HASSRA Leeds

HASSRA Leeds Review of the Year Magazine - 1

HASSRA

Leeds

Review of

the Year

2010

Rambling Golf Football Angling Climbing Wine Gamefishers Wargaming

Contents Contents

2

3

4-5

6

7

8-10

11

12

13

14-15

16-17

18-19

20-21

22-23

24-25

26-27

28-30

31

32

33

34-35

36-37

38-39

- Chair‟s Foreword

- Club Contact Details

- Awards 2010

- Winners

- Quarry House Success

- 75th Anniversary Event

- Christmas Draw

- Quiz

- Cricket Club

- Rambling Club

- Golf Society

- Football Club

- Angling Club

- Climbing Club

- Wine Club

- Gamefishers Club

- Wargaming Club

- QHCF

- Badminton Club

- Drama Club

- Coombe Abbey Review

- Borovet Review

- Diano Marian Review


Did you know... What is the difference between HASSRA Y & H and HASSRA Leeds ?

HASSRA Yorkshire & Humber (Y & H) is the Regional HASSRA club. The Regional club is run by fulltime staff, employed

by National HASSRA.

This region encompasses all the DWP & DH offices around York, Hull, Grimsby, Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds.

HASSRA Leeds is an individual club within the region and is run by volunteers working within either Quarry House or

Trevelyan Square.

Why do HASSRA Leeds Associate members have to pay as non members if they wish to apply for a HASSRA Y & H trip or

event?

Every regional club makes a decision whether to allow associate membership. HASSRA Y & H undertook the decision

not to have associate membership within their region.

Individual HASSRA office clubs are also allowed to decide if they wish to grant associate membership – solely for their

club. HASSRA Leeds undertook the decision to allow friends & family of permanent staff to become associate

members for an annual fee.

The HASSRA Leeds associate membership fee belongs to HASSRA Leeds club only and is used towards extending the

trips, events and benefits allowed for HASSRA Leeds members and Associate members. None of this money goes to

HASSRA Y & H.

Permanent staff within HASSRA Leeds have funds deduced at pay source, this is divided between Regional HASSRA

and their local HASSRA club.

This payment enables them to apply for HASSRA Y & H trips and events at subsidised cost.

SUMMARY

HASSRA Leeds Club members are automatically members of HASSRA Y & H and entitled to all benefits and subsidies

from both.

HASSRA Leeds Club Associate members are entitled to benefits and

subsidies only from HASSRA Leeds Club.

After a year off it‟s back to me saying a few words as Chairman. Yet again a year of

amazingly diverse activity - I continue to be astounded by the range of activities our

single activity clubs offer. The sports hall on the night of our celebration of HASSRA‟s 75th

Anniversary was impressive. I never knew that fishing could be so much fun – might have

to take you up on your offer of a day out Mr H!

Well done to our clubs who continue to offer members new experiences. In particular I‟d

like to mention the climbing club who have given us the chance to do numerous

different things - gliding; clay pigeon shooting to name but two. I wonder what they‟ll

think of next!

As ever the events committee have continued to offer a comprehensive range of outings

which I know have proved to be popular. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to

Boulogne – where I had a great time with the locals.

I know many of you have been involved in both Regional and National Competitions as

well as supporting HASSRA Leeds and the Region as organisers or helpers - I Thank You

all. without your contribution we wouldn‟t have such a successful club.

Thanks.

Read on to find out more 2010 and how good we are!!

Catriona Patterson

HASSRA Leeds

Foreword from HASSRA

Leeds Chairman


To volunteer or get involved in the following

activities, please use the list below.

HASSRA Leeds Board of Management Contact Details

Club Contact Extension Room No

Angling George Roe 24244 QH 1S25

Badminton Toni Winder 45182 QH 2E56

Bridge HASSRA Office 45810 QH 3N15

Christian Fellowship Gillian Priestley

Ros Hynes

29949 QH

45847 QH

Cricket Phil Sharples 24050 QH 3S 25

Darts Tim Wardle 27210 QH 3FS TS

Football (Men‟s 5 a side) Rab Harkins 45270 QH 5W20

Forum Leisure Centre Reception 24456 QH Ground Floor

Gamefishers John Fell 46069 1N35A

Golf Phil Corbett 27363 QH 3C21

HASSRA Dance Club Mark Gore 45427 QH 1N35A

Leeds Climbing Wall/Club Adele Hirst 0113 2058615

Hockey – Men‟s Sean Massey 24632 QH GS36

Hockey – Women‟s Ismay Macdonald 24585 QH 1W60

Netball Isobel Todd 27491 QH 3S25

Rambling Louise Plews 45269 QH 4E46

Wine Susan Mayne 47291 TS

War Games Club Stuart Wiltshire

Martin Brown

27251 QH

24183 QH

GS25

1S25

Chair HASSRA Leeds Catriona Patterson 0113 2545780 [email protected]

Secretary Isobel Todd 0113 2327491 [email protected]

Treasurer Peter Blinston 0113 2545972 [email protected]

Events Committee Chair Julie Chapman 0113 2545302 [email protected]

Finance/Clubs/Development Chair Elaine Arnott 0113 2327654 [email protected]

Communications Chair Jackie Tolan 0113 2327523 [email protected]

NHS Information Centre Rosemary Matheson 0113 2547130 [email protected]

NHS Employees/Skills for Health Jan Worthy 0113 3063010 [email protected]


At the AGM on Wednesday 24th February,

the Chair, Ruth Streets, presented awards

to Leeds members nominated by fellow

Club members for an award. The

nominations were discussed and agreed at

a meeting of the Awards Committee on

17th February as follows:

Merit Awards

Adele Hirst

Adele has taken elements of previous clubs

in HASSRA Leeds and successfully molded

them into what is essentially and

outdoor pursuits club, climbing and cycling

at the forefront. It is the enthusiasm she

generates that is seemingly the difference

at this time and the development of the

club is eagerly anticipated. The club

is obviously growing and 2010 programme

will see it establish itself even more

so. Adele has been at the heart of this

whilst continuing to take a wider view of

HASSRA Leeds programme activities.

Mark Spriggs

Mark is the Golf Society Treasurer and is just

starting his 3rd year. He is an extremely

efficient treasurer who has managed our

money well despite our accounts for

2008 becoming 'lost' at the auditors.

The money that goes through our accounts

is at times considerable and Mark makes

the accounts easy to follow and continues

to ensure that we remain solvent, despite a

very high profile finance job in DWP, where

briefing the DWP Board is regular occur-

rence.

Mark has also managed us through a

change of bank account and ensured that

Auditors recommendations were

implemented immediately.

Treasurer is probably the worst job in any

club but Mark makes it, at least, look easy.

Elaine Arnott

Elaine has been a member of the

Communication Committee and Board of

Management for a number of years,

serving HASSRA Leeds as an active

member. Elaine has solely taken on the

responsibility for updating and maintaining

the HASSRA Leeds website, sorting out

problems as they occur and feeding back

any issues with possible solutions to the

Communication Committee for

consideration. This is done in her own time

at weekends with enthusiasm and

attention to detail. Updating the website

does take some considerable time to do

but Elaine never complains about this.

