PAWS’ February meeting on 28th February was when Ann Hardy was due to reveal the “Secrets of the Royal Jewels”, but unfortunately due to ill-health she had to cancel and we were fortunate to enlist John Knight for the evening who told us about “America’s First Ladies.”
John proved to be a very able and knowledgeable speaker who has spent a lot of time in the U.S.A and indeed had a photo of his wife and himself with Bill Clinton taken in 2004, together with photographs of the portraits of the 13 First Ladies that are in the gallery of the Whitehouse. He told us a lot of background information about the First Ladies from Eleanor Roosevelt through to Michelle Obama and that the average age of an incoming President was 58 with his wife being 52. When most of us are thinking about taking things easy, or retiring, these people are taking on the most powerful job in the USA if not the world. A most interesting evening and hopefully we’ll see Ann next year.
Our next meeting is actually our AGM and therefore it is for Members only and is on 27th March. We will be having a St. Trinians Night (so get out all the old school uniforms ladies). A Fish and Chip Supper will be provided and a Quiz. Details of all our meetings and speakers can we found on the diary on the home page of the Winstred 100 website.
Membership is currently full, but visitors are very welcome at a cost of £3.50, at any other meeting other than March.
If you would like any further information about P.A.W.S. please ring any of us on any of the following numbers. Alice 01206 735510, Jane 01206 735004, Julia 01206 735053 or Sue 01206 735212.
Kate Gladwin’s latest newsletter is now live on Wigborough Traditional Meat’s website with some amusing tales of how the snow affected them this year as well as news of upcoming offers and freshly hung beef. 
Our January meeting was on 10th January 2012 (earlier than usual due to the 
They go in on a Monday and are available to collect from noon on Thursday. Each half pig weighs about 35kg and storage space of 60cm x 40 cm x 20 cm – two shelves should be OK.
We didn’t have a meeting in December but we did have our members’ Christmas Dinner which was on the 13th December in the Balkerne Restaurant at Colchester Institute. 42 of us enjoyed a cocktail before tucking into a wonderful 4 course meal. (see photo’s above). At the end of which we were entertained by a singer (student) with keyboard accompaniment (see photo below). At 10.00pm our coach promptly arrived to take us home. It was another very enjoyable night.
At our meeting on Tuesday 22nd November, we had a very entertaining and much travelled speaker. Roger St Pierrre was born in Dorset and grew up in Essex. At an early age he developed a passion for cycling and at the age of seven rode from Romford to Southend! The famous cyclists of his youth became his heroes and he longed to be one of them; his knowledge was so extensive that local journalists enlisted his help in identifying cyclists in races. At the age of 15 he was asked to write a regular column on cycling for the Romford Recorder and this later blossomed into a career in journalism lasting a number of years and including papers such as the Mirror, The Mail and the London Evening News. Work on Music for Pleasure led him to write about all the pop stars of the time like Jerry Lee Lewis, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and Glen Campbell to name but a few. During his time as a music writer he met and wrote about many of the big names from both pop and classical music and travelled to America and beyond for interviews.
We don’t have a meeting in December but we do have our members’ Christmas Dinner to look forward to which is in the Balkerne Restaurant at Colchester Institute on Tuesday 13th December. Our next meeting is on 10th January 2012 when Rebecca Perry from Colchester Zoo is coming to talk to us. Membership is currently full but visitors are very welcome at a cost of £3.50.
41 members and 4 visitors, attended our October meeting when Catherine Steel came along with a collection of her Jewellery Designs.
40 members and 2 visitors, attended PAWS September meeting when Linda Scoles told them all about her “Around the World in 23 years”. Linda gave a very hilarious account about coming from a ranch on the Squilchuck Creek in America, and meeting her husband a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Airforce, before traveling with him on his various postings the first of which was in Guam in the middle of the Western Pacific Ocean. After spending three years there her Husband was posted to Vietnam so she returned to the States with their 3 children. Finally in 1971 they were thrilled when they got a posting to England and settled for 5 years in Great Barton and had another son, named Barton of course. They then returned to the States for a period of time before being posted back and settling in England. It was a very entertaining evening and PAWS are sure they will see Linda again with one of her other talks.
41 members and 18 visitors, in a wonderful creation of hats, attended our July “Great Britain Night” on the 26th July. We were welcomed with a glass of Pimms before being entertained by Singer Helen Abbey (pictured right) and Ted Beameant on the Piano with renditions from Summertime, Down at the Old Bull and Bush, A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square and Roll out the Barrel to name but a few. Hopefully something for everyone.
Between the music sessions we had a lovely selection of sandwiches and cakes made once again by talented member of the committee. The best hat, as judged by Helen and Ted, went to Marianne Smith in her own creation as seen on the left. It was another lovely evening.
Colchester Borough Council has launched a Customer Service Survey to understand why residents access Council Services in the way that they do. From 11th July the Council begun to gather customer feedback to ensure it is providing the right services at the right location. Customers visiting the Customer Service Centre, High Street will be asked to take the opportunity to have their say, by participating in the survey and shaping the future delivery of Council services. The Customer Service Survey asks: