Winter 11 Featuring: The Buckingham Palace Awards Ceremony ...

BRANCHES
WALES REGION
South Wales
Joe McLean, Dame Mary Richardson, Norma
Lloyd-Nesling and Derek Morgan
Following our successful lunch at
which Chris Mullins spoke, our social
activities have continued with a garden
party at the home of Sir Geoffrey and
Lady Inkin. Some 15 miles to the east
of this venue, and an hour before the
time appointed, there was a violent
rainstorm which deterred a few who
could not believe that a Garden Party
could be held under such conditions.
If we had to take odds on the winner
of Lady Inkin v The Weather our
money would be on the former and
Castle-upon-Alun did indeed escape
the rain, with the garden in its usual
sparkling form, as were those who
were able to attend the function. Just
over a hundred members and guests
joined in the festivities and were
entertained by a delightful quartet
from the Bridgend Youth Band.
The summer garden party (and
particularly the raffle) is one of the
branch’s main fundraising events and
as a consequence, the branch was able
to sponsor two teachers from the USA
(one from Winthrop University, South
Carolina and the other from Mountain
Ridge Middle School, Denver) to
attend the ESU’s Stratford Study
course, aimed at promoting the
knowledge and appreciation of
Shakespeare’s works. As last year, we
also offered Bridgend Soroptimists
International the opportunity to run a
raffle at the party to help raise funds
for the English language books they
provide for an orphanage school in
Canesar Goth, a village near Karachi.
We have also provided a second
tranche of sponsorship to continue an
English language teaching programme
for street children in Bolivia; an
initiative which can prove to be a life
changing experience.
Our AGM was well attended and we
were privileged to be the first branch
to welcome as guest speaker, the newly
elected Chairman, Dame Mary
Richardson. Dame Mary delivered a
speech which was both inspirational
and wide ranging.
We now look forward with great
anticipation to our Christmas Carols
Supper, to be held again this year at
Howell`s School, Llandaff. The Senior
Girls` Choir will provide musical cheer
and member Wyn Calvin, well known
as the “Welsh Prince of Laughter”,
will set the scene for the seasonal
festivities to come.
SOUTH REGION
Salisbury
Tim Hatton, Gill Prior, Professor Mulvey
and Sarah Hatton
At this year’s AGM, chaired by
Vice-President, Tim Hatton, Gill Prior
was re-elected as Chairman and the
existing committee were re-elected ‘en
bloc’. The Chairman took the
opportunity to update members on
recent changes at Dartmouth House
including details about the
forthcoming members’ election of
Governors. She also described a new
programme set up this year with local
schools to provide an ESU certificate
and prize to the final year pupil,
chosen by each school, as best in
written and spoken English. The plan
is to continue and expand this
programme for the coming years.
It was with regret that members
learned of the death of Christina
Maude, former Chairman of
Salisbury branch.
This was followed by a clear and
entertaining talk on ‘The History of
English in Wiltshire’ by Christopher
Mulvey. He not only covered his title
subject, which included such facts as
the name of the River Wylye dates
from pre-Norman times and means
‘Farm Liable to Flooding’, but he also
dealt in-depth with the development
of language in Britain. In doing this
DIALOGUE 52