ROTARY CLUB of DISS & DISTRICTSERVICE above SELF

Celebrating 71 years of service to the community in 2018

Spring Bulletin No 140

PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

Before writing my Bulletin piece I quickly re-read thelast Bulletin which came out during January 2018. I waspleasantly surprised at the variety and interest of all thearticles written there—yes, definitely a Club I am happyto be associated with.Well it’s now the home track for my year asyour President---just 3 months to go and I willthen hand you over to the safe hands of Alisonas your next President.

We have done a lot already in this year and the next few months will be no exception. Just had theEaster Egg campaign in aid of EACH and the Air Ambulance—It was a great success and weraised £1,000 for both Charities.Thank you, Dick, for organising this, and also to all the Rotarians who found suitable locations tosite the Eggs. It’s all set for next year too, as nearly all the locations said to us when we collectedthe money raised “see you next year”.We are about to hold our newly revived “Diss Business Quiz”. It’s a good opportunity to involveourselves with the local Business Community and I am sure we are appreciated for conductingsuch an event. There are between 12 – 14 teams entering and with the kind sponsorship fromLarking Gowen we hope to raise approx. £750 for the Club Trust fund. Thanks to Godfrey andGraham for sorting out the quiz—Godfrey must have such an inquisitive mind to think of all thosequestions!! In May we are holding our main fund-raising activity for the year—the “Bubbles,Bites and Bids” event, our Auction of Promises. We have been given some wonderful items tooffer and thank you to our generous members and friends. This event is being organised by Keithand Dick—thank you to them.Since our last Bulletin we have had some veryinteresting speakers particularly a couple of authorsspeaking to us about their writing. Bit like buses nonefor a very long time and then we get two in a month!Ralph Jackman, Jack Lee’s stepson, talked about hisRoman Historical novels---very good they are as well Iread one on holiday— Actiums’s Wake and Agrippa’sWake they are called with more in the pipeline! Thenwe had the very successful non-ficton writer PaulWilletts whose book on Paul Raymond and Soho;Members Only: The Life and Loves of Paul Raymond,was used in conjunction with the making of the FilmThe Look of Love starring Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots,

Clive welcoming Bronwen as amember of our Club at the

Meeting on 17th April 2018

Anna Friel and Tamsin Egerton. He told about his involvement with the making of the film and details of hisother books about spies: Midnight in Peking and City of Devils and Rendezvous at the Russian Tea Rooms.We recently had the splendidly eccentric ex Bomb Disposal man, Neil Davis talk to the Club who regaled uswith so many astonishing stories about his exploits even including being a key part of how the IranianEmbassy siege was resolved!

We have had two Rotary speakers in the last couple of months—Robin Wraight who spoke to us about thenearest thing Rotary have to an Outward Bound/Duke of Edinburgh’s Award session—RYLA. We must tryvery hard to get someone suitable to go on this as the benefit to their personal development can be verysignificant. Please give some thought to whether you know anybody who would benefit from this. Towardsthe end of March Robert Lovick, the District Governor came and spoke to us. A pleasant change from somein the past, Robert was a down to earth chap who impressed all who heard him, and he said some very nicethings about our Club which was gratifying. At the same meeting Heather gave us a talk on her recent visit,dam building in India. Heather was the only UK representative on this project which was very“international” in its members. We learnt how much this dam would benefit the local area –even allowingthem to have an extra rotation of crops. Just think of the impact of that!

Towards the end of February just when the “Beast from the East” appeared Phil had arranged a visit toClassic Cars Lotus. The subject matter ensured nobody “called off” because of the snow and a privilegedtour around the workshops was conducted by Chris Dinnage, one time mechanic to Ayrton Senna, who hadbeen with Colin Chapman for many years. We saw many of the original cars that were used in the races andwere able to see how these Formula 1 cars had changed and developed over the years. Thank you, Phil for amemorable experience.

