January 2023 Magazine - Issue 175

News and views

Rotary Club of Gloucester Severn

www.gloucestersevern.rotary1100.org

January 2023

Issue 175

John’s Jottings

S ince my last jottings those lazy, hazy, crazy
days of Summer have gone, we are through
Autumn and we are now in the depths of Winter.
Cheer up, though - Spring is just around the
corner!

On 1 November, a number of us travelled to West
Horsley in Surrey for the funeral, thanksgiving
service and burial of Paul Simons. Paul was a
founder member of our Club and our third
President in 1985-86. He was a great influence in
the development of our club in the early years.

On 7 December, a large number of Rotarians
attended the service celebrating the life of Paul
Rosewell that was held in Upton St Leonards
Church and then at a gathering at Bowden Hall afterwards. Paul was also a founder
member of our Club, becoming our seventh President for the 1989-90 year.

Both gentlemen will be greatly missed, and we send our condolences to their families.
I am honoured to be following in their footsteps.

On a happier note, the sports committee organised a ten-pin bowling session with
our ladies, which was followed by a meal at Bowden Hall. The whole evening was a
great success with a number of the newer ladies getting the chance to meet, socialise
and interact with the established members. There was a special atmosphere during
the meal, totally different to our normal evenings.

Continuing with the expansion of our club we are pleased to welcome our newest
recruit, Dwaine Bushell. District Governor Jim Currie was delighted to perform
Dwaine’s formal induction when he visited us in September. I know that the
membership committee has a number of prospective new members in the pipeline,
and I look forward to inducting them in due course.

I know that the ladies are very active with evening meals and lunchtime meetings, and
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Millie for her enthusiasm in organising
everything.

Although it is only just halfway through my year in office, I would like to give you a “Save
the Date” notification for your diaries. My Final Fling will take place on 10 June 2023 at
Highnam Court, where we can enjoy an Abba and Queen tribute concert. The social
committee is working on the final details and will update you in due course; but let’s
make it a Final Fling to remember. Would 100% attendance be too much to ask for?

We all enjoyed our Christmas Party and we have had our last meeting of 2022. I hope
that everyone has had a most enjoyable time over the festive season, and I wish you
all every happiness in this New Year. I sincerely hope that 2023 will be funeral free and
that we have many happy and joyful experiences throughout the remainder of my
Presidency and on into Adrian’s year.

John

-2-

A Message from Millie

I n the midst of winter, we appreciate the
fireplace and warming food, and this is what
the Ladies enjoyed at Hillview on the last day of
November. It’s more the opportunity to meet up
with friends and share our lives that we really
cherish.

December is the time for our annual afternoon
tea at the Painswick Hotel, as always well
organised by Pauline. She really does us proud
with a great venue and fabulous food to enjoy. I
needed to skip lunch that day so that I could do
it justice!

The annual Christmas Party at Bowden Hall was
a chance to dress up and get into the Christmas
spirit. The ladies’ lunches continue with great hosts and sharing the courses out, so
that all can enjoy the day with friends.

Enjoying the Christmas Tea Party I will look at some dates for activities in the
New Year and advise everyone by email. I
had the opportunity to visit Javelin Park with
another group recently. Please note in your
diaries that I have a group of twenty of us
booked in for a visit on 27 June 2023. It really
is fascinating to see it all close up and the lady
who showed us around is very passionate and
knowledgeable about her subject. I hope you
will be able to join in at 11am that morning,
with a lunch locally afterwards.

We have lots of exciting things to look
forward to in 2023, not least the Coronation
of King Charles on 6 May. This promises to be
a great day for the whole family to get
together and create wonderful memories.
We are blessed with our Royal Family, and it is reassuring to see that they have
similar issues to deal with as we all do in our own families! Rotary is a family we can
rely on for support, so do reach out if the need arises.

If any lady has suggestion of things we may like to do before June, then please
share. I know John has a date in his diary for his Final Fling and that there is a team
working on the details; so, I will leave them to update you when plans have been
finalised.

I hope that you all have enjoyed a very peaceful and Happy Christmas, whatever you
were doing.

Millie

Cover photo - the Dragon Boat presentation - full story on the back page

-3-

A September Trip to Broadway

Sadly not as part of a visit to the Big Apple, instead the ladies took a trip on
the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway to the town just up the road in
Worcestershire.

I understand that the journey on the train was great fun, a nice lunch was
enjoyed which was followed by a bit of retail therapy.

A grand day out indeed!

Birthday Greetings

Many happy returns to all of those members who will be celebrating
their birthdays up to the end of March

Richard Allison 1 January Peter Harris 4 January
Simon Owen 7 January
Roger Hart 7 January Colin Westbury 31 January
10 February
Jerry Ballinger 20 January Steve Markham 23 February
John Bowman
6 February David Threlfall

14 February John Cresswell

Martin Odell - 17 March

-4-

Victoria Hansard

Brand Image

5 October 2022

W e had been expecting two speakers but,
regrettably, Ben, Roger's Boucher’s son, was
unwell, which left us all in the pleasant sole
company of Ben's fiancée, the effervescent Victoria,
who, this year, has been appointed a Director of
Epoch Design in Bristol.

