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Area newsHants & SussexA grand day outForty members of Court ‘Loyal Brethren’visited the Royal Hospital at Chelsea in June.First they visited the National ArmyMuseum, and then they were met by theirvery own 84-year-old Chelsea Pensioner,who took them on a tour of the buildingsand gardens. They visited the beautifulchapel and dining hall, and heard that therewere three lady Chelsea Pensioners who liveamong the 300 men – odds of 100 to 1! Their final visit was to theclosed burial ground, where 9,000 Chelsea Pensioners are buried. Avisit to the museum and shop ended a wonderful afternoon.Carnival timeCourt ‘Bosmere’ had a stall at the Leigh Park Carnival to raiseawareness of the Society and raise funds for Alzheimer’s.The theme was Countries of the World, and the flags of all thecountries where the Society has had and still has branches weredisplayed. Members wore hats from these counties and onedressed as Robin Hood to represent Foresters in England! Unawarethat the stalls were being judged by the Mayor, everyone wasdelighted to hear that theirs had won second prize!THAMES VALLEYEnjoying thelovely sunshineBBQ in the forestThe sun shone brightly for the area’sbarbecue in Savernake Forest, attendedby around 40 members, friends andfamily. An excellent day was had by all.Special thanks to Michael Sedwardsfor organising the day and to MarieSedwards for preparing a huge selectionof things to eat, along with othermembers who also provided assistanceand goodies. Thanks also to PaulSedwards and Barry Toomey for slavingaway all day over the very hot barbecues!ScotlandA grand run…and a grand sum!Here is Brendan O’Callaghan accepting acheque for £419 on behalf of thePast High ChiefRanger’s Appealfor the MSSociety fromGillian McCann,who ran theEdinburgh HalfMarathon.Old AmsterdamTwenty members embarked on thePrincess of Norway for a memorabletrip to Amsterdam from Newcastlein June. The voyage included twonights on-board accommodation inoutside cabins, an excellent eveningdinner buffet and a breakfast buffetboth ways. Once they arrived inAmsterdam, members hadaround six hours to enjoythe sights and places ofinterest in the city, and agreat time was had by all.Trip to BelfastHere’s a photo of membersof Court ‘Royal Oak’ No 4640enjoying an overnight stay inBelfast. It was taken in thegrounds of Stormont, which theyvisited as part of a bus tour. Theweather was extremely kind andeveryone had a great time.It’s all happening at the zoo!Around 50 members and friends attended the Scotland annual meeting,held this year, rather imaginatively, in Edinburgh Zoo. After the meetingand lunch, members were free to wander around the zoo and see theanimals. It was a lovely sunny day and there was much to see, includingpenguins, monkeys and, of course, the great man-eaters.Game, set, match!A group of tennis fans thoroughly enjoyed their three-day coachtrip to Wimbledon in July. The package included a full day atthe championships, with reservedtickets for Court Number One.Members watched the men’s singlesfinal from ‘the hill’, before entering CourtNumber One to see two doubles finals.They spotted a few celebrities and players,savoured strawberries and cream, and, ofcourse, enjoyed a glass or two of Pimm’s!Miscellany Autumn 2010 15