Reports

9th May 2023

We celebrated the Coronation of Charles III at Leyland Golf Club and enjoyed a buffet, quizzes, lots of chats and stood for a toast to the King while we sang the National Anthem. We also had a Crown Competition where a winner and runner up were announced.

Afternoon Tea at The Villa, Wrea Green - 6th December 2022

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LEYLAND GOLF CLUB-13 DECEMBER 2021

Our Christmas Party was held at Leyland Golf Club with 63 members attending. We had a lovely three course meal with coffee and were then entertained by Daniel who asked for requests for songs and he performed a wide variety of different ones, including playing guitar and saxophone. 

PRESTON MARINA WALK, 14TH JULY 2021

Eleven members joined Alan Cross for a walk around Preston Marina. It was a pleasant walk and he ordered blue skies and sunshine for us.

BRINDLE WALK, 6TH JULY 2021

Nine people were on Angie's walk which started at the car park on Gregson Lane and covered parts of Hoghton. It was a very pleasant walk and a nice surprise not to get rained on because as we started the walk black clouds were floating overhead but eventually the sun came out.

BURNS DAY - 21st JANUARY 2020

Members enjoyed another successful Burns Afternoon starting with a parade of the Haggis made by Janet Wilkinson with bagpipes being played by Jack Tallo. There was then an address of the Haggis by Bill McCartney and a poem.  We were served lunch later with either Haggis, Neeps and Tatties or Steak and Kidney Pie and a very nice dessert. We watched an episode of the programme we all remembered from years ago called Porridge starring Ronnie Barker and also Mr MacKay who was Scottish and we had a quiz about Scottish Landmarks and there were different images of Scottish Life showing on the screen during the afternoon and when our Piper played some tunes at the end of the afternoon.

CHRISTMAS PARTY-9TH DECEMBER 2019

Another successful Christmas party at the Leyland Golf Club. As usual Vince and his team produced an excellent meal with a seasonal theme.  We were entertained by the girl group Decades Duo which in a double spot managed to get everyone dancing.  There were 74 members and friends who enjoyed a festive afternoon.  Will most likely repeat the event next year.

CHRISTMAS MARKET COACH TRIP TO YORK - 24TH NOVEMBER 2019

On Sunday 24th November we visited the Christmas Market in York, On the way we stopped at Keelham Farm Shop near Skipton and then on to York. Although York was very busy it wasn't difficult to get near to any of the stalls which had a really good range of things for sale and as York's many shops were also open we had as much retail therapy as we could possibly want! Finally on the way home we stopped for an excellent fish and chip supper at the Wetherby Whaler.                                                                                                                                                                                  

 Altogether a most enjoyable day.

PLU GIN AND BEER HOUSE - 31ST OCTOBER 2019 

Our coffee morning on Halloween was in Preston at the PLU gin and beer house. PLU is a renovated property previously a small hotel.  There are several rooms on different levels. If you are feeling brave you can visit the vault, stand on the glass cover and gaze down into the 40 foot well where the water flows through on its way to the river. There is a substantial dining room on the upper level with photos and wallpaper coverings from the Edwardian era.  The coffee was good too.

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE LAURELS, CHARNOCK RICHARD - 30TH JULY 2019

This was our first visit to the Laurels for Afternoon teas. Eleven members enjoyed a varied mixture of sweet and savoury treats. For our first visit it was a successful event. The Laurels may be a suitable venue for future meals.

GORTON MONASTERY - JUNE 2019

On Monday a group from the Friendship Centre visited Gorton Monastery. Twelve members were treated to a guided tour where we learned of the history of this special place. The story is one of rise and fall followed by a rebirth using money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The building was designed by a member of the Pugin family, the same architects who designed the Houses of Parliament. The main church building is very large being the same dimensions as Solomon's temple. In its Heyday it supported a thriving church, a local school, a youth club and many social events. The main church is now used as a wedding venue. Following the tour we were supplied with a light lunch.