Without her energy and focus, the Leeds

Website just wouldn‟t exist and members

would not be able to check our latest

offers, trips and events 24/7.

Nick Streets

Nick has been a stalwart of the Golf

Society for a number of years, holding the

roles of Captain and Secretary in recent

times. He is responsible for:

- The Programme for the Society. Nick

draws up a potential list of courses for

the Society to play, looking for venues

that will offer a challenge to the more

experienced golfers, whilst being

manageable for those with less ability. It

is to his credit that the Society constantly

plays new courses throughout Yorkshire

yet still draws large numbers of members

who are more than content with the

variety of golfing experiences.

- Negotiating the cost of the outings. As

part of the course choice, Nick

negotiates good deals for the Society

and HASSRA by booking good priced

packages at a price attractive to

members for the standard of course

played.

- The organisation of Society outings. Nick is

also responsible, on a day to day basis,

with arranging the draw for events. This

seemingly simple task can be a

complex process, with individuals‟ ability

and

requirements needing to be taken into

account, along with a wish within the

Society that members should play with

different partners through the Society

year to encourage a real sense of

togetherness. He ensures that all golfers

attending a Society event will feel

comfortable with their playing group,

adjusting playing times to suit individual

needs.

- HASSRA Leeds matches. Nick arranges

the annual matches with other Regions,

where HASSRA Leeds are represented,

choosing the venue for the matches

when we are the „home‟ team and

making arrangements that all those

putting themselves forward for selection

will play at least one match regardless of

their ability.

Vince Mihill

Vince has been a member of HASSRA

Leeds and an associate member for many

years. He has helped football flourish within

the Leeds Club through a variety of events

such as;

- organising 5 a side football league;

- organising the HASSRA tournament at

Goals Kirkstall in September 09;

- organising regular Tuesday and Fridays

games for many years;

In the past Vince has organised 11 a side

games at Weetwood Hall.

Vince is also active in other sports too and

represented HASSRA at darts competitions

in Nottingham and York.

Alan Shaw

Alan has been a member of the

Communication Committee for a number

of years, attending meetings on a regular

basis giving his advice and views on how

to

improve the Newsletter and communica-

tions

with members. He is very enthusiastic

about communications and how HASSRA

Leeds communicates with its members. He

has been heavily involved in producing 3

Review Magazines, proof reading, advising

on layout, suggesting alternative format-

ting

etc. Alan has stepped in numerous

times to Chair meetings and to finalise the

Newsletter when other members of the

Committee are unavailable so the newslet-

ter

is published by the due date.

Outstanding Sports Person

of the Year

Tony Hotchkin - The Angling Club wish to

nominate our club champion Tony

Hotchkin for HASSRA Leeds Sports Person of

the Year 2009. Tony excels at his chose

sport of course fishing but is versatile hav-

ing

fished in the HASSRA boat fishing final. He

is always willing to help others join the sport.

His record for 2009 was outstanding:

Sunrise Lakes 16th May - 20lbs - 1st place;

Lindholme Lakes 6th June - 16lbs 3 oz - 2nd

place; The Oaks 11th July - 45lbs 15oz - 1st

place; Woodlands 10th October - 9lbs - 1st

place. Combined weight of fish in 4

matches - 90lbs. As a result Tony won our

League Title and Neil Austin Trophy.

Tony also qualified for the HASSRA National

final and the CSSC national finals. He is

always willing to help others enter the sport

and was very active at our Have a Go Day

in July and at a session designed to help

new members at Langwith Lakes in August.

2010 Awards

Event


Martin Williams Trophy

Peter Blinston - Since HASSRA Leeds

became a Club in the reorganisation of

2005 Peter has continued to support The

Leeds Chair and Treasurer, the Leeds BOM

and our members.

Although Peter is the Regional Manager for

Yorkshire and the Humber, he is based

here at Quarry House and is a full member

of the Leeds Club. As an ordinary member

Peter does not represent Leeds in

competitions - he can't be seen to support

one club more than any other. However,

Peter support the Leeds Club in a more

subtly way.

His support this past year has been second

to none. The entering of the data on to the

accounts package had not taken place

for some time. Peter spent a couple of

days of his leave bringing the system up to

date and has continued to provide The

Treasurer with considerable support. He has

provided reports for the BOM and inputted

to the analysis of our financial position.

Members still find it hard to understand that

Peter is the Y&H Secretary and usually go

to him as a first port of call. Where he can

(which is usually) Peter provides the answer

if he can't he directs the query to the

appropriate BOM member.

I feel that Peter is a worthy recipient of the

Martin Williams Trophy - Peter has worked

tireless behind the scenes to the benefit of

the Club.

Best New Club

There were two entries this year for Best

New Club. The Awards Committee gave

careful consideration to both entries but

felt that this club just has the edge.

Wargaming Club – This club held its

inaugural meeting back in February 09 and

has not looked back since a „Have a Go

Day‟ was held in the Quarry House

canteen to show everyone who came

along what the club did and to run some

introductory games. A lot of people

came along to satisfy their curiosity, have a

chat and give the games a go. As a direct

result of the „have a go day‟, a member of

staff in Quarry House later donated a large

number of models and games to club

along with their best wishes.

Through out the year members of the club

attended some of the major wargaming

conventions of the year

- “Triples” at the Octagon, Sheffield in

September

- “Fiasco” at the Royal Armories, Leeds

- “Recon” in Pudsey.

It is planned to enter an official Leeds

Wargaming Club team at future

conventions. Negotiations were opened

to undertake an “inter-club challenge”

with local external clubs which promises

new opponents.

Regular games nights are held at least

once a month and often bi-weekly. A

Campaign event involving all members

was held across several months including a

prize for the overall winner. The club has

started to spread out into other games

including board games. To help members

learn a particular game, a club member

has been appointed for each period and

game to promote that particular period/

game and be the club expert.

The range of games and periods club

members play has been increased

throughout the year and the appeal of the

club has been improved.

The club has been actively promoted in

the HASSRA Newsletter and on notice

boards to increase membership. As a result

of promoting our club a number of

enquires were received from staff in Quarry

House and other DWP offices about the

club.

Fellow gamers at Barnsley and Sheffield

DWP offices have been supported and

given advice on setting up a HASSRA

wargame club including an overview of

the process, providing copies of our club

documentation and offering to meet

them. Initial arrangements have been

made for a HASSRA interclub tournament

once their club is set up.

Best Club

Again there were two nominations for Best

Club this year. Both clubs nominated

provide their members with a full range of

activities but the Awards Committee felt

that the development programme within

this club set it apart.

- The Golf Society -

- An increasing membership, from about 10

when it started to a peak of 105, from a

cross section of HASSRA members from the

Leeds HQ estate.

- A regular female attendance and our first

lady as Captain in 1999 and 2000.

- A pool of regular guest attendees who

are ineligible for the discount and attend

because they want to. This highlights the

atmosphere created by all members.

- Well-attended society outings averaging

30 attendees (40+ at Captain‟s &

President‟s Days) and two leagues which

reward season long achievement.

