Winter 2007 / 2008
We hope you will forgive us; but we have started the Winter News Letter early to tell you about new changes which
are happening as I write.
Internationally it is so much easier, and certainly more practical to have a short
domain name, but these days most short domain names have already been taken.
Probus International which was established years ago obtained
www.probus.org, so UK Probus Clubs were delighted to acquire
a new shorter domain name so closely related to our World Probus Parent who appointed us:-
So the new name of our website is www.ukprobus.org
and the new e-mail is
ukprob@btinternet.com
This new domain name and new e-mail will become active
globally in the next few days directly, or through World Probus www.probus.org
So please kindly change your computer
records, and club literature to read www.ukprobus.org to access United Kingdom Probus Clubs direct.
And to contact us e-mail ukprob@btinternet.com
Today more information is to be found on the internet than from any other source.
The new young potential membership of our clubs now have a greater choice, even our daily
newspapers are struggling to compete with the enormous volume of news
coming through our computers. Maybe this is a good time to appoint a website officer to
help keep the committee and club updated to what we are all getting up to in Probus International.
We continue to get many probus clubs applying to have their names added to the Probus Register,
which is so helpful to potential probus members looking for clubs, and walking members wishing to walk in
new areas. Welcome to Thorpe St Andrew Probus Club in Norwich, Stafford Probus Club,
and Friockheim & District Probus Club in Angus, Scotland, and of course many others,
keep them coming; because this is where your new younger members could find your club.
We talk about members who are younger as though age is set in stone, but it isn't. Most
of us are much more busy now than our previous generation. How many organizations
are you a member of? Are you a local councillor? or working on some project part time? How many miles
do you drive a year? And how often do you get away
for long and short holidays? Answered honestly you may surprise yourself, we all tend to do too
much these days. But I dont think we should get too worried about retirement; it
could be very pleasant!!
This week the subject of members subscriptions came up in committee, and is now on the agenda for
the next meeting. At present members just pay 1.50 when they come. Honorary members
dont pay anything; On average fifty members attend,
out of a membership of eighty six, meetings twice a month.
As probably with most clubs; overhead costs are coffee, speakers expenses, rent of the hall, and profit or loss on
outings. Oh; and
Presidents yearly charity, and wear and tare on the sound system. However some members think
a yearly subscription would be fairer.
It's not a big issue the financial results would be about the same. It
would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the matter. I should have asked Bob Cooper
what they do down under. Whups! Sorry Bob I meant "on top!". How do you pay subscriptions in Australia?
Many of our good speakers have come from our own membership; a Police
Superintendent, a
British Rail Engineer sent as a consultant to Egyptian Railways etc. As in all our clubs
we have a rich diversity of careers within our own membership, and to benifit from that
we now ask on our
nomination forms to new members; would you like to give a talk? And would you like
to be considered for
office in the club? Members can become immediately involved.
Many of our members are also enthusiastic camera club members, and they have asked if
we could have a national probus photographic competition, similar to the one organized
by the national website of
New Zealand. See New Zealand in the world pages of www.probus.org
They ask for the
best
photograph from each club to be sent to enter the national competition. So presumably each individual club has a competition first.
If you like the idea please let us know.
One interesting news item; Your new website www.ukprobus.org now receives over 1000 visits per month.
We said at the beginning this was a newsletter of change; please look at the notes at
the top of the Probus Club Register in the margin. if your club would "prefer" to write a seasonal newsletter instead
of a full club descriptive web page, just attach a word document newsletter to your own email to us,
and we will attach that to your club name, to show the newsletter when you click on it.
Remember to always state your Club Title, County, and Contact email. Please also remember newsletters have to be changed
quarterly, there is nothing worse than old news.
A special welcome to Painswick Probus Club which you will find in the club register
under Gloucestershire.
And for their very attracive website, please click on the club name. The iron stocks look
very painful; we think the town was aptly named, and in those days potential offenders would obviously think twice.
Welcome also to the Pembroke Probus Club, Pembrokeshire, Wales; who have joined our
Probus Club Register. Thank you also for asking us to produce a web page from the
details you kindly sent, which of course we will do free for any probus club. Please click
on the Pembroke Club name to read about their club.
And welcome to Reading and District Probus Club,
who kindly brought their own website along, although we can soon produce one for those clubs who dont.