THE BARN, TARLETON - APRIL 2019

Our coffee morning this month was held at The Barn in Tarleton. We were made most welcome by Jackie, the owner of the cafe. She took the photograph. Coffee mornings are popular with our group and this was no exception. The Barn is part of a shopping complex at Webster’s and because we were using the cafe we were offered a discount for goods bought in the shops. Coffee mornings usually last about one hour but this time some members stayed on to partake of a light lunch. A successful event, our thanks to Celia and Margaret for organising the event.

COUNTDOWN- 10 APRIL 2019

On Wednesday 10th April, 12 of us set off to Media City to be part of the audience for the filming of Countdown.

We were ushered to the Studio and seated by 1.30 pm; 3 shows were to be filmed during the afternoon. Throughout the afternoon we were entertained and hosted by Jonathan, a comedian who decided we were fair game for his banter, at one point announcing that we had got rid of the chaff but kept South Ribble! The Guest in Dictionary Corner alongside Susie Dent was Paul Sinha, of “The Chaser” fame. Paul proved to be extremely clever with interesting anecdotes and even did the maths for Rachel Riley when asked. Paul’s parents had joined the audience and camera shots were taken.

It was fascinating to see the way things were done and we were surprised at the very minimal retakes necessary. Susie and Rachel were feeling cold as they were in summer clothes, the episodes being screened on 29th, 30th and 31st July. So much so that Susie sat with a hot water bottle. We clapped and cheered on demand and in our view, we were an excellent audience.

If you watch it in July, you will see a good shot of Norma and Margaret(possibly the 30th July), and the scarves only of Angie and Marjorie who were seated behind Paul’s parents.

A great experience which we hope to repeat on a different show.

ITALIAN THEME CINEMA DAY 9TH APRIL 2019

Off to Italy, off to Rome.  The Preston South friendship Centre enjoyed an Italian themed day at Brindle village hall. Our usual caterer Janet was unable to attend so our members handled the catering themselves. Lunch was a choice from lasagna or pizza, followed by either tiramisu or lemon cheese cake.  There was a film.  “Roman Holiday” showing the antics of Audrey Hepburn on a wild day out in Rome.  A film made in 1950 produced in black and white but still retained its appeal. There was a quiz with an Italian theme, the winners enjoying Easter eggs for their prize. As usual the day was much enjoyed by all those who attended. There was no bad weather this time so members had plenty time to socialise. Well that was Italy, so where can we go next time I think India is a strong possibility.

PENWORTHAM HERITAGE WALK-HOWICK CROSS-27TH MARCH 2019

Anne and Joy organised a walk for our fourth Penwortham Heritage Trail starting outside Galloways Society with 15 other people joining them. The walk was three miles long with stops along the way to hear about the various interesting places and houses we were passing. This walk concentrated on the Howick and Hutton areas and we were able to see a house that Edith Rigby, the well known Suffragette lived in at one time.

CHOCOLATE HOUSE, BLACKBURN - FEBRUARY 2019

Nineteen members visited the Chocolate House at Blackburn in February. On arrival we were served hot chocolate, before watching a demonstration of making whiskey truffles. Later we got to eat them!

In the kitchen we were showed the moulds used to create the wonderful chocolates and to taste the various types of chocolate used.

Time to decide which chocolates to buy concluded an enjoyable and informative afternoon.

DUXBURY GARDEN CENTRE, MAPLE LEAF RESTAURANT- 8th FEBRUARY 2019

Sixteen people from our Friendship Centre went to Duxbury's Garden Centre to have Afternoon Tea in the Maple Leaf Restaurant. See Eileen's Text below, you might have to 'stretch' it.

