During the summer of 1973, the rotary club of Evesham invited a number of retired business and professional men who lived in the Evesham area to attend their weekly luncheon.   Fred Abbott, Chairman of the Community Service Care Committee, put forward the suggestion that a Probus Club be formed in Evesham.

 

            Thanks to the efforts of Fred Abbott and of Frank Higginson who undertook the secretarial work a meeting was called for the16th of November, to be held at the Crown Inn, Waterside (later renamed The Navigation) when the current President of Rotary, Dr. W. Astley, and eight other members of Rotary attended.   Rotarian Frank Higginson proposed and it was carried unanimously that 'a Probus Club of Evesham' be formed.

 

            On November 22nd, 1973, the first meeting of Probus took place, twenty-two Founder Members were enrolled.   Tom Bottomley was elected Chairman; Alan Ross, Vice-Chairman; George Willcox, Secretary and John Payton, Treasurer.   Meetings to be held every Thursday at 10.15 at the Crown.   Later, in August 1974, a move was made to The Round of Gras, Badsey and the meeting time made 10.30.

 

            The first speakers were our own members, George Willcox and Watkyn Griffiths.   They were followed in later weeks by Tom Bottomley, Trevor Bowles, Reg Owles, and John Payton, thus proving from the start that our members had life stories to tell that interested other members.

 

            Our first visiting speaker was on January 17th, 1974 when Harry Hargreaves spoke on "Rambling".   He was followed in February by Mr L.Stones, the Deputy Governor of Long Lartin prison.

 

            The first Annual General Meeting was held on14th February 1974 when it was agreed that the present Officers should continue in office until the time of the next A.G.M.   Membership now stood at twenty-nine.

 

            Our own members continued to give talks in February and March, 1974 with Ron Barlow, Alan Ross, John Payton, Bill Green and Tom Bottomley.   A particularly interesting visitor was Fred Archer of Ashton-under-Hill, who entertained us with stories of country life around Bredon Hill.

 

            In April and May, 1974, visits were received from Mr Staite of Staite's nurseries, Inspector Malcom Cummings of the Evesham Police, Harold Casey late of the B.B.C., Mr W. Beckley on sport, Mr George Aldridge on Russia with our own members Norman Finlay, Bill Green, and Leslie Poulter.

 

            On June 19th, 1974 the first club outing took place when twenty-seven members and friends visited Powis Castle.

 

            Two delightful talks were given by the Misses Lewis who spoke to us on their visit to Ethiopia on 11th July, 1974, and of their visit to Italy when they again visited us in 1975

 

            The first of "Any Questions" was held in July when the panel consisted of Watkyn Griffiths, John Payton and Bill Green.   This was repeated on the 5th of September with the same team.         Visiting speakers in August and September were Harry Hart (Silversmith), George Carney (Administrator Evesham Hospitals), Ron Sidwell on Market Gardening, Harry Pilkington of Cheltenham on Model Railways,

 

            Our own members in this period included Harold Kennedy and Bob Forrester.

 

            An outing to St. Pauls Cathedral took place on 26th September, 1974.

 

            It was with regret that in October we had to announce the passing of one of the first members to join Probus, Alfred Eyre.

 

            Speakers in the end part of the year included Mr David Glazebrook of The Pershore College of Horticulture, Mr Fryer on collecting old books and from our own members, Watkyn Griffiths (Old Days of the Pharmacy), Roy Cureton (The Gas Industry), Reg Owles (Wood Carving) and George Willcox on his recent visit to Poland.

 

            The first Annual Dinner was held at the Round of Gras, and a very enjoyable evening was held with seventy-two members and friends attending.

 

            Into 1975 with the unfortunate news of the death of our Vice Chairman, Alan Ross, after a long illness and later in January of the passing of Jim Dale.   At the start of the year our membership stood at forty-four.

