Saluting the Bard

It has been a few years since we have attended a District Conference, but this year saw 12 of us sign up for our 1240 DG David Willis’s joint conference with Barbara Middleton’s District 1260.  Brian had dropped out with Covid, but ten of us made the trek to Stratford Upon Avon for the weekend.

The conference can really be divided into three parts:

• Social and Fellowship
• Charity Presentations
• Keynote Speakers

Friday Night Theatre

How can you go to Stratford and not experience the Royal Shakespeare Company and one of the Bard’s plays?  ... You can’t!

We all walked the short distance from the hotel (Stratford Crowne Plaza in the centre of town) to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and assembled upstairs in the Rooftop restaurant to launch our weekend with a terrific meal.  Great food, great conversation – we were off to a great start.  Then downstairs to the theatre itself to see Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play” in the main theatre.  Theatre in the round but a fantastic and impressive space to experience a play.

Unfortunately, the production was “experimental”, some male characters played by women, all speaking with Scottish accents and the diction of many of the actors was so poor it was difficult to make out what was being said, and even when you knew the play, to understand what was going on.  Four of the party left at the interval but those who stayed found the second half much easier to understand and enjoyed the performance.

Gala Dinner

We were expecting to be seated together but the DGs had decided to mix members from the two Districts, and our expected 12 were split across three tables.  No problem for Peter and Wendy, and Les and Val, nor for Roger and Sarah, and Malcolm and Sue, but in the absence of Brian and Julia, Patrick and Carol were on their own amongst strangers, with two empty seats on one side.  Undaunted, Patrick was his usual sociable self and was soon chatting amiably with members of Hitchin Rotary Club.

The food was excellent and served quickly – despite there being 250 people in a crowded Grand Ballroom.  No speeches – Phew!!

Then on came the band “The Zoots” playing music from the 50s-70s and the dance floor was soon heaving with gyrating Rotarians – now that’s an image you can’t forget!

We ended the evening with a drink in the riverside bar, seated round a fire in the balmy open air – such was the weather that it was really comfortable and enjoyable as conversation flowed easily before we retired to bed.

Charity Presentations

There were a whole series of presentations by charities during the event, with more charities displaying their work with stands in the Rotary Showcase.  They included:

• Young Lives Vs Cancer
• Wrap Up UK
• ShelterBox
• 52 Lives
• Foundation
• Purple Community Fund
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative
• Bipolar UK
• Water Survival Box
• KidsOut
  

Keynote Speakers

There were three inspiring speakers who kept us completey enthralled and marvelling at their achievements.

J J Chalmers - Ex Royal Marine Commando who was blown up while on active service in Afghanistan.  Since then he helped Prcince Harry with the Invictus Games, won Gold medals in wheelchair racing, and has become a well-known TV presenter.  

“From Waking nightmare to living the dream”
“I live with pain every day, but I wouldn’t change anything.  You always have a choice, you don’t have to evolve, you can go extinct!!”

Paula Craig - Ex NHS Radiographer, Police detective, athlete and triathlete who was hit b a car while training on her bike. Since then has become a parathlete, led a very fulfilling police career, and even swam the channel as part of a relay team.

“I wouldn’t choose to have the accident but I wouldn’t change it because of all the opportunities it has given me”.

Steve Pateman - Steve is a brilliant, dynamic and very funny speaker.He  is the fourth generation running the W J Brookes family shoe/boot manufacturing firm, founded in 1889.  The firm hit trouble in the 90s and was on the brink of failure when

“It started with a new Customer - Sue – but with a very deep voice”!!!

The play and film Kinky Boots is based on his story, and has won 6 Tony’s, and had 13 nominations.