BURNS EVENT - 29TH JANUARY 2019

Tuesday 29th January and members were treated to a Burns night( in the afternoon).  True to tradition there was a haggis cooked by Janet Wilkinson, paraded into the hall accompanied by our own resident piper Jack Tallo.  Following the address to the haggis and a poem from the pen of Robbie Burns, performed by Bill Mc Cartney, the haggis was sent back to the kitchen to be divided up amongst the guests.  A traditional lunch of haggis, neeps and tatties, with a raspberry and shortcake dish for dessert followed. To keep the Scottish theme going there was a showing of an episode of the tv show “Porridge” staring the indomitable Mr MacKay.   An extensive quiz was tackled by members with some questions on Scotland, some concerning Burns night and one on our favourite toffees. The weather was poor and due to it continuing to snow, the meeting was cut short to allow members to travel home in the daylight. Overall a pleasant afternoon and a heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked hard to make our Burns event a success.

PENWORTHAM HERITAGE WALK - 9TH JANUARY 2019

Joy led a walk using a Penwortham Heritage Walk leaflet - Trams and Trains. It was a very pleasant walk with blue skies and sunshine, although the frost was still around but everyone made sure they had enough layers of clothes on! 16 people enjoyed the walk.

MONTHLY MEETING - 7TH JANUARY 2019

The New Year got off to a good start with our first meeting at St Ambrose church hall. Sixty five members attended to hear a presentation given by Gordon Bartley entitled "Iceland: Light Fantastic". Gordon showed us the sights of Iceland taken on his holiday trip to the island. As usual Gordon's excellent photography made the scenery come alive for us. There was a surprise Afternoon Tea provided by Janet and very much enjoyed by everyone. The new venue has a lot going for it, the hall is warm, there is space to circulate and meet with friends. It is light and airy and there is no extraneous noise. If there is a downside then parking is a challenge, but I think we will get used to this in the future. A good start to the New Year and the venue bodes well for our future meetings.

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LEYLAND GOLF CLUB- DECEMBER 10TH 2018

The social event of the year, our Christmas lunch took place on Monday at the Leyland Golf Club. Vince and his team served up an excellent three course meal with a Christmas theme. No mishaps this time, the electricity stayed on and the food was served in a timely manner to everyone's satisfaction. It was a time to meet friends and socialise in a happy Christmas atmosphere. We were treated to an entertainment provided by two young ladies, Decades Duo. They gave us a range of popular songs encouraging us to sing along and join in the dance. A lot of dancing went on. The afternoon ended with a free raffle and tributes to our chair for all her work over the past twelve months. Probably the best Christmas lunch yet.

ROYAL WEDDING CELEBRATIONS - MAY 2018

Another Royal Celebration, this time for the wedding of Harry and Meghan. We had a very nice Afternoon Tea with sandwiches, sausage rolls, quiche, salad and also fresh fruit and lovely desserts with a lemon and elderflower wedding cake. We also had a toast to them with non-alcoholic wine. This was followed

by various quizzes and prizes presented for the best hat ( the Lilac one) and best dressed man. We could also watch the wedding again on iPlayer.

VISIT TO GIN DISTILLERY, BRINDLE - APRIL 2018

An informative tour of the Brindle Cuckoo Distillery.....some of our members obviously enjoying their standard and their spicy gin, both extremely palatable!"

CELEBRATING QUEEN ELIZABETH'S 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY-FEBRUARY 2018

Afternoon tea at Duxburys to celebrate 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s marriage.  A good turn out as members enjoyed an afternoon tea at Duxburys garden centre.  Angie organised a tipple to toast the Queen.  A pleasant afternoon enjoyed by all.

TERRACCOTA WARRIERS, LIVERPOOL-FEBRUARY 2018The club ran a trip to see the terraccota warriors on display at the museum of Liverpool.  The display attracts large visitor numbers so we were given a specific time, 1.00pm when we could enter the exhibit.  The museum had acquired 12 full size warriors on loan from China. The exhibit contained other statues  and artefacts taken from Chinese burials.  There was lots of detail information about the emperor and his close associates, almost too much information to absorb on one visit.  One display item I enjoyed was a model showing how the warriors had been produced.  Every credit to Liverpool museum for designing a first class exhibit.  I was impressed by the warriors and would recommend anyone who is interested to pay them a visit.