- Provide non-golf club members the

opportunity to play very good courses.

- Provide good quality golf at a value for

money cost for all members by judicious

use of the subsidy awarded by HASSRA.

Pay donations from two outings to NSPCC

and Captain‟s Charity.

- No less than 25 members represented

HASSRA Leeds in representative matches

against FYLDE, HQ, and NW.

- The Society has been well represented at

recent National Championships and its

entrants have achieved significant

success.

- Provide subsidised individual and video

golf lessons.

- Provide adverts for the HASSRA Leeds

newsletter and a results service for our

members and a yearly Review of Club

activities for the Review Magzine.

- Provide a Welcome Season Pack for

each new season which incorporates the

first call up papers, subscription requests,

details of the season ahead, requests for

volunteers to play in matches, information

about the National Championships, and

on handicaps, etiquette and course

management.

- Provide a Handicapping system for our

members.

- Provide a draw and directions to the club

about 10 days before each event.

- Encourage membership of the English

Golf Union for non-club members.

Chairman‟s Cup

The 2009 Chairman‟s Cup was awarded to

Catriona Patterson this year for stepping in

and taking on board the role of Treasurer

for HASSRA Leeds because no one else

volunteered to do so and therefore

avoided the Club folding. Catriona

enthusiastically took on the role, quickly

grasping the complexity of being a

Treasurer, putting in place numerous

control processes to manage the club

accounts effectively. Catriona is not a

numbers person so the role of Treasurer

was a challenge that she lived up to

admirably.


The General Knowledge - 11 January Winners: Leeds Club

Mark Wood

Phil Corbett

Andy Swalwell

David Barnes

Table Tennis - 5 February Winners Singles: Joanna Roberts

Phil Causer

Doubles winners: Chris Hutchinson

with Ian Teale (Leeds City)

*National Finals-12 March

Winners Singles: Joanna Roberts

Phil Causer

Doubles winners: Joanna Roberts &

Elana McClements

Phil Cawser with

Ian Teale (Leeds City)

Mixed Doubles: Cawser/Roberts

2010 HASSRA National Photography

Competition Frances Gigg won 3 trophies for:

Best Beginners Print

Best Snapshot

Best Beginner Overall (Mike Brougham Trophy)

Chess - 21 May Runners Up: Roger Jennings

Golf - June Regional Qualifier Winner:

Jamie Cunningham

The Angling - 11 June Winner: Craig Turbitt

Texas Hold Em Poker - 25 June Winners singles: Brendan French

The Five a side Football - 1 April Runners Up: Leeds

Leeds Club Winners

The Y&H Awards

The Y&H HASSRA Awards for 2009 took place on 26th March 2010 and

HASSRA Leeds won two awards as follows:

The Newsletter won the Y&H Best Publication Award 2009.

Tony Hotchkin was awarded the Y&H Best Sportsman Award 2009 for his

chosen sport of Game Fishing.


I represented Team HASSRA in the National CSSC

Championships, (and I have been doing for the past 20

years), at Ponds Ford International Sports Centre Sheffield

on 13 & 14 May 2010 and won 5 gold medals and set 5

new records.

Some of your members may know me as the longest

serving (15 yrs) swim teacher at the QH Forum Swim

School where I continue to teach on a Saturday.

Mike Williamson

As I manage all the following teams (as well as playing) it was suggested that I provide a

quick update on what has been happening recently to highlight the success of Quarry House

teams and those members representing Y&H in National competitions.

Regional 11 a side Football

Quarry House football team won the Regional 11 a side football competition last week against

Sheffield Districts 3-2 (Henry Forster hatrick), the 4th win for the team in the 5 years the competition

has been running.

National 11 a side Football

Craig Ross, Craig Hewitt and Brendan French myself were part of the Y&H Regional 11 a side

football team that won the National Competition at the end of April beating Wales

5-2 (Rossi hatrick) in the final. Unfortunately Craig Hewitt was unavailable for the final.

Regional 5 a side Competition

Quarry House 5 a side team were runners up to Doncaster in April '10.

National Mixed Touch Rugby

Y&H won the National mixed touch rugby in Newcastle earlier this month.

Representatives from Leeds HASSRA were Lisa Taylor, Chris Charlton and Brendan French.

Brendan French.

Quarry House Team Successes! QUARRY HOUSE


HASSRA Leeds

75th Anniversary Event On Friday 1st October, HASSRA Leeds held it‟s 75th Anniversary Event in the Woodpecker

Bar and Sports Hall.

The Event was attended by 140 members who were entertained to a variety of activities

including WI stall of home baking, Tombola stall offering 75 super prizes, Club activities

from the Dance Club, Angling Club, Wine Club, Golf Society and War Gaming Club.

The event raised £161.20 for our chosen charity, The Elizabeth Svenden Trust plus a

further £49.70 from a cake sale in 4th Floor North Quarry House. Special thanks to Eileen

Exeter, Debra Martin and Ann Hale.

Inviting

members to join the „Strictly‟ draw

< Timeline from 1935 to 2010

Tombola Stall


Members trying out wii golf

W.I. Stall (yummy)

Members viewing photos

of Leeds club past trips

< Fancy Dress

Photos of past Leeds club trips

<Wargaming in action


More Wargaming

<Fishing Takle!

Catch a „little‟ fishy! >

< Wine „Tasting‟

Wine Drinking >

< Good Times


HASSRA Leeds Members

Christmas Draw

Prize

Winner

Christmas Hamper

Rose Roostan

HMV Gift Card

Carole Cresswell

Chocolates

Patrick Maye

Whiskey

Dave Lambert

Cinema tickets (4)

David Barrett (retired)

Wine

Em Gratrex

Cinema Tickets (4)

Ian Long

Chocolates

Judith Hartshorne

Wardrobe Voucher

Sue Younger

Beauty Voucher

Donna Tate

The HASSRA Leeds Members Christmas Draw took place on Friday

17th December in the Woodpecker Bar and the winner were


Across 1. Topic (5)

4. Environment (7)

8. Layer (7)

9. Soda water (5)

10. Cheap passage (8)

11. Sport (4)

13. Six feet deep in water (6)

14. Invalidate (6)

17. Artifice (4)

19. Glorious (8)

22. Torpid (5)

23. Quantities (7)

24. Aged (7)

25. Covers a wide area (5)

Down 1. Chores (5)

2. Sincere (7)

3. Outside (8)

4. Respectful deference (6)

5. Computer memory unit (4)

6. Latin American dance (5)

7. Diplomatic (7)

12. Famished (8)

13. Surreptitious (7)

15. Brilliant musical passage (7)

16. Bee house (6)

18. Velocity (5)

19. Measured portions of medicine (5)

20. Celestial body (4)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12

13 14 15

16

17 18 19 20

21

22 23

24 25

Crossword

Sudoku 2010 Quiz Winners

Month Winner

January Sue Younger

February Mick Hill

March Jenny Smith

April Fun Quiz

May Mick Lavery

June Nigel Watson

July Chris Munday

August Richard Dykes

September Jackie Waters

October Rachel Cordingley

November Karen Ingham

December Karen Ingham


The Leeds Cricket club played

in the CSSC Curtis Bennett

Shield again in 2010. We won

our first, second and Quarter

final matches but were beaten

by HASSRA East Midlands in

the Semi Final…

The mixed Y & H six-a-side

team entered that HASSRA

National Comp in Derby and

once again retained their title

remaining unbeaten

throughout the tournament.