The report informing us that the club Treasurer Max Gray organizes walks for the club
was interesting, So for you Max we have included details of the famous Lion Inn website at Blakey Ridge,
on the North Yorkshire Moors.
http://www.lionblakey.co.uk/
It is also a good place to stay; highly professional. So if your fellow walkers
would like to walk there
we would be delighted to meet you and show you the moors.
You will see a new title in the index column called "records" and if you click on it
you will find the present constitution after many changes of the Filey & District Men's Probus
Club the original dated 1975; we have published it on request from other clubs. Please use it only as
a guide, your constitution is
decided by your committee, and like Filey you will change it to your needs.
Which was your best club outing this year? Please send us details and a picture.
It will give us all new ideas for things to do next year. Please click on "News from your club"
in the index see left.
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas, and best wishes to you and your family in 2008.
GC
ukprob@btinternet.com
Autumn 2007
The relatively good weather of August still seems holding with mainly dry
and moderately sunny days. I think we feared the worst after experiencing the wet months of
May, June,
and July, and dreaded a pattern had been set for the rest of the year. But now we are enjoying the lingeringly
warmish days of autumn as something of a bonus. And the colours this year are wonderful,
deep reds and yellows on the same tree. Its been many a year since we have seen such wonderfully
rich colour
Many thanks to the Probus Club of Langland, and the Probus Club of Llandudno for their
contribution
to the Probus Register. The picture of
the Bay taken from Great Orme by the Probus Club of Llandudno in their web-site reminded us all of our
holidays there. I wonder if the steamer still sails to Isle of Man.
Thank you also to The Mearns Probus Club in Scotland for supplying all the club details for us to make up their web-site.
We think your list of speakers is one of the most interesting we have seen
We are slowly building our Probus Register communication network from helpful clubs around the
country, to help potential
new members find a Probus Club near to where they live. We think there are about 1800
clubs in the UK so please keep them coming. Just go the "CONTACT US" in the margin.
Near is such a relative
term to us probes! Because this week Filey & District Probus Club were able
to welcome Bob and Kayleen Cooper from the Probus Club of
Alstonville, two hours south of Brisbane, ninety minutes from the Gold Coast, and
twenty minutes from Byron Bay, Australia. Thanking the President; Bob praised the
wonderful family relationship which exists amongst Probus members throughout the
world. He told members at the luncheon how he had contacted these UK pages to say he
and his wife were coming to Yorkshire, and received an instant invite from the Filey Club.
Now there is talk of a specific
link being formed
between the two clubs, providing the two committees agree. Bob told me Australians
think of themselves as "On top", and
not "down under" because of the greater weight of folk in the northern hemisphere.
See their picture in "NEWS FROM YOUR CLUB" in the margin; Please also e-mail us your
news and attach your jpg picture.
It is such an enjoyable experience to welcome probus members from other parts of the
world, and also for members abroad to welcome us. So please when you are booking your holidays
next year, log on to www.probus.org and contact a probus club near to where you will be staying.
. I know they will be delighted to see you.
And especially for visiting members coming to the United Kingdom for a holiday,
please e-mail the club in our CLUB REGISTER close to where you will be visiting.
Best wishes
GC
geoffreycullern@btinternet.com
Summer 2007
June 21st signals the beginning of summer; but today June 4th as I start this newsletter,
the day is sunny but cold, with a northerly wind bringing mist from the north sea.
I suppose we are all looking forward to this Mediterranean climate the scientists
keep promising us.
Many thanks to Carluke Probus Club for sending us a photograph of their happy group
of wanderers taken at the Kelvin Gallery in Glasgow, see Club News in the index. we
immediatly received an e-mail from Australia telling us the sender had
been there as well.
Thank you also to the members of Tickhill and Bawtry Probus Club who who sent us their
pictures of their visit to St.Mary's Church,
Tickhill, from their conducted tour of the building, led by Rev.Gordon Taylor.
If your club has a picture of your recent trip, or special occasion, please send
us a short write up, and attach a jpg photo to your e-mail and we will publish it in
Club News.
Please also make sure your club name and e-mail is in the Club Register, so potential members
are able to contact you. We get so many e-mails wanting to know if there is a club close to
where they live, and we cannot help them.
Thank you also to the Probus Secundus Club, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, for asking
us to attach their club web site to probus.org World Probus International.
See the Probus Club Register.
I am sure we all envy your twinning arrangement with a probus club in Belgium, this must have given a new
thrilling
dimension to your club activities. And of course other clubs members could follow your example whilst
on holiday this summer.
