February & March 2025 Newsletter
Firstly, some wise words from that great philosopher, Mr. Spike Milligan:
Smiling is infectious, I thought about that smile,
You catch it like the flu, Then realized it’s worth,
When someone smiled at me today, A single smile, just like mine
I started smiling too. Could travel round the earth.
I passed around the corner, So, if you feel a smile begin,
And someone saw my grin, Don’t leave it undetected,
When he smiled I realized Let’s start an epidemic quick,
I had passed it on to him! And get the world infected!
On that note, here are some pictures from our Christmas Party!!
[huge apologies, but I have not been able to upload the photos! Please email me and I will send you a copy of the actual newsletter - memorylane.eastbourne@gmail.com]
Very many thanks to Kathy Harding of SeahavenFM radio for providing the music, Santa for his early delivery of festive presents, and to all our wonderful Volunteers for making the party so wonderful. Special thanks also to the East Sussex Services Lodge for their kind donation of £500 towards our Christmas festivities (including the Pantomime tickets) and to Sussex Masons Charitable Foundation for match-funding this.
An up-date about the Trustees:
Unfortunately, Carol Wilkinson, who kindly stepped up to fill the void left by Meg Lansom as Chair of Trustees, has resigned, but will remain a volunteer. So, Madeleine Furminger is our new Chair of Trustees and Angela Jumbo is our new Deputy Chair. Both Sarah Bax-Jaeger and Lorraine Saunders will continue as Trustees.
Many thanks, Carol, for all you’ve done and will continue to do, and for holding the administrative fort when I was off recently.
Dementia-Friendly Cinema at the Towner:
Towner Dementia-Friendly Cinema has moved to Tuesday mornings. The film on Tuesday, 4th February at11.00 a.m. is “Maria” starring Angelina Jolie, is about Maria Callas’ “glamorous and tumultuous life – a life profoundly shaped by the passion, drama and total commitment of her operatic art – during her final years in 1970s Paris”. Ooh la la!!
As before, carers are free, everyone else is£5.00. You can book either via the Towner website or at their reception desk on the day (but this can be a bit o fa lengthy process!). There is plenty of parking nearby – if you have a Blue Badge, there is a dedicated carpark on College Road immediately behind the Towner; otherwise there is free on-road parking locally and the larger “tennis” carpark further up College Road.
INTERGENERATIONAL PROJECT
Do you like singing? Would you like to learn some new songs alongside some delightful children from St Andrews Prep school?
Please don’t be put off that we will be learning to songs from the Opera Rusalka (which is based on a Czech fairy tale) – we will learn them in English, slowly over a five week period (starting at 1.30 pm on Friday 28th February), under the guidance of the lovely Charlotte, a trained soprano and her professional musicians. Subject to confirmation, we should be meeting at Duke Bernard Court in Latimer Road.
This is John, getting into “toreador” role (and loving every minute!) last year, when we sang some arias from Carmen. [apologies, but I could not upload the picture]
Quiz Nights!!
We have two Quiz Nights in March!! The first is kindly organized by Mrs. Elaine Birch at Chiddingly Village hall on Saturday, 1st March, 7.00 for 7.30 p.m. A maximum of six people per table, £5.00 each. There will also be a raffle. Elaine plans to make up some rolls and Memory Lane will be providing hot drinks in the interval, but you are welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks. Please let me know if you would like to book a table.
The second is closer to home and organized by the Friends of Memory Lane, 7,00 for 7.30pm on Friday 14th March at The Fishermen’s Club, Fishermen’s Green (on the seafront near the lifeboat station). Again, there’ll be a raffle. A maximum of six people per table, £5.00 each. If you’d like a table, please book with Sue Parsons, 07742 607637.
Bluebell Walk Café
Please put Thursday, 8th May down in your diaries!!! It’s the day when Memory Lane takes over the Bluebell Café at Bates Green Farm, Arlington. We’ll be looking for volunteers to help run the café and help generally, as well as cake-bakers, and, of course, lovely people to come and buy morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea as well asenjoying the lovely fields and woodlands. Fingers crossed for sunny May weather and some lingering bluebells!!