On a slightly lighter note the Club met Harleston Rotary Club for the annual Hardiss Trophy match. We allplayed silly games and competed for the prestigious Trophy, a number plate!! Pat Webb and her teamlooked after us well and an enjoyable time with much light-hearted fellowship was had by all. Thanks to ourteam of Caroline, Graham, Margaret, James (Kay), Heather, Peter (Sorrell), Nikki, Lara (Heather’sdaughter-in-law) and the President!

Our thoughts are with Heather at the moment as she has to come to terms with another loss in her family—it’s really not fair.

I am now thinking about my year as your President and thanks to all of you for making it such a pleasurableexperience. I have said to myself have we met the Rotary requirements? Well, without doubt it has been ahappy Club and within the Club we have combined together to do a number of activities towards “Making aDifference” in our Community. For instance, Graham and COMVOC’s “Message in a Bottle” could bewheeled out in a much wider area than just the Diss area. We have shown that our Rotary Club is strong andindeed growing---we have had three new members this year and hope to have two more inducted in the nextthree weeks.

Would the Rotary Club of Diss & District be one that I wouldwish to join? Without doubt it would and this must be one ofthe best measures of whether we have met our objectives.We can hold our heads up high in our community as werepresent the values and principles of the Rotary movement. Thank you.

Clive Sinfield (President)

Clive welcoming Paula as amember of our Club at the

meeting on the 1st May 2018

NEW ZEALANDMy trip by Alison Bannister

It was not ideal preparation for my trip of a lifetime to New Zealand. My wrist was only just out of plaster,and still very sore and you may remember the first 6” of snow that fell here .... our group were on one of thelast planes to get out of Heathrow on 1st March. But some 40 hours later I was standing on Rangititovolcanic island off the coast of Auckland looking up at the massive tree ferns pictured left above – andfeeling warm! I travelled with HF Holidays (Holiday Fellowship) and it was an excellent mixture ofinteresting walks and sightseeing, touring and culture. A group of 14 was ideal, and it included 2 couplesfrom Canada + the tour leader and driver, who drove us, with great expertise, for 3984 kms.

All sorts of things were surprising. Of course one knew in theory that New Zealand is on the “Pacific Rimof Fire”, at the junction of tectonic plates. But it is different when you are told that the rock you arestanding on was erupted in Maori cultural memory – some 600-800 years ago. We visited Waimangu(in the Rotorua area) and my memories are of the wonderful patterns and colours in the rocks and in thewater – and the strapline “Where the World began” allows you to envisage what that could have been like.The pools steamed....There are still new geysers forming , but nothing to match the Waimangu Geyserreaching up to 460m (now and again) between 1900-1904, which is the world’s largest geyser on record.The site of the “pink and white terraces”, a tourist attraction in Victorian times, had been destroyed in amassive eruption in 1886, along with Maori villages. They are now under Lake Rotomahana. In theSouthern Alps, on South Island, we could see the Alpine Fault, which is expected to shift, and inChristchurch we saw a large number of car parks, where damaged buildings had been demolished followingthe earthquakes, as well as the Cathedral with its collapsed chancel. The coastal route on both islands hadrecently been adversely affected by Cyclone Gita.

It was a great trip for a geographer! Unfortunately it was too cloudy to have a helicopter ride over theFranz Josef glacier but we walked as close as we were allowed to go, and it is definitely retreating.The waterfalls at Milford Sound were in spate and spectacular, a benefit of the very heavy rain.And I had never recognised that in the southern hemisphere the sun is north at midday.

We learned a lot about the Maori heritage, visiting their Arts and Crafts centre and a Maori village wherewe were well entertained and informed. Our driver had Maori relations and made sure we got plenty ofbackground. We didn’t only go by coach, but also on boats (big and small), the Tranz Alpine train fromChristchurch to Arthur’s Pass in the Southern Alps, the “gondola” cable car above Queenstown as wellas having plenty of good walks.

We travelled extensively on both the North and South Islands, but not north of Auckland. We visited anumber of World Heritage Sites and National Parks, but wherever we went there was interest – whetherlooking at the dairy cattle, the sheep on the Canterbury Plains or the vineyards in the farming areas, orbeing excited by the spectacular scenery. An example is in the middle photo of Lake Moke, nearQueenstown, but there were wonderful views throughout. We were made so welcome.

