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Senior Moments Senior Moments The magazine of of theSevenoaks Friendship CentreJune 2019Welcome to the second edition of the new Senior Moments Maybe members who have joined in recent years might be interested to learn how the club started. Perhaps this will bring back happy memories to the founder and early members. Jan Chambers, a founder member has kindly provided a potted history of the club ……….Those of you who are still around, please correct me if I have made a few mistakes as 25 years is a lot to remember. So I will begin:In February 1992 ten complete strangers met for the first time at the White Horse in Sundridge with the intention of forming a group in Sevenoaks.In those days it was known as the Association of Retired Persons over 50, or ARP 050 and had 148 centres all over the country. It had been set up originally in America as AARP whose members numbered thousands and any member from here, when in America, could expect to receive discounts on all sorts of things when over there. Here, an embryonic committee was formed and, in July 1992, the Town Mayor, Councillor Harry Williams, officially launched the Centre. He was joined by several dignitaries from ARP, whose headquarters were in London. The caterers were expecting about 75 attendees but over 120 people came! They coped magnificently (rice can be made to go a long way) though I haven’t heard from them since!So what did we do in those days? Like the U3A, which was formed after us, we had monthly meetings. There were French and German lessons and even Russian. We dabbled on the Stock Market under the guidance of one of our members. We had theatre outings and visits to places of interest and rambles not to mention at least two holidays a year to places near and far. I well remember our first holiday to the Isle of Wight. Then there were the Ten Pin Bowling holidays, led by Joyce and her canasta group which continues to this day.Than, in 2006, ARP was taken over by Age Concern who formed Heyday. In 2009, Heyday was wound up due to bad management. They owed millions and the centres were left high and dry. Some folded completely but, here in Sevenoaks, we were asked if would like to join the Friendship Centre Federation, a group that was set up to carry on the work of ARP. We agreed and we pay an annual insurance premium which covers any accident to our members while on club activities and we are able to remain independent as a group. All this happened under my chairmanship and I well remember driving up to Coventry with Anita Cockrill, our secretary at the time, to the FCF’s first AGM. But that’s another story!So where do we go from now as a group? Hopefully, we will continue over the next few years to enjoy each other’s company and to welcome new members as we have in the past. But we do need to recruit more members if we are to survive!Sadly, over the year, we have lost so many members but it has been my privilege when looking back to mention a few. Who can forget Alan Long who produced our first Senior Moments, listing various service providers, that I am sure we have all used in the past. Then there were his economic excursions, where he filled his car with Members and took them off to visit places of interest. I seem to recall it was his suggestion that we used the Community Centre for our monthly meetings.Then there was Eric Howard, one time social secretary. I can never forget him, dressed up, playing the “good fairy” to Barbara Long’s Father Christmas at the Community Centre.Those were the days before we became sophisticated and when out for Christmas.Happy days and so many memories.JCOuting to the Sky Gardens and the Supreme Court of JusticeIn April this year, John Hopkins organised a splendid outing to the Sky Gardens in the City and then to the Supreme Court of Justice in Westminster. We took a mini-coach to Fenchurch Street, dropping us outside the office block that houses the Sky Gardens on the 35th floor.Although it was a grey, sun-less day, we had very good views over London; a very relaxing hour or so to meander up and down the garden area, laid out on three levels. And here we are: Our coach picked us up at lunch time and then took us to Westminster to the Supreme Court of Justice. We were greeted by our guide, Charlotte, who is Shirley and John Hopkins’ granddaughter. A delightful lady who took us, after a light lunch in the café, on a tour of the three courts and did an excellent job of explaining how it works and procedures. The tour ended mid-afternoon and our coach took us home, arriving late afternoon. Thank you, Shirley and John, for a great day!right179705We’d love to hear your news and views! Please write to Barbara Walker at 1 St Botolph's Court, St Botolph's Road, Sevenoaks TN13 3AS or mail to me at barbarawalker2210@00We’d love to hear your news and views! Please write to Barbara Walker at 1 St Botolph's Court, St Botolph's Road, Sevenoaks TN13 3AS or mail to me at barbarawalker2210@ ................
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