Epoch's interests stretch worldwide and they delve
into the "look and feel" of many brands, seeing
what message they wish to convey to their potential
customers and how best to portray this message
through advertising, logos etc. So, as examples,
Nike want to appear "energetic and inspirational"; Ikea "simple and wonderful"; and
Apple "ambitious, sophisticated and creative". Cadbury's Dairy Milk, with its "glass and
a half" of milk was portrayed as “joyful" - and who can argue with that?

Victoria's presentation was backed up with various video clips showing just how such
messages are delivered, and how similar types of products need to have differences
distinguished. Amazingly, "positioning statements" can also be reflected in the actual
size and shape of containers, as is the case with Dove, aimed at ladies of all sizes, and
hence including bottles of varied design within their portfolio.

Epoch have been going for some thirteen years and work both with many internationally
known brands, but also, interestingly, with new brands. Victoria cited an unknown
name, "Kwak" as an example. Kwak is a Belgian beer company, new to the UK
market - so how best to promote it? Well, through a distinctively shaped bottle, and
crazy illustrations featuring the beer's ingredients, and in so doing promoting the brand
as "unconventional, characterful, and accessible". Whether we Rotarians turn our backs
on Stella, Carlsberg, and Fosters and all become "Kwakers" in the years to come time
will tell!

As usual, questions followed, the two most noticeable being whether Victoria and Epoch
could turn two already hugely successful local companies, one a firm of chartered
accountants/business advisors, the other providing plumbing, heating and electrical
services, into global superstars. I think she may have her work cut out!!

Whilst personally I am far from convinced that adverts in general persuade me to part
with my hard-earned cash, I guess I have to recognise that, subliminally, thoughtful
professional approaches by brands listening to the likes of Epoch Design work on all our
little grey cells and make their mark - otherwise why would companies spend
multi-millions on advertising?

All in all, a very interesting thought-provoking talk - well done Victoria! We wish Ben
a speedy recovery and hope the long-term wedding plans go well (and doesn't cost
Roger a packet!!)

Steve Markham

-5-

Tenpin Bowling

12 October 2022

A s a member of our Sports Committee Jerry Ballinger did all the setting up work, so
the rest of us just had to rock up, bowl a few balls, then decamp to Bowden Hall
for a delicious curry with (almost) all the trimmings. It’s a tough life!

Jerry couldn’t be there on the night as he was
recuperating from an operation the day before,
but it was good that Anne could still make it.

As in previous years the format was to run ladies’
and gents’ singles competitions, with a bottle of
wine for the respective winners. (Running a team
competition is tricky because it’s not always
possible to have an equal number of players in
each lane group. For example, this year we had 31
players, which being a prime number to boot,
made it impossible to have a team competition
without the application of some arithmetical
weighting to the team scores).

Everybody eventually made it to the Barnwood
Bowl, and after an enjoyable spell of greeting,
chatting and generally catching up on things, the
bowling began at around 6:45 pm and we were all done about an hour later.

The winner of the ladies’ competition by some
margin was Sara Hewer with a score of 101. Viv
Barrett was runner up on 73 and Jen Roberts a
close third on 72.

Roger Barrett won the gents’ challenge with a score
of 144, followed closely by Simon Hewer on 137
and Craig Tomes on 125.

(Later in the evening Roger would wax lyrical about
his league bowling days, especially in 1968 when
his team won trophies, and his average was 150
with a high score of 211. He brought this up for
the benefit of the younger members who hadn’t
heard the story before, because not doing so might
be viewed as being tantamount to hustling, not
that there’s any betting going on (yet)! Roger was
just making the point that winning again isn’t a
fluke or beginner’s luck, it’s because there’s a solid background. Having said all that,
he’s happy these days to make 100 at tenpin. It’s a bit like golf; if you score 30
Stableford points you know you’ve had not too bad a game. After that it’s down to the
finer points, the putt that didn’t drop or the strike that should have been).

-6-

Tenpin Bowling - continued
For several years now, we have awarded Roger’s ’68 vintage trophy to the overall high
scorer of the evening, male or female, but in a break with tradition this year it was
offered to Simon Hewer for safe keeping. Simon has been runner-up a few times now,
and with Sara winning the ladies’ event by such a convincing margin, it seemed only
fitting that the Hewer household should be its destiny for the next twelve months.
(Unfortunately, unbeknown to all, the trophy had suffered some damage at the alley
earlier in the evening, so it is currently undergoing repairs).
As mentioned earlier, the chicken curry at Bowden Hall went down well, and being a
buffet service there was plenty of opportunity for those in need of seconds to help
themselves.
Thanks go to Andrew Davies, who stood in for Jerry at the end of the evening, awarding
the prizes with typical aplomb, and to Richard Colley, who took all the necessary
photographs.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the chatting went on for some time after completion
of proceedings. President John Barnes was especially happy, and it underlines yet again
the added value of these get-togethers. It was a fun evening, with all the usual banter
and wind-ups, and interestingly, faint mutterings of getting some practice in before
next year were already in the air!
Roger Barrett
Sports Committee Chairman

-7-

Carolyne Ferguson & Nick Williams
The Missing Link
19 October 2022

Tonight we were entertained by Carolyne and Nick
from Kier Highways who updated us on the A417
“Missing Link” project.
The scheme itself involves three and a half miles of
new road, which will be built ‘off-line’ from the
existing A417. The new road should reduce
collisions, congestion, improve air quality, reduce
the use of rat runs in the area and improve
economic growth.
If you are coming from Cirencester the road will
break away to the right at the Cowley junction
sweeping through farmland before slowly sweeping back to the left going over the top
of the Air Balloon pub (which will be flattened) and then down the hill towards
Gloucester.

