank you also David and Liz for risking so much bean juice on your carpets and furniture! Pictures and words by Tony

7th October - Wild West Night

This month’s walk began at Stansted Abbots on the River Lea Navigation.  Although there were fourteen walkers in all to do the  six mile figure of eight, two walkers opted for an easier (and shorter) hike along the river towpath. The main group set off along the “New River” whose name is a misnomer.  It is actually a man-made aquaduct which was constructed in a most imaginative way in the early seventeenth century to bring fresh water from springs near Ware all the way to London.  The river exactly follows the 100 foot contour line for 40 miles, thus needing no bridges or tunnels in order to transport the water.  After a couple of miles New River converged fairly close to the River Lea and the group diverted across this to visit the Rye House.  This is a very old (15th century) grade 1 listed structure with attractive barley-twist chimneys and gateposts, but which, sadly has only the gatehouse remaining (see photo);  however it is clearly marked out where the important rooms on the ground floor would have been.  This building is famous for being the home of Katherine Parr, the sixth (and final) wife of Henry Xlll.  In the seventeenth century the house was also the headquarters of the so-called Rye House Plot to (unsuccessfully) assasinate King Charles ll and his brother James, Duke of York. The walk continued along the towpath of the River Lea passing on the other side, a go-kart track with drivers roaring around.  This track was the place which first saw the very young Lewis Hamilton learn his craft and which proudly contains many of his old trophies and posters in the clubhouse. The main group continued following the River Lea for another mile or so until they reached Dobbs Weir.  At this point they were planning to cross back to the New River but eventually decided to walk the full return route along the towpath of the River Lea. Both parties met up for lunch at the Jolly Fisherman pub at Stansted Abbot where a convivial time was had by all.  Many thanks to John Kelly for organising this walk Photos by Bryony

8th October - Monthly Walk Organised by John Kelly

The   defibrillator   paid   for   by   the   Rotary   Club   of   Royston   club   has   been   officially installed at the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust shop in Fish Hill Square. At   the   unveiling   were   Graeme   Dargie   (club   President)   and   Karin   (Last   year’s   Club President)   from   our   Club,   Maria   Alexander   (Head   of   Fundraising)   and   Tina   Jolly (shop    manager)    from        EHAAT    and    a    representative    of    the    supplier    of    the defibrillator. Graeme    said    ‘Our    Club    was    already    considering    providing    a    defibrillator    in Royston   when   we   heard   that   EHAAT   were   going   to   raise   funds   to   put   one   outside their   new   shop   in   Royston.      As   we   think   that   EHAAT   is   a   very   worthy   charity   we   immediately   offered   to   fund   the   whole   cost   of   the defibrillator   and   were   delighted   that   our   offer   was   enthusiastically   received.      Our   club   is   committed   to   helping   in   the   local   community so were very pleased to be able to provide this service.’ Words and picture by Ray Munden

2nd October -Presentation of Defibrillator to EHAAT

Our   Club   held   the   Annual   Charity   Swimathon   event   last   Sunday,   October   15th   at   the   Royston   Leisure   Centre.      Once   again   it   was   a   highly successful   event   and   well   supported   by   organisations   from   around   the   town   with   16   teams   and   with   a   total   of   80   swimmers.      The swimmers covered a total of 1611 lengths of the swimming pool – very impressive! The organizations participating were: • 5th Royston Rainbows, • 10th Royston Cub Scouts, • 5th Royston Brownies (3 teams), • 3rd Royston (Methodist) Guides, • 2nd Royston Guides, • Greneway School Year 8 Girls, • Greneway School Year 8 Boys, • The Wilderness Explorer Scouts, • Greneway School Boys, • Home Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire, • Royston Methodist Church, • Royston & District Town Twinning Association, • Royston Freewheelers • Rotary Club of Royston A   substantial   amount   of   money   has   been   sponsored   for   the   event,   we   expect   that   several   thousands   of   pound   will   be   available   for   a wide selection of Charities, the final figure will be published when all has been collected.  