The final photo is not of your President Elect doing a bungee jump off the bridge where it all started!

ROTARY CLUB of DISS & DISTRICTSERVICE above SELF

Celebrating 71 years of service to the community in 2018

EASTER EGGS

The club once again teamed up with Donny Briggs of Hadleigh Maid who is keen to help the club to raisemoney for charity. They produce unique Easter Eggs for the club so that it can raise funds for the AirAmbulance and EACH. We put 30 Eggs out to various venues around the town and the surrounding area.They then sell 100 squares on a card at one pound each.

We are indebted to all the venues for their work in selling the squares, and to their customers, or clients forbuying them. The success in selling, and filling the full card of a hundred squares is down to thecommitment of the personnel at the venue which, in many cases, is exceptional. Some even filled two cardsand are already asking if we will be continuing next year.

I think, with the help of other members of the club finding venues to support us we have raised £2000.00after the cost of the Eggs. This will be split evenly by the Club between the AA, and EACH. We must alsothank anyone who supported the club by finding venues, buying squares,or collecting the proceeds.

Dick collecting the Eggs from Donny atHadleigh Maid

President Clive with two Eggs

Dick Mitchell

A Poster in Kenya

Are you an adult who cannot read? If so we can help.

On a dark and stormy night in March – actually it was a rather pleasant Spring evening – a team ofnine strong men and true (no, I lie, five delightful ladies and four average men) arrived at a hostelryin Harleston. They were there to contest the famed ‘Hardis Trophy’

We knew the competition would be fierce when we were softened up with great fellowship and adelicious supper; what were we about to face, we wondered? The leader of the Harleston warriorsdescribed the jousts. Nine fearsome tests of skill, endurance and outright luck. No training orwarm-up, had us trembling for fear of pulled muscles and torn ligaments. What were we going todo to uphold the honour of our side?

We played the drugs card – no glasses half empty only half full. Agreed, they said. No video referee– as if, they chimed. No trainers on the field of play – who needs trainers they ominously cried. Wetremulously entered the lists and the nine trials. Eight games to be played as ‘best of three’. Testsof skill – darts, quoits and shove ha’penny; tests of dexterity – pop-up pirate, unclip the clothes pegsand pass the pigs; battles trying ones logic – connect 4 and dominoes. The final part of the combatwas a game so fearsome, so exhausting and so complex that we could not face a best of three trial– spooning marbles into an upturned flowerpot. Try it for yourself if you don’t believe the difficulty.

President Pat, the Harleston leader, set the games in play. Our leader, President Clive, visiblyquaked when Pat offered him a direct challenge. The rest of us selected an opponent and off wewent. Darts flew, dominoes rattled and the pigs were passed. Sweat appeared on furrowed brows.Games were played sitting down to combat the exhaustion. Drinks were supped.

Time slid by – half an hour – three quarters of an hour – was there no end to the fight. But lo! a littlebefore nine of the clock the last dart was thrown, the last pirate had popped up and our leadersretired to a darkened corner to compute the result. Think of the complexity of their task. Nine pairsof players, each pair playing nine games with points to be inscribed on the illuminated parchmentsprovided – two points for the victor, one point if honours were even and a derisory zero for the loser.If you do the maths you will find that a total of 162 points were there to be won. Who would gain themost – the stalwart home team from Harleston or the marauding Dissites from the next parish?

Hardly supressing his smile Clive stepped forward when Pat called the numbers “Diss 91,Harleston 71” and she then graciously presented the magnificent Hardis Trophy to him to bringback to Diss until the next Games.

Goodbyes and congratulations all round and we returned to our chariots for the trek back to ourhomes, tired out but basking in the glory of a noble win.