Overall
Scheme

-8-

The Missing Link - continued
There are seven new structures that will be built, the major ones being:

● at the top of Crickley Hill there will be a bridge that will link Crickley Hill to
Barrow Wake (to maintain the Cotswold Way), constructed out of weathered
steel. It will be for cyclists, walkers, wheelchair users and horse riders;

● there will be a larger bridge known as the Gloucester Way Crossing which,
although built out of concrete, will be a green link between the countryside
either side of the A417. It will be constructed for similar users as the previous
bridge, but this one will be lined with trees to maintain/allow the flight path of
bats (it appears the area has pretty much every species of UK bat living in it).
It is planned so that those crossing this bridge will not appreciate they are
crossing over a major road; and

● the other noticeable change will be that there will then be three lanes going up
Crickley Hill, and two lanes coming down and these will be separated by a crash
barrier.

The existing road will be repurposed as
a traffic-free route for walkers and
cyclists, and again paths and ponds will
be created to make it environmentally
friendly.

In terms of wildlife a range of trees,

hedgerows and plants will be planted to

Cotswold Way maintain the biodiversity of the area; in
Crossing
fact, more habitats will be created than
those taken away as part of this scheme.

Climate change is a big issue, and the design is all based around a net zero target for
the project. A lot of rock will be excavated during the creation of the new road, and
this will all be re-used elsewhere within the scheme.

In terms of timelines, preliminary design was in March 2019, and should a green light
be given, construction should begin in February 2023 and continue until the end of
2026. Autumn 2023 will involve the major site clearance of shrubbery and
infrastructures; earthworks will then start in spring 2024. In terms of big numbers,
1.6 million cubic metres of material will be excavated.

As the Romans and the Saxons were Gloucester Way
Crossing
heavily active across the entire site, 2023
will also see major archaeological and

ecological mitigation work.

When Carolyne spoke to us the final
DCO/Government decision was awaited
and due in mid-November. Thankfully,
the project did get the green light and,
hopefully, this will break the transport log
jam that we have suffered for years.

Nick Bishop

-9-

Deborah Lee

The NHS in Gloucestershire

26 October 2022

D eborah Lee is the CEO of Gloucestershire
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is,
therefore, responsible for both the Gloucestershire
Royal and Cheltenham General hospitals. She had
been unable to join us for our meal as she had an
earlier commitment; but we were very grateful to
her for coming on from that so that we could learn
more about the challenges facing the Trust.

It soon became obvious that she is dedicated to her
job, having been appointed to her present position
seven years ago. The Trust has an annual budget of
£703 million, split roughly two-thirds to GRH and one-third to CGH who, between them,
serve 8,000 inpatients. Deborah is committed to a “Patient First” policy and to help
achieve this, she has recruited active clinical members to her management board in
addition to others who are responsible for administration. She told us that Covid had
produced the greatest challenges but, by keeping the Cheltenham site as free from
Covid as possible, it had allowed a surgical facility to remain available for patients
throughout the pandemic. CGH continues to provide care for coronary patients so that
interventions such as “stenting” can still proceed. To assist her in managing the budget,
she has an additional volunteer service who can advise patients. These are skilled and
passionate people and a real asset to the Trust. There is presently a need to secure
further capital of £100 million to provide up-to-date equipment, such as new scanners.

Deborah told us that the Trust has been at the forefront for innovation and is now a UK
leader in gastric robotic surgery, other new treatments and research. Research
improves life expectancy for patients and attracts the best staff, who then become loyal
to the hospital; and the aim is for GRH to become a fully-recognised teaching hospital.
Presently, it provides the opportunity to obtain seven healthcare degrees, as well as a
nursing degree. Deborah stressed that retention of staff is paramount to GRH’s success.
Also, the Trust has formed an association with their colleagues in Worcestershire and
they have a joint plan to create a Three Counties Medical School for post-graduates.

One of the biggest challenges the hospitals face is “Bed Blocking" due to the delay in
discharging patients after their treatment is complete. The preferred policy is for
“Community Care” at home as this has been shown to be the better route to a speedy
recovery than moving the patients on into care homes. It also gives much better results
as the patient is more motivated.

Deborah is a former nurse and her own recent experience of requiring urgent medical
attention has made her an inspired and determined administrator committed to
enabling patients to get the best deal possible. She concluded her interesting
presentation by emphasising her belief in the NHS providing free care at the point of
delivery. Her talk confirmed that we have an expert and enthusiast at the helm of our
local NHS hospital services, and we wish her success in her efforts to navigate the Trust
through the choppy waters that are undoubtedly yet to come.

Mike Till - 10 -

Ria Heap
The James Hopkins Trust

2 November 2022

R ia from the James Hopkins Trust came and gave
us a real insight into this unique and incredibly
valuable local charity with a passionate talk about
the hospice and a detailed account of the work she
does, how the charity was founded and how she
came to be involved with it.

The Trust was founded in 1989 by Barnes and
Heather Hopkins in memory of their son who sadly
passed away at just twenty months old. It offers
nursing and respite care to life limited and life
threatened children.