15th October - Swimathon

This   month’s   walk   was   a   variation   on   a   route   we   had   used   earlier   in   the   year.      It   was   a   circular   walk   alongside   the   river   Great   Ouse   in what   turned   out   to   be   glorious   sunshine,   if   a   little   cool!      We   had   10   walkers   for   the   day   plus   Tony   and Bryony who were both medically below par so just supporting.  It   was   so   good   to   see   John   and   Jennifer   Kelly   back   with   their   new   black   labrador   Emmy:   We   have missed   seeing   their   old   dog   Bess   who   used   to   come   on   many   a Rotary walk with us, so let’s hope Emmy enjoys these walks as much as Bess did. We   started   from   the   Axe   and   Compass   pub   in   Hemmingford   Abbots   shortly   after   10   o’clock   and followed   the   route   marked   in   red   in   a   clockwise   direction.      The   walk   finished   back   at   the   pub   by 12.45 just in time for a most welcome and hearty meal. Thanks to Bryony for organising the walk and to Martin for leading the party round.

5th November - Monthly Walk

On   Wednesday   8th   November,   Studland’s   Rise   School   hosted   the   20th   annual   ‘Youth   Speaks’   event   for   Year   4   Students.   This   event gives   young   people   the   opportunity   to   speak   on   a   subject   of   their   choice   to   an   audience   of   parents,   family   members,   teachers,   fellow students and members of the Rotary Club of Royston. This   year   we   were   delighted   to   have   fifty   speakers   (that’s   20   more   than   last   year)   from   eight   local   schools   (three   more   than   last   year): Icknield   Walk   First   School   ,   Studlands   Rise   First   School,   Tannery   Drift   First   School,   Barley   First   School,   Barkway   First   School,   Therfield First   School,   Reed   First   School   and   St   Mary’s   RC   Primary   School.      The   children   spoke   on   nineteen   subjects   ranging   from   Michael Jackson   to   Japan;   from   the   Chocolate   to   Dinosaurs.   All   the   presentations   were   interesting   and   informative.   Lukas   Thirlwell   (a   child   in year   3)   deserves   a   special   mention   –   he   stood   in   for   his   older   brother   at   very   short   notice   to   speak   about   Michael   Jackson   when   his older brother was taken ill. The full list of speakers and their topics was as follows Martin    Berry    (Junior    Vice-President    of    Royston    Rotary    Club)    presented    each    student    with    a    certificate    to    commemorate    their participation in this event.  We are very grateful to Mrs Alison Rinna, Head Teacher of Studland’s Rise School, for hosting the event.

8th November - Youth Speaks Event (year 4 students)

Tannery Drift School: ·         Holly Cobb                         Hobbies ·         Khadija Eyitayo                 Hobbies ·         Vienna Peacock                Hobbies ·         Charlotte Lye                     Music           Cameron Foley                  Japan ·         Kai Perkins                         Japan Studlands Rise School: ·         Luke Baker                         Harry Potter ·         Sam Falconer                     Harry Potter ·         Iris Flin                                Harry Potter ·         Oscar McKinnell                Metals ·         Harry Miller                        Metals           Emily Wilkinson                 Metals ·         Darcy Estwick                     The Great British Bake Off ·         Roisin Johnson                  The Great British Bake Off ·         Alice Parnwell                    The Great British Bake Off Barley & Barkway Schools: ·         Archie Cox                          Forest School in Newsells ·         Jasmine Carder                  Forest School in Newsells ·         Jamiey Brinkley                  Forest School in Newsells ·         William Brown                    Forest School in Newsells ·         Benjamin Gower               Forest School in Newsells ·         Riley Valk                            Forest School in Newsells ·         Sonny Peverelli                  Forest School in Newsells   St Mary’s Primary RC School: ·         Arthur Barber                    Sharks ·         Orla Patmore                     Irish Dancing ·         Ben Lambie                        Insects  

