Club Blog November 2015

November started with a social gathering with food. Club members decided to have a meal at The Boathouse as none of us had been there since the recent renovations. All enjoyed their meals and would be happy to go again.

November brings fireworks, and on a very damp November 5th evening, TWM members were to be found in the fields between North Bradley & Southwick on car park duty, assisting Bradford on Avon Rotary Club with the Trowbridge Fireworks.

Chippenham Rotary Fireworks followed on 7th November, with TWM assisting with manning the gates & stewarding. Due to environmental, safety & insurance issues, for the first time in 40 years, this year there was no bonfire. Instead the public enjoyed a laser light show, live band and even bigger & better fireworks all synchronised to music. Proceeds from the evening are used to help local community groups as well as providing direct support to Rotary projects both locally & overseas.

On Remembrance Sunday, President Julia attended the service at St James along with many other community groups and, on behalf of TWM, laid a wreath at the war memorial. Club members subsequently collected all the poppy boxes they had previously delivered to local businesses in the area.

After all the outside activities, our member organised evening on 9th November took place back at the Lamb where Andrew & Bryony organised a horse racing evening with a difference. The 'horses' are large wooden pieces, 'ridden' (moved) by jockeys along a long track according to the throw of the dice, rather like snakes & ladders, but with counters several feet high. Causing great hilarity, this game will definitely be making an appearance when our French Twinning Club visits next May!

On 12th November a few members supported the Alzheimer West Wilts Cafe which meet at Fullingbridge Farm on the second Thursday of each month. A typical evening will include live music, a talk or discussion or interview on an aspect of living with dementia, and a light supper. Our involvement will now be a regular commitment.

Westbury Rotary held their annual International Cuisine Evening on Sat 14th November and  always happy to support other Clubs, especially when food is involved, a group from TWM went along. We each enjoyed four 3-course meals from Russia, Italy, Burma & Brazil, yum yum.

For his allocated member organised evening at the end of the month, Andy arranged for Tim Tait, author, film-maker & investigative journalist, to visit the club to speak about his life and career. Tim has published 13 non-fiction books, written for national & regional newspapers and made around 80 documentary films including the Cook Report. He gave us all a very interesting insight into the world of the media.