CRICKET

Did you know …..

Membership of HASSRA means you are member of the Leeds Club and

have access to all the clubs and activities HASSRA Leeds undertakes. Our

clubs offer subsidised activities, the chance to experience something you

haven‟t done before at reduced process. Membership also entitles you to

join in the Forum activities, ticket offers, trips, competitions, members‟ draw,

Christmas Party, member benefits etc. You can also enter the Y&H

Regional Competitions and be picked to represent HASSRA Y&H at a

National Competition. All this for £1.50 per month

CRICKET CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010

These are the photos of the cricket team winning the

Civil Service Curtis Bennett National Shield in 2007.


LONGER WALKS

Walks of 10 – 16 miles were

arranged for our more energetic

members, going from Threshfield

to Flasby Fell and tackling the

whole of the Harrogate Ringway

in two sections.

EVENING WALKS

Summer Friday evening strolls

were arranged after work,

visiting Temple Newsam and

Tingley. These shorter walks,

often with additional historical

interest, continue to be popular

as a way of winding down at the

end of the working week.

“SPECIALS”

In May, members were

challenged to tackle one, two

or all three of Yorkshire‟s famous

Three Peaks. The weather was

glorious, enabling everyone to

walk as far as they felt able, and

all participants returned home

with a sense of achievement.

The Club‟s annual midsummer

Barbecue this year followed an

8 mile walk beginning with an

ascent of Beamsley Beacon

and continuing into the

delightful valley beyond. The

weather was kind to us this year

and the barbecue was much

enjoyed by all. There was the

usual array of prize-winning

sausages, locally sourced

beefburgers and kebabs,

salads and mouth-watering

desserts.

RAMBLING CLUB


Membership of the Club stood at 65 in 2010, including 7 new members, and 11 guests

attended our walks or trips for the first time. During the year the Club hosted 18 day

walks and 4 trips. There was a total of 298 appearances at these events.

REGULAR RAMBLES

The Saturday Rambles (on the last Saturday of each month) have continued to be the

backbone of our programme. This year‟s visits have been:

Shipley Glen Summerbridge & Brimham Moor

Ogden Water Nidderdale around Harrogate

Leathley Luddenden Dene

Beamsley Beacon Wakefield Way

Timble & Blubberhouses Moor Stainforth

Tong & Cockersdale Oakworth

RAMBLING

June evening walk - Temple Newsam

Stainforth Salmon Leap Ramble


The Pudding Ramble,

introduced last year, again

attracted a large following. It

offered a grand incentive to

undertake a healthy 7 mile walk

in the countryside, rewarding

the effort with a delicious

spread of modern and

traditional puddings.

TRIPS AWAY

Our first trip of the year went to

the stunning white village of

Grazalema in Andalucia in

March. Here we found

spectacular mountain walking,

lots of spring flowers, and some

very welcome warm sunshine.

Our annual visit to the Lake

District, traditionally in the

autumn, was brought forward to

May this year for a change. It

was a delight to see the young

lambs and spring flowers as we

walked amongst the lakes and

fells around Borrowdale.

In July we visited

Northumberland, with its

heritage coastline, vast

unspoiled countryside and the

Cheviot Hills. There is plenty

more top quality walking in this

area to be enjoyed in future.

As part of our change-and-

change-about, the annual

Swaledale Weekend was

moved to September. The

walking here is spectacular at

all times of the year, but it was

interesting to see the views with

the leaves still on the trees. The

Friday was a little wet, but the

rest of the weekend sunny and

dry with some excellent walking

on offer.

It was a great shame that our

Winter Walking Weekend in the

Peak District, based at the

welcoming Rutland Arms Hotel

in Bakewell, had to be

cancelled because of the

heavy snow and ice. Conditions

were dangerous for both driving

and walking. We had been due

to welcome several newcomers

on this popular trip.

The rambling year concluded

with a 7 mile circular walk from

Oakworth, Atrocious weather

again kept many people away,

but 11 stalwarts enjoyed a lovely

walk followed by a delicious

Christmas Lunch at the Grouse

Inn.

We are indebted to our hard

working Committee and to our

walk leaders, new and old,

without whom our programme

would not be possible. We look

forward to another year of

good walking in 2011.

New members of the Rambling

Club are always very welcome.

RAMBLING

Tong Winter‟s ramble in November

Walking from Grazalema

in Andelucia

From Keld to Tan Hill in Swaledale

At Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland


From the society Richard

Mitchell, Jamie Cunningham,

Ruth Streets and Martine Lunn

represented HASSRA Yorkshire

and the Humber at the National

Golf Championships; and the

Golf Society arranged and

hosted the event at Alwoodley

GC. All played well and

enjoyed the event. The event

was a great success for the

region.

Teams led by the Captain

played 4 matches during the

year. The National Blood Service

match was played at Howley

Hall GC where we had a

thoroughly enjoyable day and

we managed to win. We also

played matches with FYLDE at

Bingley St Ives GC and again this

year we came out on top with

quite a thumping win and

London at West Herts against

whom we won again. A very

good competition all-round.

Finally, back to losing ways

against the NW which was

re-arranged in October after we

were originally washed out at

Kirkby Lonsdale in September!

The society contributed £188 to

the NSPCC, and through two

bottle draws during the year we

were able to donate £439

equally between „Help for

Heroes‟ and „Cancer Research

UK‟; the Captain‟s Charities.

Subsidised golf lessons were

provided by refunding 50 % of

the fee for people to take

lessons at their own club. This

method of development is

proving more popular than

previous lesson vouchers.

GOLFING SOCIETY


The Golf Society has had 10 outings in the year.

* 18 Hole at Selby GC - won by Ashley Bowland

* Spring Trophy at West Bradford GC - won by Mike Newton

* NSPCC Putter at Brough GC - won by Mel Colbourne

* President's Day at Fulford GC - won by Chris Charlton

* Captain's Day at Woodsome Hall GC - won by Martin Cocker

* Summer Salver at Hollins Hall GC - won by Chris Timmins

* Autumn Cup held at Horsforth GC - won by John Boland

* Treasurer‟s Rose Bowl at Woodhall Hills GC - won by John Lonsdale

* November outing at Silkstone GC

President‟s vs Captain‟s Team Challenge - won by President‟s Team

* Secretary‟s Chalice at Moortown GC - won by to be played


We now believe that we have a settled schedule with 10 outings plus matches throughout the year.

In 2010 we took 30+ members on a trip to Forest Pines and 58 to Wales. These trips proved to be

very successful, building a real sense of togetherness for all who attended. We had reasonable

weather at Forest Pines and three very good days in Wales, plus good food and hospitality from

both Hotels.