You also tell us that your ladies
have a ladies probus club
with the same name, and their web-site is at present being built.
We could have designed it for you Ladies!
Whatever; but of course we look forward to seeing it.
This background picture is in the centre of a well known walkers village in Yorksire,
do you know where it is? e-mail us.
Welcome also to the web-site of the Probus Club of Kingswood, Bristol, Gloucestershire.
The picture gallery is excellent; It must be very exciting being a member of your club
you have so many trips away, and your excellent agenda for the year helps members plan ahead
Now we are at the start of the holiday season gentlemen, and your plans are made.
Please spare a couple of hours to visit another probus club, either in this country or abroad.
It could make your holiday much more exciting, because local people know the best places to go;
the best places to eat and shop. You may also be able to set up a twinning arrangement with
your club and a Club
in France or Holland, or where ever you are going; think about it! Probus International can
offer you so many possibilities!
More Later
Best wishes
GC
geoffreycullern@btinternet.com
Spring 2007
It is encouraging to see more clubs asking for their names to be added to the Probus Club Register.
And also asking us to produce an
A4 size website giving the details of your club activities, your officers, your social events, future speakers,
and where your club meets. This last point is of particular importance to potential members,
who often tell us they are unable to find a probus club close to where they live.
If you would like your club name to be on the Probus Club Register just click on suggestions in the left index.
We can also link Probus Clubs who have produced their own web pages to our International Probus
Community website "probus.org" just give us the details.
In either case; please be careful to make sure that the contents of your site are the
voice of your club, and has the full agreement of your committee
in the minutes of your meeting. Then please include on your pages the names of your officers President,
Secretary and Treasurer, with e-mails or telephone numbers. We are sure you will appreciate the
website must be approved by your club before we can add it to the pages of probus.org probus international.
To see how other clubs design their sites, please click on the probus clubs
which are underlined in the Probus Club Register;
see the index.
Canadian Bernie Nadeau whose name you will see on the Canadian pages, had the vision to
produce "probus,org" which has made Probus a world wide, world class organization.
A question which often arises up in your e-mails are from club committees debating proposals
to invite lady members. Across the world there is probably more joint membership in Australia, and
in the UK there is probably more all ladies probus clubs than joint membership. A consensus
of recent emails prefer
single sex clubs because they say they have more news to impart to their partners when they
get together.
There was a sting in the tail of the departing winter this week, with some heavy snow in the high parts.
I nearly got stuck on Yorkshires Sutton Bank top March 20th. But today the Forsythia is starting to
bloom and the evenings are getting lighter, and even the Budget was a bit of a laugh;
spring is a wonderful time of year.
Welcome to the The Probus Club of York web page, which you will find in the Club Register. They meet
fortnightly on Thursday's at the Beechwood Hotel, Clifton,
York. The club is presently looking for an enthusiastic social secretary to restart their day
coachtrips
to exciting venues. So members or potential members; please contact Secretary John Hicks if you would you
like to bid for this really interesting job.
Welcome also to The Battle and District Probus Club requesting entry on to the Probus Club Register.
For members living near; visiting or walking on the North Yorkshire Moors, please try to have lunch at
the Horseshoe Inn, Levisham which is off the A169 Pickering to Whitby road. Excellent cuisine definitely
worth a visit. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway starts running steam trains from Pickering to
Whitby mid April, and may
even be pulled by that beautiful locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley, which is now running on the
moors railway.
And finally if you would like to see a TV programme being made possibly with you in it, please go
to announcements in the index.
Best wishes
GC
Autumn 2006
In mid October the summer has gently given way to autumn; so far only the early
evening shade and darker dawns
have shown the signs of change. The days still dawn warm; and not a sign of frosts as we speed
along to Bon-fire night. The Virginia creeper adorning the sides of houses has reddened quite nicely and
now begins to shed its leaves, but many of the larger trees are still reluctant to change their
colour, and probably some have decided they never will until a sudden chill rips through
their branches.
They say it has been the warmest summer since records began. It has been a good year for cider
apples, and some orchards have left the apples on the trees
to sweeten more. It has also been a good season for grapes, and no doubt the winemakers will
be proclaiming "2006 was a very
good year". Mid November produced the best autumn colours, with the rich brown of the Larch joining all
the reds yellows and rich browns. We know the weather will change but sincerely hope not yet.