Graham Wuidart

THE HARDIS CHALLENGE

Walking along theGrand Union Canal footpath

at BerkhamstedWe noticed this sign

placed by the Rotary Club

It was a privilege to listen to Chris Dinnage Classic team manager, who is probably the mostknowledgeable person in the world on Lotus F1 cars and also to meet Bob Dance who waschief mechanic with the team during the 60’s 70’s 80’s and 90’s. They know the provenanceand history of every Lotus racing car.

The weather was a little against our visit, snow had fallen on Monday and a frost of -7C wasforecast for Tuesday with more snow on the way. The interesting thing was that not one personrang to check the visit was going ahead, which was great. The Dunkirk spirit ruled and all 28Rotarians and guests turned up at Colin Chapmans original F1 workshops in Potash Lane Hethel.Were the workshops going to be warm? I needn’t have worried we were given a warm welcomeby Chris and the workshops were warm. The cars looked great you could smell the history.The attention to detail was riveting, taking the cars back to original in every way. The drivers werewithout doubt brave. To strap a petrol tank to your body with a prop shaft running at 12,000 RPMbetween your legs, your feet only an inch or two from the front and then drive at speeds of180MPH could be described as foolhardy; even more so now, as the current drivers pay for theexperience!

A VISIT TO CLASSIC TEAM LOTUS 27th FEB

Is it because we live in Norfolk? Even born inNorfolk or is it our age? think of F1 and we thinkof Lotus, one of the greatest ever motor racingteams.

Works drivers include, Jim Clark, Graham Hill,Ronnie Peterson, Ayrton Senna to name only afew. Diss Rotary Club had the privilege to not onlysee the cars that were driven to victory by thesedrivers but also to touch them and view them invarious states of preparation for the 2018 Classicmotor Racing season.

But it is the history and engineering embodied byColin Chapman, the most innovative and “on theedge” racing team boss, that Classic Lotus keepsalive.

By 8 o’clock we were all rather peckish, weadjourned to the ‘Bird In Hand’ just a mile awaywhere we enjoyed their hospitality. Chris and Bobjoined us and told us a few more stories of theheady days of Colin Chapmans Lotus when theywere the team to beat.

I was reminded of a story when I did a little work for Classic. The team attended the GoodwoodFestival of speed and I was given the job of running a Lotus 49 for a lovely Australian,John Dawson-Damer. It sounds grand but the job involved making sure the car was fuelled, tyrepressures, brakes etc and getting the car and the driver in the right place at the right time. It hadbeen typical June weather and being an old country boy I was keeping an eye on a very nastylooking black cloud.

I suddenly realised what was about to happen and grabbed a tarpaulin covered the car and laiddown beside the car under the tarp. The noise was incredible, after about 4 minutes, silence, Icrawled out to a see total white, hailstones covered every car, except the 49 as I pealed back thetarpaulin to reveal a gleaming Lotus.

Later, as we were on the start line, sitting next to us in his openracing car was Sir Stirling Moss. As we waited, it started to rain.From our start line kit I produced a large umbrella, keeping mydriver snug and dry. We couldn’t believe the chaos next door,Sir Stirling’s team did not have an umbrella and he was gettingvery wet and was not very happy, we heard more than a fewswear words, some of which were new to me! This reallytickled John and I heard him recount the story more than once.I looked after John at Goodwood for two years. I couldn’t go thenext year 2000, and sadly John died that year at Goodwood,having suffered a heart attack while driving his much lovedLotus 63.

Our group had a social evening at GreatYarmouth Greyhound Stadium on Saturday 14th

April. We had a meal and great seatsoverlooking the finishing posts.

There were 14 races on the night and theRaceview Restaurant has roving tote bettingstaff to take your bets at the table and to deliveryour winnings. Some came away winning,more by good luck than knowledge of the dogs.

Phil Catchpole

GREYHOUND RACING AT GT. YARMOUTH

Some picked by trap number, colour of the dog or even by their names. This was a good chance to spenda relaxing evening amongst friends and neighbours and some of us even came away with winnings.

Keith Day

Fitness for the Elderly

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 80.Now he is 97 and we haven’t a clue where he is.