Monthly Cash Draw:
The winners November winners were: The Decemberwinners were:
1st prize £100 Meg Lansom 1st prize £100 Molly Robinson
2nd prize £40 Keith Henderson 2nd prize £40 Muriel Hall
3rd prize £25 Deb Crook 3rd prize £25 Maureen Ferguson
Maureen has kindly offered to donate her winnings back to Memory Lane.
Do please consider supporting Memory Lane regularly by joining the Monthly Cash Draw. A minimum of £10 a month secures your own dedicated number; £20 doubles your chances with two dedicated numbers. We are regulated by the Gambling Act, so half the money raised each month must be paid out in prizes; the other half goes towards funding Memory Lane activities. Please ask Deb or one of the Volunteers for more information.
A message from the Trustees about finances
Along with providing activities for people living with memory issues and their carers, asking for voluntary donations has been a core principle of Memory Lane since we started ten years ago. However, reduced numbers of late has inevitably led to reduced donations. We are actively trying to increase the numbers attending through word of mouth, advertising and leaflet distribution. The Trustees have been discussing whether or not Memory Lane needs to be considering having a charge per couple for the activities which will help towards the rising weekly costs of the professional singers, entertainers, games coaches, the charges of hiring indoor bowling lanes, parties and coach trips, as well as our other ongoing fixed costs, etc.
The Trustees, Volunteers and Friends work hard to raise additional funds as well as applying for grants, etc., and we are lucky enough to receive some very generous donations and "in memoriams" and many of you have also kindly joined our Monthly Cash Draw, but nevertheless we still find our core financial resources are dwindling.
The discussion has been to charge around£5.00 per couple which is in line with other similar clubs but first we would like to hear what our members think about this and to hear your views on this. Thank you.
DebCrook
MLE Co-ordinator and Newsletter Editor
Memory Lane, Eastbourne – Registered Charity Number 1163541
Memorylane.eastbourne@gmail.com. Tel: 07393 834 498
Dates for your Diary:
February 2025
Tue 4th 11.00
Wed 5th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Maxine
Wed 12th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Sharon & Paul
Thu 13th 10.00am Charity Coffee Morning at the British Queen, Willingdon
Fri 14th 2.00pm 10pin Bowling, Broadwater Way, (near "big" Sainsburys)
Sat 15th 12.00noon Saturday Club in the Hall
Wed 19th 2.00pm Games in the Hall with Defiant Sports
Thur 20th 12.30pm Friends Lunch at The British Queen, Willingdon Triangle
Wed 26th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Sharon & Paul
Friday 28th 1.30pm Intergenerational Project, Duke Bernard Court
Friday 28th 2.00pm Indoor Bowls at Hampden Park Indoor Bowls Centre
MARCH 2025
Sat 1st 7.00 for 7.30 CHARITY QUIZ at Chiddingly Village Hall
Tues 4th 11.00am Towner Cinema - TBC
Wed 5th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Mike
Fri 7th 1.30pm Intergenerational Project, Duke Bernard Court
Wed 12th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Sharon & Paul
Fri 14th 1.30pm Intergenerational Project, Duke Bernard Court
Fri 14th 2.00pm 10Pin Bowling, Broadwater Way
Fri 14th 7 for 7.30pm FRIENDS QUIZ, Fishermens Club, Eastbourne Seafront
Sat 15th 12.00noon Saturday Club in the Hall
Wed 19th 2.00pm Games in the Hall with Defiant Sports
Thurs 20th 12.30pm Friends Lunch - TBC
Fri 21st 1.30pm Intergenerational Project, Duke Bernard Court
Wed 26th 2.00pm Singing in the Hall with Sharon & Paul
Fri 28th 1.30pm Intergenerational Project, Duke Bernard Court
Fri 28th 2,00pm Indoor Bowls at Hampden Park Indoor Bowls Centre