Winter 2015

Notes from the Chairman Hello to everyone,

Welcome to the winter Newsletter. I am sure you would all agree that summer has been rather disappointing this year. What happened to the sun? Still, autumn is lingering on and the trees are looking amazing, the Dahlias in my garden are still flowering prolifically and long may it last!

Prior to the AGM this year the majority of the Committee decided that the Constitution should be amended to allow a larger Committee to be voted in. This amendment was passed by the membership at the AGM, so the number on the Committee was increased to nine. There were other changes too regarding the payment of the membership dues and these were to make the Secretary and the Treasurer’s jobs easier and to ensure you all were eligible to vote at the AGM. Thanks to all of you who paid your membership so promptly. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and some new ones at the AGM and a big thanks to all who purchased tickets for the Raffle, donated prizes and to John Harrison for selling them. We raised £102.00 for the Air Ambulance and this will be sent to them shortly.

Janet Willsher is holding a flower arranging workshop on the 25th of November. A raffle will be held at this event and once again the proceeds of this and any profit will go to the Air Ambulance. Apart from this event we have invited the ‘Aston Hand Bell Ringers’ to play for us, at the Christmas Party on the 4th of December for some light entertainment. In the New Year we hope to hold a charity concert to be given by Shannon Express, a very popular male choir. They have agreed to sing for us and the proceeds from this event will be shared between the Air Ambulance and purchasing of at least one defibrillator. We have also tentatively booked a talk to be given by an ex Vernon Girl for the 12th of April. This should be a very entertaining evening so please do let us know if you and a friend or partner would like to come along as we need to find a suitable venue.

Apart from the above the majority of the Committee have decided to set up a new website. The feeling is that we need a good website to attract people to join us as the group is ageing and it will need more members to remain in existence. I personally am not sure that the cost is worth it but I hope I am the doubting Thomas that is proved wrong. Only time will tell.

Well this is my last Winter Newsletter as I announced at the AGM that I shall not stand as Chairman next year. At the time I said it was due to my husband and I needing to pull together more to get all the gardening , house duties and spend more time enjoying ourselves together but since then Peter has suffered a mild stroke which has only reinforced my decision. I hope to see as many of you as possible on the 4th of December.

Jackie Quinn

Notes from the Secretary

First a very big Thank you to everyone who renewed their subscriptions promptly. It made life easier for Anne and me.

1 We have lost some loved and much-valued members this autumn. We have sent our condolences and best wishes to the families of Phoebe Gates, Peter Conchie, Perry Cotter, and Edward Webb. Terry Worbey has decided his role as a full-time carer means he cannot continue with us.

On a happier note, please welcome our new members: Angela and Michael Camp of Baldock; Keith Crockford and Jean Glover of Lower Stondon; Len and Kay Goodridge of Stevenage; and Charles Haynes of Stevenage. We hope they will soon be active and happy members of Cardiac Friends.

A Healthy and Happy Christmas to you all.

Heather Cotton

Line Dancing

I was hoping that in this winter newsletter I would be able to report some good and uplifting news regarding the line dancing group. I am very sad to say that we are still struggling to attract new members to join us and desperately need to have more coming along to keep us up and running - our future depends on it. So we are on a mission to save our group!

URGENTLY REQUIRED NEW MEMBERS FOR LINE DANCING

Are you free Saturday mornings? Never line danced before and you are up for a challenge to try something new? Have been line dancing before and would like to do it again? Looking to have some good exercise having fun at the same time? Would love to join but worried about coming along on your own? If so bring someone with you – more the merrier.

Why not just come along and see what we get up to during our 2 hour line dancing sessions - you will be made very welcome.

We have a great teacher, Mary, who always takes us slowly through all the steps before each dance. So there is no problem if you have never been line dancing before. We meet fortnightly on a Saturday morning at the Willian village hall from 10am –12 midday. Halfway through the morning we stop to have a well-earned refreshment break of tea/coffee and cake, together with a friendly, relaxing chat. We pay £5 per session which includes the refreshments.

If you are interested or want further information please contact me:

Janet Savage: Email address: [email protected]

Thursday Exercise Group

We now have nineteen paying members at the class and this has meant we all only have to pay £18.00 each for the six week period, £3.00 per week. The class is very well attended on most weeks and I warmly welcome Kay Goodridge and Maureen Di’Salvio who have joined us recently. We also welcome back Nick Buckeridge who has recently had a heart attack but is now bouncing around in class again. It is a lovely class with lots of laughter and hard work, well for some of us! If you have recently joined Cardiac Friends why not give it a go. You will be made very welcome and Emma our instructor is a lovely lady. We also have tea and biscuits once a month after class, where everyone has a chance to have a good chat.

Jackie Quinn

2 London Walks.

The London walks group has enjoyed another interesting season and has undertaken walks to explore Theatreland and the London of Sherlock Holmes, Royal Palaces, Literary Chelsea, Regents Park, finishing up with ‘Jack the Ripper in the darkening evening light – very atmospheric.

We are already thinking about the 2016 Season, details will follow in the new year, so if you are interested, and would like to be included in future walks, please contact one of the following members for further details: [email protected]

News from Dinah

The weather has suddenly become so much colder. Perhaps it is time to start cooking soup for lunch instead of other things. I hope you enjoy this recipe; it was always a favourite with everyone who attended the relaxation sessions.

