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Our Calendar from 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020
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Special Event

The North West Passage
Triumph and Tragedy in the Arctic Ice

Lecture by Rob Caskie

Hexham Rotary Club is organising, what will surely be, a fantastic Lecture to be given by the South African, Rob Caskie in the Forum Cinema at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 23rd October. Tickets (£15) can be obtained online at forumhexham.com

More Details Here

Charity Christmas Cards - our special Hexham designs.

The club has prepared a selection of Christmas Cards featuring scenes from around Hexham that can be bought in small quantities for personal use or can have particular messages inside for larger users. Click here for more info.

Help our Club's Charity Fund

If you are purchasing items through Amazon, please do so through the link on this page to benefit club funds. The Club also has an arrangement with Riviera Travel, providing the Club with a percentage of the booking from a Club member. To order on AMAZON click here

Our Latest News

25 Years of Serving the Community

Today, October 7th, Anne Dale was our speaker at lunch. She recounted her 25 years of service on Parish, Tynedale District and Northumberland County Council and the ways in which Council Service had changed over the years. Her guiding principles were to get the greatest benefit to the community particularly for children and the less well off. An interesting talk from someone dedicate to Community Service.

Medical Advances in the Peninsular War

On the last day in October, we had our evening meeting at the golf club in Hexham and were well looked after with an excellent meal and service. Our speaker for the evening was Prof Alec Crombie who talked on the Peninsular War and the differences between the French and British Armies. He contrasted the efficient French medical services with the poorly implemented British ones and the way this led to improvements on the British side.

A scholarly and informative talk that was very well received and, judging from the questions, provoked much interest in the history of the campaign.

Estate Planning

This Monday, 23rd September, we had an interesting talk by Patrick Deane of Octopus on Estate Planning or how to avoid legally giving money to HMRC. He pointed out that HMRC had collected £5.4 billion in Inheritance Tax in 2018/19 and expected to raise £5.5 trillion over the next 30 years. Briefly, he said, we can spend money, gift it to children, give to charity, put into pensions, life insurance or trusts. However there is another way and that is to look at the possibilities of Business Property Relief. He is a specialist in this field and it offers opportunities!!

Hurricane Dorian Disaster

We have sent and immediate donation of £375 to ShelterBox to help with the relief work and will follow this up with further donations when the situation becomes clearer.

Is it Witchcraft - Monday 9th September

Professor Michael Green was our speaker at our evening meeting this week. Although born in South Africa, he is now Professor of English and Creative Writing at Northumbria University. His recent book "The Ghosting of Anne Armstrong" has just been published and is the story of a young housemaid who lodged a complaint with the Justice of the Peace in Newcastle about being bewitched in Riding Mill. He read a passage from his book in which she describes in great detail what happened to her. Having walked in January 1673 from Riding Mill to Newcastle to lodge her complaint, it appears she was not believed. Michael's book has excerpts from this complaint and others she made over the next few months but nothing appears to have happened. She was aged about 14 but then disappears without trace. An intriguing story well supported by evidence from the Public Records Office at Kew.

Michael certainly kept us enthralled.

An Interesting Meeting - Monday 19th August

This Monday our expected speaker was unable to come due to family committments but we had two visiting Rotarians who offered to talk about their clubs.

Chris Rees from the RC of Caloundra in Queensland, Australia, was here on a short visit. Currently the President of his club he described life in Queensland where they experiwnce everything from severe droughts in the West to flooding in the North. He described their work with schools and police to run Young Drivers Awareness Courses to try and cut down the high level of single vehicle crashes of drivers in the 18-25 year range. Over the last ten years, they have put 10,000 students through this course.

Ian Hughes is, by contrast, alsmost a local from the RC of Welshpool in Powys. He is the cousin of Jan, one of our Rotarians and has been a Rotarian for 43 years serving as President in 1988! Currently their biggest project is an exchange scheme with Canada where 8-10 local students spend 10 days in Canada and this is reciprocated with ten students and their teachers visiting Welshpool.
These talks were most interesting and greatly appreciated. Both speakers were warmly thanked by the President for their interesting stories.

