'Keys Club'

Men's Group

Meets:

2nd Monday of the month between September and March

When:

at 7.45pm

Where:

in the Staff Room at Salesbury School

Contact:

Secretary:

Philip Bradshaw 01254 249 764



The Commitee would like to extend a warm welcome to any other gentleman of the parish who may like to attend. Most meetings will be held in the Staff Room at Salesbury School, on the second Monday evening of the month, commencing at 7:45 p.m.

Fixtures

The fixture list for next season is as follows:

Sept 12   “Bed & Breakfast: Tales of the Unexpected” - Rose Donkin

Oct 10     “The Victoria Cross” - Tony Ormison

Nov 14    “Hong Kong to Norway” - Frank Ducket

Dec 11      Coffee & Biscuits served in church after 10.30am

Dec 12    “Olympic Dreams” - Nick Hodson

Jan 9       “Family History” - Pam Roberts

Feb 13     Annual Dinner – Ribchester Arms - Guest Speaker: Canon John Hartley

Mar 12    “Water Aid” - Chris Wilcock

Philip Bradshaw

Secretary

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NEWS - February 2012

There was a somewhat disappointing attendance for our first meeting of 2012. (Possibly the fixture list was not consulted as January 9^th was indeed the second Monday of the month.)

Our speaker, Pam Roberts, took Family History as her theme and illustrated her talk by referring to the various documents she had unearthed relating to the Dawson side of her family. Pam was keen to share with us various sources of information that are either freely available or by subscription. The internet has been a boon to those dabbling in family history. It is now possible to search all the censuses from 1841 to 1911. A visit to the local library opens up the possibility of other free on-line searches.

It is also possible to gain access to marriage and birth certificates. Some parish records have been digitised and again can be seen on-line. After exhausting such sources it becomes a harder task and it may well be necessary to visit parishes, seeking permission to view the registers.

Pam explained that before starting out on a search of family history it is always best to draw up a plan of those forebears whose details are known – followed by talking to relatives to gain their input. Then bit-by-bit pieces can be slotted in. We were left thinking that most families seem to have their share of black sheep!

Pam very generously left us with an array of hand-outs and the promise that she would be willing to help members find details of “missing links” from any details they could jot down. She was kept very busy over refreshments answering many individual questions.

Next month sees us once again venturing north of the river for our Annual Dinner. Frank has kindly set out the details on a sheet (to be left at the back of the church). Could members please fill this in, at their convenience. Our recently retired speaker needs no introduction, but I am not sure about what he intends to speak. A surprise awaits us!

Philip Bradshaw

Secretary

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NEWS - January 2012

A pleasing number of ladies and gentlemen braved the elements to attend our December meeting. Our speaker was Copster Green’s own Nick Hodgson who, in this pre-Olympic year looked back on his successful swimming career, representing England in Butterfly events.

Nick was at pains to point out that, as a youngster, he did not have an “Olympic Dream” but was encouraged to better himself by a series of coaches in Blackburn, Wigan and latterly in Canada as he progressed through ever greater challenges. Despite some notable successes, his head was not turned by the somewhat sensational reporting of his exploits in the press.

He was thrilled to take part in the Opening Ceremonies of the Games in which he competed, in Los Angeles, Brisbane and Seoul. Nick has rubbed shoulders with some of the Greats of the swimming world, including Adrian Moorhouse and David Wilkie. In his modest way, Nick expressed the huge debt of thanks he owed to his parents who financed his training and also provided transport to Wigan, six days a week – often in the very early morning. (This is in considerable contrast to the funding available for our current elite squad.) Without all this encouragement his ultimate success of bronze medal at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games would not have been possible.

The audience showed their interest in Nick’s talk by asking a number of questions and then spent the rest of the evening consuming the refreshments provided. A big thanks to John Culshaw for taking the time and trouble to organize these and to those members who helped with the serving and washing up! The evening made a pleasant prelude to Christmas.

By the time this is being read, I hope all members have had an enjoyable Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. Our next speaker, on January 9th will be Pam Roberts on “Family History”.

Philip Bradshaw

Secretary

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NEWS - December

Keys Club Notes

At our November meeting, our talk by Frank Ducket was in two parts. We were taken initially to Hong Kong where Frank was able to contrast views of the area before and after the Chinese take-over. It was interesting to note that even in this restricted site with its high-rise towers, space had been left for urban gardens and fountains. Traditional street markets flourish side by side with international bank head quarters. This was a visual story of planes and boats and trams – rounded off with spectacular night-time shots.

