Basingstoke & Deane Over 55S Forum
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Basingstoke & Deane Over 55s Forum NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2017 Welcome to your first newsletter of 2017 and a very belated Happy New Year to you all. Unfortunately, our Newsletter Editor, Marian, is unwell so Gerald and I have had to step into the breach. We wish Marian a speedy recovery. I did think the letter might be shorter than usual but I am pleased to say that we have come up with lots of information which we hope you will find useful. Just a reminder that this is YOUR Newsletter and we do welcome any articles, poems, items of interest or even pictures that you think are important to our members or items you have found amusing. We hope that you all enjoy the various activities and find the open Forum meetings informative and an enjoyable experience. If there is a particular subject or issue you would like to be addressed please let us know. We represent all the older people in the community whether they are members or not so please let us know if there is a particular issue you would like us to raise with the relevant authority. We still welcome visitors to our meetings but have to ask them to wait to be seated until after the members who are attending are settled. For health and safety reasons we have to comply with the capacity number for the Carnival Hall. As you know, we have had to place a limit on the number of members, for the reasons explained; we will have to continue this limit in 2017. By the end of January there will be vacancies as we will know how many members have not renewed their membership for the coming year. At this stage we can welcome those on the waiting list as members. MEMBERSHIP Don't forget that, if you have not already done so, you should renew your membership subscription by the end of January or your name will be deleted from the database so that those on the waiting list may be offered a place. Should you wish to rejoin after that date, you will be added to the waiting list until there is a vacancy. Also, if your membership has expired, it will not be entered into our monthly free prize draw. For those members, who pay by cheque, it would be appreciated if you ensure it is only for membership and any payment for a trip or trips is made on a separate cheque. This does help with our accounts and makes life easier for our auditor. 2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING As previously advised, the Annual General Meeting will take place at the February Open Forum meeting to ensure we can present the audited accounts which were closed at the end of December. This year, we not only elect chairman and secretary but the whole committee. If you wish to stand as a committee member, please give your name and contact details to Gerald. Also, should you wish to nominate anyone for the roles of chairman or secretary, please pass their name etc. to Gerald (having confined they wish to stand). DECEMBER 2016 OPEN FORUM Graham welcomed members and guests to the December Open Forum Meeting and gave the usual Health and Safety notices. He expressed thanks to the many helpers, especially the committee and their partners. He went on to announce the results of the monthly free prize draws for October and November. The winners were Mrs Temporal and Mrs H Platt. Peppermint Oils This subject was presented by Ian Margetts who is the Estate Manager for Malshanger Estate which has been owned by Sir Michael and Lady Colemen since the 1930s. There are 2,540 acres made up of 800 acres of winter wheat, 330 acres winter rape, 230 acres winter oats, 250 acres barley, 100 acres peppermint, 70 acres lavender, 50 acres camomile and 500 acres of woodland, with 40 acres "Stewardship" (set-aside), creating an environment for wildlife. - 1 - There are 400 acres of Black Mitcham Peppermint which is not the same as your garden mint, it is much darker and very strong. It was developed in Surrey and classified as black because in some lights it is dark purple. Growing the perfect mint used to be very much trial and error, taking small samples, but this has improved with new knowledge. The mint grows to about 3 foot and is mown when it is flowering, cutting enough to harvest, then left for 2 days as it is 15-20% moisture. Depending on the weather forecast, it may have to be all mown down. GPS is used in the tractors which ensures that all rows are straight (even if you sit and read the paper). Harvesting is by forage harvester and the mint is then processed through the distillation equipment. Ian described how the process enabled the oil to be extracted, (distillation) with the waste being composted and the water recycled. For pure peppermint oil, it is allowed to settle to remove the last of the water and then left for a year to mature. After showing a short video, Ian described how he was approached by two seemingly scruffy men who wanted to make chewing gum as it used to be, from tree sap. Ian was unimpressed at the time but they have since sold the company for millions - moral, "Never judge a book by its cover". Ian went on to describe the other products from the Estate and how they are harvested and processed. The lavender is organic and it takes 3 years to become established. It does not like being in wet soil. Camomile flowers are like daisies and produce a dark blue sticky oil but have a low yield. Morphine poppies used to be grown, under licence from the Home Office, but production has now moved to Spain Ian outlined the various products from the Estate (Summerdown) such as chocolate mint creams, chocolate mint crisps, chocolate mint thins, chocolate mint mini bars, mint travel sweets, mint tea, camomile and spearmint tea. They also produce natural products such as body lotions, diffusers, scented candles and bath products. These are sold on the internet, in shops and supermarkets. 40% of what is produced is exported to markets all over the world. Then, Ian described the development of mechanisation on the Estate, from horses to steam power and the Fordson tractor through to the modern equipment where one man can now plough 40 to 50 acres in a day. He also spoke about the floods in the fields in 2014 when some 50 acres of corn were lost. In contrast, 2016 has been much drier than usual. Straw is baled and sold or stored for the winter. 800 tons of straw were lost when a fire was started by a lad who lives near the Estate. This was covered by insurance but, in a second fire, a baler was also destroyed. Finally, Ian described a visit by Anita Rani from Countryfile who spent a day on the farm, for 3 minutes of television! He then responded to some questions from the audience, including one about the neighbouring alpacas, and he also donated a box of chocolate mints to the Forum as a prize. Fairfields School Choir The audience was entertained by and greatly appreciated the first public performance by the children's choir, which included a number of Christmas numbers. Doorstep Crime & Distraction Burglary Following the raffle, we welcomed Georgina Peters, PCSO for Brighton Hill, Hatch Warren, Kempshott and Beggarwood. She described how various scams operate, with over 50% directed at the over 55s. The average loss is £1,000 and can be as much as £30,000. People fall for the scams as they are becoming more professional and convincing, using the names and logos of organisations such as HMRC, BT and insurance companies. She described the case of Paul Wood who lost some £25,000. If you receive an unexpected call, especially saying you have won a prize when you have not entered a competition, you can call 101 or report it to Trading Standards. Georgina described how cold calling zones work and the checks you should make (i.e. ID cards etc.) if someone does call. If you go to the front door, make sure the back door is locked and always use the door chain. She also outlined the Neighbourhood Watch scheme and how to report suspicious callers and/or vehicles. Following the presentations, Graham reminded everyone that the AGM would be held at the February Forum in 2017, to coincide with the change to the year end for our accounts. He also said - 2 - that Fitness Classes would resume in January and that numbers attending the New Age Kurling sessions were now so low that the committee was considering if we should continue with the activity. He also outlined some of the work carried out behind the scenes, on behalf of our members. Gerald reported on developments at the Hospital where they have been interviewing for a new Chief Executive; he is attending a meeting on 20th December when the decision will be announced. At the car park, a number plate recognition system is under consideration. He mentioned the remaining trips for 2016 and expressed thanks to Trumans, especially for the additional work on the Brick Lane Music Hall trip. He has now spent £1 million on their coaches for the Forum and expressed thanks to our members for their support. Graham thanked Gerald for all the hard work in organising the trips and rounded off by wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.