Chess Club.

THE local club handicap competition for the Peter Keffler shield was won by Andrew Salmon.

Andrew scored 7½ points out of a possible 8. Peter Keffler came second with 6 points, and David Pearce was third with 5½ points.

The club rapid-play, was played under handicap conditions this season, and was won by Dennis Brown.

Dennis scored equal points (5 out of a possible 7) with John Lambert, though the tie breaker (the result of the match between them) made Dennis the winner.

See clactonchess.org.uk or call John on 01206 304228 for more information.


Inner Wheel.

PRESIDENT Sue Baker welcomed a potential new member Janet Rand to the June meeting, which was the club AGM.

The new president Pat Holt was inducted and her charity for the year is Young Carers. The garden party will be on July 8 and the next meeting will be on July 20.This years charity money was allocated to Gt Ormond Street Hospital (£1500); the local scout group (£250); Community Transport (£150) and £100 to the Talking Times.

Members have petitioned the Government to not phase out cheques.


ACOL Bridge Club.

AT the meeting on June 22, 24 boards were played. The results were: N/S, 1 T Carton/ B Johnston; 2 P Brew/ I Webster; 3 J Gittins/ J Furlong. E/W, 1 F Thomson/ S Pond; 2 T Sharp/ K Lamdin; 3 E Hill/ A Smith.

At the meeting on June 24, 24 boards were played. The results were: N/S, 1 K Lamdin/ F Thomson; 2 J Reynolds/ P Brew, 3 I Webster/ J Furlong. E/W, 1 P Kelsey/ E McGrath; 2 P Davies/ P Gunfield; 3 E Lewellen/ E Farrington.

New members welcome, the club meets every TUesday and Thursday at St Pauls Church hall at 6.55pm. For information call 01255-813830.


Rotary Club.

AT last weeks meeting Indira Allen attended as guest of member Mike Bareham. Little did she realise that Rotary was acknowledging her achievements for raising funds for various charities by her own physical ability.

The list is long but includes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running many international marathons. Now she is successfully devoting much of her time helping groups with disabilities and learning difficulties such as Autistic Support Groups. Another important interest now is stage production at the West Cliff Theatre with various shows raising tens of thousand pounds for Macmillan Cancer support and other charities.

Derrick Byford of the Clacton Rotary Club presented Indira with the Paul Harris Fellow award, the highest Rotary award for such outstanding achievements. The first time the club has made the award outside the membership.


Astronomical Association.

MEMBER Colin John, give a presentation entitled 'The James Webb Telescope', at the associations June meeting.

He explained how this is to be the Hubble Space Telescope's successor. Again a space based telescope and this time not optical but infra red. With a considerably larger mirror and this wavelength of light, it will peer through dust clouds and further back in time. It is named after James Webb, the NASA administrator who was responsible for leading the Apollo programme and later missions such as the Voyager probes.

Unlike the HST it will not be serviceable. Placed 1.5 million kilometers beyond Earth orbit at one of the 'Lagrange Points', it will be too far away.

The group now break for the summer and meet again on September 2, at the Friends Meeting House when Jerry Workman will give a talk about the eclipses of 2008 and 2009.

New members and visitors always welcome.


Royal Artillery Association.

ATTENDANCE at the June meeting was slightly down on numbers due to holidays and illness.

The chairman reported on the regional garden party in his own inimitable way and then the afternoon’s speaker, Vic Miller talked, accompanied by slides, about the Napoleonic Wars and the barracks in Weeley during the 1800’s holding some 4,000 plus soldiers.

For more information about the association call Roy on 01255 424126.


Friends of the West Cliff Theatre.

A LARGE number friends turned out on the hottest day of the year so far for their annual summer garden party last Sunday.

The large number of Friends who turned out on the hottest day of the year enjoyed a ploughman’s lunch followed by delicious strawberries and cream as well as taking part in a number of fund-raising activities such as “Pluck-a-Duck” and “Have I Got News For You”. Live music was provided by Bobby Francis and some of the braver friends even got up for a dance.

Chairman, Joan Beatton thanked everyone for coming and for helping to raise so much money for the theatre. She particularly thanked all those who had helped organise the event, provide the food and drink and especially Gary and Christine Howie in whose garden the event was held.


Flower Club.

LONG-time favourite Adele Kent was the star of the June meeting as once again she manipulated her flowers and vocabulary into a journey of delight on one of her magical mystery tours both locally and on the continent sharing her rich and wise experiences with club members.

Adele congratulated the Clacton Club for maintaining its monthly competition and the sheer excellent quality of the entries submitted by branch stalwarts, this week’s winner was Mrs P Last..

The club has gone from strength to strength throughout the year with nearly seventy members who look forward to the floral art work produced at the monthly demonstrations.

The next meeting will be held on July 14 when Mrs Mary Griffiths from Bury St Edmunds will demonstrate “Summer Miscellany”.

The competition is – A Basket of Flowers.


Machine Knitting Club.

AT the well-supported June meeting, Iris won the look and tell with a childs cardigan knitted in flecked wool, Viv showed a lovely two strand shaded jumper in blue and Liz showed the crochet edging she does around baby blankets.

This was followed by a demonstration by June on using a broomstick crochet to make light lacy garments and how to do the Tunisian crochet with one pin shaped like a crochet hook. Many members had a go and a beautiful pattern was created.

The next meeting is on July 5, 1pm, at Holland Public Hall. New members welcome, there will be free tea, a raffle and a wool sale.

For more information phone Anne 01206 823127.


Darby and Joan.

MEMBERS enjoyed an end-of-term party with music provided by The Entertainers.

There is no meeting now until September 20, though members will meet for fish and chips on August 2.


Royal British Legion.

THE next meeting of the RBL will be on July 7, 7.30pm, at the Comrades Club in Old Road.

This will be a business meeting followed by a quiz.

A trip is being arranged for members to visit the National Memorial Arboretum for July 31.


Contract Bridge Club.

ON June 25, 27 boards were played. Results were: 1 J Gardiner/ J Godby; 2B Vertigen/ L Bussell; 3 C Bruce/ F Nash.

The club meets every Wednesday and Friday at 6.45pm in Fiske Court, behind Rosemary Road. All welcome.


Clacton Probus Club.

DAVID Peachey will be giving a talk on astronomy at the club’s next meeting at the Kingscliff Hotel at 10am on July 7.

New members always welcome, contact Ken Suker 01255 426170 for details.


Tendring Talking Newspaper Association.

AT the recent AGM, Mr Drake was elected chairman and Mr Jones vice-chairman New committee members were also elected.

The association, now in it’s 33rd year, sends out free weekly tapes or CDs of news and local events to 200 blind or partially sighted residents of TDC.

For more information call Mrs Thomson on 01255 423113 or Mrs Gittins on 01255 688366.