After a rapid change of slide cassette (remember those?) we found ourselves exploring Bergen in Norway. This was a prelude to a coastal journey on board one of the Hurtigruten passenger and freight boats which sail daily from this historic port. They were formerly the key supply line for the inhabitants of the islands scattered along the coast, but are now mainly used by tourists. Not only did we see wonderful coastal scenery and numerous with fishing villages but we also gleaned something of what life on these boats is like. Unlike cruise liners, no entertainment is provided on board save for watching cargo being loaded and unloaded! Frank took the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of the Arctic but found many other churches locked. On the journey south, they were excited to be told that the Northern Lights were just visible. Frank had clearly enjoyed revisiting an area he first visited fifty years ago, as a student, on board a Hull trawler.

Just a couple of reminders, gentlemen. We are manning the tombola at the Christmas Fayre for which both volunteers and prizes will be welcomed. It is our turn to provide coffee at the 10.30 service on December 11^th. On the following day, Nick Hodson will be presenting his “Olympic Dreams”. The ladies of the parish are invited to join us for this meeting.

Philip Bradshaw

Secretary



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NEWS - November

In September Rose Donkin got our new season off to a flying start with a most amusing and interesting talk. Not only is Rose a busy farmer’s wife, she has for many years welcomed guests to her home for Bed and Breakfast. Over the years she has built up a series of return guests. Her core business initially was men working at BAE Salmesbury, seeking accommodation until they were joined by their families. One of Rose’s anecdotes involved a man who arrived without transport (or even cash to pay her till the end of the month). Another guest would be a contender for a “long-stay award”. There was a German family who were happy to let the children sleep out in the meadow, but also expected breakfast for them. It is credit to Rose’s openness that, in all the years she has been welcoming guests, nothing has been taken from her home. It was very clear that the enterprise has been an extension of her family life rather than merely a business.

In October Tony Ormison gave us an enlightening presentation on the history of the Victoria Cross. He began by explaining that all new recruits to the Guards Regiments were expected to have memorised details of these awards within days of joining. He debunked the myth that all medals are made from Russian cannon captured at Sevastopol. Queen Victoria herself insisted on the wording “For Valour” on this decoration, which takes precedence over all other awards. Since its inception over 1300 have been awarded, just 13 since the Second World War. The word ‘courage’ is hard to define but winners of this medal have shared a willingness to risk their own lives for the good of their comrades. Some were even recommended for the honour by enemy officers. Tony gave some examples of individual acts of heroism and left us all feeling admiration for “the few” that are called to make such sacrifices.

Our next meeting will be on November 14 and will have a travel theme. Frank Ducket’s presentation is entitled: “Hong Kong to Norway”.

Philip Bradshaw, Secretary

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NEWS - May 2011

In March the Annual Dinner was held, as custom dictates, at the Ribchester Arms. After an excellent meal shared in a convivial atmosphere, the address was given by Rev Rodney Nicholson. It was good to hear tales of the life and times of parish priests, from an inside perspective. Of particular interest was the topic of holding services in a village post office, which made headline news in the media! There was a warning, for those approaching retirement, that it is important to have some means of filling the void left by work in a meaningful way!

I would like to wish those members who have not enjoyed the best of health of late all the best for the summer months. We look forward to seeing you again in the autumn.

Philip Bradshaw

(Secretary)

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NEWS - March 2011

At the February meeting, Colin Hey escorted us on an expedition to several ancient sites around Paphos, a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus. We visited the birthplace of Aphrodite - the Greek goddess of love and beauty; Paul’s pillar; the tombs of the kings and the castle - built as a Byzantine fort to protect the harbour. Colin enthused about the many well-preserved mosaicshe had visited and had the gardeners puzzled when he enquired about the names of some vividly coloured flora he had snapped. We also learned to recognise greek for bus-stop, though sadly not for narrow-gauge railway. We were particularly indebted to Colin for he went ahead with his presentation, despite having hurt his ribs the day before!

Please note details of the March Annual Dinner remain in church for those members to complete who have not already done so.