Are you ordering your shopping online from Supermarkets now? And getting it delivered to the house
in the evening, its very easy to do and less hassle. Or are you like me walking round the shops, and
when your
mouth begins to water you buy it!
However online shopping can be very helpful to the old, or in very bad weather. You can also benifit from
reduced prices, and get one free etc.
Many of our members are now booking flights and trains online, and buying holidays and household goods
can be so much cheaper. Any doubts talk to the the children, or have a speaker at your next probus
meeting to show everyone how to do it. There is so much we can all benifit from if we make the effort.
The largest number of e-mails we receive are requesting details of probus clubs nearest to where they live. If you click on the "Probus Club
Register" in the left hand margin you will see we are compiling a list of clubs each under a county heading,
each with the club e-mail address. Please click on "Contact Us" and send us your club details. Then
potential members will be able to find you.
Best wishes
GC
Picture near pickering North Yorkshire
Summer 2006
This Government is most anxious to get everyone walking; and
they are right. I am sure we are much healthier if we do walk. My friend
Roland and I walk between six to ten miles every Saturday.
Last Saturday I cannot remember seeing The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge as busy, It was
a warm day, 31 degrees in the valley, but on Cockpit Hill; 401 metres
above sea level the air was fresher, just a perfect day for walking;
the car park was full.
The
North Yorkshire Moors covers 360 square miles, mostly covered with
heather; a fantastic
sight when the heather flowers in August, and is one of the last great
wildernesses in
England.
Take the A170 from Scarborough, turn right to
Hutton-le-hole and Castleton before you get to Helmsley.
Three-quarters of the
way to Castleton, as you are climbing you will see the Lion Inn
where you can stay, eat and walk. There is flat path which
used to be the old iron ore mining railway, running round the perimeter of
the hills looking down into the Rosedale Valley. The background picture
to this newsletter is the magnificent view of the valley, and well
worth a visit.
Welcome to the new web-pages of Westbury-on-Trym Probus Club, within the
City and County of Bristol. They meet for lunch and a speaker
on the third Thursday
of every month in the Health & Leisure Centre. And for coffee on the
first Thursday in each month. You will find their pages on the club web list.
Welcome also to the Probus Club Of Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
Who meet in the church hall of St Andrews, Livingston on the second
and fourth Thursday in each month. you wll find their pages by
clicking on their name in the Club Register.
Members e-mail comments about the newly designed UK pages on probus.org
seem to be positive. We welcome your club comments to hear how we
can make it work better for your club, please send in your ideas.
The largest number of e-mails I receive in the course of a week are requesting
information about clubs.
Michael Levitton wrote:
"I am looking for a Probus club in the area of Cobham, Esher, Oxshott, Walton or
Weybridge. Do you have any details for clubs in these areas?"
Many thanks
Michael Levitton
We still dont have many Clubs on the Club Register so I wrote:-
Please ring up the local library near to where you want to be, they usually keep
details of clubs in their area.
Of course many of our new potential probus members are computer literate, and will always look
on the Probus Club Register to find
the nearest club to where they live. So please. Please! Send us details
of your club, so we can list them on the Probus Club Register, and your potential members will
then know where to go.
More later
Best wishes
GC
geoffreycullern@btinternet.com
Spring 2006
Spring; a time of new life and exciting hopes. A tingling awareness of
fast change,
warmer days, and plans to make. Perhaps a time for probus widowers to meet
their last love? Or take up bowls! Spring is a wonderful time.
Well as you can see Arch Roberts, myself, and no doubt kindly overlooked by
Bernie Nadeau in Canada, who was the original producer of the Probus International
Website probus.org, have re-written the UK pages, to
produce a Members Exchange in which members can actively participate.
The site now becomes a City-Desk, which will publish the news of your club's
events in its magazine. And a Notice Board for your future meetings,
club announcements and impending celebration. It will also act
as a news desk to arrange joint ventures between clubs as you will read
next.
If the reader would kindly click in the index for the Notice Board
Announcement page, you will read the Lomond Probus Club in Scotland are seeking to
collaboration with other clubs for speakers and outings. Well done! We
in Filey occasionally do the same, especially with outings. We find
hiring a coach with 49 seats can cost £150. Any seat not filled therefore
results in a loss of £3 per seat, so we invite other clubs.
