Around Kingswear - December 2013
Kingswear Bonfire and Fireworks Fundraising Quiz
On the evening of Tuesday 29th October at The Ship Inn, Kingswear, there was literally standing room only for a unique quiz.
Previously, Kingswear Bonfire & Fireworks treasurer Peter Burr had mentioned in the bar one evening that the funds were getting a tad low, so landlord Colin Lang suggested doing a special fundraising quiz night and charged Mike Goodearl with putting together an all-music fun quiz. Mike produced the standard, pub-quiz format 72 questions but consisting, this time, of 12 sections of different genres of music including pop, jazz, classical, country, folk, Latin American etc etc.
The quiz contestants enjoyed a delicious free supper courtesy of The Ship Inn who also supplied the first prize of a bottle of bubbly.
£300 plus (nearer £330) was raised from the entrance fees and from the collecting tins thanks to Colin and his staff at The Ship Inn and the generosity and support of Kingswear residents (plus a few from the Darkside!).
Hot-Wet Time
The fireworks display and bonfire were superb this year, possibly the best fireworks in Kingswear ever, despite the utterly dreadful weather. The poor souls who braved the elements had to shelter in The Ship afterwards to warm their cockles - and there’s nothing like warm cockles. Well done to all indeed and especially to the decent chaps and chapesses who built the fire on Sunday morning. Please note that unless we can get another coordinator this excellent evening could be Kingswear’s last bonfire night. Someone? Pretty please?
FroST Quiz
It’s that roof again, well, the hole in it to be more exact. On November 2nd the members of FroST (Friends of St Thomas’s) held a splendid quiz to raise money for church repairs. There were some tense moments, displays of consummate quizmanship, and a general good time was had by one and all. Thank you the organisers.
Kingswear Historians
The October meeting enjoyed a talk by Alan Forster, a local retired teacher, whose subject was ‘The Greenway Frieze’. For those who have been to Greenway House, Agatha Christie’s summer home and the home of the Gilbert family for centuries before her, you will be aware that one of the American officers who was billeted there in WW11 painted a fine frieze in the library. This now historic artwork tells the story of the American troops from their USA homes to the horrific action on the D-Day landing beaches and more besides.
Alan Forster had put together the marvelously illustrated and very well thought through story of the American involvement in that dreadful war and managed, with great skill, dedicated hard work and some sound imagination to create a very cogent version of that series of events which rocked the western world in the early closing stages of WWII. He had his audience completely in thrall. Many thanks to Alan for his hard work. It was an evening that Kingswear Historians will remember for a long time, especially since Alan succeeded in linking together all those bits of information, which many of us knew from different sources, and presenting them in a well-organised manner.
Say Cheese......
Kingswear WI had a delicious meeting in October when Stuart Dowles from Quickes Traditional Cheeses came to give a talk on his journey from shepherd to marketing manager for this well known family business and distribute samples of varieties of cheddar cheese.
At the next meeting on November 29th Lucy Patrick will encourage members to become enthusiastic devotees of Homeopathy and the Christmas Fair will take place in the Village Hall on Saturday November 23rd.
The programme of speakers at the WI is always varied and interesting. The meetings take place in The Sarah Roope Trust Room on the 3rd Wednesday of each month and visitors are always made extremely welcome.
Tapas Night at Manna from Devon.
In spite of being extremely busy with the arrangements for the recent highly successful Food Festival Holly and David Jones opened their home to 20 members of Kingswomen on October 13th and gave a superb and succulent demonstration of Spanish Tapas which were consumed with enthusiasm and (of course) wine. These ladies know how to enjoy themselves.
KingswoMen
October 31st found members of Kingswomen indulging in their own Trick or Treat Night with wine, nibbles and a Secret Satan (has anyone else noticed the anagram of Santa?)
A theatre visit to see Blood Brothers in Paignton has been arranged for November 28th and the Christmas Party is due to take place on December 5th when posh frocks will come out of the closet and a good time will be had by all (we hope!).
First published December 2013 By The Dart