Philip Bradshaw

(Secretary)+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NEWS - February 2011

Snow and ice seems to have been a recurring theme over the past two meetings. The December meeting was very well attended, despite conditions under foot. Three members of the Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team gave us an enthralling presentation about their work. This included descriptions of their rigorous training and liaison with other services together with accounts of some of their rescues. After an enjoyable supper, a raffle was held. Members and their guests contributed a generous £65 to the team (which, as a charity, depends on fund raising for its survival)

At the January meeting Keith Sowerbutts excelled himself with his presentation about his cruise to Antarctica. We got a flavour of Buenos Aires and Montevideo en route to the Falklands - with poignant scenes of the war memorials. Keith was at pains to explain the care taken with the navigation of the single-hulled vessel past gigantic icebergs. They were blessed with exceptionally good weather, so much so that Keith was on deck snapping away at four o'clock in the morning. He was rewarded by a splendid range of colours from golden oranges through turquoise to deep blues. (Who says snow is white?) We were also entertained by Keith's descriptions and photographs of wildlife including the inevitable penguins and whales.

All too soon we were rounding Cape Horn and on our way home.

Colin Hey will be escorting us to Cyprus at the February meeting. Please note, Frank has left details of the March Annual Dinner in church for members to complete. He is away in New Zealand (preparing for next season?). I will be late arriving at the meeting so could members please sort out a "door monitor"?

Philip Bradshaw

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NEWS - November 2010

As the October meeting was postponed by a week, the deadline for publication was missed so this is a double set of notes. Despite there being a rival, floodlit fixture elsewhere, there was a goodly turnout for Roy Ward’s presentation “Travels to Chile & Easter Island”. It is easy to see why Roy is a respected member of Burnley camera club. We got a flavour of the contrasting scenery within Chile. In the north is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, while the southern tip with its Norwegian-like fjords and glaciers points towards the polar ice. Easter Island with its giant landward facing statues offered considerable cultural contrasts with the largely Europeanised Chile.

Our November speaker was Bill Taylor. His message, delivered with both authority and humour, was that family trees should not be researched unless one is prepared for eye-opening surprises. Bill explained that, through his involvement in various genealogical societies has helped colleagues whose researches have seemingly led up dead ends. His talk included helping find forebears who had spent time at his majesty’s pleasure or overseas as sailors. Changes in life expectancy with the passage of time was another theme, together with the general shrinkage in family size.

We look forward to a visit from the Rossendale Mountain Rescue Team on December 13^th. There will be a slideshow and demonstration of equipment. Ladies of the parish are cordially invited to attend.

Philip Bradshaw,

Secretary

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NEWS - October 2010

Visit to Stonyhurst

Unfortunately the weather on the evening of September 6^th was a disappointment after a splendid few days. However, a goodly collection of gentlemen and ladies braved the elements and met under the magnificent Elizabethan gateway to the college. There we joined our guide for the evening, Michael Gibson – ably assisted by his father-in-law, Mike.

We learned that this is the second largest Grade 2 listed building (after Hampton Court) – following the extensions, built by the Jesuits, to the former hall of the Shireburn family. Following religious persecution on the continent, the Jesuits had left Belgium and arrived in Lancashire in 1794 and were grateful for the gift of a ruin.

Our tour was a combination of historical, biographical and architectural anecdotes. I am sure that those who had never seen some parts of the college before, especially the chapels, were left with a feeling of amazement at the splendour on our doorstep. We were very grateful to Michael to giving up his time on the eve of the new school year and were thankful that his voice held out!

In October we venture further afield – to Chile - in the company of Roy Ward and look forward to seeing members old and new in the staffroom at the school.

Please note. Due to an unforeseen clash of dates with an event on the school calendar, this meeting has been put back one week to Monday October 18^th.

Philip Bradshaw, Secretary

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NEWS - August 2010

A whole new programme for the Keys Club which promises some very entertaining and thought provoking evenings.

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NEWS - March 2010

Our Annual Dinner was held, as by tradition, at the Ribchester Arms. After an enjoyable meal we were addressed by our curate, Andrew Malcolm who took as his theme “From Crook to Cross”. As would be expected from his sermons in church, Andrew was in equal measure amusing, warm, sincere and thought provoking. He took us along with him as he revisited key milestones and turning-points along the journey that has brought him to Salesbury. We heard tales of incidents such as racing along the A59 towards Preston, bar room brawls in Burnley, riots in Toxteth and the miners’ strike in Nottinghamshire. However, clearly what has made most impression on Andrew has been the characters with whom he has mixed along the way – strong and colourful personalities on both sides of the law. Thankfully he came under the influence of Father Peter and the rest as they say, is history.

This was truly a fixture worthy of the Premier League and left supporters wending their way home uplifted!

Philip Bradshaw,

Secretary