Icknield Way School: ·         Toby Webb                          The Egyptians ·         Charlie Hardy                      The Egyptians ·         Benjamin Paterson            The Egyptians ·         Samuel Gardner                 Sharks ·         Ashton Felstead                  Sharks ·         Julius Crosby                        Space ·         Joshua Waites                      Space  Therfield School: ·         Donnie Rigaut                      Michael Jackson ·         Lukas Thirlwell                     Michael Jackson ·         Matilda Temple                    Matilda (by Roald Dahl) ·         Nellie-Emma Brizil               Matilda (by Roald Dahl) ·         Lulabelle Hardman             Matilda (by Roald Dahl) ·         Amelie Challis                      Dinosaurs ·         Grace Wilson                        Dinosaurs ·         Amelie Ellis                           Dinosaurs ·         Charlie Barrett                     Dinosaurs ·         Tomas Hewitt                       Dinosaurs Reed School: ·         Amber Gration                     Chocolate Facts ·         Chester Clarkson                 Chocolate Facts ·         Jago Nottingham                 Chocolate Facts ·         Daisy Trigwell                       Where Chocolate Comes From          Harrison Dela-Nougerede  Where Chocolate Comes rom ·         Charlie Ward                        Where Chocolate Comes From ·         Aidan Liebenberg               The Story of Chocolate ·         Jacob Bartlett                       The Story of Chocolate  

Words by Martin Berry.  

The   Club’s   very   first   memory   cafe   was   held   in   The   Old   Barn   in   Upper   King   Street, Royston.      It   was   a   very   successful   event   with   a   total   of   eighteen   clients   attending plus   ten   Rotarian   helpers   (including   two   from   the   Cambridge   South   Rotary   Club who   run   their   own   Memory   Cafe).      The   event   is   under   the   capable   organising skills of Rotarian David Izod. The   Memory   Cafe   is   intended   to   be   an   informal   “drop-in”   centre   for   people   with various    memory    disorders    (plus    their    carers)    to    provide    a    safe    and    friendly environment   and   where   their   various   failing   faculties   can   be   stimulated.      It   will be a regular event occurring on the second monday of each month. This   first   event   included   tea,   coffee   and   biscuits   for   attendees   followed   by   a   brain   training   game   of   Lotto.      After   this   we   had   a   singalong to a number of popular songs from the 1950’s accompanied by Lesley Izod on the piano. The event lasted about two hours with many of the vistors expressing the wish to come again to the next session.

13th November - First Ever Memory Cafe!

A    total    of    23    Rotarians    and    partners    helped    with    this    year’s    collection    for Children   in   Need   over   the   two   days,   some   being   deployed   to   stand   in   the   foyer at    the    local    Tesco    supermarket    whilst    the    others    braved    the    biting    wind whistling down Royston High Street. The   result   was   a   massive   £3,712    being   raised   -   an   amazingly   successful   sum which    was    primarily    due    to    the    generosity    of    Roystonians    but    also    to    the organisation that Rotarian David Izod had put into the collection.

17th and 18th November - Children In Need Collection

On Wednesday 15th November, Greneway School hosted the 20th annual ‘Youth Speaks’ event for students in Years 5, 6, 7 & 8. This event gives young people the opportunity to speak on a subject of their choice to an audience of parents, family members, teachers, fellow students and members of the Rotary Club of Royston. This year we were delighted to have 57 speakers from three local schools: Greneway Middle School, Roysia Middle School and St Mary’s RC Primary School.  The children spoke on 20 subjects ranging from Roblox to Women’s Rights; from The Bermuda Triangle to Nelson Mandela.  All the presentations were interesting and informative and many were also amusing and entertaining. Encouraging feedback was provided by Rotarian Clarice Wahlich & Di Charles, and we are very grateful to Mrs Laura Rawlings, Head Teacher of Greneway School, for hosting the event. The list of participants and the subjects on which they spoke follows:

