Scrapbook For The Rotary Year July 2023 to June 2024
Rotary
Club of Royston
President: Phillip Martin
Index to Scrapbook Entries (click to view)
13th August 2023
6th August 2023
23rd July 2023
9th July 2023
4th July 2023
This is our Club’s big event of the year when the outgoing president hands over his responsibilities (and chain of office) to the vice
president and some other club officers also move up one rung of the ladder. This year our President Peter Mitton is succeeded by
vice president Phillip Martin.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Forty eight Club members including , partners and guests met up at the East Herts Golf Club for
7pm having struggled through persistent drizzle to get there. We had half an hour to settle in, mingle and socialise before a group
photograph of all Rotarians present was taken. We were then called in to dinner, where a table plan and a place card led each of us
to our allocated place at table.
Following an excellent three-course meal, coffee and the loyal toast the formal activities of the evening began. President Peter
addressed us with remarks on how his term of office had been, mentioning some of the highlights and successes of the year. His
penultimate task was to read citations for richly deserved Paul Harris Fellowship Recognition awards to Rotarians Karin Weston and
Martin Berry. Peter’s final duty was the handover to incoming president Phillip with the chain of office and handshake to “seal the
deal”.
Peter’s wife Barbara then handed on the president’s partner’s jewel to Ruth Martin and the other handovers took place of the various
chains of office i.e. to Derek Pinner, the new vice president and to Jean Green the new junior vice president. Barbara was also
presented with some potted plants to thank here for her support of Peter through the year.
The formal part of the evening being over and following the final toast more socialising could take place until all the guests eventually
drifted away by 10.30. Altogether an excellent evening very professionally organised by our new vice president - many thanks Derek.
To see all the photographs of the evening please click here.
9th July 2023 - Monthly Walk
Conscious
that
it
might
be
hot,
we
planned
a
walk
mainly
through
woods,
less
than
four
miles
and
flat.
As
we
gathered
for
the
walk,
the
skies
around
us
looked
rather
threatening
and
we
all
wondered
if
we’d
escape
being
soaked.
We
started
from
Debden
Barns
a
few
miles
outside
Saffron
Walden
near
Carver
Barracks.
After
a
very
short
time
we
crossed
the
road
to
view
the
old
runway
(RAF
Debden)
and
the
memorial.
On
the
day
we
were
there
we
could
see
the
runway
was
being
used,
not
by
planes
but
by
cars
as
there
was
a
driving experience event with all manner of exotic cars driving along the tarmac.
Of
course
there
was
a
brief
history
lesson
from
John…
RAF
Debden
just
before
the
war
featured
in
a
film
starring
George
Formby;
in
1940
it
was
one
of
the
key
Battle
of
Britain
bases
with
Peter
Townsend
(he
of
Princess
Margaret
fame)
and
after
1942
is
was
an
USAAF
bomber
base
so
a
lot
of
history.
Now
the
buildings
are
used
by
the
Bomb
Disposal
RE
regiment
hence
the
barracks
with
the
whole
lot
due to close in 2031.
We
crossed
the
road
and
turned
right
at
a
layby
and
started
walking
on
a
good
path
towards
Rowney
Woods.
The
track
through
the
woods
was
very
good
despite
recent
rain
and
it’s
an
area
perfect
for
jogging.
While
none
of
our
party
felt
the
need
to
increase
their
pace,
we
had
several
runners
sail
past
us.
The
route
is
waymarked
but
after
a
while
we
took
a
left
fork
which
brought
us
out
into
open
fields.
We
turned
right
along
the
edge
of
the
wood
and
as
we
reached
the
end
of
the
field,
we
took
four
steps
up
to
rejoin
the
woodland
path.
Ignoring
the
cries
of
‘you
said
it
was
flat...’,
we
stopped
briefly
at
what
was
meant
to
be
our
coffee
stop.
However,
since
John
and
I
had
done
our
recce,
the
area
had
become
very
overgrown
so
we
couldn’t
easily
get
to
the
site
we’d
earmarked.
But
there
was
some
good
news.
On
our
recce,
we’d
sat
on
our
folding
mats
on
a
log.
We
realised
recently
that
we
only
had
one
mat
in
our
rucksack.
Retracing
our
movements,
we
thought
the
only
place
we
could
have
lost
one
of
them
was
in
the
woods.
John
fought
his
way
through the undergrowth and there he found the mat. It was a bit dirty, but it had been there about 6 weeks.