It all started with a jumble sale thirty-three years ago, which raised £300, and, over the
years, it has grown into a sophisticated and crucial hospice for children and parents,
responsible for looking after over a hundred children from Gloucestershire: all with
highly complex, individual care needs.

Ria then talked about just some of the challenges the charity faces. Requiring almost
£600,000 in funding each year it has to work extremely hard just to stand still and keep
offering the invaluable service it does. What is more, with increased energy costs,
inflation and the disruptive effect of the pandemic resulting in a drop off in donations
and fundraising it is clear that the Trust, as well as many other charities, have a
challenging few years ahead.

She then continued by telling us how she had direct involvement with the charity before
she started working with them. In a heartfelt talk she explained how her own daughter
Jasmine was born with complex care needs and highlighted how the direct work of the
charity was a truly invaluable service for her at such a tough time, particularly when
her daughter sadly passed away. Jasmine would have been twenty-four this year, the
same time that Ria has been with the James Hopkins Trust.

The charity not only gives incredible care to the children but also provides much needed
emotional and practical support to help families re-charge and adjust to their situation.
In fact, Ria gave us a perfect example of exactly how valuable the charity is when she
stated: “My own sanity was saved because of the trust; it really gave me the strength
and resolve to carry on and make a difference.”

Ria then went on to show us a short film highlighting just how difficult and complex
some of the needs of the children are and gave as a small insight into the lives of the
families and the day-to-day challenges they face. The moving footage based around
three families, charted their journey through the Trust.

The stories of Noah, Zack and Ezra were truly heart breaking, just some of their complex
conditions included suffering from cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, epilepsy and

brain damage.

Continued overleaf

- 11 -

The James Hopkins Trust - continued from previous page

All three children were unable to walk or talk and required 24-hour round-the-clock
care. It was a tough watch and when the footage ended, we learnt that two of the
three children featured have since passed away.

It was an incredibly emotional film, but what shone through was the grit, strength and
love of the parents. It was inspirational to see how they managed their day-to-day
lives and were doing everything they could to bring as much joy as possible to the
limited lives of their children.

What also was clear was that through care and passion, the Trust really does help the
parents achieve just that. It was heart-warming to see the smiling faces and noises
from the children; they clearly love being in the centre. In fact, all the parents in the
footage said how crucial the Trust has been in helping them to focus on being the best
parents they can be. Surely a priceless service.

The hospice very much offers a warm and nurturing environment for the children and
parents, rather than the clinical feel of a medical centre or hospital. They have based
the care they offer on that of a nursery or pre-school; one that is relaxed, calming and
as much fun as possible for the children.

The nurses also get involved in all the play and interaction, as well as caring for their
medical needs. It is this as much as anything that really makes the James Hopkins Trust
unique. Ria highlighted that there are fifty-four similar hospices throughout the UK,
but that James Hopkins is the only one that covers full 24-hour care, and it is the only
hospice of its kind in the country that is Ofsted inspected.

We felt privileged to get such a personal and first-hand account of this special charity
from Ria. She was keen not to be seen as a “bereaved parent” and gave us a passionate
and heartfelt talk. I think that I speak for all of us when I say that, far from seeing her
as a bereaved parent, what we all saw was a strong, determined and inspirational
woman doing an incredible job for people who really need it.

Richard Dare

Editor’s note: Since this article was written we have donated £500 to the James Hopkins Trust to
help support their efforts.

As members may know, David Bruce recently chaired a medical workshop
in India that was considering how best to develop pre-hospital care for
the nation. On his return he told us one of the initiatives that the
conference had agreed was to launch a “First Aid Aide Memoire” booklet
as a reference tool to help those who have had some pre-hospital
care/first aid training when they respond to emergencies. One statistic
that was mentioned was that there were more than 155,000 road traffic
deaths in India in 2021; many of which might have been avoided by better
immediate trauma care being available.

It is expected that this booklet, which David edited with input from
Indian colleagues, will eventually be rolled out as an app; but in the
meantime, there is a need to get the Aide Memoire printed and
distributed. The Rotary Club of Birmingham and the India and Nepal
Faculty of Disaster Medicine have funded an initial run of 500 copies
and Council has agreed to our International committee’s proposal that
we sponsor an additional 100 copies at a cost of £300.

- 12 -

Kevin Howie
Gloucester City Mission

9 November 2022

T he Club welcomed Kevin Howie, the General
Manager of the Gloucester City Mission who
was to tell us about the assistance that the Mission
gives to the homeless and vulnerable in the City.
Kevin started his working life as a teacher,
eventually becoming the head of a local primary
school. Following this, he started a consultancy
business advising schools on sourcing funds from
external bodies. Kevin was originally a volunteer
with the Mission before becoming its General
Manager.

Initially, the volunteers went out into the streets of Gloucester offering hot drinks and
a chat to those sleeping rough. However, it was soon realised that this was not enough,
and they started providing weekly meals. This service has grown, and meals are now
available on five days a week. In 2012 the Mission moved into the George Whitfield
Centre in Great Western Road where a day centre was established providing a safe
environment for their clients, along with meals, clothing and shower facilities.

The Mission now has seventy volunteers and Kevin went on to tell us a bit about what
they do. The street teams go out into the City five days a week offering hot drinks and
a helping hand where sought. Importantly, the teams are also able to collect
information of where the rough sleepers are, which is then passed on to the City Council
for appropriate action.