But I am sure the reader will be the first to appreciate, for the new
site to operate well, it will have to be accurate, and worthy of respect.
Members will expect names of officers on other web-sites to be kept
up to date, and club e-mails on the Club Register to be answered.
Welcome to Rochford Probus Club who have asked us to link their
illustrated web site to our UK pages in World Probus www.probus.org,
The Rochford Probus Club meet on the
second Wednesday in every month at the Ballard Gore Golf Club
for lunch. Please click on to their site. Rochford have a nice picture
of the dining room, and the dining
chairs look very comfortable.
Rochford are the 58th UK club to produce pages for World Probus.
The background picture of this newsletter was take last spring,
walking up from Levisham
village, passing above the Heather Line on to the North Yorkshire Moors. On
which we are told contains 75% of the nations heather.
Best wishes
GC
Winter 2005 / 2006
Best wishes and good health to you all for the New Year. The
seasons in these islands of ours are certainly changing,
some of our trees held on to
their autumn leaves well into December, prolonging the beautiful colour
around the North Yorkshire Moors.
Because it is so mild there are already signs of spring, I am sure
we will suffer some cold correction soon. But let us hope the
Met Office prediction's for a cold winter are not fully realised,
and of course we are
now heading in the right direction towards the summer.
Welcome to the pages of Reading East Probus Club in Berkshire, who were formed
in 1993. The club now has 65 members, and meet in the Sonning Golf
Club at noon to hear the club business. After which they enjoy a lunch
and listen to a speaker finishing about 3pm.
Welcome also to the Probus Club of Kingston upon Thames, and the
Probus Club of Exeter and District, which now brings the numbers of
clubs who illustrate their club activities on the internet on
"probus.org" Probus Club International, up
to fifty six. I remember it well when we had only nine clubs with their
illustrated club pages on probus.org, it actually
stuck at nine for a long time, that is why we decided to help clubs
produce there own pages. Now the pace quickens and your families can
see you round the world.
Please click on the above new club web pages in the index, and If your
club would
like our help to produce its web pages on International Probus, please
read the Spring 2005 Newsletter.
It is always interesting to note that although we are all in a Probus
Club, each club has its own slightly different format.
We in Filey meet twice a month for coffee and a talk, perhaps
we should now have a lunch on one of those occasions.
I am sure you would all like to join with me to congratulate Honorary
Probus Club Member Harry Smith, who will celebrate his centenary on
February 17th 2006. Harry was a Founding, and Honorary Member of the
Frenchay Probus Club in Bristol, before going to live in Canada some
years ago. Now he is an Honorary Member of The
Probus Club of Brantford, Ontario. N3T 4N4, Canada. Harry we send you
our love and best wishes, and Frenchay members hope you can read all
the names
written on the
Birthday Card being sent from your Frenchay Probus Club in Bristol.
A second reminder to those clubs with web pages on "probus.org" and
have had
their AGM, please send
me the names of your new officers, or change them yourselves if your
club owns its own web-site.
The majority of e-mails I receive ask "Is there a probus club near to
where I live?" The member has probably moved house to a new
area, or a newly retired business man or women, we have
Ladies Probus Clubs now, are wanting to join a club to make new friends.
We know there are about 1800 clubs in the UK at this present time,
but there is no official UK list of clubs, except our
growing list of clubs with web pages, which of course was the original
concept of probus.org international. We know a text list of clubs will
encourage new membership in the clubs. If you would like your club
to be on the UK Probus Register, please go to the temporary
drawingboard of the
new UK PAGES website listed below, and send by post the details exactly as below:-
Name of your County
Name of your Club
Official Club e-mail
We are also planning to publish a monthly magazine, writing and
illustrating the
special social events happening in your club. You will need to send us
your official text details in a Word Document by e-mail, and attach
jpg pictures.
An interesting e-mail came in today.
"I am organising an open day at the new West Wing at Ickworth near Bury
St Edmunds and would like to invite the local Probus group(s) within 75 miles.
Can you provide me with a list or a contact number please.
The day will include tours of the National Trust Ickworth House coffee and lunch or lunch and tea.
Do hope your members will be interested
Regards
Melanie Lesser
01284 766955"
Also another request by e-mail:-
"Trustees needed to join Board of Trustees of Small East End of London
Community Museum - the Ragged School Museum, 46-50 Copperfield Road,
London. E3 4RR, Tel. 020 8980 6405).
Best wishes
GC
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