In 2011 we will be visiting

The Oaks Shipley Northcliffe Woburn

Garforth Tankersley Park Moor Allerton

Cleckheaton East Coast & Ganton Bingley St Ives

Flaxby Park Selby Moortown

If anyone requires further information about our activities, please contact Nick Streets at [email protected]

HASSRA (LEEDS) GOLFING SOCIETY

ANNUAL REPORT ON CLUB ACTIVITIES: 2010

Membership dropped slightly in 2010 to 70

but we continue to see a large proportion of

members attending at least one outing. Our

average attendance has increased slightly

from last year. The attendance at

President‟s Day confirms the results of our

regular surveys, which emphatically

endorsed the idea of visiting at least one

Championship course per year. We visited

Fulford with 45 members.

Leagues. We have a well established league

structure in the society, one for Tigers

(anyone with a handicap of 19 or below)

and the other for Rabbits (the rest of us). To

qualify you must have played in at least 4

outings, and one must be a major‟ (Captains

or Presidents Day). Your top 4 stableford

scores are then aggregated to determine

the winners. A NEW Seniors league was

introduced this year for those 50 or over on

1st January with the same rules as the other

leagues.

Rabbits Champion for 2010 was John Lonsdale with 139 pts

Tigers Champion for 2010 was Andy Swarbrick with 145 pts

Seniors Champion for 2010 was Chris Timmins with 141 pts

Matchplay Competition. Richard Mitchell was the winner beating Martin Baldwin.

Strokeplay Competition. Richard Mitchell was the winner beating Nick Streets.

The Ladies Trophy for Most Improved Player. This trophy is awarded yearly and for the member(s)

of the society who has had the greatest reduction in their handicap over the year.

The winner was John Lonsdale having been cut 6.67 shots this year.

The winner of the Birdie Trophy (kindly donated by Penny Askew) will not be decided until after

our last event at Moortown but currently leading is Andy Swarbrick with 10.

Congratulations to all our winners in 2010


On the Road Again

By: Weir Off

Like Canned Heat, we were

on the road again. For the

fourth year in succession, the

Captain Haddock Fan Club

travelled up from Leeds to

Edinburgh to add some class

to the CSSC Masters

tournament.

As Nick said, “We‟re never

sure whether we‟ll have on

our first class, or bottom of

the class, boots.”

The tournament is great in

that it lets the more mature

players, i.e. those over thirty

five, run about on grass for

an afternoon and wonder

why they had never been

spotted by a scout from one

of the major clubs.

“I suppose,” said Roger, “a

lack of talent could be a big

factor.”

Paul Robinson, the Ancient

Mariner of the Haddocks,

said

“I do hate the suggestion

that we are over the hill. The

fact that we can put

together a midfield trio

whose combined age is

closer to one hundred and

sixty, rather than fifty seven,

is a mere bagatelle.”

Rab said, “This age thing is

getting out of hand. Just

because you have the odd

grey hair people think you

are ancient. Why, my

nephew recently asked me

about my experiences in the

Second World War!”

Nothing Doing

By Per Fume

Last year, at Waverley Station

pretty girls were giving out

free samples of deodorant to

well deserving passers-by.

Some of the Haddocks,

despite their great age, were

looking forward to a repeat

performance. I‟m not sure

what was weighing more on

their minds - the girls or, being

from Yorkshire, the free

deodorant.

Disappointingly, there were

no cheeky perfume girls at

the station. Stuart said,

“Some old geezer handing

out religious tracts isn‟t quite

the same thing in my

opinion.”

Haddocks Dazzle the

Crowd

By: Hot Shot

The Haddocks, as always,

were raring to go – the

triumph of hope over

experience. Quentin said, “If

we get knocked out we get

to the bar first, so it is a

win-win for us.”

We started by playing the

exotically named Teesport

Seniors. One imagines they

had made the long, weary

trek up from Middlesbrough.

The Haddocks had taken

steps to reduce their

average age by signing, for

an undisclosed fee, a mere

stripling of 37. Roger Halliday,

for it was he, had the pace

to trouble the best defences

and, luckily, there weren‟t

many of them in the

tournament.

FOOTBALL CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 FOOTBALL


There were around thirty

teams in the tournament, so

those who weren‟t playing

watched the games. The

Haddocks had a rush of

blood to their withered limbs,

and passed and moved the

ball around with delightful

ease. They eventually

finished by winning 6-1. That

certainly gave the crowd

something to think about.

A spectator, one Walter

Smith, said, “It just shows that

you‟re never too old to play

well. Some of the players on

my own team are a bit long

in the tooth themselves.”

Back to Reality

By: Dear Deer

In their next game, against

Bolton Area Fossils, the Had-

docks, bubbling with opti-

mism relaxed.

The Haddocks day-dreamed,

the Haddocks gave the ball

away, the Haddocks lost 3-1.

Ah well.

Two teams in the Haddocks

group failed to show. So, by

a quirk of the rules they were

awarded two 1-0 wins and

ended up with nine points.

This meant they went into the

top level of the competition

for the next round, instead of

the middle, or even bottom,

level.

The Haddocks were unfazed.

Unlike Napoleon‟s famous

General, the Haddocks are

good rather than lucky. They

drew Toon Barmy, the

eventual winners, in the first

knock out round.

The Toon were good and

quickly went two goals up. It

looked like the Haddocks

were well battered. They

rallied. They fought back.

They pressured the Toon and

got a goal back. The Toon

wobbled as the Haddocks

chased the game. There

were chances at both ends

but the Toon, taking

advantage of a breakaway,

scored a decisive third.

As Bob Dylan said, in a

different context, “It‟s all over

now baby blue.”

Presentations

When awarding the trophy,

Davie Elder,

who had done his usual

excellent job of organising

things, said “The games were

played in the usual good

spirit. There were very few

fouls, and the referees didn‟t

have much to do.

The CSSC have splashed out

on an enormous trophy for

the winners. It will be a

comfort to the members to

know that their subscriptions

are being well spent!

“I‟ll let you know about next

year as soon as I can.”

FOOTBALL


This has been a fantastic year

which has seen our club go from

strength to strength with more

members joining the ranks (20%

up on last year) and a variety of

events at top-class venues to suit

all tastes and types of coarse

angling.

Our outings began in April with a

fund-raising event at Sunrise Lakes

in Spofforth. A heavily sponsored

day‟s fishing including „guess the

total weight of fish caught‟

coupled with the revenue from

selling bacon sandwiches

enabled us to raise much needed

cash for St Gemma‟s Hospice.

We really got into the spirit of

HASSRA‟s 75th birthday

celebrations – see the pictures to

the left and below. Again, we

chose to support St Gemmas; our

fun activities included a fishing

game and a maggot guessing

competition (don‟t ask!) which

helped boost the total amount

we raised for the hospice to £800.

Over the last few years the club

has forged a strong link with the

Forest School in Knaresborough

(a school for children with

learning disabilities) and we take

some of their leavers on a fishing

trip each summer. This year we

spent a day with eight youngsters

at Carlshead Farm in North

Yorkshire.

Whilst the youngsters were very

enthusiastic, the fish clearly

weren‟t and only in the last hour

were any enticed to bite. Even so,

glorious weather conspired with

the tranquil venue to ensure

everyone enjoyed the day out.