15th November- Youth Speaks

· Greneway Middle School         Eliza Kimsey                      Endangered zoo animals ·         Freddie Rouse                   Endangered zoo animals ·         Nancy Bradley                   Endangered zoo animals ·         Jess Woods                        Women's rights ·         Keira Louise Westbury    Women's rights ·         Ellie Johnson                      Women's rights           William Archer                  Unjust imprisonment- prisoners of war ·         Cameron Thompson       Unjust imprisonment- prisoners of war ·         Rory Keenan                      Unjust imprisonment- prisoners of war ·         Rose Norris                        Nelson Mandela ·         Emma Todd                       Nelson Mandela ·         Lucy Parnwell                    Nelson Mandela ·         Charlotte Cooley               Nelson Mandela ·         Abi Frost                             Music ·         Grace Gifford                     Music ·         Natasha Lye                       Music ·         Katie Temple                      Equality ·         Kerrie Wilson                     Equality  St Mary’s Primary School ·         Rafa Bernedo                    The Olympics ·         Alex Telakis                        The Olympics ·         Annabelle Walsh               British Authors ·         Freya Gordon                     British Authors ·         Tahliah Ireland                   Endangered Animals ·         Shalome Kaseke                Endangered Animals ·         Hanna Kmiecik                  Endangered Animals ·         Alice O'Toole                      Endangered Animals ·         Keira Folscher                    Endangered Animals ·         Sophie Ji                              Baking ·         Francesca O'Callaghan     Baking ·         Emilie Norton                     Baking ·         Alice Chernukin                 Baking ·         Thomas Rustean               Artic Life ·         Stefan Georgiou                Artic Life ·         Ishaaq Nabi                        Artic Life ·         Luke Gage                           Artic Life ·         Joseph Brownjohn             Artic Life

Roysia Middle School   Henri Ferhati                      Roblox ·         Matas Jucius                      Roblox ·         Wasif Ahmed                     Roblox ·         Sophie McKenzie             Save the Rain-forests ·         Mayuha Maganti              Save the Rain-forests ·         Imogen Little                     Families ·         Aimee Reeder                   Families ·         Anamika Arayangat         The Bermuda Triangle ·         Oliver Hill                             The Bermuda Triangle ·         Alpha Jallow                       The Bermuda Triangle ·         Garner Heath                    The Bermuda Triangle ·         Ria Duffy                              Reading ·         Erin Davies-Rutter           Drawing ·         Madison Tye                      Special Effects ·         Katie Hall                             Special Effects ·         Francesca Hill                     Fashion Through the Ages ·         Molly Taney                       Fashion Through the Ages ·         Lily Evenden                       Fashion Through the Ages ·         Luisa Stachini                     Harry Potter ·         Lily Hughes                         Harry Potter           Iona Berry                           Harry Potter  

1st and 2nd December- Installing Christmas Trees

This is always a busy time of year for Royston Rotary Club. On   Friday   1st   December   we   installed   and   decorated   a   seven   foot   Christmas   Tree   at   Richard   Cox   House   which   is   a home   in   Royston   for   the   elderly   with   long   term   needs   and   also   for   respite   care.      We   were   ably   assisted   by   some   of the   residents   including   Peggy   (pictured)   who   threw   her   weight   into   the   decorating.      The   sherry   and   mince   pies provided by the home were very welcome to the small band of Rotarians. On   the   following   day   an   even   larger   team   of   Rotarians   pitched   up   to   St   George’s   Nursing   Home to   install   and   decorate   three   trees,   including   one   upstairs   on   the   landing.      Our   efforts   were greatly    appreciated    by    the    home    and    mulled    wine    with    mince    pies    (yet    again)    were    very acceptable.      We   were   accompanied   by   suitably   seasonal   Christmas   carols   which   made   us   all believe that Christmas could only be just around the corner!

This   evening   we   were   delighted   to   have   the   formal   induction   of   Oscar   Sassoli   into   our   club.     Oscar   is   well   known   to   club   members   having   attended   numerous   functions   and   meetings   over the   years,   as   well   as   being   a   working   colleague   of   Rotarian   Tim   Penn   who   will   also   act   as   his mentor for the next few weeks.  We welcome Oscar to the Royston Rotary Club. The photo shows President Graeme Dargie congratulating Oscar after the induction.

28th November - New Member Elected

10th December - Monthly Walk

11th December - Christmas Memory Cafe

The   overnight   snowfall   in   Royston   put   paid   to   the   scheduled   monthly   walk   which   was   due   to   take   place   over   the   Therfield   Heath.     David and Lesley Izod were sadly left with oodles of shepherds pie for the expected lunch afterwards but put a brave face on it!

