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PEOPLE TO M EET<br />
PLACES TO GO<br />
Di scover how to m ak e<br />
an En gl i sh cr eam tea<br />
Travel with us to the<br />
South of England<br />
Goi n g gr een w i th a<br />
bam boo toothbr u sh<br />
Exchanging a desk job for<br />
lama farming<br />
Lear n how to scr een<br />
shar e w i th Sk ype<br />
Meet the entrepreneur<br />
in his 70s
3 Welcome<br />
Peter Mangan, Founder and CEO of The Freebird Club<br />
Welcome to the first edition of<br />
The Freebird Times. This digital<br />
magazine is our way of<br />
engaging more fully with both<br />
our members and those<br />
interested in learning more<br />
about The Freebird Club.<br />
For the uninitiated, The<br />
Freebird Club is a new<br />
travel-based social network for<br />
those over 50. It is a<br />
membership-based club,<br />
whereby members can travel<br />
and stay with each other in the<br />
context of a trusted social<br />
community of peers.<br />
It offers a whole new way of<br />
travelling for mature adults, a<br />
potential new source of income<br />
for hosts and a fun and<br />
accessible way to meet new<br />
people and enjoy social and<br />
cultural interaction in later life.<br />
Our mission is to connect and<br />
enrich the lives of older people<br />
through meaningful travel and<br />
to foster an age-friendly and<br />
inclusive world in the process.<br />
This Club is designed to be a fun<br />
place to hang-out with<br />
like-minded people who share<br />
the view that life and the world<br />
around us are to be embraced<br />
and enjoyed regardless of age.<br />
As you will see in our member<br />
profiles, people share their<br />
interests and passions on the<br />
website so they can get to know<br />
a little bit about each other in<br />
advance of potential stays and<br />
connect through commonalities<br />
and shared interests. This Club<br />
is about people, not just places<br />
to go. We already have Freebird<br />
members in 36 countries<br />
worldwide and membership is<br />
growing daily.<br />
Here in our digital magazine,<br />
you will find all kinds of<br />
interesting articles chosen to<br />
appeal to the more mature
Welcome 4<br />
reader. As we are a travel-based<br />
social club, there are great travel<br />
features with tips on how to make<br />
the most of your travel. There is<br />
also advice about how to be a<br />
great host if you are welcoming<br />
people into your home.<br />
In addition there are articles on<br />
lifestyle, wellbeing, arts and<br />
culture, food, and about<br />
inspirational Freebirds who are<br />
re-defining the traditional notion<br />
of ageing. Don?t forget to come<br />
and check out our website:<br />
www.the<strong>freebird</strong>club.com. There<br />
you will find wonderful welcoming<br />
hosts in amazing destinations<br />
around the world. If you are not<br />
yet a member we would love to<br />
have you on board. Better still,<br />
why not tell your friends and<br />
family who are also over 50 about<br />
us?<br />
This Club is built around great<br />
"<br />
people enjoying the potential that<br />
a longer life presents. The<br />
Freebird Club is driven by its<br />
members and we are open to<br />
suggestions about what content<br />
and features you would like to see<br />
in future editions. Please feel free<br />
to send us your ideas. We hope<br />
you enjoy this first edition of The<br />
Freebird Times ? and remember,<br />
it?s never too late to have the time<br />
of your life!<br />
Happy Travelling.<br />
Enjoy the issue!<br />
Peter<br />
"THIS CLUB IS ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT JUST PLACES TO GO. "<br />
"<br />
Peter Mangan with his father Owen Mangan<br />
(C) 2017 Published by The Freebird Club. All rights reserved
5<br />
Travel<br />
GOING SOUTH<br />
TFC volunteer Dave Ryan brings us on a journey through the South of England.<br />
The counties of southern England<br />
are recognised as a<br />
mouth-watering combination of<br />
rural tranquillity, coastal cliffs,<br />
nestled coves, forests full of<br />
intrigue, national parks and<br />
desolate moorland ? all<br />
complemented by a rich historical<br />
and cultural heritage. If your<br />
travels ever take you to the South<br />
of England there is a wide variety<br />
of things to do all fuelled by a<br />
variety of gastronomic options<br />
showcasing the best of English<br />
food. A good meal is often followed,<br />
of course, by a trip to one of the<br />
many hundreds of lovingly<br />
preserved versions of the<br />
traditional English pub! They vary<br />
greatly in style and character and<br />
many serve local tipples, such as<br />
the scrumpy (a type of cider) that<br />
the county of Somerset in<br />
particular is famous for.<br />
There is also a wealth of regional<br />
cultural festivals to enrich your<br />
experience across many fields<br />
including music, food, literature,<br />
drama and the arts. In terms of<br />
gathering information on the<br />
options available, you?ll find that<br />
each county/town has its own<br />
official tourist information website<br />
as do the events themselves. The<br />
VisitEngland.com and<br />
artsfestivals.co.uk websites are<br />
also handy for information for your<br />
trip. There are so many choices ?<br />
but here are a few examples to<br />
whet your appetite.<br />
Minack Theatre<br />
If you are spending time enjoying<br />
the considerable charms of Devon<br />
and Cornwall, look out for the<br />
remarkable Minack Theatre hewn<br />
out of the cliff-face above the<br />
waters of Porthcuron Bay in the<br />
1930s. It has seating for 750<br />
people and presents plays, operas<br />
5<br />
View of Pulteney Bridge in Bath, England<br />
Photo Above: Tintagel Village, Cornwall, England<br />
Rainforest Biome, Eden Project, Cornwall,
and musicals during the Summer<br />
months. Bring your own cushion<br />
and a warm blanket would also be a<br />
useful accessory.<br />
Newquay is host to multiple<br />
Summer /Autumn festivals<br />
(literature and film, not just<br />
surfing!) and the spectacular Eden<br />
Project is not just a daytime<br />
pleasure but also a location for<br />
performances in Spring and<br />