For club members the journey home was memorable as the train from Liverpool was cancelled.  Most took a train to Wigan where the connection was delayed by 25 minutes.  Waiting on the station at Wigan in the bitter cold weather was not a good end to an otherwise enjoyable day.

FILM AFTERNOON AT BRINDLE - FEBRUARY 2018

It was film day again. Our second showing of films at Brindle Village Hall was the romantic story set around a circus in the American depression of the 1930s. Thirty five members enjoyed a film afternoon watching Water For Elephants a film based on the best selling book by Sara Gruen. A light meal was served before the film.  In keeping with the American theme, there was a choice of southern fried or Cajun chicken. At the interval Ann Webster stepped up to the job again by serving ice cream dressed as a circus clown.  As for the first film, the afternoon was much enjoyed by everyone and who knows this could become a regular event.

Email sent to Angie after the Christmas Party

Hello Angie - just a little note from me to you to say how much I enjoyed yesterday.

The possibility that I may not have made it upstairs was very real and I would have missed an excellent, excellent meal and an entertaining talk by Sheila on the 'themed' Christmases enjoyed by the Dibnah family.

What a lovely person she was and how lucky I was to be at the same table and able to chat to her. She has introduced me to QVC and even told me how to go about shopping on that channel!  I now have her signed book which I shall enjoy reading sometime soon.

I am sending a 'Thank-you' Card to the chef and his staff for ensuring that I did not miss out on the occasion - weren't they wonderful and thoughtful in how they went about the task.

All this - AND I came away with the first prize.  Life is good!

Warm love and I hope I get to see you again in the not too distant future

Julie Barnish

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LEYLAND GOLF CLUB-10th December 2017 

There was a plan.  Eat the lunch, do the raffle, enjoy the entertainment and have some community Christmas singing to round off the day.  What could possibly go wrong?

Around 12.00 noon as most guests arrived at the golf club it became clear that there had been a failure in the electricity supply.  The lift was out of action.  One disabled lady unable to manage the stairs was carried up them by the golf club staff.  With no electricity the meal could not be cooked, the essential Wi-fi link for Christmas music from the internet could not be made.  It looked that we may have to curtail the event and meet on another day.  There was some frantic activity to produce a compromise. 

To save waiting for the electricity to be reconnected, the starter was served as this did not require cooking.  The entertainment in the form of Sheila Dibnah’s stories of Christmas in the Dibnah household came next.  The restaurant manger in an attempt to get the electricity re connected went to visit the road workers who had cut the local cable.  Sheila soldered on and as her stories were running out the electricity supply was reconnected and eventually at 3.00pm dinner was served.  The food was excellent and the rest of the meal went well.  There was coffee, mince pies followed by the all important raffle. Michael finally managed to connect to the internet and we had a short sing along session streaming Christmas music and words from the internet.

The event was a success.  Plenty of time to socialise and everyone took the problems in good heart determined to not let them spoil the event.  Looking forward to another event same time next year.

BARTON GRANGE GARDEN CENTRE  - 29th November 2017

Michael arranged a visit to Barton Grange to dine on hotpot, red cabbage and a buttered roll. 10 members joined him and we were able to have a wander round and see all the wonderful Christmas displays and drool over the food in the farm shop. Well, not literally!

Enjoying our meal with good company

FILM AFTERNOON AT BRINDLE - 17th October 2017

33 members and friends enjoyed a showing of Captain Correlis Mandolin at Brindle village hall on Tuesday 17th October.  This showing was made possible by using the projector paid for by Age UK.  In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, lasagne was served before the film.  There was an interval when our gallant vice chairperson Ann Webster served ice cream and popcorn dressed in traditional Greek colours, blue and white.  The afternoon was much enjoyed and we are encouraged to repeat the event at a future date.