      Rotary Walkers Lament (with apologies to Dean Martin) Oh, the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so delightful Since walking will be a blow Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. It shows no sign of stopping And Lesley’s made lunch for scoffing But the roads are all no go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. The fire is slowly dying But the walkers are still good-byeing Next year we’ll get gentle blows Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

December’s   Memory   Café   had   a   Christmas   theme   in   more   ways   than   one!   The   snow   outside   reduced the numbers attending but a warm spirit prevailed. We   had   seven   attendees   and   eight   others   who   were   unable   to   get   to   the   Old   Barn   because   of   being iced   in   at   home.      After   drinks   and   mince   pies,   we   had   a   reading   by   Scrooge,   (in   his   happy   mode   -   see photo),   of   the   famous   story   “A   Christmas   Carol”.      This   was   followed   by   crackers,   carol   singing   and   with Santa   coming   down   the   chimney   to   present   pre-Christmas   gifts.      A   happy   yule   time   was   had   by   all, looked after by eleven Rotarians. P.S.   A   lady,   whose   mother   had   recently   moved   to   be   with   her   because   of   dementia,   mentioned   to Lesley Izod that "it was wonderful to see her mother totally absorbed" by our programme yesterday.

This   year’s   Christmas   dinner   celebration   was   held   at   the   Double   Tree   by   Hilton   Hotel   in   Cambridge   (formerly   The   Garden   House Hotel) which is set in a pleasant location on the banks of the River Cam. Following   a   lovely   three-course   dinner,   President   Graham   announced   two   unexpected   but   richly deserved   Paul   Harris   awards.      The   first   was   to   Rotarian   Brian   Whittaker    for   all   his   additional behind-the-scenes   work   he   has   performed   for   the   Club   over   the   years.      The   second   was   to   Linda Berks    who   has   tirelessly   helped   Rotarians   and   their   partners   whenever   either   of   them   was   laid   up with   an   illness   or   infirmity.         The   photos   show   both   Brian   and   Linda   being   presented   with   their Paul Harris awards. After   the   presentations   we   were   entertained   by   Ebenezer   Scrooge   himself   (aka   Neil   Heywood)   reading   extracts   from   A   Christmas Carol   by   Charles   Dickens.      Neil’s   rendering,   in   character,   of   this   famous   story   kept   us   all   enthralled   for   many   minutes.      This   was followed by the whole party singing carols, accompanied by Lesley Izod on the piano and led by the lovely voice of Sue Pinner. More photos of the event can be seen here.

12th December - Christmas Dinner

From   2nd   December   through   to   23rd   December   Club   members   went   along   to   Bury   Lane   Fam   Shop,   near Royston,    to    help    Father    Christmas    distribute    presents    to    many    visiting    children.        A    total    of    14    different Rotarians    were    involved    to    cover    21    separate    2-hour    sesions    in    Santa’s    grotto    over    the    4    weekends    of December, bringing smiles and wonderment to the faces of the many children and parents who visited. The photo shows a picture of Santa in his grotto with his little elf helper on the last weekend before Christmas.

Throughout December - Helping Santa at Bury Lane Farm Shop

January 10th 2018 - Another Donation to Embocraft

Our    International    Projects    Chairman,    David    Blundell,    has    announced    that    a Christmas    gift    of    £1000    (approx    R16,600)    has    been    sent    to    our    friends    at Embocarft   in   Kwa/Zulu   Natal,   South   Africa.      The   purpose   of   these   funds   is   for the   purchase   of   additional   sewing   machine   and   for   training.      Linda   Venton   at Embocraft expressed her delight and appreciation for the gift. The   Embocraft    Project   is   designed   to   empower   the   people   of   an   area   devastated   by poverty.    It    is    based    close    to    the    Inanda    Dam    where    the    population    of    25,000    is exclusively   Zulu-speaking,   with   88%   considered   poor.   HIV/AIDS   is   endemic.   Embocraft conducts   skills   training   to   develop   products   which   can   both   benefit   households   and     generate    income.    Those    taking    part    learn    to    sew    both    for    themselves    and    their community.  For more details on Embocraft please see http://embocraft.co.za/  .