Our match-fishing calendar ran

from May to October and for 2010

we introduced a „Junior League‟

to cater for the increasing number

of under 18 year olds in the club.

This year we were delighted to

welcome youngsters and lady

members to the club. Lauren

Sutcliffe was one of them and

quickly proved she is a force to be

reckoned with after landing

significant catches. (See Picture

Above.)

Our annual „Have a Go Day‟ at

Sunrise Lakes, Spofforth in July

proved to be a fertile recruiting

venue to tempt new members into

the fold; this year‟s event was as

popular as ever with nearly 30

people coming along to enjoy the

sunshine and the sport on offer.

ANGLING CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 ANGLING

Lauren Sutcliffe with a super common

carp caught at Brafferton


Even the very young became

hooked with many fine fish

succumbing to beginners‟ baits.

As usual, our expert anglers were

on hand with advice and

practical tips.

The „Have a Go day‟ has been so

successful in the past that it

attracted new devotees and

helped turn Mel Parker and

Graham Gibson (and others) into

serial anglers.

Newcomer Simon Wilkinson

thought fishing was one of the last

things he would become involved

in - until he attended our taster

day. Now he can‟t get enough

and can be found on the banks

of his local rivers and lakes most

weekends.

Our master-class event at

Brafferton proved a master-stroke

with many less-experienced

anglers grabbing the opportunity

to learn different methods of

catching fish under the guidance

of our experts.

This year, we took our annual

summer break on the

Leicestershire/Warwickshire

border. The fishing was top class

as was the hotel and, again, was

very well attended. Everyone

agreed the whole experience

was superb value for money.

With a choice of 18 lakes and

pools offering more than 600

swims, there was something to suit

all types of coarse anglers - from

'big game' carp and barbel

haulers to pole fishing fanatics.

For the record….

Plaudits go to Tony Hotchkin who

won the adult league again. Junior

honours and specimen trophy

went to Chris Lukey. Chris Child

won the annual “Neil Austin”

Memorial Trophy.

Well done to all trophy holders. If

you think you can beat them (they

are there to be knocked off their

perch!) why not come and give

our club a try?

Next Year

Our first match will be at Raygill

fisheries on the 16th April. The

annual “Have a go Day” will take

place at Spofforth on 23rd July.

Contact Details…

For further details about the club

please contact either

George Roe (01132324144)

or

John Douglas (01132327547)

ANGLING

The 4 star Ullesthorpe Court Hotel

& Golf Club where we met to

trade fishy tales of our exploits

Mirror man John Douglas

with a carp caught during

the 2-day break

One of the delightful, well-

stocked lakes at Makins

Fishery


At last year‟s AGM, the HASSRA Leeds

Climbing Club decided that as well as

organising lots of the usual climbing activities

in 2010, we would also organise other

outdoor activities. 2010 has been a fun year

and these are a few of the trips that have

been keeping HLCC busy.

Climbing On top of our usual trips to local indoor walls,

we organised taster bouldering sessions at

City Bloc for 22. In the summer, Sheffield‟s

Foundry took 13 members to Stanage Edge

for first experiences outdoors as well as for

more experienced climbers to get some

instruction to improve their skills.

For the first time, we also ran trips to How

Stean Gorge in North Yorkshire where 10 of

you tried gorge walking.

We also ran a trip to the Via Ferrata (2) –

literally, the „road with irons‟.

Gliding Mick organised a great discount deal for us

at the York gliding club, and 42 people took

flights! Given it was so popular and the

feedback we got was so good, in 2011 we‟ll

be running more taster flights, and for those

who want a bit more instruction, some

longer flights.

CLIMBING CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 CLIMBING


Mountain Biking There was a variety of mountain biking

activity this year from skills classes

throughout the year for 9 (starting in a very

cold and snowy February) to bike

maintenance

classes (6).

Skiing & Snowboarding

This was also the first year that we organised

skiing and snowboarding lessons at the

indoor slope at Castleford. In total, 5 people

took lessons.

Surfing Early in the summer we took a group to

Scarborough for a day‟s surfing with Steve at

Fluid Concept for 6 people. In the afternoon

some of us switched our surf boards for

paddle boards which was more difficult than

Steve made it look!

CLIMBING

Clay Pigeon Shooting

The first of our shooting trips was organised by Edmund this year with a clay pigeon

shooting day for 14. He‟ll be organising another clay pigeon shooting event as well as

some target shooting next year.


2010 was another successful

year for the wine club. We

ran another very popular trip

to Reims to visit champagne

houses, and we presented a

variety of wine themes at our

events. These included

Burgundy and Tasmania at

the top end, and Sherry,

Portugal, and the Languedoc

at the lower end. Other

events covered Germany,

North-east Italy, America

(outside California), and the

Southern Rhone.

We also had three excellent

presentations from external

speakers: Denby Dale wines,

Latitude, and Bat & Bottle

(from Rutland). We‟ve

selected the highlights from

6 events in more detail

below.

Blended wines: we tasted

wines from Australia, South

Africa and France which

used significant amounts of

more than one grape type.

Perhaps surprisingly, the

Australian wines were not as

good as we had hoped, and

the star of the night was the

Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005

from Clos de l‟Oratoire, a mix

of Grenach, Syrah and

Mourvedre. This had the rare

accolade of being to

everyone‟s taste.

Super Tuscan wines:

presented by Bat & Bottle.

This was certainly the most

interesting event of the year.

The people at Bat & Bottle

really know their stuff, having

lived and worked in Italy in

the wine trade, and they

shared a lot of insider

knowledge with us. Their

view is that the Italians make

their best wine in normal

vintages – in really good

years they tend to get carried

away and go over the top.

They also explained how

some makers cheat; for

example, illegally putting

some cabernet into wines to

make them seem more red

and enhance the look. They

also managed to provide 6

wines that all got votes for

best of the night – all were

excellent.

Loire: this area can be

patchy in quality, and we

found a wide range in the

selections we tasted. The

Vouvray was poor, but the

Pouilly Fume (Pascal Jolivet

Les Griottes 2009) was full of

flavour. We tried a red

Sancerre, but it tasted like

diluted Burgundy; the

Chateau de Villeneuve

Vielles Vignes, made from

cabernet Franc, however,

was very interesting and

good value.

WINE CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 WINE CLUB


Eastern European:

we covered Moldova,

Slovenia, Bulgaria, Georgia

and (with poetic license)

Lebanon. Comments

ranged from “terrible,

couldn‟t give it away” on

the Moldovan Chardonnay,

to “drinkable but not great”

for the Slovenian Reisling, up

to “decent attempt at a

Burgundy wine – pleasant”

for the Bulgarian Pinot Noir.

The undoubted star of the

night however was the

Lebanese Chateau Ka 2005

“absolutely delicious, top

class”.

