Week 38 Part 2- Saturday – has to be “Another Brick in the Wall” really!

Rotary Engagements since July 1                              254

After the excitements of Friday’s great start, could we keep it up – knew the programme was extremely strong, but just how strong would it be?

Got off to a great start with our own Lisa Morris taking us through the changes to Grants from the Rotary Foundation this year.  Clear and concise she did a fantastic job with what can be such a dry subject.  Really demonstrated how we’re using funds for the benefit of communities at home and abroad, supporting super projects selected by our clubs.

Then into what turned out to be a really emotional section of the programme. Cystic fibrosis sufferer & double lung transplant survivor Richard Burbedge took us through the story of his life and how, from an increasingly low ebb, the gift of a transplant has completely transformed his life and how he’s looking forward to his impending marriage to his fiancé Laura.  Not a dry eye in the house!

Following closely afterwards we heard from a very determined lady, Naomi Riches.  All sorts of challenges faced in her schooldays because of her partial sight until she was talent spotted for the GB rowing team.  Then the extreme disappointment of a mere Bronze medal in Beijing and her fight to get back into the boat and then go on to triumph in the 2012 London Parlympic Games.  All the sweeter that it happened at home, and for us, in our District at Dorney Lake.  Showing the re-run of the triumphant row had us all on the edge of our seats .  What a super start to Saturday!

Back after coffee we assembled the massed ranks of the club Presidents for 2013-2014 in a wonderfully disorganised "wave-past" - thanks lads & lasses for your leadership this year.  And then the District Chairman of our sister organsisation, District 9 Inner Wheel. Beryl & her team have worked wonderfully well in the 90th year of their movement and have been a real pleasure to work alongside.

Then we heard from a smashing group of dedicated health service professionals who form our Vocational Training team who leave for Uganda on 29th March to train midwives to help reduce the incidence of infant and maternal mortality.  Such a brilliant group of volunteers led by our own Gillian Pearce.

They were followed by our visiting Rotary Scholars who explained how they will use their masters degrees to further Rotary's ideals in their chosen path after study.

We then welcomed Ben Mee to speak to us.  A fantastic story published in “We Bought a Zoo” and taken to the silver screen with Matt Damon as Ben, was retold to us in such a personal, engaging, funny, tragic way.  I think we could all have listened to Ben for twice as long, but we needed to move on (not least so that we could get people off to their coach trip to visit the eponymous zoo).  At his book signing Ben proved so popular that he ran out of books (he brought 200 with him!) and had to send more back with the coach when it returned.

But before we let them off to see the animals we enjoyed the Countess of Carnarvon, I guess you could say First Lady of Downton Abbey, or rather of Highclere Castle where filming for the series takes place.  The Countess focussed on the subject of her recent book and her predecessor, Lady Catherine, who led a fascinating life early on in the 20^th century.  Again her books proved popular at lunchtime. 

So ended a pretty damn perfect morning.  Followed it with lunch with something over half of the Presidents for 2013-2014 in our District.  Really good to see all of them, they’re such a great team – but frankly I thought the hotel let us down with a very mediocre meal and very poor service – words were had will be again – the TripAdvisor review is waiting ratification!

Afternoon off for all of us was very welcome before heading back to the Riviera for our reception with Julien and Sue laying on drinks for us all before we tucked into a splendid meal –it’s not often that the food gets a thumbs up from 500 people, but the guys at the centre did us proud

We’d themed the party as Blue & Yellow – Rotary colours - some of the folks really took us up on the challenge, which you’ll see from all the photos.  The caricaturists really did their stuff and Partydown played a really tight set, pitching the selection brilliantly for the audience – crowded dance floor from the first to last number and during the band break as well!