Summer held in a broad grassy<br />
arena much admired for its<br />
originality.<br />
Padstow in Cornwall is famed for its<br />
harbour and gastronomic charm ? a<br />
destination for many given the fame<br />
of local restauranteur and TV chef,<br />
Rick Stein. It is also at the heart of<br />
regional cultural tradition. One of<br />
its variety of events is the famed<br />
Obby Oss Festival which is<br />
celebrated annually on May Day. It<br />
is thought to be the oldest dance<br />
festival in Britain involving troupes<br />
of local dancers, a maypole,<br />
costumes and general fun and<br />
merriment.<br />
The Hunting of the Earl of Rone<br />
festival takes place in Combe<br />
Martin, Devon, each year and<br />
re-enacts a 400-year old manhunt<br />
with full costumes and general<br />
chasing around. A must for Agatha<br />
Christie fans is the annual Festival<br />
in mid-September (in Torquay) with<br />
all manner of exhibitions, author<br />
talks, murder mystery dinners and<br />
jazz. Also of note is the literary<br />
festival held each May held in<br />
Fowey over three days with a<br />
concentration on the works of<br />
Daphne du Maurier.<br />
Somerset<br />
The county of Somerset has always<br />
evoked England?s pastoral heritage<br />
but the tranquillity is breached<br />
every year or so (if the fields<br />
recover in time!) by the<br />
Glastonbury Festival. It has been in<br />
existence on Worthy Farm since the<br />
1970s. With its roots in flower<br />
power, alternative lifestyles and of<br />
course music, the festival has<br />
evolved into much more than a rock<br />
music festival with all types of<br />
music catered for from classical,<br />
jazz and blues to folk, rock, dance<br />
and soul ? a veritable feast for the<br />
senses. There are also many<br />
themed areas covering food,<br />
meditation, politics, comedy,<br />
literature and arts & crafts. Bring<br />
your wellies in case it rains and<br />
leave the mudsliding to the youth!<br />
Also, look out for music and<br />
literature festivals in Bristol and<br />
Bath ? notably Bath?s annual<br />
Travel 6<br />
International Music Festival in<br />
May/June featuring jazz, classical<br />
and world music; Bristol?s Upfest,<br />
Europe?s largest street art and<br />
graffiti festival and Bristol?s<br />
Slapstick Festival celebration of<br />
silent film and comedy held every<br />
January.<br />
The counties of Hampshire, Dorset<br />
and Wiltshire overlap with the<br />
ancient English kingdom of Wessex,<br />
the location of Stonehenge and the<br />
region where King Alfred saw off<br />
the last of the Vikings.<br />
The Isle of Wight, just off the coast,<br />
is host to festivals throughout the<br />
year ? especially literature and of<br />
course sailing (Cowes Week in<br />
August). Also in the locale, Longleat<br />
House hosts not just the famous<br />
safari park but also events/concerts<br />
over the Spring/Summer months,<br />
while near Winchester The<br />
Watercress Line is one of the most<br />
famous steam-powered railways in<br />
England.<br />
The rather odd Tichborne Dole<br />
Festival takes place in the<br />
eponymous town each March and<br />
locals line up to be ?doled out? an<br />
allowance of a gallon of flour in<br />
ceremonies dating from the 12th<br />
century. Recognised as the most<br />
traditional event in England, the<br />
England<br />
Hills of South England, Hastings, England
7<br />
Travel<br />
Rainforest Biome, Eden Project, Cornwall, England. Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World by some, the Eden Project is a dramatic global garden<br />
housed in tropical biomes that nestle in a crater the size of 30 football pitches. See more at https://www.visitcornwall.com<br />
annual Chippenham Folk Festival<br />
Weekend (May) carries over 200<br />
separate events celebrating<br />
traditional English music,<br />
storytelling and dance ? including<br />
Morris dancing, ceilidh and<br />
maypole ceremonies.<br />
Sunny South East<br />
The South-East comprising Surrey,<br />
Sussex and Kent has by tradition,<br />
been the holiday destination for<br />
Londoners from Victorian <strong>times</strong><br />
with heritage coastal towns serving<br />
the multitudes including Brighton,<br />
Bognor, Margate, Ramsgate and<br />
Tunbridge Wells. Brighton is<br />
perhaps the best known<br />
destination and hosts a diversity of<br />
events throughout the year, the<br />
most notable being the Brighton<br />
Festival in May, now recognised as<br />
the largest festival in England.<br />
Also noteworthy is the annual<br />
Burning the Clocks celebration at<br />
the winter solstice.<br />
Nearby, Broadstairs is famed for its<br />
Folk Festival and Dickens Festival,<br />
while Canterbury runs a two-week<br />
Festival of Theatre and Music in<br />
October. Not to be missed is the<br />
annual Whitstable Oyster Festival<br />
in July ? its oysters have been<br />
famed since Roman <strong>times</strong> and the<br />
festival incorporates parades,<br />
performances, fireworks,<br />
oyster-eating competitions and<br />
The Landing of the Oyster<br />
ceremony. If scallops are more<br />
your thing, the ancient town of Rye,<br />
overlooking Romney Marshes,<br />
hosts Scallop Week in February<br />
each year.<br />
Kent is the centre of the<br />
now-vibrant English wine industry<br />
with multiple tasting/tour<br />
opportunities in one of the 400+<br />
vineyards producing more than<br />
four million bottles of wine per<br />
year. Hastings is not only the site<br />
where King Alfred lost England to<br />
the Normans, but also the location<br />
for the annual Jack-in-the-Green<br />
festival with three full days of<br />
festivities that culminate in the<br />
Release of the Spirit of Summer.<br />
Founded in the 1930s the<br />
Glyndebourne Opera Festival is<br />
recognised as the spiritual home of<br />
English Opera with a season<br />
running from May to August. The<br />
opera house sits amongst rolling<br />
green hills surrounded by luscious<br />
gardens and the season is at the<br />
centre of the high society calendar<br />
and an opportunity to dress up, mix<br />
with the gentry, listen to wonderful<br />
music and have a lavish picnic on<br />
the lawn.<br />
Happy holidays!