Rioja: this was a tasting of

wines all from Marques de

Caceres, one of the best

known Rioja houses and

easily available from many

outlets in the UK. It was

interesting to try the range

on a single tasting, and

understand what you get

for the extra money for the

better wines. The whites/

roses (Antea and Rosado)

were good – not too oaked

in flavour, and the Crianza

2006, which accounts for 60%

of their output, was a good

basic Rioja red. The Reserva

2004 was “Gorgeous, intense

bouquet, fresh fruit with

tannins”, and excellent

value, while the Gran

Reserva 2001 met with

universal approval. The top

of the range Gaudium 2004

(it is only made in top

vintage years) was superb,

but a lot of money, and

most members would prefer

2 bottles of the Reserva

instead.

Cheap and cheerful wines:

easily our best attendance

of the year for this event,

and we were not

disappointed. The presenters

had managed to obtain a

number of wines at bargain

prices; others were simply

excellent value. The best

bargain was the Veure

Deloynes champagne. The

best of the standard wines

were the 2008 Penfolds

Winemaker Shiraz/Cabernet,

and the 2002 Languilla Gran

Reserva Rioja. But the top

vote went to the 2005

Cockburns Late Bottled Port.

The Wine Club meets twice a

month in Quarry House

canteen, and we extend a

very warm welcome to

anyone who would like to join

us. Given the success of our

cheap and cheerful event,

we intend to put on more

events of that type in 2011,

and hope you‟ll try it out. For

more information just contact

any of the committee

members.

WINE CLUB


HASSRA Leeds Gamefishers is a small friendly

club, whose members are dedicated to the

pursuit of game fish (trout, grayling and

salmon) using a fly. The word „fly‟ needs to be

used with some caution however, as the said

items are usually tied from bits of feather,

wool, tinsel, fur, foam in fact, anything that

can be tied on a hook, and often rarely

looking like anything that lives!

Despite the mixed weather conditions this

year, we managed to get out fishing to a

wide variety of mainly still water venues.

Although we take some fish for the table,

many of the fisheries operate „catch and

release‟ and barbless hooks are used to

prevent fish suffering. The following records a

few of the highlights of the year. We kicked

off the year on 27 February to Pennine fishery

near Littleborough. This is a truly commercial

fishery and is ideal for those new to fly-fishing,

as it‟s usually relatively easy to catch a fish

here. And they often run to several pounds

(the largest I saw taken weighed 24lbs in a

competition we fished here some years ago).

Ten ponders are not uncommon. Although we

all caught fish, the largest of around 5lbs, the

big ones proved a bit elusive. The weather

was very unpredictable, we managed sun,

sleet, wind and calm, hardly surprising for a

lake at the top of the Pennines! I remember

„Catering Supremo‟ Freeman juggling a

particularly active fish, trying to get it back in

the water!

April saw the club off to Leighton Reservoir.

The contrast with Pennine could not be more

marked. Located near Masham (handy for a

tipple of Black Sheep or Old Peculiar on the

way home), this large reservoir is in stunning

surroundings. Mind you, it can be very windy,

and the water levels fall noticeably when

there‟s a drought on. We invariably find that

the „Dawson‟s Olive‟, a concoction of orange

and green turkey marabou plumes, chenille

(yes) and a brass bead head works well, and

the fish are feisty and fight well. „Chub‟

Cunningham always does well here.

We have an annual event where we

encourage beginners by laying on a taster

day, which is open to HASSRA members. We

always have a professional instructor who

guides the novices. This year we went to

Kilnsey, and there were six „novices‟ as well as

a few „old-stagers‟. Paul Hiscox, one of the

club regulars used his special buzzer (an

imitation of a fly larva) which he referred to as

his „secret weapon‟ – and caught umpteen

fish. Despite my trying something similar (and

nearly every other fly in my collection), I didn‟t

hook into anything until late afternoon. All the

novices caught fish, and from the first few

hours – especially on an imitation red

bloodworm (yes I tried that one too).

Three of us went to fish the River Ribble in

September. This has become something of an

annual foray in search of sea-trout and

salmon. We fished near Mitton, just outside

Clitheroe. The scenery is spectacular, and the

river was at an ideal height.

GAMEFISHERS

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 GAMEFISHERS


„Woody‟ managed a beautiful brown trout

on his first cast – though he was using a small

spinner rather than a fly. It was quickly

returned to the river. Although we enjoyed

the day, and I caught the tiniest grayling and

a similarly small sea-trout, those were the only

fish we managed. But lower down the river

there were some larger fish seen. Never mind,

there is always next year!

The club has continued to be well

represented in competitions, with our

chairman John Fell, being a member of the

eight-man squad representing the Civil

Service in the Services Fly Fishing

Championship held on Grafham Water,

Cambridgeshire, on the 1st June. This

competition is fished against teams from the

Army (Soldier Palmers), Royal Navy & Marines,

RAF (Fish Hawks), Police, Fire & Rescue

Service and the Prison Service. The Civil

Service team were the winners on the day

retaining the trophy for the second year in

succession – John is a true professional, and

is free with his advice and support to club

members.

We ended the year at Kilnsey fishery near

Kettlewell on 6 November. This was our

annual competition, and surprisingly it was a

perfect day, with no wind, and lots of sunny

intervals – ideal for fly-fishing. We had nearly

all the club members in attendance, and we

all caught fish. Niki – our only lady member -

caught the heaviest bag, and was

presented with the annual trophy by John

Fell. Incidentally, the record for the heaviest

rod-caught salmon in the UK is held by a

woman, so it should come as no surprise that

Niki won – proof that fly-fishing can be

enjoyed by all!

We are always trying to encourage new

members to join us, so if interested, get in

touch. Our programme is advertised in

HASSRA News.

Tight lines!

David RN

GAMEFISHERS

Did you know …..

HASSRA Leeds accepts Associate Members? People not directly

employed by the Department of Health or DWP can become associate

members of HASSRA Leeds by being sponsored by a family friend or

relative. Associate Members pay a small fee and can then take part in

Leeds Clubs activities and trips and events. Associate members are

welcome onto the Leeds Club‟s committees if they wish to make a

voluntary contribution to the success of the HASSRA Leeds.


Article 2 – Club Activities

2010 saw a first for the club, a campaign written

by club chair Stuart Barraclough for the

Warhammer 40,000 game system.

The campaign was set on the world of Delphan

IV, a semi-industrial world with some

technological knowledge. Three different

factions battled for control of this world for their

own nefarious purposes. The evil forces of

Chaos, the battle-loving Orks and ravenous

Tyranids (think Alien and you won‟t go wrong).

The Fall of Delphan Prime evolved over several

months, from small scale skirmishes to full scale

battle but at the end there could only be one

winner, the Tyranids staged a late run and were

unassailable as they swept aside all resistance

and consumed all life forms on the planet.

As well as the campaign, the club ran a Have a

Go day on Friday 9th July, showcasing various

games and chatting about the hobby. The

club also had a presence at the HASSRA 75th

Anniversary event on Friday 1st October. Thanks

to all the people who came along to either

event for a chat, proving there are other

wargamers out there!

Article 1 – Scenery

Scenery is an important part of any wargame,

whether it is a wood to hide behind or a ruined

building to take cover in, the type of terrain sets

the scene for the battle about to commence.