In addition to the work of the street teams Inside the Restore shop
the Mission now run Restore, a clothes
store in Southgate Street, and a Winter
Shelter from November through to March
with beds for fifteen people. Those using
the Shelter come in the early evening when
they are given a meal and can use the
television lounge and library as well as the
shower facilities. On a commercial basis
the Mission runs Revive, a coffee house,
which gives employment opportunities to
people who have experienced
homelessness and/or addictions.

The Gloucester City Mission is a registered charity which relies upon donations and
organising fund raising events. One member of our Club is already a volunteer, and
anyone else who is interested in helping should register their interest on the Mission’s
website.

Dave Wrigley

- 13 -

Julie Kent MBE

How a Girl Born in Granville Street
Ended Up With a Gong

16 November 2022

J ulie Kent was born in Granville Street and was
educated at Denmark Road School, where she
enjoyed playing the flute before switching to the
saxophone. She moved on to study at the Leeds
College of Music, graduating with a degree in jazz
and light music. Julie then played in a band called
“Saxrelief” and eventually taught saxophone to
pupils at Dean Close School for thirty years,
combining this with being a boarding house
mistress at the School for twenty of those years.

Julie and her husband, Bernard, lost their first child, Emily, to a brain tumour in 1995
and founded the Emily Kent Charitable Trust in her memory. Initially this was to fund
an anaesthetist to help with MRI scans at Bristol Royal Infirmary and over £400,000
was raised over a seven year period.

During this time the Pied Piper Appeal
approached the charity for funds to help
with the construction of the new
children’s’ centre at Gloucester Royal
Hospital. Julie agreed to assist with the
proviso that the children’s cancer unit
would be called the Emily Kent Unit, which
it still is to this day.

Julie and Bernard then had two more
children, a son and a daughter, and they
decided that they should close the Trust
so that they could pursue their careers.
Julie became involved in community
action through the school with the pupils attending many different activities and
regularly suggesting different charities that they could raise funds for. One day a pupil
asked if the girls could raise money for the Cheltenham Open Door. This charity assists
people who are hungry, lonely and a small number who are homeless. Seventy people
attend daily and they receive breakfast and a hot meal during the day as well
somewhere warm to meet up and socialise. This assistance has now continued for
over twenty years.

When Julie reached the magic age of 50 she decided that she wanted to run the
London Marathon and raise money for CLIC Sargent. In order to gain an entry she had
to agree to raise a minimum of £2,500. Julie surpassed that target, raising £12,500.

- 14 -

How a girl born in Granville Street ended up with a gong - continued

In addition to sitting on the board of
Cheltenham Open Door, Julie is on the
boards of the Pied Piper and Goals
Beyond Grass charities. Throughout the
pandemic, and until recently, Julie was
the main fundraiser for Pied Piper,
working free of charge as she was also a
trustee. The aim this year was to raise
£300,000, a target that they expect to
exceed in November, well before the
year end. They now have a full-time
fundraiser in post and this has released
Julie to pursue other interests.

Her aim next year is to raise £500,000 to employ a psychologist for the Emily Kent
Unit at Gloucester Royal Hospital. This is especially to support children and their
families who undergo years of treatment for leukaemia and other long term
conditions. The funds will pay for the position to be filled for ten years, thus giving
much needed stability to patients and their families.

In 2018 Julie was named on a list of the
fifty greatest women in Gloucestershire.
She was also included in the top 100
women in the West of England and when
she attended the award ceremony she
was awarded the top honour. As well as
her charitable work receiving local and
regional recognition, her efforts with so
many good causes culminated in her being
awarded an MBE in 2020, which she
eventually received from Prince William in
2022 when the investitures recommenced
post-lockdown.

We were honoured to be addressed and entertained by Julie and wish her every
success with her continuing work helping the less fortunate members of our society.

John Barnes

Birthday Greetings

Many happy returns to all of those members who will be celebrating
their birthdays up to the end of March

Richard Allison 1 January Peter Harris 4 January
Simon Owen 7 January
Roger Hart 7 January Colin Westbury 31 January
10 February
Jerry Ballinger 20 January Steve Markham 23 February
John Bowman
6 February David Threlfall

14 February John Cresswell

Martin Odell - 17 March

- 15 -

Tom Mabbett
Naturetrek

23 November 2022

Tom is a Tour Leader at Naturetrek, a company that,
as the name suggests, specialises in organising
wildlife tours. When I was asked to be his friend for
the evening, I was expecting him to talk about the
organisation, where it is based, where they travel
to, the accommodation, the staff etc. etc.

How wrong I was! I was not prepared for the
enthusiastic delivery of his talk, without a note in
sight, nor for the quality of the stunning quality of
the numerous photographs that we were shown.
Although many were a bit fuzzy for me - I had forgotten my distance glasses!

The talk started in the wilds of Scotland, at Ardnamurchan, four hours north of Glasgow.
From there we went to the Forest of Dean, then on to the Somerset Levels and finally
we had a tutorial of how to photograph wildlife in your own garden.