Go Go Dermo!<br />
Travel 8<br />
Dermot Higgins is aiming to become the fastest person over 50 to cycle around the globe and he<br />
hopes to set a new Guinness World Record in the process.<br />
Dermot?s Route<br />
Start: Madrid<br />
Route: Cycle across Europe, into<br />
Asia via Russia, Kazakhstan and<br />
China.<br />
Progress along Australia?s<br />
southern coast arriving in<br />
Melbourne in time for Christmas.<br />
Cycle the length of New Zealand.<br />
Cross the United States.<br />
Fly across the Atlantic to Portugal.<br />
Finish: Madrid<br />
it?s going to take him nine months.<br />
He will spend an average of eight<br />
hours a day in the saddle. He will<br />
start his odyssey in Madrid, Spain, in<br />
June 2017 and will hopefully end<br />
there in one piece over 30,000km<br />
later on Easter Sunday 2018. Most<br />
of his sleeping will be under canvas,<br />
he will have no back-up support and<br />
he will need to cycle 160km six days<br />
a week to meet his goal on time. Is<br />
the man<br />
completely mad?<br />
?Well yes, I<br />
suppose you do<br />
have to have a<br />
degree of<br />
madness to take<br />
on something like this,? he says. ?I<br />
know there will be a lot of energy<br />
and effort and probably pain<br />
involved, but circumnavigating the<br />
globe is something I?ve wanted to do<br />
ever since I read Around the World<br />
in 80 Days by the French author<br />
Jules Vernes when I was a child.?<br />
Dermot (55) leaves Ireland the day<br />
after he retires as a teacher after 35<br />
years. He is doing his trip on a<br />
shoestring budget of ?20 a day with<br />
a little bit of help from a small<br />
number of sponsors including The<br />
Freebird Club which will provide<br />
him with a comfortable bed with a<br />
Freebird host on his rest day each<br />
week.<br />
As a teacher and an active<br />
environmentalist, Dermot is<br />
passionate about educating people<br />
about protecting the planet. He<br />
plans to make stops along the way<br />
to visit schools and environmental<br />
projects to spread the message of<br />
the UN?s Global Goals for<br />
Sustainable Development, a series<br />
of ambitious targets aimed at<br />
ending extreme poverty, inequality<br />
and tackling climate change.<br />
Throughout his trip Dermot will be<br />
working in partnership with the<br />
Irish aid organisation, Trocaire, a<br />
global charity which shares his<br />
interests and ideals. He is hoping his<br />
epic journey will raise ?20,000 for<br />
the organisation through donations.<br />
Dermot is no stranger to taking on<br />
tough challenges as he has always<br />
been involved in adventure sports.<br />
He runs, cycles, hikes and kayaks<br />
and says he has effectively been in<br />
training for his world trip for most<br />
of his life.<br />
Asked what aspects of the trip<br />
might test his<br />
?Travelling around the globe , under my own<br />
power will be my life?s ambition realised.?said<br />
Dermot. ?Having the opportunity to promote the<br />
Global Goals is the icing on the cake!?<br />
resilience most<br />
he says, ?being<br />
wet, miserable<br />
and<br />
uncomfortable,<br />
having an<br />
accident, camping in the wild and<br />
coping adverse weather conditions<br />
such as headwinds.? But this<br />
ironman is not dwelling on what<br />
could go wrong. His focus is 100%<br />
positive and he can?t wait to get<br />
started. The Freebird Club proudly<br />
salutes its adventurous ambassador<br />
and adds its voice to his campaign?s<br />
slogan: GoGoDermo!
9<br />
Travel<br />
May 2017<br />
I arrived at Zurich Airport<br />
yesterday and followed my host,<br />
Luisa's, very clear instructions:<br />
Take train S2 on Gleis (platform 1),<br />
destination, Zieglebrucke. Go to<br />
the last stop. Sit upstairs on the left<br />
and you will get a view of Lake<br />
Zurich as you travel along. She<br />
wasn't wrong. It is a stunningly<br />
beautiful train ride. Fast, punctual<br />
and picturesque.<br />
Luisa met me at the station and we<br />
drove to her house along a scenic<br />
route which is full of picture<br />
postcard images. We arrived at<br />
Diary of A Freebird<br />
Freebird Club member Gaetano Forte visited hosts Luisa and Joseph Roesli at<br />
their home overlooking Lake Zurich in Obstalden, Switzerland.<br />
thehouse and were greeted by<br />
Luisa's husband, Joseph. Over a<br />
cool beer, we started chatting and<br />
did not stop until well into the<br />
evening.<br />
They are a fascinating couple who<br />
are so hospitable and warm, that I<br />
immediately felt I had known them<br />
for a very long time.<br />
Sitting on the terrace, we had a<br />
Raclette, a famous Swiss dish of<br />
grilled cheese poured over<br />
potatoes with pickles, chili and sun<br />
dried tomatoes. Delicious. The rosé<br />
wine was very slippery and I went<br />
to bed in a mellow mood. I woke in<br />
the night and looked out the<br />
window at the stars. Because the<br />
area is away from light pollution<br />
they were spectacular. This is a<br />
really magical place.<br />
Day 2<br />
Woke up to the sound of the birds<br />
and the sun streaming in the<br />
window of my loft room. Sat down<br />
to a breakfast of farm fresh eggs,<br />
ham, home-made bread and coffee.<br />
Lots of chat around the table.<br />
Really important decisions to be<br />
made, like where should we go for<br />
our picnic. Looking across the lake<br />
to the imposing cliff with its<br />
spectacular waterfall, we decide to<br />
travel to the top, by car I hasten to<br />
add, and look at the view from<br />
there.<br />
On arrival we make a short walk<br />
along a road through farmland<br />
populated by cows grazing<br />
peacefully in the sunshine. The<br />
land is fertile and pristine. The<br />
smell of new mown grass is sweet<br />
and sublime. At the top we stop at<br />
the viewing platform and gaze at<br />
the view which is really beautiful.<br />
There are boats on the lake,<br />
pleasure craft, water buses, kite<br />
surfers, water skiers and<br />
swimmers. Below us, an eagle soars<br />
on the thermals. This is nature at<br />
its best. Alongside the natural lake,<br />
there is a canal, built to combat<br />
