A Note from the Chairman
This is the final newsletter of 2009 (how time flies) and I hope all our members have enjoyed the programme that we have put on this year. We have tried to put on some new items as well as retaining the old favourites and we shall be sticking to this formula again next year (as you will see from the DRAFT programme included with this newsletter). I have deliberately put draft in capitals because it is just that and will be confirmed early in the New Year – it’s included here for your information.
Our experiment with a “stay away” trip to Harrogate was so successful that we have decided to arrange a similar trip again this coming year – this time to the beautiful northeast area of Northumberland.
This year has been rather unsettling with all the rumours and activity surrounding the future of the Retirees Clubs in general and things have not yet been finalised. All we know at present is that the current funding and arrangements will continue through 2010 and that the future will be determined sometime during the coming year. I shall, of course, ensure that you are all kept updated as things progress.
As usual at this time, and on behalf of the entire committee, I would like to wish all our members a very Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.
My very best wishes to you all and I look forward to seeing you in 2010.
Barbara Clark

Christmas Lunches – a Reminder
There are still places available at this year’s Christmas Lunches at the Langstone Hotel. The format and food will be similar to last year; however as we are spreading them over four days instead of three, there should be some more space.
If you wish to come and have not yet sent in your application please complete it and return it to Barbara Clark just as soon as possible.

Holiday in Northumberland
Following the success of the trip to Harrogate earlier this year we have decided to run a similar trip from the 1st to 6th June 2010. This time it will be centred in Northumberland staying in a four star hotel close to Newcastle:
• 1 Jun: Leave NHBR at 9am and travel to Newcastle via Cherwell Valley, Chesterfield, and Richmond Yorkshire.
• 2 Jun: Visit Durham in the morning and spend the afternoon at the Beamish Open Air Museum.
• 3rd Jun: Coastal tour visiting Seahouses, Lindisfarne, and Berwick on Tweed returning to hotel via Coldstream.
• 4 Jun: Craigside House and Gardens in the morning and Alnwick Castle in the afternoon.
• 5 Jun: Tour of the local area with a Blue Badge Guide.
• 6 Jun: Return home via Milletts Farm at Abingdon.
The cost of this trip will be £290 per person sharing a twin / double room and there will be a single person supplement of £80. This will include half board for five nights (with a plated dinner that will offer a choice of three starters, main courses, and desserts), transport, and entry fees for visits.
An application form for this trip will be included in the next newsletter.


Forthcoming Trips

The Cirque du Soleil (matinee)
As it seems to be a perennial favourite we have managed to secure tickets for the Cirque du Soleil once again this year. This year’s presentation is Varekai an outline of which is below.
Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.
From the sky falls a solitary young man, and the story of Varekai begins. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired incantation to life rediscovered.
The word Varekai means "wherever" in the Romany language of the gypsies the universal wanderers. This production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to the infinite passion of those whose quest takes them along the path that leads to Varekai.

War Horse
This popular and well received production is on stage at the New London Theatre in Drury Lane.
At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.
He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land.
But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.
Actors, working with astonishing, life-sized puppets, lead us on this emotionally-charged journey through history.

British Museum Exhibition:
Moctezuma – Aztec Ruler
This major exhibition explores Aztec (Mexica) civilisation through the divine, military and political role of the last elected ruler, Moctezuma II (who reigned AD 1502–1520).
From his capital in Tenochtitlan (the site of modern Mexico City), Moctezuma’s empire comprised much of modern highland Mexico, stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Ocean. His power was reflected in the splendour of his capital’s architecture, his command of the prestigious Jaguar and Eagle military orders, and his sacrificial rituals to the gods. Moctezuma’s world was unrivalled, and this remained so until the devastating arrival of strangers – Cortés and his Spanish fleet.
The legacy of the Spanish invasion and the semi-mythical status of Moctezuma will be reassessed through the display of imposing stone sculptures and rare gold and turquoise objects, many of which will be seen for the first time in the UK.

Draft Plan for 2010

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