MEMBER’S PROFILES No.14Heather Babb

We were very poor but we were showered with love from our parents and each other; with the olderchildren looking out for the younger ones.Food consisted of anything that my dad or brothers were able to shoot – pheasant, partridge, rabbit, hareand pigeon all supplemented with home grown vegetables and fruit. The flavours more than made upfor the lack of quantity.

When my father retired we had to move out of our home as it was termed ‘a tied cottage’, we becamehomeless with my dad sleeping under a tarp with the furniture in a field until we could get help to moveeverything. Although this would appear to be a terrible situation we had family who helped us until wefound a permanent home. In those days the local Councils didn’t help unless the children were of schoolage and that didn’t apply anymore.

I had a number of office jobs before I settled down to work for the London Co-op Dairy as a cashier andwages clerk roving around the area to cover offices where there were staff shortages. I loved it.Keith and I met when we were in Primary School, I was four and he was seven, his father was in theArmy and he moved overseas so we lost touch until we met up again when we were in our early twentiesand Keith was in the Navy.

When Keith came out of the Navy he went to college and then on to Bath University where he gained aBSc. in Environmental Engineering. By this time we were living together in Bristol where we marriedand settled down. Itchy feet again and off Keith goes to work in the Middle East, within a short while Ijoined him. Keith was the resident Mechanical/Electrical Engineer for a multi-million pound project andI worked for the American Consulate full time.

We travelled extensively and had a good life, albeit women are not allowed to drive and are not allowedout without their husband or sponsor. Prayer time controlled the shopping expeditions, half-way througha supermarket shop, prayers would be called and you had to leave your shopping cart and wait until theshop opened again. It was frustrating in the early days, but one got used to it and tried to plan theshopping around prayers which was difficult as that changed with the rising and setting of the sun.On our return to the UK, Keith renovated our last house and brought the field/aka jungle back to being agarden, where we grew vegetables and fruit and had a few chickens scratching around in the orchard.

During this time I worked at Suffolk County Council with a number of job titles – Area Child Protection(ACPC) Secretary , Office Manager, Area Manager, Directorate Business Manager and at one time Imanaged a staffing group of just over two hundred people scattered in nineteen offices around Suffolkwith a budget in excess of £3m to manage.

I am the youngest child of ten with an age gap of twenty oneyears between me and the eldest.

My father was a farm labourer we were therefore brought upon farms whereby I helped with work on the farm from theage of six, albeit throwing some food over the pig pens or

giving the cart horse an apple to keep her quiet while my dadput her harness on her; and eventually graduating to doing as

much as any of the men did.I did need help with some of the heavy bales or buckets; Iused to climb on the water trough to put the harness on thecart horse when I was twelve and take a cart load of food to

the cattle in the bottom fields in the winter.

First there is a financial commitment for a period of eight years as shown in the attached table. For thisyear this amounts to £194.00.

Secondly we have a commitment to maintain the apparatus in good working order. This involves regularweekly and monthly inspections; with the results posted to the “Heartbeat” website. Lives could be indanger if we fail to keep up the maintenance schedule.

I suggest that teams of volunteers are formed each to consist of two members who take responsibility fortwo months. There will also need to be one club member to coordinate the plan and to ensure that whenpeople are away or ill; their duties are covered by others.

An “Awareness Seminar” was held in November 2016 which was attended by 55 local residents.I suggest we need to arrange another seminar to be held in November of this year.

If any member would like to be part of the maintenance team, please contact me for further information.This is an important service to the community.

Ken Chapman

I studied at Oxford College and at Nottingham Trent University and ended up with a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Organisational Development in the Public Services.

The Government made a number of changes to the way in which services in the Public sector were going tobe managed (some were moved to the NHS and others were sold off), so I decided it was time I put mycomputer to bed and took early retirement. It was the best job I have ever had without having an interview,except I don’t get Bank Holidays or weekends off!

DEFIBRILLATORS

In 2016, the club purchased two defibrillators anderected one at the Methodist Church and the other

at Jewson’s in Victoria Road.

Members may have thought that this was the endof the matter and that we had fulfilled our

commitment to the community. In fact this isfar from the case.