flooding, which links to Lake<br />
Zurich. The only sound is cowbells<br />
and birdsong.<br />
Back in the car for a short hop to<br />
our picnic spot. We find a patch of<br />
green and pull up some small logs<br />
and spend an idyllic hour sharing<br />
food and conversation surrounded<br />
by wild flowers. It doesn't get<br />
better than this. We visit a small
Travel 10<br />
reservoir where there is a<br />
hydroelectric power plant,<br />
completely underground, which<br />
generates electricity for the<br />
surrounding area with no impact<br />
on the environment whatsoever.<br />
Then it's back to the house for a<br />
well-earned beer and a lie down.<br />
Enjoying yourself is very tiring, you<br />
know! As we approach the house,<br />
we see a neighbouring farmer,<br />
stripped to the waist, cutting grass<br />
with a scythe.<br />
I'm pressed into service to help<br />
with dinner. I have to do one of my<br />
favourite things - make a fire! The<br />
wood is carefully chosen from the<br />
store room. Joseph has a wood<br />
stack which is neat and tidy with all<br />
logs of the same size. We take our<br />
chosen specimens up to the top of<br />
the garden and light the fire. Once<br />
the embers are hot, we put the<br />
sausages on to cook. There is<br />
nothing like the taste of food<br />
cooked over an open fire in the<br />
company of friends. The piece de<br />
resistance is Luisa's apple tart,<br />
mmmmmmmm.We stay there<br />
chatting until dark and then it's<br />
time for bed. Another day in<br />
paradise comes to an end. Night<br />
night.<br />
Day 3<br />
Another great sleep and another<br />
day in Paradise begins. This time it<br />
was eggs sunny side up on<br />
home-made brown bread. Luisa<br />
makes marmalade like you have<br />
never tasted it. Not the normal<br />
English bitter stuff. This was fruity<br />
and delicious. If you come here, and<br />
I suggest you do, ask Joseph to tell<br />
you the story of the marmalade. Be<br />
prepared it has an unexpected<br />
ending!<br />
After some more lying around, it<br />
was time for lunch. Here, Luisa's<br />
Italian heritage came to the fore.<br />
We had a plate of spaghetti,aglio<br />
eolio with home-made chili oil. I<br />
may have a seat to myself on the<br />
plane home. I am now chilling on<br />
the terrace in 25 degree heat<br />
soaking up the last rays of sun.<br />
I have been lucky with the weather.<br />
I have been fortunate also with my<br />
hosts. If you are looking for a place<br />
where you can totally relax and do<br />
as much or as little as you like, this<br />
is it.<br />
Luisa and Joseph have had guests<br />
who prefer to keep to themselves<br />
and this is fine. If, like me you enjoy<br />
company this is also fine with them.<br />
They are always there to make<br />
your stay enjoyable and have an<br />
extensive knowledge of the area<br />
and what it can offer.<br />
For someone travelling alone, it is<br />
ideal. We had a guest staying who<br />
was studying for an exam and<br />
found the solitude he needed here.<br />
But if you are alone for walking or<br />
sightseeing it is nice to chat over<br />
dinner about what you have done<br />
that day.<br />
If you would like to see different<br />
parts of this wonderful country we<br />
have hosts waiting to welcome you<br />
to their homes. Between these<br />
locations you could have a lovely<br />
week in Switzerland experiencing<br />
the different foods, wines and<br />
geography of each region.<br />
Check out our hosts on<br />
the<strong>freebird</strong>club.com
11<br />
Travel<br />
Explore the South of England<br />
with The Freebird Club<br />
From Devon to East Sussex our hosts are ready to lead you in one of the most attractive parts of England.<br />
Read the suggestions from hosts Catherine and Sara, on local attractions and ?must sees?.<br />
"The Gnome Reserve, West<br />
Putford, Holsworthy. It?s<br />
something completely<br />
different! "<br />
Catherine Scott , (East Sussex)<br />
What are your top three<br />
?must see? things?<br />
Coastal Currents<br />
(coastalcurrents.org.uk), is a<br />
fantastic open arts exhibition which<br />
takes place between the 2nd and<br />
the 10th September in Saint<br />
Leonard. It incorporates galleries,<br />
studios, private houses and even<br />
beach huts.<br />
We have many different music<br />
events over the summer months.<br />
Our choirs come together for the<br />
?concert in the park? event and in<br />
Haldon, a small coastal village in<br />
South Devon between Teignmouth<br />
and Torquay, the 28th Classic Music<br />
Festival takes place from 22nd to<br />
25th June at St. Peter?s Church.<br />
I suggest a visit to the Smugglers<br />
Adventure in St Clements Caves. It<br />
tells the story of smuggling in a very<br />
interactive way. You can access this<br />
attraction via the original West Hill<br />
funicular railway which opened in<br />
1891.<br />
Where do you recommend for a<br />
traditional English afternoon<br />
tea?<br />
Ashley Manor (outside Battle) is in a<br />
wonderful setting with beautiful<br />
grounds. The Orangery is the<br />
perfect spot to enjoy a cream tea.<br />
Tell us about something that?s<br />
not on the usual tourist trail?<br />
Hastings bonfire is a big winter<br />
event which will take place on<br />
Saturday 14th October 2017, with<br />
parades, music and dancing in the<br />
streets. The day ends with a<br />
fantastic pyrotechnic display.<br />
Burton St Leonard?s has wonderful<br />
architecture and like all of Hastings<br />
and St Leonard?s is steeped in<br />
history.<br />
Sara Lawes, (Devon)<br />
What are your top three<br />
?must see? things?<br />
The coast, with its long sandy<br />
beaches and great surfing.<br />
Darlington Crystal at Great<br />
Torrington.<br />
Clovelly Court Gardens.<br />
Where do you recommend for a<br />
traditional English afternoon<br />
tea?<br />
The Hidder Treasure Tea Room in<br />
Exeter, it offers delicious traditional<br />
scones with homemade jam, to not<br />
mention the fascinating location.<br />
Tell us about something that?s<br />
not on the usual tourist trail?<br />
The Gnome Reserve, West Putford,<br />
Holsworthy. It?s something<br />
completely different!