We
had
coffee
in
a
clearing
nearby.
There
was
a
huge
mound
of
recently
dug
earth
which
prompted
Kasifa
to
wander
what
had
been
buried
there.
We
were
able
to
reassure
her
that
it
was
earth
from
a
badger
sett.
The
coffee
break
was
quite
short
as
several
of
the
party were being bitten. Well done Barbara for having some bite cream.
We
continued
along
the
waymarked
path
before
reaching
a
left-hand
branch.
Our
recce
had
seen
us
continue
straight
on,
but
adventurous
John
decided
we
should
go
off
piste
and
take
the
left-hand
route.
Much
checking
of
phones
ensued
to
see
where
this
would
take
us.
As
John
says
we
weren’t
lost
but
the
final
part
of
the
walk
was
treading
new
ground.
After
walking
around
a
field
there
should
have
been
a
footpath
off
to
the
left.
We
couldn’t
see
it,
so
we
continued
on
and
then
entered
another
field
and
doubled
back
on ourselves. We saw the signpost we’d been looking for but it was well hidden by vegetation.
Continuing
our
walk
around
the
field
we
could
see
the
car
park
and
Debden
Barns
in
the
distance.
Despite
doubting
his
map
reading
ability we ended up in the right place! Even more astonishing the distance covered was less than four miles.
Barbara,
Peter
and
Kasifa
had
to
get
home,
but
the
rest
of
us
together
with
Tony
had
lunch
in
the
Elder
Street
café
and
deli.
We
enjoyed cool drinks and a variety of dishes ranging from fish and chips, burgers to Butcher’s Block.
In all it was a pleasant walk and as always it was filled with fun and fellowship.
Clarice. Photos courtesy of Clarice and Bryony.
4th July 2023 - Presidential Changeover
13th August 2023 - Monthly Walk
Six
walkers
began
this
month’s
walk
from
the
Rose
and
Crown
in
Ashwell.
After
a
short
walk
along
the
road,
we
turned
right
onto
a
footpath
which
took
us
up
a
gentle
slope.
The
weather
was
perfect
for
walking
and
at
the
top
of
the
slope
we
had
fine
views
of
Ashwell
Church
and
across
to
Sandy.
At
the
end
of
this
footpath,
sampling
blackberries
along
the
way,
we
turned
right
and
then
left
onto
a
track
into
a
field.
A
little
further
on
we
had
a
very
short
de
-
tour
to
see
the
well-hidden
church
at
Caldecote.
The
diversion
could
prove
use
-
ful
as
we
came
across
a
sign
advertising
gazebo spare parts.
Returning
to
the
track,
we
turned
left
at
the
road
passing
several
laden
apple
trees
along
the
route.
After
a
‘Beware
of
the
Bears‘
sign
we
entered
the
village
of
Newnham.
Here
we
went
to
the
church
for
our
coffee
break.
On
our
recce
there
was
sadly
only
one
bench
to
sit
on.
When
we
arrived
this
time,
a
brand-new
bench
had
been
added
so
we
were
all
able
to
sit
down.
That
was
the
good
news.
Unfortunately,
a
phone
call
to
the
Bushell
and
Strike
brought
bad
news.
We’d
been
booked
in
for
Saturday
not
Sunday and they had no space for us.
Undeterred
we
walked
back
to
the
footpath
which
was
even
more
overgrown
than
on
our
previ
-
ous
visit.
Having
fought
our
way
through
crops
and
nettles,
we
turned
right
over
a
wooden
bridge
into
a
field.
We
carried
on
through
three
more
fields
some
of
which
had
sheep.
One
in
particular
took a liking to Martin.
We
emerged
onto
the
road
and
walked
about
300
yards
to
a
footpath
on
the
right.
A
gentle
slope
took
us
past
a
pig
farm
before
turning
left
up
through
some
fields.
The
area
on
our
left
was
an
iron
age
hill
fort.
After
this
we
walked
downhill
and
ended
up
back
in
Ashwell.
A
distance
of
slightly
more
than
six miles had been covered.
Ray
came
up
with
Plan
B
for
lunch,
Kasifa
wasn’t
able
to
join
us
but
John
and
I,
Martin
and
Jo
and
Ray
met
up
with
Joan
in
the
Thai
Rack
in
Royston
where we had a delicious lunch.
Another lovely walk with great company and delicious food. There is no Sunday walk in September as we have our ‘walking weekend’.
Words and pictures by Clarice
