SHAFTESBURY

The year started with our very successful New Year's meeting with the Wyndham Park Men entertaining. We used to have members bring a plate of food which we shared but subsequently found little was eaten so close after Christmas. We changed to light nibbles and crisps for a few years but with a different membership it was agreed this year to all bring a plate again which was very successful. We enjoyed our visit to Shaftesbury Arts Centre¹s Pantomime and are grateful to them for the invite, to Rotary for providing door to door transport and St Johns cadets for helping with finding seats, storing our rolators and bringing round a free cup of tea or coffee.

We are very lucky to be invited to all the'preview' nights of major productions at the Arts Centre, especially the pantomime and the Summer Musical which are all of a very high standard. Due to having gone back to work almost full-time, (and the boss then falling pregnant and going on maternity leave!!) there has been little time to organise a summer outing which is a wish of the members. Perhaps this year, with a little help from Gillingham, Mere and Shaftesbury Lions, who provide the volunteer drivers for the bus each month we might achieve it.

We have enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment including our own 'club'nights when we play beetle and domino bingo, (there isn't space to explain but phone me if your curious!) and thanks are due to Krissy for organising it all. Thanks must also go to Marina our Treasurer for all her work, and to all our members who are 'The Committee' so that all decisions are made on a majority basis with items discussed for a short while at the beginning of every other meeting.

After our Christmas Dinner this year (2007) we were invited to attend the 'Christmas Cracker' entertainment put on by the charity Life Education Dorset in the Tithe Barn at Sturminster Newton, where several school choirs sang Christmas songs and carols followed by light bites and mulled wine which rounded off an enjoyable day despite the appalling weather and helped to raise a good sum on the raffle to continue their good work.

We look forward to 2008 with several potential new members and we are of course, happy for anyone disabled to visit our Club whether as individuals or as a DAD Club.