Let's Cook 12<br />
Tea Time Treat<br />
Tea and scones with clotted cream is a quintessential part<br />
of a traditional English afternoon tea.<br />
The idea of breaking the fast<br />
between lunch and dinner with a<br />
selection of finger sandwiches,<br />
scones, miniature cakes and a<br />
refreshing cup of tea, came from<br />
Anna, the seventh Duchess of<br />
Bedford, in 1840.<br />
It seems the Duchess tended to get a<br />
little peckish around 4pm and as the<br />
evening meal in her household wasn?t<br />
served until 8pm, she created<br />
afternoon tea to fill the gap.<br />
Scones are an essential part of a<br />
traditional English afternoon tea and<br />
are typically served with butter, jam<br />
and cream.<br />
Anna,<br />
Seventh Duchess of Bedford<br />
English scones with jam and cream
13<br />
Let's Cook<br />
Plain scones<br />
There are few things as delicious as a hot scone with jam and cream.<br />
WHAT YOU WILL NEED<br />
- 11/2 oz /40g butter at room temperature/ slightly soft<br />
- 11/2 tablespoons caster/fine sugar<br />
- 8oz/225g self-raising flour<br />
- a pinch of salt<br />
- ¼ pint/ 150ml milk (you may need a little extra)<br />
- Extra flour for dusting worktop and rolling pin<br />
- A rolling pin<br />
- A flat baking sheet greased or lined with non-stick<br />
baking parchment<br />
- A circular pastry cutter roughly 2 inches/4 - 5cm<br />
across.<br />
- Set your oven to: 220o C, 425oF, gas mark 7<br />
Let?s get started<br />
Sieve the flour into a medium<br />
sized bowl.<br />
Add the butter and rub it into<br />
the flour with your fingertips<br />
until the mixtures looks like fine<br />
breadcrumbs.<br />
Stir in the sugar and salt.<br />
Add one third of the milk and<br />
stir it into the mixture using a<br />
knife with a broad blade. Add<br />
the remaining milk in two<br />
batches. If the mixture is very<br />
dry add a little more milk. The<br />
mixture should be soft but not<br />
sticky. When all of the milk is<br />
incorporated, flour your hands<br />
lightly and gently knead the<br />
dough into a ball. Sprinkle some<br />
flour on the worktop, tip the<br />
dough out on top. Put some<br />
flour on your rolling pin and roll<br />
out the dough to a thickness of<br />
not less than 1 inch/3cm. Cut<br />
out rounds with the pastry<br />
cutter and place on the baking<br />
tray a few centimeters apart.<br />
Remix the remaining dough and<br />
repeat. Dust each scone lightly<br />
with flour for a plain finish. If<br />
you would like a shiny finish, mix<br />
an egg with some milk until<br />
combined. Then use a pastry<br />
brush to paint the top of the<br />
scones with the mixture. Bake<br />
near the top of the oven for<br />
12-15 minutes or until they are<br />
risen and golden brown.<br />
Transfer to a wire rack to cool<br />
but eat them as soon as possible<br />
as they go stale very quickly.<br />
Serve with butter or clotted<br />
cream and jam.<br />
Tip: Do not roll the scone dough<br />
any thinner than 1 inch/3cm or<br />
they will not rise properly.<br />
Tip: Freeze as soon as cool.<br />
Re-heat on a low temperature<br />
before serving warm.<br />
9
Let's Cook 14<br />
Clotted cream<br />
Clotted Cream is a delicious complement to scones. It is mainly associated with<br />
the south west of England and the counties of Cornwall and Devon in particular.<br />
It enjoys protected food status once the product originates in Cornwall.<br />
WHAT YOU WILL NEED<br />
4 cups heavy whipping cream<br />
Preheat oven to 100C/200F<br />
Let?s get started<br />
Pour the cream into a heavy<br />
bottomed over proof shallow<br />
container.<br />
Put it in the oven for 8-10 hours or<br />
overnight. When ready, a thick<br />
golden crust will have formed on top<br />
of the cream.<br />
Remove from the oven and allow to<br />
stand in a cool place for 10-12 hours.<br />
Remove the golden top part with a<br />
slatted spoon and gently stir to create<br />
clotted cream. Don?t agitate the<br />
mixture or it will start recombining<br />
with the liquid beneath.<br />
Put it into a tightly sealed container<br />
and place in the refrigerator to let it<br />
settle for 2-3 hours.<br />
Clotted cream will last for 3-4 days in<br />
a refrigerator. You can use the left<br />
over liquid to make bread or scones.<br />
To serve<br />
Clotted Cream is delicious when<br />
served with warm scones and jam.<br />
Doris Day was a celebrated<br />
American-born actress, singer and animal<br />
rights activist, who died in 1973. Her<br />
talents stretched across musicals and<br />
drama and she starred alongside film<br />
legends such as James Cagney and James<br />
Stewart. She had a wonderful singing<br />
voice and here she sings of finding<br />
happiness in spending time and drinking<br />
tea with a loved one! For a bit of escapism,<br />
check out her sparkling performance in<br />
the movie, Calamity Jane!<br />
Ask the expert?<br />
I love making meringues but I<br />
hate the way they weep when<br />
baked. What causes this?<br />
Meringues will weep for two main<br />
reasons: you have added the sugar too<br />
quickly or you have added too much<br />
sugar in one go. Always add the sugar<br />
gradually in small amounts and let it<br />
mix through. 10
15<br />
E-Learning<br />
How to Read The Freebird Times<br />
While most people know intuitively how<br />
to turn pages in a printed publication,<br />
the techniques for reading a digital<br />
publication are a little bit different. We<br />
want to make your read as easy as<br />
possible and have made a short video to<br />
help you navigate the magazine with a<br />
few simple clicks.<br />
If you still prefer to read a paper version,<br />
you can simply download and print it.<br />
9
The Freebird Club Comes of Age<br />
NEWS 16<br />
Nga-Hong Lau (CTO),Moira Allan,Paris (Founder Pass it on Network) & Peter Mangan (CEO)<br />
The Freebird Club came of age on<br />
April 5 th , 2017 with its official<br />
launch in Dublin. Theevent, which<br />
was hosted by Founder Peter<br />
Mangan and CTO Nga-Hong Lau,<br />
also celebrated the fact that the<br />
organisation had already reached<br />
the milestone mark of 1,000<br />
members across 34 countries.<br />
Numerous guests, including<br />
Freebird Club members,<br />
representatives of ageing<br />
organizations, public institutions<br />
and journalists were welcomed<br />
by the start-up team in the<br />
charming setting of Airfield<br />
Estate.<br />
Reflecting the international<br />
nature of The Freebird Club, it<br />
was appropriate that the launch<br />
was attended by representatives<br />
from abroad. These included<br />
Moira Allan from France, the<br />
international coordinator of the<br />
Pass it On Network who also<br />
coordinates the 2Young2Retire<br />
network in Europe with its<br />
French counterpart ? Le Cercle<br />
des Seniors Actifs. Facilitated by<br />
video link, Crispin Baynes, Aging<br />
2.0 New York,<br />
Merry Alexander, TFC area<br />
champion in NYC and Doug<br />
Flockhart, CEO Clubs<br />
Queensland in Brisbane also sent<br />
their best wishes.<br />
Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise<br />
and Innovation, Mary Mitchell<br />
O?Connor also sent her<br />
congratulations, stating: ?I?m not<br />
the only one that thinks yours is a<br />
very good idea?, pointing out the<br />
numerous awards won by the<br />
start-up already, including the<br />
European Commission?s Social<br />
Innovation Competition.<br />
Speaking at the launch Founder<br />
Peter Mangan said: ?We are a<br />
real ?heart and soul?venture<br />
which aims to connect older<br />
adults in very real and valuable<br />
ways. We seek to create an<br />
international community which<br />
provides opportunities to enjoy<br />
the world around us regardless of<br />
age?. He went on to say that as<br />
awareness of our rapidly ageing<br />
society grows, it is hard not to be<br />
struck by the sheer numbers<br />
involved. "Worldwide the<br />
number of adults over 60 is<br />
projected to soar; from 840<br />
million in 2013 to around 2<br />
billion by 2050,? he said. ?This<br />
presents obvious societal<br />
challenges, but also opportunities<br />
for organisations such as The<br />
Freebird Club to address this<br />
growing market.?