 

            Visiting speakers in the early part of 1975 included Major John Cheney (Beagling), George Aldridge (Russia Part II), Dr J.Woodman (Campden Research Station), Mrs Beesley (Italian Renaissance Art), Col. Richard Burlingham, Denis Falvey (Rome & Augustus) and our own members Stan Thomas and George Willcox.

 

            A further "Any Questions" session was held on February 6th with John Major, Cecil Slocombe and Bill Redman providing the answers.

 

            The second Annual General Meeting was held on February 2nd and the new Chairman for the coming year was elected, Watkyn Griffiths, with Harold Kennedy as Vice Chairman.   The Secretary and Treasurer remained in office, Ron Barlow was elected Assistant Secretary and Roy Cureton Programme Secretary.   The Committee was Frank Davis, Norman Finlay, Trevor Bowles and Reg Owles.

 

            A speaker who has made three visits to Probus is David Abbott, who on different visits has shown films on Australia, New Zealand, India and New Guinea.   Mr Abbott is off on his travels again and has promised to visit us in 1978.

 

            Speakers during the April, May, June period were Ron Edwards (The Penine Way), 'Buster' Mustoe (Tales of a Landlord), J.P.Nelson (Upper Avon Navigation Trust), Major Webb (Wine Making), Mr Kearst (The A.A.), Ron Harley (Advanced Motoring) and our own members Ron Chalkley, Jim Hodson, Stan Thomas and Tom Bottomley and one morning with a Welsh flavour Trevor Bowles, Ron Chalkley with Watkyn Griffiths in the chair.

 

            A most enjoyable visit to the Fire Service Training College at Moreton-in-Marsh took place in June.

            In July and August visits from Rev. David Hayes (son-in-law of John Major), George Watton (Orchids), Mrs Smith (Fuschias), Pat Rust (Wychavon D.C.), Mr Careless (M.E.B.) and our own members, Leslie Poulter on his visit to the U.S.A., John Payton on "Characters I Have Known", and a most enthralling talk by Bob Forrester of his war-time experiences and his escapes from prison camp in Poland to Russia.

 

            It was with regret that the death of Bill Shute, a founder member was announced at the end of July, 1975.

 

                        Speakers in the period September to November 1975.   Talks from our own members, Reg Owles (Life in the R.A.F.), Bill Hopkins (Fossils), Leslie Poulter (Early Flying Days), Jim Hodson (Water Undertakings), and Ron Barlow (The Envelope).   Visiting Speakers were Godfrey Baseley on the early days of "The Archers". Charles Walker, a film on Midland Canals, Bill Morgan on "The Royal Palace of Westminster, Wg. Cmdr. Davis, "Trenchard's Brats" and Derek Coupland from Long Lartin on "Prison Guard Dogs".

 

            A Conference of Probus Clubs in the South West was held in Bristol and attended by Watkyn Griffiths, Tom Bottomley, David Heath and Ron Barlow.

 

            In October Roy Cureton left Evesham to reside in the South of England and our thanks are due to him for acting as our Programme Secretary and arranging such an interesting series of talks.   Cecil Slocombe took over from Roy and as talks are already arranged up till March next year it looks as though Cecil will prove a worthy successor to Roy.

 

            Other visits have been made to the Arboretum at Westonbirt, The Horticultural College at Pershore, The Royal Worcester Porcelain Works, Postlip Paper Mills at Winchcombe and future visits are planned to West Mercia Police Headquarters at Hindlip Hall and Bulmers Cider Factory, Hereford.

 

            This report would not be complete without a mention of the help given to those less fortunate than ourselves.   Members regularly help John Major with driving and crewing the Wheelchair Bus for the Fellowship of the Handicapped and for the past two years we have distributed collecting boxes in the region on behalf of the Blind.

 

            What of the future?  -  With a full complement of fifty members and an attendance at our meetings of around forty and now our100th meeting, The Probus Club of Evesham can be said to be fully established.

 

            The success of the club is entirely due to the members themselves, with the happy spirit of friendship and co-operation that exists between them.   Long may it continue.

 

November 1975                                                                                              R.F.BARLOW