A week is spent at Ardnamurchan, a peninsula with the Isle of Mull not far away. The
Ardnamurchan Bunkhouse is the centre of operations and is set in a pine forest, a home
to crossbills, siskins and pine martens; of which we were shown photographs. Daily
walks are organised along Loch Sunart, so tranquil and peaceful and full of wildlife, to
show visitors as much of the beautiful countryside and its inhabitants as possible.
Otters are a star species, and visitors can get to within 3 - 4 metres of them. The pine
martens will come close to the windows of the Bunkhouse - a wonderful sight! Tom
also added that pine martens are now being introduced into the Forest of Dean.

There is also a day at sea where the group may see bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks
and occasionally, a minke whale. Red-throated divers breed on the Loch in the spring
and, on land, you may see Britain’s rarest butterfly, the chequered skipper. We were
shown photographs of them all. There are trips to smaller islands where large colonies
of sea birds can be seen, one of the great sights of the birding world. In September
and October there are trips to see the Red Deer ‘rut’. Truly an action-packed tour!

Closer to home Naturetrek organise trips to the Forest of Dean, which is the second
largest tract of forest in England after the New Forest. Speech House is used as the
base for these tours and, being on Tom’s doorstep, it is one of his favourite locations.
Every visit throws up something different and there is very little driving as all the
locations are close at hand. The forest is evenly split between conifers and deciduous
trees, with large numbers of very mature trees such as oak, beech and hornbeam.

Many different species can be seen there throughout the year; both common birds and
some of the rarer star species, including a visitor from Europe, the grey shrike, also
known as the butcher bird, so called as it keeps a larder of small insects and mammals
for when food is scarce. Winter is probably the best time for the rarer species as they
will be over from Europe for the winter.

- 16 -

Naturetrek - continued

At Symonds Yat, a local beauty spot, peregrine falcons can be seen. They have been
breeding here for many years. Let us not forget butterflies, including the rare wood
white and small pearl-bordered fritillary. Also, reptiles, adder, mammals. The wild
boar was introduced as an experiment, and they are now well-established; but it is
difficult to keep their numbers under control. Although hated by the locals it is one of
the animals on most of the visitors’ lists. Difficult to see during the day they are best
viewed at night with high powered torches. Fallow deer are also high on the list.

A bit farther away are the Somerset Levels, a flood plain between the Mendips and the
Quantocks, and here a hotel in Wells with a view of the Cathedral is their centre of
operations. This is an area that Tom likens to the Camargue in southern France. The
removal of peat has left small isolated areas surrounded by water which provides
protection for wildlife from predators. Bitterns, herons and marsh harriers all flourish
here as do widgeon, teal and shoveler ducks, pintails and the white egret from the
Continent. We were shown a photograph of a starling and then one of what may have
been a million of them. A murmuration is the collective noun for a flock of starlings
and an autumn evening is the time to see the vast group on the Somerset Levels.
Another of the must-see wildlife events of the year.

Tom then went on to talk about wildlife on “your patch”, an area near you that you
regularly visit. Tom’s patch is Dowdeswell Reservoir and here he has seen tufted ducks,
great crested grebes and, occasionally, kingfishers from nearby rivers. The occasional
osprey sometime also drops by for a bit of fishing on its migration north to breed. Here
he has had two very exciting ‘spottings’: a night heron and a Wilson’s phalarope.

Tom likes to set up camera traps, just to see what is around. At Dowdeswell he set up
a camera focused on a rock at the water’s edge. These cameras have a movement
sensor and will record, both stills and video, for up to a couple of months. With them
he has seen water rail, grey heron (on video staring at the red dot on the camera for
ages and running the battery down); also, muntjac deer and, most excitingly, otters.
He also sets up camera traps when he travels abroad, His piece de resistance was a
night video of two pumas in South America.

And on that high note Tom finished. As expected, there were many questions, the most
interesting being, “have you ever recorded any proof of the Beast of Dowdeswell on
your camera traps’’? A reference to the possible existence of a ‘large cat’ in the area.
The answer was NO, but he has an open mind on the subject.

Richard Allison

While we were busy with our SGM at the end of November - well it did
occupy us for 15 minutes - (see page 18), Millie was hosting a meal at home
for many of our ladies.

Unfortunately the conversation was so lively that they forgot to take any
photographs for me, but I am told that a good time was had by all, the
world was thoroughly put to rights and we blokes were hardly mentioned
at all!

- 17 -

We were very pleased to welcome
Tony Hadfield to our meeting on
23 November.
Tony is the Chair of the District
Foundation Committee and he was
here to present us with a
certificate recognising our
contributions to Rotary
Foundation during 2021 - 22.
Tony said some nice words when
handing the certificate to
President John and we were
delighted to discover that our
club had made the largest
donation within District 1100.

We began our SGM by electing the 2023 - 2024 Club Officers. Our
new Senior Management Team will be:

That done, we moved on to consider the accounts for the year ended
30 June 2022 and these were approved by those present. President
John thanked the Treasurer, John Bowman, for his stewardship of
our finances and Tony Priestley and David Wrigley for their work in
examining the accounts on the members’ behalf.

The President reminded those present that we did need to fill the
President Nominee’s position as soon as possible and asked all
members to consider putting themselves forward. He then closed
the meeting.

As the SGM is normally a brief event we had arranged for Roger
Boucher to entertain us afterwards with one of his quizzes.
Unfortunately, Roger had tested positive for Covid earlier that day
so was unable to join us. John Bowman stepped in with a replacement
quiz (sadly, without all the computer embellishments that we
normally associate with roger’s) to fill the time and, after
half-an-hour of closely contested quizzing and a spirited challenge
from Dr Bruce about the ingredients of Devils on Horseback (he was
wrong!), the team of John Harris, Peter Harris, Roger Hart, Tony
Priestley and Nick Rowles emerged as the victors.