17<br />
Tech Savy<br />
Staying In Touch<br />
HEAD<br />
LINE<br />
by author<br />
Skype is a great way of staying in touch with family and friends.<br />
Finding ways to connect<br />
meaningfully with friends and<br />
family across the globe is always<br />
a challenge. The telephone is<br />
great, but there is no substitute<br />
for seeing a loved one?s smiling<br />
face or watching the fun of<br />
grandchildren playing or<br />
receiving a virtual hug from a<br />
close friend.<br />
Skype is a great way of staying<br />
in touch with family and friends<br />
very easily and at no cost. All<br />
you need is a computer screen ?<br />
on a desktop, laptop or tablet.<br />
Skype uses your computer like a<br />
telephone.<br />
It allows both sides of the<br />
conversation to see and speak<br />
to each other ? regardless of the<br />
physical distance between<br />
them.<br />
Skype is ideal for making a voice<br />
or video call, but it has<br />
additional interesting features<br />
you can master to enrich your<br />
engagement with your loved<br />
ones.<br />
One example is the screen<br />
sharing option. This lets you<br />
share live video of what's on<br />
your computer screen. It is an<br />
easy way to show another<br />
person what you're working on<br />
or get help from your service<br />
provider with any technical<br />
issues you may be having with<br />
your computer.
Three Simple Steps to Screen Sharing<br />
Tech Savy<br />
18<br />
When you are logged on to Skype you can share the screen anytime by following 3 simple steps<br />
1<br />
Click the + button in the lower<br />
section of the Skype screen<br />
2<br />
Choose the option Share<br />
screen in the pop up menu.<br />
Your friend on the other side will be able to<br />
see live video of your screen on his/her<br />
computer.<br />
3<br />
To stop sharing your screen,<br />
click the Stop sharing button.<br />
Now, you can end the call by<br />
clicking on the End Call button<br />
when you're ready to hang up.<br />
If you don?t have a Skype account yet, download Skype from https://www.skype.com/
19<br />
Living & Lifestyle<br />
Time to Become 'Virtuous' About Your<br />
Toothbrush<br />
Dublin-based Dylan Regan first<br />
had the idea for the VirtueBrush<br />
when he was running a blog<br />
called greenliving.ie. ?I was<br />
thinking about items in people?s<br />
homes with ?green? potential and<br />
the plastic toothbrush kept<br />
jumping to the forefront of my<br />
mind,? he says. ?Most plastic<br />
toothbrush handles can?t be<br />
recycled and this is very troubling<br />
considering how many millions<br />
are discarded each month. Plastic<br />
toothbrushes ultimately end up<br />
in landfill and clogging our seas<br />
and waterways damaging<br />
delicate aquatic ecosystems.?<br />
Regan began looking into<br />
alternatives to plastic handled<br />
toothbrushes and quickly<br />
discovered that toothbrushes<br />
Dylan Regan, Inventor of VirtueBrush<br />
made with Moso bamboo were<br />
popular in countries like<br />
Australia. ?I realised there must<br />
be a gap in the market in Ireland<br />
and many other countries for<br />
them and I set up my company,<br />
VirtueBrush, to introduce them<br />
to Irish consumers,? he says..<br />
?Moso bamboo has been<br />
recognised as a ?plant of virtue?<br />
for millennia. It?s a type of grass<br />
with naturally antibacterial<br />
qualities that grows up to three<br />
feet per day and re-grows very<br />
quickly after harvesting. It dries<br />
out quickly and has a tensile<br />
strength that rivals steel. I did a<br />
lot of research and eventually<br />
tracked 6 down a 200- year old<br />
company in China that grows its<br />
own bamboo. They are now<br />
manufacturing the VirtueBrush<br />
for me. I chose this name as I<br />
believe customers appreciate<br />
that sustainability is a virtue.<br />
"Unlike plastic which is a danger<br />
to our food chain, bamboo is an<br />
environmentally strategic<br />
material for the twenty first<br />
century with over 1000<br />
documented uses,? Regan adds.<br />
?We have also started an<br />
initiative with Trees for the<br />
Future (who work around the<br />
Equator) to plant three trees for<br />
every brush we sell. We feel this<br />
is a positive visual<br />
representation of the good that<br />
people do when they refuse<br />
plastic and go with<br />
biodegradable and sustainable<br />
options instead.?<br />
Dylan's Eco Tip<br />
I really worry about the over use<br />
of clingfilm. It is a very high use<br />
item in most households and as it<br />
usually ends up with food<br />
particles on the surface, this<br />
contaminates he whole recycling<br />
bin. One alternative is to use<br />
waxed cloths to cover food or<br />
wrap your sandwiches in. Cloths<br />
can be made to any size, washed<br />
and reused. You can also make<br />
them look good by choosing<br />
fabrics (100% cotton) with a nice<br />
pattern. It is possible to buy them<br />
online or you can make them<br />
yourself. To make your own<br />
cloths see less-stuff.co.uk for<br />
instructions.
