The Annual Christmas Brass Band Concert Hits the high notes.
The Rotary Club of Frodsham & Helsby organise this event for the community, rather than a fund raising. It remains popular and this year was no exception with a rousing programme.
In the main the success of the event is due to the exceptional quality of the Pennine Brass Band. Winning awards is almost a regular event for the Band but this time they had really scooped a jackpot having just won the National Brass Band Concert in their class. Such is the quality of these very talented people, and it is recommended that if you have not heard the Band, then do so!
In some ways it is difficult to describe how entertaining the programme was, it has to be heard to be appreciated. Amongst the Full Band Pieces there were solos on the Xylophone and many other instruments. Carols were included to remain in the festive spirit but balanced with a mixture classical band pieces and well known popular tunes.
Your next opportunity to hear them in Frodsham will be on 7th December 2008, 7.00pm at the Frodsham Community Centre. Cost around £5 per person. Really good value for money!
Our Club’s Visit to Prague.
Under the expert tour management and gentle guidance of the wonderful Daniela Cervenka, a total of 10 Club members, wives and guests visited the city of Prague in order to continue to further develop our relationships with our Twin Club of Hradec Králové, along with a touch of retail therapy in the City’s famous Christmas Markets.
By the way, Věra and Jenda
Vítek, how are you and how is Hořice? May we wish you both a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We arrived in Prague late on Wednesday the 12th of December, just in time to visit a local hostelry called UŠvejkŭ, where waiting for us all was a traditional home cooked Czech meal and of course appropriate quantities of the most delicious of Czech beers and wines. We can all be seen here, appropriately fed, watered, suitably relaxed and ready for anything!
Thursday was taken up by a mixture of sight seeing and detailed and extensive inspection of all the local Christmas Market stalls in both Václavské námĕsti (Wenceslas Square) and Staromĕstské námĕstí (the Old Town Square).
This experience was somewhat different to what our Club members had expected, as it led to substantial expenditures being made, over several hours, by all the Ladies!
As can be seen, despite the financial implications, everyone enjoyed the experience.
The whole of Friday however, was an exceptional and memorable day in many ways.
The morning began with a visit to the Czech Parliament buildings courtesy of David Kafka, who not only is a member of the Rotary Club of Hradec Králové, but also an M.P. Also joining us on the visit were his fellow Club members and our good friends Augustine Cermák and Radek Tylš, along with his son who is also called Radek.
The two-hour Private tour ended with a traditional Bavarian Lunch then being taken within the Parliament complex and, as can be seen, was enjoyed by all.
The tour itself ended on a high note, as we were invited to David’s impressive office for a farewell drink, with the Ladies being presented with a gift to keep as a memento of the visit. Thank you so much David, quite fantastic!
More retail therapy was then undertaken to buy remaining Christmas presents, which was followed by our last dinner in Prague which was made so memorable because, having eaten well AND been serenaded by a genuine Slovak gypsy group, when we left the restaurant………... IT WAS SNOWING !
Our journey back to our Hotel through the busy streets, passing brightly lit shops, was made more special by the shear magic of Prague in the snow. Breathtaking!
The following day, Saturday, after a leisurely breakfast and a brief visit to the river Vltava, which was close to our Hotel, we reluctantly returned to the Airport with our suitcases bulging at the seams with all the presents we had bought ready for our journey home to dear old Frodsham.
Daniela, we all thank you so much for your help, kindness and consideration.
Frodsham & District Round Tables Christmas Float.
It was with the greatest of pleasure that this year our Club once again gave help and assistance to our good friends in Frodsham & District Round Table, taking charge of their Christmas Float on three separate occasions.
Tuesday the 11th of December saw us visit areas in Helsby and on the 18th we visited areas in Frodsham where local residents gave great support to our efforts and Santa was kept busy with Christmas present requests from the children, as well as adults too!
For the third of our visits, we were pleased to join shoppers at the Tesco Supermarket in Helsby on Saturday the 15th where we were given a warm welcome and as usual, Santa ensured all requests were duly noted and passed on ready for Christmas Eve.
We, the members of the Rotary Club of Frodsham & Helsby, would like to pass out our own thanks and Seasonal Best Wishes to all those children, parents, family and friends who came out and showed their support to this most wonderful of Christmas event, which we were pleased to be a part of.
Santa Looks Forward to Seeing You All Next Year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Chinese Xmas Lunch
Well it seems we did it again, 29 of us with our better-halves/offspring, braved the rain on Sunday 2nd Dec for our informal get together at the Fortune Palace, Delamere.
All was going swimmingly, then a Past President arrived and somehow managed to run his car over his own camera. Accident(?) or has he just realised he could do with another for Christmas! We will ask Santa for you.
We all managed, I think, to have an elegant sufficiency of the chinese food and drink! It was suggested we do it again quite quickly!