- 18 -

Paul James
The Highs and Lows of Gloucester’s

Regeneration Journey

14 December 2022

P aul was a member of Gloucester City Council for
twenty-four years – sixteen of them as Leader.
As part of his responsibilities, he became the cabinet
member for city regeneration in 2002 and held the
post for some sixteen years.

In his talk, he covered four of the many areas with
which he had been involved during that time. These
were the Docks, the Quays, Blackfriars and the
King’s Quarter. For each, there were things that
went well and things that did not. Paul is in the
process of documenting these as he feels that it is important that there is a record for
future reference. He suggested that the main aspects of any such work could be broken
down as:

• all projects, whatever they were, were complex and would take a significant
amount of time;

• they would all require determination, perseverance and patience; and

• there were elements of luck involved in all projects which sometimes worked
and did not at others.

Paul outlined how each of the projects developed. It became clear from his talk as to
how he had arrived at these points. They all seemed to involve dealing with multiple
owners across each site with differing programmes, timescales and budgets. Added
into this were the problems with the national finances, such as the banking crisis of
2008 and the subsequent austerity period, which meant that any associated funding
by Government organisations was either curtailed or cancelled. Further, companies
said that they would move into the area but then changed their minds.

For the Docks, he mentioned how the City bought the North Warehouse for £1 on
condition that they refurbish it. Part of this deal was that the Waterways Museum
would move into the building where it is currently housed. Other warehouses were
refurbished and converted to either flats or commercial buildings. The proposal to
build a cinema on the car park by the Victoria Basin was abandoned as was the idea of
filling in that part of the docks.

The Quays is owned by the Peel Group. The redevelopment was agreed on the basis
that the whole infrastructure was to be put in place at the outset, which resulted in
what became known as the “road to nowhere” being built. This road was later
completed when the bridge over the canal by Sainsbury’s was constructed to link
through to the South-West Bypass. Paul also mentioned the Provender building fire
and the other warehouse redevelopment work which is still ongoing.

Continued overleaf

- 19 -

Christmas Party - 21 December 2022

We all got together at Bowden Hall to celebrate the beginning of the festive season and a good
time was had by all. Our thanks to John Roderick and Gordon Wilde for organising the do. I
took quite a few pictures but space constraints have meant that I have had to leave a couple
out. My apologies to those of you that I have not included - nothing personal I assure you!.

Just got room also to congratulate John and Millie on the birth of Ivy Sophia, their second
granddaughter, the previous day - an extra cause for celebration!

Gloucester’s regeneration journey - continued from the previous page
The original proposals for Blackfriars were comprehensive. They extended from
Commercial Road into Southgate Street and included removal of the multi-storey
car park in Longsmith Street. Plans for a new Magistrates’ Court in either a
neo-classical or modernistic styles were drawn up, but the idea was shelved,
however, due to funding being withdrawn. In addition, there were issues between
various landowners of the associated sites which complicated the whole process.
Redevelopment was, therefore, restricted to the new apartments on the old power
station site off Ladybellgate Street.

Work on the King’s Quarter is clearly ongoing. Paul detailed the history of the initial
work on King’s Square, in 1972, which was undertaken on behalf of Norwich Union.
It was recognised some time later that a redevelopment was needed, and Paul
outlined how that was achieved. As with other areas, the process was not simple
but included the removal of the notorious “Golden Egg” block, which I well remember
for the eyesore that it was. The renewal work had to go out for competitive tender,
and this led to some interesting designs which were not followed through.
Eventually, the Council decided to co-ordinate the re-development itself and
underwrite the project.

Paul concluded by listing other areas of the City that he thought he would have been
involved with if he were still in post, including the Fleece Hotel, the prison, Project
Pilgrim (around the Cathedral) and the redevelopment of the former Debenhams
building.

There is clearly some way to go as far as full redevelopment is concerned but, from
my perspective, what has happened so far is a big improvement!

Jeff Dawson

- 20 -

More from the Christmas Party

- 21 -

Paul Simons

1938 - 2022

It is with great sadness that I offer this tribute to
Honorary Member Paul.

As a fellow Rotarian, friend and business colleague for
over thirty years, his sudden and untimely death,
albeit at the age of 84, was a shock to everyone who
knew him.