Living & Lifestyle 20<br />
Age No Barrier To Innovation<br />
Joe O?Brien, 71, has<br />
developed a portable blood<br />
lab that could change the<br />
world.<br />
Joe O?Brien spent a large part of<br />
his professional life in the UK<br />
where he worked in the<br />
engineering, petrochemical and<br />
pharma industries. But work alone<br />
was never enough to satisfy his<br />
enquiring mind. His interests were<br />
wide and he admits to having an<br />
?obsessive interest? in science,<br />
especially physics.<br />
In 2012 the idea for what has now<br />
become the award winning<br />
Medimorpho Micro Blood Lab<br />
was born. Joe then spent three<br />
years refining the concept for his<br />
compact, cloud-based,<br />
GSM-enabled, portable blood cell<br />
counter and measurement device.<br />
Revolutionary Technology<br />
Joe O?Brien won the top award at the recent digital health technology accelerator<br />
run by the National Digital Research Centre in Dublin, Ireland<br />
Joe?s technology has the<br />
potential to revolutionise how<br />
blood samples are taken and<br />
analysed. At present samples are<br />
sent to labs for processing and<br />
little about this method has<br />
changed in decades. If Joe gets<br />
his way, however, every doctor?s<br />
surgery in the world will have a<br />
Medimorpho and routine blood<br />
samples will be processed by the<br />
GP in less than 10 minutes at a<br />
fraction of the cost of using a lab.<br />
?Blood analysis requiring the<br />
transportation of samples to a<br />
lab followed by a wait for results<br />
was a problem begging for a<br />
solution,? Joe explains. ?The<br />
model currently in use is overly<br />
centralised and 80 percent of<br />
the analysis at the world?s<br />
35,000 blood labs is completely<br />
routine and could be done at<br />
"What takes place is lively<br />
and dynamic and life<br />
enhancing."<br />
healthcare facilities. Yes, there<br />
were complex technical issues to<br />
overcome with the development<br />
of Medimorpho, but it was a<br />
question of becoming immersed<br />
and finding the solutions. The<br />
machine itself is about the size of<br />
a ladies?Hermes clutch bag, but<br />
half the price.<br />
?People talk abut putting an old<br />
head on young shoulders.<br />
While developing Medimorpho<br />
I have had experience of the<br />
inverse! I found myself working<br />
with a team of young people<br />
and it was exhilarating. What<br />
takes place is<br />
lively and dynamic and life<br />
enhancing. But what about<br />
respect for age? Well, it was<br />
blended in equal measure with<br />
forceful and irreverent push! I<br />
am grateful for the experience -<br />
one that cannot be potted or<br />
preserved."
21<br />
Living & Lifestyle<br />
Banking On Alpaca Farming<br />
Meet Joe Phelan one of the new breed of mature entrepreneurs<br />
who is quitting his job as a banker after 37 year to follow his<br />
dream of setting up his own business.<br />
Photo by: Viktorija Lemtjugova<br />
I am as excited today about the<br />
future as I was when I started<br />
working straight out of school. I?m<br />
not the type of person who is<br />
happy to sit back and spend my<br />
retirement gardening, hiking,<br />
enjoying good food and the odd<br />
drink. With my kids through<br />
college and independently on<br />
their way, I?m suffering a bit from<br />
empty nest syndrome. This got me<br />
thinking about what I?d like to do<br />
for myself.<br />
My roots can be traced back 10<br />
generations, almost 400 years, to<br />
1650 to a family farm in<br />
Kilcraggan, Co Kilkenny in Ireland,<br />
about an hour and a half from<br />
Dublin. The farm was a traditional<br />
farm with milking cows, drystock,<br />
pigs, horses and tillage. It was<br />
famous for its butter. It was a<br />
community then, but that kind of<br />
farm life is long gone and the farm<br />
is a shadow of its former self. It has<br />
been rented out for the last 15<br />
years.<br />
While looking at the next chapter<br />
in my life I started researching<br />
how I could re-establish the family<br />
farm. I found that traditional<br />
farming activities required<br />
significant capital investments<br />
with returns that would be<br />
questionable at best. Then<br />
something a lot more unusual (in<br />
an Irish farming context at least)<br />
caught my attention - alpacas.<br />
Why Alpacas?<br />
Alpacas are easy to manage,<br />
gentle on the land and you don?t<br />
need a background in farming to<br />
do well with them. They are mild<br />
natured, intelligent and<br />
inquisitive animals who have been<br />
domesticated for over 6000 years.<br />
Alpacas are of the camelid family<br />
bred primarily for their wool and<br />
They come in 22 natural colours.<br />
The fibres?unique thermal<br />
characteristics keep you cool in<br />
summer and warm in winter. It is<br />
lighter than sheep?s wool yet three<br />
<strong>times</strong> warmer. It does not contain<br />
lanolin and so is hypo-allergenic<br />
and can be worn next to the skin.
It is highly water resistant and is<br />
great at wicking moisture away.<br />
Eco-friendly Alpaca<br />
Alpaca offers a natural,<br />
eco-friendly alternative fibre for<br />
active wear clothing. It is a highly<br />
versatile fibre and has a lower<br />
tendency to shrink and pil (ball)<br />
than wool and cashmere.<br />
It is more flame resistant than<br />
plant or synthetic fibres and in<br />
case of fire it does not melt onto<br />
the skin like synthetics do. Alpaca<br />
jackets and coats are hardwearing<br />
but keep their luxurious looks and<br />
feel. They become heirlooms such<br />
is their enduring nature.<br />
For sheep and poultry farmers<br />
Alpacas act as guards against<br />
Alpaca Lama<br />
foxes, They reduce losses to these<br />
predators and increase the birth<br />
rates amongst sheep. The Alpacas<br />
will stand up to and trample any<br />
foxes who might be looking for a<br />
tasty lamb or chicken dinner.<br />
Farmers have found that the<br />
problem with foxes disappear<br />
once Alpacas are run with their<br />
flocks.<br />
Mature Entrepreneur's<br />
Bootcamp<br />
To get things moving, I attended a<br />
mature entrepreneurs business<br />
start-up program to see if I could<br />
convert my idea into a business.<br />
Working for yourself is a lot<br />
different than working for a large<br />
multinational organisation and the<br />
start-up course provided me with<br />
a lot of knowledge and a great set<br />
Alpaca fibre is called the 'Fibre of Gods.'<br />
Living & Lifestyle 22<br />
of business tools to move forward<br />
with.<br />
My plan is to breed Alpaca and sell<br />
them to small farmers and land<br />
owners as an alternative source of<br />
income. I will be converting their<br />
fibre into cash or into finished<br />
products and will provide this as a<br />
service to other alpaca farmers. I<br />
am also involved in agri-tourism<br />
through alpaca trekking and I<br />
would like to invite Freebird Club<br />
members to come and try out<br />
what we have to offer in the<br />
beautiful Wicklow countryside<br />
including the beautiful<br />
Powerscourt Gardens and<br />
waterfall near the picturesque<br />
village of Enniskerry.<br />
For more information please email<br />
info@alpacatrekking.ie
23<br />
Living & Lifestyle<br />
Soothing Skin the Natural Way<br />
Having a family with sensitive skin inspired Dr. Maria McGee to set up Marble Hill Natural<br />
Skincare in 2013.<br />
Dr. McGee knows a thing or two<br />
about problem skin from personal<br />
experience. Her children suffered<br />
from eczema when growing up and<br />
her husband, who is a surgeon,<br />
developed a problem with his skin<br />
from constantly using heavy-duty<br />
cleansers to scrub up.<br />
?My interest was in finding a blend<br />
of ingredients that worked with<br />
the skin to sooth and moisturise<br />
not against it to cause irritation,?<br />
Maria says. ?This led me to some<br />
very traditional ingredients such as<br />
neem and argan oils and shea<br />
butter. The reason we do not see<br />
shea butter for sale is because it is<br />
notoriously difficult to handle. It<br />
took us a number of years to<br />
develop a method of producing it<br />
in a consistent, usable way.?<br />
Maria began by making products<br />
for her family and friends and the<br />
business developed from there.<br />
Marble Hill now has a range of<br />
skincare products aimed at<br />
bringing relief from conditions<br />
such as eczema, acne, seborrhoeic<br />
dermatitis and psoriasis. The<br />
company is based in Northern<br />
Ireland and sells its products all<br />
over Europe and the US via the<br />
Internet. The company?s range<br />
includes cleansing and<br />
moisturising creams as well as<br />
conditioning oils, aromatherapy<br />
products, soaps, lipsalve and<br />
Euventol a motivation oil that<br />
combines natural peppermint,<br />
eucalyptus and rosemary oils to<br />
decrease stress and fatigue and<br />
improve alertness and mood.<br />
The company?s flagship product is<br />
Pedisalve a hypoallergenic foot<br />
cream that is suitable for all skin<br />
types but was specifically<br />
developed by Maria for those with<br />
diabetes. ?One of the<br />
complications of diabetes can be<br />
problems with the skin on the feet.<br />
The nerves controlling the flow of<br />
moisture get damaged and the feet<br />
can become dry and cracked. This<br />
can lead to potentially grave<br />
consequences,? Maria explains.<br />
?PediSalve is a 100% natural total<br />
foot cream that moisturises,<br />
conditions and improves<br />
suppleness of the skin of the heels,<br />
nails and joints of the foot. Since<br />
launch it has become the most<br />
popular natural foot cream for<br />
diabetics on both Amazon.co.uk<br />
and Amazon.de and is<br />
recommended by diabetes.co.uk.<br />
Maria points out that many of the<br />
hand washes and shower products<br />
on the market today can be very<br />
hard on the skin. ?They contain<br />
detergents, usually the same as<br />
you find in washing up liquid,? she<br />
Dr. Maria Mcgee<br />
says. ?People often find this hard to<br />
believe which I found strange as<br />
dermatitis and dry, itchy skin are<br />
now at epidemic levels and people<br />
are using these products every day<br />
without making the connection.?<br />
Maria says the hardest part of<br />
developing her business ?has been<br />
the learning curve of going from a<br />
professional medical background<br />
to a commercial business. I was not<br />
prepared for the challenge of<br />
getting my message across even<br />
though I knew what I had to offer<br />
really was as good as I was telling<br />
people it was!<br />
?Have I ever thought about giving<br />
up? Well some<strong>times</strong> running an<br />
expanding business as well as<br />
everything else can seem<br />
overwhelming but I have a zeal for<br />
this and as long as our products are<br />
improving people's quality of life I<br />
will try and make sure as many<br />
people as possible have access to<br />
them.?
Around the World 22<br />
East meets West<br />
in USA!<br />
Welcome to Merry Alexander<br />
from New York City and<br />
Jessica Warren from Marin<br />
County, San Francisco. Both<br />
ladies recently joined the<br />
Freebird Club administration<br />
team as ?Country Champions?<br />
who will actively promote and<br />
support local members and<br />
hosts. Merry and Jessica, who<br />
are both experienced hosts,<br />
enjoy welcoming guests to<br />
their homes and share a<br />
common interest in meeting<br />
new people and making<br />
meaningful connections.<br />
I was so happy to discover<br />
The Fr eebir d Club and am<br />
thr illed to be a Countr y<br />
Cham pion her e in M ar in<br />
County, Califor nia. I look<br />
for war d to hosting visitor s<br />
H ello fr om your ?Fr eebir d<br />
Club Cham pion? in New Yor k<br />
City! W hat a pleasur e it is to<br />
r epr esent The Fr eebir d Club<br />
in the Big Apple! H aving the<br />
oppor tunity to talk about the<br />
pur pose and m ission gives m e<br />
gr eat pleasur e, especially<br />
when I see faces light up<br />
k nowing that they can<br />
Freebird up for<br />
European award<br />
The Freebird Club has been<br />
selected as a finalist in the<br />
European Investment Bank<br />
Institute?s Social Innovation<br />
Tournament, which takes place<br />
in Riga, Latvia, in September<br />
2017. The Social Innovation<br />
Tournament recognises and<br />
supports the best European<br />
social entrepreneurs. It is<br />
organised every year in a<br />
different country to reward<br />
and sponsor European<br />
entrepreneurs whose primary<br />
purpose is to generate a social,<br />
ethical or environmental<br />
impact.<br />
to our ar ea and staying<br />
with Fr eebir d Club<br />
m em ber s when I tr avel to<br />
other countr ies.<br />
Jessica<br />
becom e m em ber s of this<br />
social tr avel club. The club<br />
offer s new way of tr avelling<br />
and a fun way to m eet new<br />
people and enjoy social<br />
inter action in later life. W hat<br />
could be better than that? It is<br />
exciting to be a par t of The<br />
Fr eebir d Club.<br />
M er r y<br />
G?day Australia!<br />
Exciting developments for The<br />
Freebird Club, as they it joins<br />
forces with Clubs Queensland<br />
to launch its social travel and<br />
homestay programme in<br />
Australia. Planning is well<br />
underway for the<br />
Brisbane-based customer care<br />
team to support Freebird Club<br />
members with registration and<br />
hosting queries.<br />
?We are very excited about the<br />
joint venture and can?t wait to<br />
welcome The Freebird Club to<br />
Australia in June, ? says Doug<br />
Flockhart, what?s his title? , of<br />
Clubs Queensland. Watch out<br />
for special offers on new<br />
memberships and discounted<br />
travel promotions for booking<br />
a trip with a Freebird host ?<br />
worldwide!
USE PROMO CODE<br />
And Join our Club for 5 Euros.<br />
Enjoy an additional 20 Euro off your tavel<br />
booking, if you travel between July 1st -<br />
October 31st 2017