13th January - Annual Quiz

Greeneway   School   in   Royston   was   the   venue   for   the   Annual   Rotary   Quiz   Night,   and   once   again   it was   very   well   attended.      There   was   a   total   of   129   attendees   spread   over   17   different   teams   to answer   the   fiendish   questions   set   by   quizmaster   Phillip   Martin.      There   were   a   total   of   ten   rounds covering   different   topics,   each   consisting   of   ten   questions.   The   teams   could   select   one   topic   in advance to play a “joker” which had the effect of doubling the score for that round. The   winning   team   was   “Bob   Cats”   who   scored   a   total   of   82   out   of   a   possible   110,   followed   by   the teams   “T.A.D.S.”   (78)   and   “Good   Loosers”   (75).      The   picture   shows   the   captain   of   team   “Bob   Cats” receiving the winner’s cup. The   event   raised   in   excess   of   £1,000   for   distribution   to   Rotary   charities.      Much   thanks   goes   to the   quizmaster,   the   scorers,   the   bar   staff,   the   runners   and   the   raffle   staff   for   their   hard   work   on the night.

14th January - Monthly Walk

The   start   and   finish   of   our   walk   was   the   largest   building   in   the   village   of   Abington   in   the   Clay, known   since   the   17c   as   Abington   Pigotts.      The   latter   name   comes   from   the   Pykot   or   Pigott   family who   owned   the   surrounding   manorial   land   for   four   centuries.      This   early   18c   Inn   was   for   much   of its life the ' Darby and Joan' becoming , in the 1980's,  the Pig and Abbot. The   four   and   a   half   mile   walk   was   2/3   on   the   road   and   1/3   on   well   established   footpaths   to   avoid the   teddy   boy   thick   soled   shoes   you   normally   get   walking   the   fields   this   time   of   year.      It   was   hard work   for   the   spritely   bunch   struggling   over   the   28   foot   rise   and   fall   on   their   way   to   Litlington.      This   village,   one   of   the   few   in   the   country with   a   one   way   system,   offers   a   13c   Church   whose,   once   spired,   tower   was   used   as   a   positioning   post   for   the   P47s   and   P51s   USA fighters based at a nearby WWII airbase and a 2c 30 roomed Roman Villa excavated in 2010 by the BBC Time Team. During   the   walk   through   the   village   we   passed   the   residence   of   our   own   Peter   Franks,      one   of   Royston's   revered   restorers,   on   our   way to   the   river   where   Bassa's   people   settled.      From   the   on   route   footpath   on   the   right   we   had   a   fine   view   over   open   countryside   to   the Heath and a well known industrial conurbation.  On   reaching   the   bourn   we   turned   left   through   a   gate   and   keeping   the   village   on   our   right   walked   through the   wood,   along   a   field   and   right   onto   a   rough   track   to   Bassingbourn   Mill.      Bassingbourn   is   well   known   for its   deposits   of   Coprolite   (dinosaur   dung)   which   was   mined   in   the   19th   century   for   fertilizer,   and   also   for   its large WWII American bomber base. On    crossing    the    mill    stream    we    turned    left    and    journeyed    on    down    the    lane    until    meeting    Fen    Lane completely   bypassing   the   village.      Two   left   turns   and   a   further   road   walk   found   us   back   at   the   Pub   where   we were well wined and dined by Pat and her staff. Words by Jim, photos by Ray and Bryony