Paul was the most considerate of men and a shining
proponent of the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”.
Throughout his life he loved helping others less fortunate,
raising money for charities and organising community events
with the various service organisations that he belonged to.
Paul was an instantly likeable, straightforward, kindly man with a strong moral compass.
Nonetheless, as a business leader he was firm and resolute when it was called for. His
outstanding professionalism and northern sense of fair play ensured he was held in
the highest regard by those who worked with him. Paul was the wisest of counsellors
in guiding family, friends and the local Lanes Health business that was his enduring
passion.
Paul was born in a humble terrace in Bolton in 1938. Against the odds he gained entry
to the local grammar school. His interests included the cornerstone of his life – the
Church, a skiffle group, cycling and Bolton Wanderers FC. He left school at fifteen to
start an apprenticeship with a manufacturing chemist. After National Service, his night
school studies were rewarded with membership of the Chartered Institute of
Secretaries.
Local lass Ann caught his eye at the Navada dance hall in Bolton and they married in
1963. He subsequently applied to join a then small family business in the health food
industry – G R Lane Health Products, based in Gloucester.
Paul quickly gained the confidence of the family. During his fifty-three years of
involvement, ultimately as managing director on the operating side, the business grew
from a relatively small turnover to today’s sizeable company with nationally known
brands. Paul completed service with UK and International Industry Associations and
found time to write books on lecithin, garlic and nutrition which sold over a million
copies and were published in fifteen languages. On retirement he took up and
thoroughly enjoyed playing golf with family and friends.
Paul was a founder member of Gloucester Severn, our third President, and was
awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship. He and Ann moved to Surrey in 2011 to be closer
to family and to become hands-on grandparents. Paul soon became an active and very
popular member of Bookham and Horsley Rotary Club and of his local church, St Mary’s.
The service celebrating his life was attended by many people from across the country
who had valued his friendship, wisdom and counsel.
Paul is survived by his beloved wife Ann, daughters Johanna and Penny, and four much
loved grandchildren.

Mike Frost

- 22 -

Paul Rosewell
1939 - 2022

In late 1982 Paul joined a small group that had been
formed to start a new Rotary club in Gloucester. Under
the direction of Graham Choyce this small group
expanded to twenty-seven and was chartered as the
Rotary Club of Gloucester Severn in May 1983. Paul then
set about making Rotary his supplementary career with
the enthusiasm and dedication that he displayed in his
professional life.

Where do we start? Well, he began the Club newsletter in
1983 and developed it into a prize-winning publication at
District conference, so setting the standard for the future. In 1989 he became the Club
President hosting the first ”International Weekend” with the Rotary Club of Deventer
from Holland. His year also saw the Special Olympics featured on television, the award
of the cup for the highest attendance at the District Conference, which featured Kenneth
Clarke, the then Health Minister, as well as the infamous Ken Dodd show that finished
well after midnight! Subsequently he served as our treasurer when Ray Lewis was ill,
for a period as secretary, and as the chairman of various committees over the years.
Paul had a mild-mannered way of positive persuasion when he wanted to get his
projects through and was a major influence on the character of the club.

Paul was born in Cardiff near the docks and was one of three children, having two
younger sisters. Due to the war his father was away, and Paul did not meet him till he
was eight years old. He passed his 11+ exam and studied at Cardiff Grammar School.

When Paul left school he joined Cardiff County Council as a junior clerk, but the way
forward was to study accountancy, in which he became qualified. He then moved to
Gloucester to work for the Council. He progressed in his career and joined a district
council in Wiltshire rising to become its Assistant Treasurer. Always seeking out
challenges, Paul accepted the post of Financial Director of a Housing Association that
had been formed to take over the Council’s housing stock. He often talked of going to
London to sign the documents giving the association a loan of £130 million to set up
the business. It was a very successful operation and when Paul retired, he became a
respected adviser to other councils on how to set up similar organisations. He also
became a governor and Chair of Barnwood Park School and when the Upton Village
News was created, Paul served as a director helping to steer the paper into a continuing
success.

Paul loved rugby and was a great supporter of Wales as well as enjoying watching
Gloucester play. He also became hooked on big band jazz music in his early years in
Cardiff.

Paul was married to Diana for thirty-eight years and he is also survived by four children
and twelve grandchildren.

Paul had a full life giving much to our club and he will be greatly missed by all his friends.

Richard Sugdon

- 23 -

Following the Sporting Dinner, our
International committee was asked to look at
opportunities to donate some of the proceeds
to a Ukrainian charity, preferably one that was
cancer related. Richard Allison sought advice from the
RGBI Ukrainian Crisis Taskforce lead and, as a result,
we were put in touch with the Tabletochki Charity
Foundation, who are based in Kyiv.

The Foundation provides support for Ukrainian children
who are suffering from cancer and in conversation with
them we learnt that they had a need for a modern
medical microscope and camera, together with the
necessary software. This equipment is vital to the
diagnosis and treatment of this terrible disease and
the cost of the whole package was just under £10,000.

Having completed our due diligence, we were pleased to fund this purchase
and have sent the required funds to their bank in Kyiv.

When acknowledging receipt Sophia Kostenko, our contact at Tabletochki,
told us, “We are incredibly grateful to you for this significant support of
Ukrainian paediatric oncology treatment! Thanks to friends like you, we
believe in victory - in victory over cancer, in victory over Russia.

“I will get back to you with a photo report as soon as the microscope is
delivered and installed in the medical department. Thank you from our
entire team, doctors and wards.”

Dragon Boat Festival

You will recall that the principal
charity that we supported with
the 2022 Dragon Boat Festival
was Young Gloucestershire, who
support the physical and mental
wellbeing of young people in the
County.

It proved to have been an
excellent choice as they took an
active role in supporting the
Festival, supplying both manpower and teams on the day, as well as offering us the
use of their building, if it was needed.

We have now finalised the event and we were delighted to be able to present them
with a donation of £7,500 to help them with their work.

The photograph on our front page shows Simon Owen handing over the cheque to
Karl Gwilliam, Young Gloucestershire’s Fundraising Manager, whilst some of their staff
and young people that they support look on.