The club has an ongoing commitment whichtakes two forms.

I took up long distance walking and have notched upthe ‘Coast to Coast’ twice, Hadrian’s Wall, The WestHighland Way, St. Cuthbert’s Way and the SouthDowns Way. I have also taken walking holidays inNorway and New Zealand.

Who knows how the next chapter will read?

AUCTION OF PROMISESMay 18th 2018

May 18th. is our next major fundraising event. Much planning and several generous members and friendshave donated lots to be auctioned by the local auctioneer Mike Sarson, Director of Thos Gaze & Sons, herein Diss.

The John Grose Ford car showroom venue is a perfect central location and John Grose have been verysupportive. On the night, Liz Sinfield, Jenny Mitchell and Vicci Day, are preparing canapes for our guestsduring the evening and all will be served with champagne or soft drinks.

There will be a specialist entry raffle for five specific items. Our President has been working hard toachieve many varied lots and has produced a catalogue of the lots.

Pre event bids can be left with Clive, Dick or myself if anyone who cannot be there wishes to bid. Thecatalogue has been distributed on line to all members so please review it and seek out friends and familywho would like to bid or attend the evening to bid.

The event is a great opportunity to produce a large amount of funds to support our future programmes forlocal and international charities.

Tickets are still available from Clive.

Keith Day

OwlsWhy don’t owls make love in the rain?

‘Cos they are too-wet-to-woo!

The quiz was a great success with 11 teams playing. The winning team was Frontier Agriculture ofDiss. When I say the winning team, I think it fair to say, the other teams were there to make up thenumbers!!

That said, the evening was a great success with us raising a total of £864.01.

The other teams playing were (in no particular order), Larking Gowen, Hartismere School,Jackaman Solicitors, Spire Solicitors, Durrants Estate Agents, Simonds Travel, Chapel Doors,Moulton Windows, Gaze Estate Agents and lastly, NBR Scooter Brokers (who in fact were last).

The quiz master was our own Godfrey Musgrave-Brown ably assisted by Graham Wuyts.

The raffle was well supported with Caroline, Tony and Clive selling tickets to the value of £228.00all vying to win one of the 14 prizes which were kindly donated by various Rotarians.

Nigel Rosenfeld

ROTARY BUSINESS QUIZ27th April 2018

ROTARY CLUB OF DISS & DISTRICT – PROGRAMME APRIL TO JULY 2018Tues 17th April Club Annual General MeetingSaturday 21st Know your Blood Pressure session in the URC Lenton Room District Assembly King Edward VI Upper School, Bury St EdmundsFriday 27th Business Quiz at the Park HotelTues 1st May Club Meeting. Speaker is Brigadier Alistair Wilson talking about his Falkland experiences. Speaker finder David Mitchell

Tues 8th Committees Meet

Tues 15th Club Meeting. Speaker is John Nolan, knee surgeon. Speaker finder is Dick Mitchell

Friday 18th Auction of Promises at John Grose’s premises 6.30 p.m.

Sunday 20th Providing barbecue to the Diss Organ Festival

Friday 25th Friends of Rotary Reception at Clive and Liz’ home – evening

Wb 4th June NEW Committees meet

Tues 5th June Club meeting. Speaker finder Tony Moore. Speaker TBA

Tues 12th Visit to Jonny Ling’s organ display in Palgrave and meal

Sun 17th Rotary Car Boot sale in the Park

Tues 19th Club Assembly. Assistant District Governor attends

Sunday 24th Lunchtime river trip from Ipswich

Tues 3rd July Crucial Crew at Easton College

Tues 3rd Club Handover Meeting to Alison

Friday 6th Evening garden party at James and Lyn Kay’s

Tues 10th Committees meet

Tues 17th Club Quiz with a meal – Park Hotel

Wed 18th Outing to Sandringham

DON’T FORGET PARK ALIVE ON SATURDAY 11TH AUGUST

Club meetings are held at the Park Hotel, Diss on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 6.30 for 7.00 p.m.Special events/activities are highlighted in yellow.