Club Bulletin for December 2022

                                                Rotary Club of Cheltenham North

                                                         December 2022 Bulletin

Seasons Greetings President Janet

Time is passing very fast and we are nearly at the Carol Concert and Christmas lunch, both very enjoyable occasions when we all (or almost all) meet up together. Then it will be Christmas itself and, when we meet again in the new year, I will already be more than half way through my presidential year. So far we have had a very successful Wine Festival and many of us have had a useful and enjoyable time helping the Year 3 children at Rowanfield read. We have arranged to send the Rowanfield children to the Everyman Pantomime and some of us have also helped at the Belmont school fair. We have collected at the Racecourse for Ukraine and also helped with stewarding the fireworks on November 5th. We have provided festive food for struggling families. We have had many interesting and enjoyable talks after dinner and all in all we have had an enjoyable and productive time

Next year we look forward to the Pendyrus Choir concert and Gardeners’ Questions and continuing to support our two local schools. We will also be sending special rucksacks to children in Nepal via School in a Bag and the money from the raffle at the Christmas lunch will be going to Shelterbox. I expect we shall find ourselves involved in other things as well.

I shall see most of you before Christmas but, to those of you that I don’t, may I wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Transport of Delight David Setchell

With apologies to Flanders and Swann your correspondent can think of no better way to describe the experience of visiting Aerospace Bristol on 9th November 2022. Meticulously organized by Peter Watson, albeit three years late in getting there due to Covid, thirteen RCCN hopefuls arrived on time, for a guided tour of the Concorde exhibition where the last British-made Concorde is elegantly and effectively displayed in a purpose built hangar. Our museum guide expertly led us through the Concorde story from the Vision, enshrined in an Anglo-French Treaty through the development of new technology to the aeroplane’s architectural beauty, the outcome of engineering necessity getting the bird airborne, through Mach 2 and safely back down again.

Several technical achievements stood out from the crowd of information. The already mature Olympus engines were given a fourfold increase of power through advanced airflow and after burner technology. Airframe material had to be upgraded to accommodate extreme temperatures and up to 30cm expansion during every journey. The use of electronic messaging in control systems aided the third man on the flight deck, the Flight Engineer, who was busy throughout every flight trimming performance including constantly shifting fuel between 13 fuel tanks.

There was just enough information shared with us to satisfy the engineers and not too much to dull the enthusiasm of anyone. With our collective appetites whetted we ventured on board to see for ourselves and transport our imagination into reality.

The Concorde hanger is situated some distance from the main museum and it would be remiss not to record that the exhibition in the main museum, a Grade 2 listed building, traces of history of manned flight through to the Jet Age and the Space Age demonstrating the extent of Bristol Aviation’s involvement in the development and production of aeroplanes including Concorde.

About 90 schoolchildren were also there or thereabout during the morning and I was left wondering whether they would experience supersonic flight during their lifetime. I truly believe they will wonderful and they will do it without burning 100 tonnes of fuel left on every flight across the Atlantic

The Bakers Dozen enjoyed a wonderful day out and we thank Peter for organizing everything so perfectly.

Carol Concert Tuesday 13 December

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Carol Concert on Tuesday 13 December at Cheltenham Ladies College. This year we are hiring the Hall from 5pm so there will be rehearsals will be taking place as soon as we have access.

Christmas Lunch Thursday 15 December

Please remember to bring a bottle in a Gift Bag for the raffle in aid of Shelterbox.

Venue: Cotswold Hills Golf Club 12.30 for 1pm.

Future Dates

Fri, Dec 9th 2022 at 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Charity Event at Cheltenham Races

Club Members are invited by the Town Mayor to a Charity Race Meeting at the Cheltenham Racecourse on the 9th December. Tickets cost £80 and include Free car parking, a Race Card, Hot lunch and Afternoon Tea Contact Richard Puron for more information _______________________________________________________________________________

Tue, Dec 13th 2022 at 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Carol Concert 2022

The Annual Carol Concert organised by Cheltenham North will take place in the Princess Hall of the Ladies College __________________________________________________________________________________

Thu, Dec 15th 2022 at 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Club Christmas Luncheon

A Christmas Luncheon, to be held at the Cotswold Hills Golf Club Host Janet Keenan __________________________________________________________________________________Thu, Dec 29th 2022 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Club Meeting at the New Club Cancelled

This Club Meeting is cancelled as Christmas/New Year period.

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Thu, Jan 5th 2023 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Club Meeting with Guest Speaker at the New Club

Club Meeting with Guest Speaker. The Guest Speaker Baiju McCubbins will talk on "Medical Detection Dogs" Host Tim Badham __________________________________________________________________________________

Thu, Jan 19th 2023 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Club Meeting with Guest Speaker at the New Club

A Club Meeting with Guest Speaker . Details TBA. Host Vivien Barr ___________________________________________________________________________