March 2010 - ‘Jewels of Jordan’
At our March meeting the after dinner speaker was Max Pemberton whose talk was entitled ‘Jewels of Jordan’. Max shared with us a holiday he and his wife enjoyed in this country in 2008. Their tour began in Amman, the capital of Jordan and included visits to Jerash, one of the best preserved Roman sites outside Italy with its 2000 year old temples, theatres and arches. They went to Madaba known for its Byzantine mosaics and most famously for the Madaba map, a 1500 year old map of the Holy Land.

A float in the Dead Sea was included in the itinerary as was a visit to Karak, an ancient city fortress since Biblical times. No visit to this area would be complete without going to Petra which is entered through a narrow gorge called a siq. The once lost city is now considered to be one of the new 7 wonders of the world. This ancient Nabataean city is over 2000 years old and is one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites and is amazingly beautiful, carved out of rose red rock. Max illustrated the talk with wonderful shots of the area on the big screen so we could really get the feel for the surroundings. On behalf of the Club Sarah Owen - Williams thanked Max for his most interesting and informative talk.

Recently Jan Whittaker held a coffee morning at her home in aid of the Haiti Appeal and £150 was raised. Thank you to Jan for hosting this event and to the members who attended.

February 2010 - ‘Forty Years at the Forge’
Our February meeting was well attended with husbands and guests being invited. After dinner we were given a very interesting talk and slide presentation by Mary Moore entitled ‘Forty Years at the Forge’. Mary’s husband, Hector, was a blacksmith in Brandeston starting work at the age of fourteen in a trade that had been in his family since 17th Century. Hector’s work was so vital to the agricultural industry that although he was called to war three times the farming community protested against him going. He therefore joined ‘Dad’s Army’ the Homeguard. In the early years as a blacksmith most of his work was related to agriculture, maintaining and repairing implements and working as a farrier, the favourite aspect of his job.
During the 1950’s farms became more mechanical, therefore the traditional blacksmith had to diversify. This included more wrought iron decorative work including in Hector’s case making over fifty village signs. Mary created the designs, in her capacity as an artist, for these various commissions and local examples can be seen in villages such as Snape, Easton, Monewden and Pettistree to name but a few.
Sheila Harrison gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the club.
The date of the Inner Wheel Annual Quiz Evening is looming so book the date in your diary now. It is to be held on Friday March 19th in Woodbridge Community Hall. Teams of 4-6 are invited to take part. Tickets are £9 per person, to include a Ploughman’s Supper. Proceeds will be donated to Sue Ryder Care, The Chantry Ipswich. To enter a team or obtain further information, please contact Deirdre Griffin on 01473 612049 or by email tandd@griffin3373.fsnet.co.uk

January 2010 - Weather delays January meeting
Our January meeting took place later in the month than usual owing to the bad weather. We were fortunate that we were able to re-schedule the event as the District Chairman, Judy Hardcastle, one of our members, was due to talk to us and was going on holiday the following day. Judy expressed how much she is enjoying her year as chairman visiting clubs the length and breadth of the district. Each club is very different but the important thing is the fun and fellowship that members bring to the club as well as the good works being carried out. The theme of Judy’s talk was ‘challenge’ and she spoke of various challenges she has faced in her life. The next challenge Judy faces is to run in the London Marathon in April of this year in aid of Children with Leukaemia, the Association Presidents chosen charity and to raise the profile of Inner Wheel. Deirdre Griffin gave the vote of thanks and President Sandra presented Judy with the gift of a plant and also a cheque for Headway.

NEWS 20O9

October 2009 - 137 Attend District Rally


President (Left) and Vice President of Woodbridge with District Chairman Judy Hardcastle (centre)

October has been a busy month for the Inner Wheel Club of Woodbridge. At our monthly meeting, held at Ufford Park Hotel, President Sandra welcomed invited guests including the President of the Rotary Club of Woodbridge, Roger Burgess and his wife Sheila, the senior Vice President of the Woodbridge Deben Rotary Club, Ray Hardcastle, the guest speaker, Peter Booth Smith and members husbands. Peter Booth Smith gave us a fascinating insight into ‘ Three Generations of the Tea Trade’ going back to his grandfather. There were many ups and downs over the years including the way that the price of tea fluctuated and the way trading has evolved. When asked which the best tea was, he replied it is the one you enjoy drinking the most! Peter told us that tea is produced from the leaves from a species of camellia and was probably first used as a health drink. Catherine of Braganza, who was married to Charles II was a tea addict and this was the turning point in the history of the popularity of tea in Britain. Mary Walker thanked the speaker on behalf of the club.

Our next event was to host the Annual District Rally at Ufford Park Hotel where over 130 members and guests gathered for coffee and chat with friends old and new before assembling for formal photographs followed by lunch. After lunch the President of the association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland, Pam Byford, gave the address in which she promoted the profile of Inner Wheel. The day was concluded by the District Chairman, Judy Hardcastle, who wished members and friends a safe journey to their respective homes, some having travelled from as far as Barrow-in-Furness.

The President with the patch made by Mary Walker for inclusion in the Quilt with other Associations'patches to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Sue Ryder Care.

September 2009 - Georgina Carr gave a talk on the Chantry Sue Ryder Care Home in Ipswich
At our September meeting we were given a most interesting and enthusiastic talk by Georgina Carr, a fundraiser for The Chantry Sue Ryder Care Home in Ipswich. The Chantry was built as a private home in 1668 and the gardens were landscaped by Notcutts in 1906 so it has a long history. It is now a neurological care home and residents aged 16-65 can stay there and they can cater for 28 full time residents. There is a staff of 100 who work 12 hour shifts. To help the more able bodied people there are converted bungalows, where patients can be helped to live as normal life as possible. A programme known as the 5R’s, for people living with MS, is also run in Suffolk. This has been nationally recognised and is a day care service. It is a ten week planned programme of therapeutic activities, such as yoga and music therapy and classes including art and computers. At the end of the ten weeks, people are encouraged to pursue a college course, hobby or therapy they have enjoyed. The 5R’s stands for – re-energise, re-integrate, rebuild, relax and regenerate. The vote of thanks to Georgina for her very informative talk was given by Gaynor Banks. After the talk President Sandra proceeded to induct former Honorary member, Liz Wiseman, as a full member of the Club. Next month we look forward to hosting the District Rally at Ufford Park Hotel, in addition to our normal meeting.