Monday 12th August - Rewilding the Countryside

At our evening meeting at the Beaumont Hotel, Victoria Lancaster described a rewilding project in the Ennerdale Valley in the Lake District. Conservationists all over the world are worried about soil degradation and loss, as, without maintaining good soil quality food production will decline. One way of improving soil quality is to use the land less heavily. The project in Ennerdale has shown that farmers can make a better living by reducing livestock levels and allowing the land to return to nature, provided that farming subsidies are tailored to this aim. Thus by reducing the number of sheep and introducing Belted Galloway cattle to replace pedigree milkers, the land is allowed to revert to nature. The farmer has less work yet can make an adequate living and the soil and wildlife thrive. A very interesting presentation with much to recommend it.

Monday 5th August - Let's Get Growing

Today we had an excellent talk by Katrina Padmore and Ross Menzies on the work they do at Minster Acres Peace Garden. Let's Get Growing is a registered charity which uses the therapeutic benefits of gardening to help people with physical or mental health problems as well as those adjusting to life challenges and transitions. A most interesting talk that engendered many questions and discussion. They are funded partly by fees from those who can afford them but mainly by charitable donations. Those interested can contact Katrina on07748 600498.

A New Venture

Monday 29th July saw a new venture for our club. On the last Monday of each month we have an evening meeting with a special speaker. Tonight saw us dine for the first time at Hexham Golf Club. The evening was a great success in our new venue and we were well looked after. Our speaker, Catherine Bush from District Foundation was excellent and gave us a succinct account of the workings of the Rotary Foundation, our own charity.

A Special Occasion

Very seldom is Dilston Castle and Chapel open to the public, but thanks to Michael Saxon. a party of Hexham Rotarians managed to visit them on Monday 29th July. Full story here.

An Excellent Evening Visit

Instead of our usual meeting in the Beaumont Hotel, Monday 8th July saw us visiting Lanbshield Garden and then adjourning to the Boat House in Warden for supper. Full Story Here.

A New Rotary Year - A New President

On Monday 1st July 2019, Andy Rigg took over as the new President for the Rotary Year 2019/20. Story here.

An Evening to Remember

Our evening in the Great Hall of Hexham Abbey in aid of Polio Eradication was a great success with over 40 people from local Rotary Clubs and their guests attending. Our President, Roy Dallison together with club member George Robertson had made the arrangements. Full story with the Jazz Quartet

Calendar Girls - Talk and Film - 21st June

We were delighted to welcome Tricia Stewart, one of the original Calendar Girls to talk to us in the Forum Cinema tonight. The Calendar Girls film was shown and Tricia talked about how it was made and answered some questions as well as signing her book. The evening raised over £1500 (subject to audit) for our Disaster Fund. More about the evening here.

We Present a cheque to Journey Enterprises

On Monday 17th June, we presented a cheque for £500 to Journey Enterprises in Acomb. Full story here.

Our Club Assembly

Monday 17th June was our Club Assembly. As is customary our President started the meeting but handed over to Andy Rigg, our President Elect, to conduct the Club Assembly where the main points of our programme for the Rotary Year starting on the 1st July were decided. Chris Baylis, the local Assistant Governor was present. Our programme for 2019/20 is now available on the website - see above.

Our President entertains.

Sunday 16th June saw the club invited to lunch at our President's house. Roy and Irene had been very busy and we were made most welcome. There was an excellent cold Buffet and drinks for everyone's taste. After several days of heavy rain, the big question was what to wear? Would it rain? Depending on who you listened to, it would be "sunny and showers" or "rain at lunch time" or "rain at 4pm". Roy gambled on the latter and we enjoyed brilliant sunshine in Irene's beautiful garden. By four o'clock we had all dispersed and it started to rain!!! more here.

This site was last updated on 8th October 2019

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