President Terry Cann welcomed Amanda to the meeting on Monday 11th October for a questions and answer session which was received by all present. Wives and Hon. Members had been invited to this meeting and visitors from other Clubs were also welcomed.Amanda outlined her hopes for the coming year and explained that her focus would be on recruitment and participation on a larger scale within the Rotary family. She emphasised, however, that this didn't mean Clubs should over-stretch themselves as this could have an adverse affect on the whole project. [Oct 10]

Building the 2012 Olympics - with Ray Payne

When Rtn John Fairclough introduced Ray Payne to the Club he sang his praises and when told that his  past projects had included the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris the intake of breath from the meeting could be felt. 

Ray belongs to  the Chesham Club and, as our speaker,  gave a mind blowing presentation on his work as head of construction strategy and logistics of the Olympic Park. He said his personal remit was being responsible for making the site work and emphasised that his team of 9,000 had made it possible to achieve; the transformation of a largely derelict huge site, intersected by rivers and railway lines, into an Olympic village and 11 venues with top sporting facilities. He was obviously delighted to announce that his part of the project had come in ahead of time and under budget.

He appeared very amused that he must have been doing something right as he had an unexpected telephone call inviting him to be, what turned out, one of the key players on the Olympic project, firstly as head of procurement.

Welcome to Hon. Member Patsy Booth

At this meeting on 27th September, the opportunity was also taken to welcome Patsy Booth (The widow of the late Peter Booth) as an Hon. Member and present her badge.

Winifred Mitchell (Widow of David Mitchell) and Norika Dyett (widow of John Dyett) have also recently been invited to become Hon. Members.

It was obvious that Ray relished challenges, which was fortunate as the challenges on the London site included having to dig out land contaminated by arsenic, cadmium and unexploded ordnance, the unwelcome legacies of Victorian industry and bombsite rubble. 

Route 66 

On Monday 13^th September 2010 we relived our speaker Steve Parson and  his son Laurence’s  holiday of a lifetime from their purchase of a Ford Mustang in the USA in 2007 to the end of their drive along Route 66, or as John Steinbeck called it in The Grapes of Wrath, “The Mother Road”. Running between Chicago and Los Angeles this legendary old road passes through the heart of the United States on a 2,400-mile diagonal trip that takes in some of the country's most archetypal roadside scenes. Today, 85 percent remains drivable. Although there have been casualties with the passage of time, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stand is still serving up cones in St. Louis (vouched for by our likely lads); Stanton,  Missouri's Meramec Caverns still gives tours; and a night can be spent in a 30 by 16 foot concrete wigwam at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona. From late 1950 Route 66 was bypassed by high-speed Interstate highways until finally decommissioned and made a historic route in 1984. During the Depression many farm families made their way west along Route 66 to California and after World War II a similar exodus took place but this time expressing their upward mobility going for  improved careers/jobs in California so Route 66 became the route from the dust to sun bowl. Although ‘super highways’ have been built upon many stretches of the two-lane Route 66 and there is no alternative but to use these, there is still excitement, romance and inspiration following the Route resulting in songs like Bobby Troup’s ‘Get You’re Kicks on Route 66’ which was sung by Nat King Cole and the Rolling Stones and the 1960's TV series 1960’s TV series ‘Route 66’ and Pixar’s animated film Cars. 

Here we are again!

3rd September 2010. 

<<==Rotarians and friends wait in eager anticipation

A mind blowing experience. Just up Rotarians' sleeves.

Rotarians joined Ian Keable for his one man show combining sleight of hand with sleight of mind. Hilariously funny one moment with his dry wit and audience participation, and completely baffling the next. He  entertained us with his wit, repartee and good natured interaction with the audience, and with his sleight of hand magic and mind reading Skills.

Another opportunity for renewing old and some new friendships.

<<== and for my next trick