READING RETIREMENT CENTRE (registered charity No. 281830)
FIRTREE
(Friends in retirement taking relaxation, exercise and education)
http://www.firtree-reading.com
February 2023 Firtree Newsletter Issue 525
We shall definitely be staying at the Grange until the end of February.
We hope to return to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday 7th March. However, there are still a few matters to sort out, so we cannot guarantee that we shall be able to make the move on the planned date.
Tuesday programme for February
7th February Games Day
14th February “Swan Upping” with Nick Brazil
21st February Games Day
28th February to be confirmed – probably another Games Day
Welcome back after our winter break! Well, Christmas is over and by the time you read this it will be February. As I write this, today is the first day without frost; the temperature has actually risen to 3 degrees!
This cold snap has reminded me of my childhood in Scotland, when I could draw pictures on the inside of the windows in the frost and we dug up some snow for the kettle. We only bought one newspaper a week and most of that was used to get the fire going in the morning. What was left went into the little wooden hut in the garden. When I am tempted to moan about the conditions now, I remember those days and thank God for what we now have.
My Valentine this year (apart from one for Janet) is for the Grange United Reformed Church. They are a small congregation but they do such a lot in the community. There used to be an organ, but they replaced that with a tea and coffee bar so that they could invite local residents in during the week. Without their open heart we would have been homeless for almost three years, and probably would have had to close by now.
Now we have an opportunity to return to our previous palatial surroundings, but it is with a tinge of sadness that I do so.
As I get older I am having to accept that I can’t do so much and of course at 85 I cannot guarantee too much of a future. Yes, you have it in one. I want to find someone else to take over this Newsletter.
I began writing this newsletter when Peggy Brooker retired on issue 400, so I have now written the next 125, over 11 years’ worth. If I did the same again, I would be knocking on 100. It isn’t too arduous and can be quite good fun but it does need a new pair of hands and it doesn’t have to be quite so long. Volunteers please!!!
Information about this newsletter contact Colin Ferguson –
colindf@btinternet.com or 0118 9482557.
If you want to know more about Firtree contact Mark Bowman
markbowman_rfhc@hotmail.co.uk or 0118 9677130
or Liz Prior (Membership Secretary) – 0118 9422958
Firtree 