2nd February - Ceilidh

Nearly    60    Rotarians    and    partners/friends    arrived    at    Thriplow    Village    Hall    in anticipation   of   a   pleasant   evening   of   food   and   dance.      And   we   were   not   disappointed as first we benefitted from a nice meal from the ever reliable Gill Williamson. Then   the   average   age   in   the   Hall   plummeted   when   a   group   of   incredibly   young people   arrived   to   set   up   as   our   entertainment   band   for   the   evening,   the   Cambridge University   Ceilidh   Band,   who   provided   the   excellent   music   to   accompany   the   not   so excellent dancing. A   few   people   dressed   up   in   the   spirit   of   the   occasion,   or   to   be   exact   Graeme   wore   a hat and Howard a hat and wig. An   enthusiastic   Caller   gave   us   clear   instructions,   despite   which   many   of   us   went   wrong   but   we   still   had   a   wonderful   evening,   in   fact   the missteps   provided   much   merriment.      There   was   a   really   high   participation   in   the   dances,   although   it   did   take   its   toll   with   a   few   dropping out later on and one going off in search of an asthma inhaler. At   one   stage,   an   apparition   of   a   fierce   (!)   Scottish   warrior,   with   very   red   hair   and   two   swords   appeared   (rumour   has   it   that   it   was   actually David   Easthope   dressed   up)   and   challenged   our   very   (OK,   slightly)   Scottish   President   to   dance   around   the   crossed   swords.      Graeme obliged   with   an   excellent   dance,   during   which,   much   to   the   dismay   of   the   audience,   didn’t   result   in   any   severed   feet.      Our   Health   and Safety officer could be seen having convulsions. Words and photos by Ray Munden.  See all the photos of the event by clicking here

7th February - Technology Tournament

21   teams   of   aspiring   technologists   from   6   local   schools   met   last   week   to   stretch   their   creative   skills   in   Royston   Rotary   Club’s   annual Technology   Tournament.   Now   in   its   11th   year,   the   competition   provides   each   team   with   the   tools   and   materials   needed   to   build   a working   model   able   to   perform   a   specified   task.   This   year,   teams   tried   their   hand   at   ballistics,   designing   a   remotely   controlled   rig   to fire a missile through a hoop to a height of 3 metres before landing in a target area Roysia   School’s   Team   1   triumphed   in   the   Foundation   class,   while   in   the   Senior   division   Buntingford’s   Freman   College   emerged   with top   marks.   A   special   prize   for   design   innovation,   awarded   by   Royston-based   multinational Johnson   Matthey,   went   to   Freman   College’s   Team   2.      Teamwork   and   planning   are   very much   part   of   the   process,   and   count   towards   the   final   score.      A   team   of   judges,   both Rotarians   and   external,   toured   the   hall   offering   comment   and   advice   before   conferring   to agree   the   points   to   be   awarded   under   each   category   –   Design   Analysis,   Development, Portfolio,   and   Construction,   as   well   as   the   final   practical   test,   which   provided   most   points and   much   excitement   as   each   design   was   demonstrated   in   front   of   the   competitors. Some    balls    went    way    beyond    the    required    height    hit    the    roof    of    Meridian    School’s assembly hall, and one or two lodged up there, never to be seen again. Our   Area   Governor   Simon   Lake   visited   us   and   stayed   for   the   whole   day;   also   visiting   were three   representatives   of   District   1260,   to   which   Royston   expects   to   transfer   during   the year.   They   included   1260’s   Tech   Tournament   supremo   Andrew   Bullen,   who   commented very favourably, saying ours was one of the best organised he had seen anywhere. The   club   turned   out   in   force   to   provide   stewards,   video,   scoring,   refreshments,   (thanks, Clarice    and    Di)    and    those    key    sticky    members    of    every    TT,    the    expert    glue    station operators.    Organiser    Rotarian    Brian    Whittaker    said:    “We    truly    saw    some    budding engineers today.” Words and pictures by Neil Heywood.

11th February - Monthly Walk from Everton

Luckily,   after   a   day   of   drizzle   and   then   an   overnight   torrent,   we   awoke   on   Sunday   11th February   to   a   cold   but   crisp   and   fairly   sunny   day.      Meeting   up   in   the   Bedfordshire   village   of Everton,   and   after   awaiting   one   couple   who   it   seemed   had   first   gone   to   the   Merseyside version,   we   set   off   suitably   attired   against   the   cold.      After   a   short   stretch   on   road   we   soon plunged   off   into   a   field   where   cows   had   done   their