Curried Parsnip Soup

1lb chopped parsnips }

1 sliced onion } sweat together for 1 minute

1tbsp rape seed oil }

3 1tsp curry powder }

1tbsp plain flour } stir in to the above

2pts vegetable stock - (I always use Marigold powder.) Stir in and cook for 15 – 30 minutes till the vegetables are cooked. Liquidize. Season and serve.

Outings: Theatre Group and Gardens / Places of Interest

I have not felt 100% since last April. Because of this I have organized only a couple of visits over the summer months. Following our visit to Luton Hoo I suggested we returned to visit the Victorian Farm buildings. These traditional brick buildings have made a successful filming venue and have been used for – ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘War Horse’, ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Gosford Park’ etc. This tour I planned to arrange for us to go in September before the place closes to visitors for the winter. It didn’t happen!

My energy is now returning and I hope to start thinking about going to London to the theatre and making other visits.Contact me on [email protected]

Art Group – Christchurch, Hitchin

The art group are still active. We have one new member and he is enjoying himself very much, unfortunately we have lost a couple of members through health problems and are looking to fill these places, if anyone would like to join us they will be very welcome. We still meet on Tuesday mornings from 10am to midday. Cost £2.00.

Please contact Peter Elmer for more details. [email protected]

Monday Walkers

The Monday morning walking group is still very popular with over 30 members and we meet every other Monday at 10.30am, usually from a garden centre so that those that cannot manage a 50 minute stroll can socialise in the coffee shop. This has proved very popular as some of our members now have new knees, hips and other complaints and prefer to sit and chat whilst the rest of the group enjoy a stroll with much nattering and laughter.

Swimming Group

Cardiac Friends Swimming group is on a Tuesday at the Letchworth Leisure Centre and we meet in reception just before 2pm for a leisurely swim (no Olympic swimmers in our group!) We meet every two weeks but not during any school holidays.

For both swimming and Monday walkers please contact either Dave or Maggi Bullen. [email protected]

HEARTSONG

Since the last newsletter, we have had 2 HeartSong sessions, in June and August. Both seem a very long time ago particularly as the season has changed and the weather is now distinctly autumnal.

As usual our leader, Katie Rose (my daughter), introduced us to a wide variety of songs, but just like a cardiac exercise session, you mustn’t start without a warm up. Singing is, after all, a gentle aerobic exercise. It’s very important to limber up the vocal chords and all those muscles that make the voice work and, surprisingly, this includes virtually the whole body, because that’s our musical instrument, just like a guitar where all the parts are essential to make it play. 4 So we spend about 20 minutes loosening up, stretching and doing some vocal warm-ups, including simple songs, such as the Grand Old Duke of York, but not so simple when you start leaving out and not singing the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’. The brain needs warming up too!

Singing is good not just good for the heart and lungs but also for developing a sense of well-being, particularly when you sing in a group. Laughing is a sure fire way of developing a sense of well-being so what better than singing ‘The Laughing Policemen’ where half the song consists of laughing on the tune – not easy! Similarly ‘The Banana Boat Song’ where you also have to lose a few inhibitions to sing ‘Day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say daayeeoh! Daylight come and I wanna go home!’ Here we tried to be a Harry Belafonte tribute band......

But we’ve also strayed into a bit of classical and religious music, such as ‘In praise of Trees’ set to the tune from ‘Winter’ in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and ‘Da Pacem Cordium’ (Give Peace to Every heart), a soothing Taize Chant from the religious community of the same name in France. Lastly, In those far off humid days of mid- summer, we finished with Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ in three parts. Very atmospheric!

Our membership list continues to grow, including family and friends, and you don’t have to be a ‘singer’ or to be able to read music, so why not give it a try? The next HeartSong session is approaching fast – Friday 20th November, 2-4pm at Holwell Village Hall, just off the A600, Bedford Road, 3 miles north of Hitchin. We ask for a donation of £5 to cover costs.

To book a place, for information or directions contact me by email at [email protected]

The group had a very sucessful season over the summer months. Everyone really enjoyed themselves, and enjoyed a meal at the ‘Waggon and Horses’ Steeple Morden after each session. The group christmas meal is on Tuesday 1st December at the Jester. Contact Ginger Prentice at [email protected]

Wednesday Walking Group The group continues to prosper; we still turn out 15 to 20 every walk. My attempts to keep those less able to continue with us, are having some results, with some doing a shortened version of our walks. Sadly we have lost two of our walkers recently Ted Webb who walked with us occasionally and my good friend and long time ‘sparring partner’ Peter Conchie. I have good back up with a number of members providing walks whilst I am away on holiday

Here is date for your diaries in 2016

Social Evening- Thursday 12th April 2016.

A date for your diaries, your committee have planned a social evening for members on Thursday 12th April, a speaker with a supper to follow.

5 The speaker, Sheila Parker is a former Tiller Girl.

‘My talk is called "From Tiller Girl to Vernon Girl".

‘I joined the Tiller Girls at 15 years old before joining the legendary Vernon Girls, appearing on TV in such shows as

Oh! Boy, 6.5 Special and Wham!

My talk is about my early career and the people I met and worked with, including Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, and Sammy Davis Jnr, to name but a few. The talk includes video clips of the original shows, and lots of audience participation.’

N.B. The editor has heard the talk and thoroughly enjoyed the speaker and the ‘sing along’ to all those 1960’s favourites!

VENUE AND COST TO BE ADVISED

From the Editor

I do hope you have found the newsletter informative, and I look forward to receiving your contributions in the future. Thanks for all the lovely photos taken by Ian Druce !

Ruth Brown

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