Back in August, Games Workshop ran a

competition to win a 6‟ x 4‟ battle board

(usually retailing at £150). In the spirit of “if you

don‟t enter you can‟t win”

the HASSRA Leeds Wargaming Club submitted

a couple of photos of the terrain used by the

club. While we did not win we did get our

scenery published on the sites blog here:

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/

content/blogPost.jsp?aId=13600048a

the relevant part is shown below:

WARGAMING CLUB

ANNUAL REVIEW for 2010 War Gaming

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=13600048a

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=13600048a


Fanning the Flames of War

by Stuart Wiltshire

Club Secretary

War Gaming

2010 was a busy year for the club. As well as

the whole club competing in a futuristic

Warhammer 40k campaign (a series of

linked scenarios) entitled “The Fall of

Delphan Prime”, we trialled a number of

new rule sets and bought into two new

game systems.

One of these was Malifaux from Wyrd

Minatures, a strange blend of Victorian,

Steampunk, Gothic, Wildwest action which

sees cow-pokes alongside clockwork robots

fighting against demons, zombie saloon-girls

and even gigantic killer teddies! Relatively

inexpensive to buy into and quick to play,

the game captured the imagination of a

number of members.

Also featuring high on the scale was the

World War II game Flames of War from

Battlefront Miniatures. The first 15mm game

added to the stable, it represents a more

historical departure for the club.

Battlefront divides WWII into three periods.

Early-war (1939–41), mid-war (1942–43) and

late-war (1944–45). Flames of War allows

players to partake in company level battles

from the European and North African

Theatres of World War Two, using 1/100

scale miniatures (15 mm figure scale). The

smaller scale of miniature allows you to field

a much larger force that looks great on the

table top. Plus …. It has tanks ….. TANKS!

Gameplay takes place over a series of

turns, with players alternating movement,

shooting and close assault. This simple

sequence of play, often called "I-Go,

You-go", helps people who are unfamiliar

with wargames or who are familiar with

other games with a similar structure, such as

Warhammer Fantasy Battles or Warhammer

40,000, to quickly learn the rules. The game

is optimised for two players, although it can

be played by a larger number of players

grouped in teams.

Play revolves around company-level

tactics, with each stand or element (a base

holding 3 to 7 miniatues) representing an

infantry fireteam (half-squad/section), an

artillery piece and its crew, or a single

vehicle (such as a tank, jeep, or armoured

car). Air support is also available, in the form

of fighters and ground attack aircraft.

The main rulebook has a variety of

scenarios players can use for their games,

from a simple all-out battle scenario to

objective-taking missions. The army

sourcebooks contain further scenarios,

usually centred around events relevant to

that particular book. The internet also offers

thousands of free alternatives if you know

where to look.

The current rules are found in the Second

Edition Rule Book, which was printed in a

hard cover and paperback edition. The

Rule Book does not include any army lists,

which requires a source book to be

purchased to play.


Fanning the Flames of War

by Stuart Wiltshire

Club Secretary

WARGAMING

Several army sourcebooks are available,

based on particular historical campaigns

such as D-Day or Opertation Market

Garden and include lists for German, U.S.,

the United Kingdom and Commonwealth

(India, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and

New Zealand), the Soviet Red Army, the

Italian army, as well as smaller nations such

as the Hungarians, Finns, Romanians and,

most recently, the Poles. There is

well-supported internet site that provides

numerous free additional army lists, painting

tips, examples and an active forum.

Sourcebooks have so far been restricted to

the European and Mediterranean theatres,

although Battlefront has indicated that

future releases may include coverage of

the Pacific theater.

One of the regularly raised critiscism of

historical wargaming is the bewildering

selection of rules systems, miniatures

companies etc which often require

specialist knowledge and hours of

searching the internet to pull together into

a workable game.

Flames of War provides players who are

interested in World War II wargaming but

lack an in-depth knowledge of the period,

such as myself, with a "one-stop shop". The

rulebook and sourcebooks provide not only

the rules of the game and scenarios to play

but also background material on historical

forces and battles and simple guides to

organising, assembling, and painting

miniature armies. Battlefront also sell all the

miniatures required, eliminating the need

for extensive searching. Having said that,

members of the club will be happy to give

anyone interested advice on alternative

sources to buy from that reduce the cost

even further, and I don‟t just mean Ebay!

Flames of War is also supported by a

companion magazine, “Wargames

Illustrated”, a long running UK based

wargaming magazine recently acquired by

Battlefront, who completely revamped its

layout and appearance. This magazine

now previews forthcoming Flames of War

releases, details battle reports and provides

hints and tips as well as general wargaming

information on upcoming shows, events

and clubs.

In summary, gamers interested in trialing

some WWII wargaming action can do

much worse than give Flames of War a try.

It does not aim to be the most historically

accurate game, but gameplay is fast and

exciting while special rules for each army

make the feel of playing the various forces

evocative of the actual troops, and the

initial setup is relatively cheap, even more

so if you come and try it at the club (we

have starting forces and a rulebook you

can use without paying a bean!)

The club is in the process of building up its

15mm terrain and we will soon be seeing

the heroic allies rumbling across the table

top into the iron fist of the heavily dug in

Tigers and Panthers of the Axis forces.

Only time and dice will tell how things will

turn out.


Quarry House Christian Fellowship

Annual Review for 2010 QHCF When we have been meeting

QHCF is open to all colleagues in DWP and DH

who are interested in the Christian faith or

would like to find out more about it. The

meetings are every Wednesday from 12:15 to

13:15pm. They are informal (often people bring

their lunch) and are usually held in the

multi-faith room, 7C03. Sometimes meetings

are done by video conference to include

London colleagues from DH. Sometimes we

meet for lunch outside of QH.*

Subjects covered

The group aims to build friendships and

encourage people to consider how the

Christian faith might help them practically in

work and everyday life. Over the year we have

studied a course called “God at Work”, which

provides suggestions on how to be a Christian in

the workplace. We have recently looked at the

Book of Job in the Bible and the age-old

question of why God allows suffering.

Projects

A highlight of the year was an event called

„Bridging the Gap‟. Across the A64 road from

Quarry House, is Emmaus, a charity providing

homes and employment for the homeless.

Emmaus has a very good charity shop which is

worth a visit.

On 27 April 2010, QHCF and other DH and DWP

staff met together to pass our donated goods

across the footbridge. Terry Waite, Emmaus

President, formed part of the human chain by

which the goods were passed on. It is hoped to

make this donation of goods an annual event

for all staff.

* For more information about QHCF, please contact:

Gillian Priestley DWP Tel: 0113 2519949

[email protected]

Ros Hynes DH Tel: 0113 2545847

[email protected]

Did you know …..

HASSRA Leeds supports your fund raising activities. So if you are doing something for charity such as a Cake

Sale or Book /CD sale, Charity Run etc, if so, please let HASSRA Leeds know and we will advertise it for you and

the results in The Newsletter, on Notice Boards and on our Website.

Please remember that if you are doing an event for charity to follow the rules in the Staff Clubs Guide. The

main rules are:

· Charity collections or raffles for charitable purposes must receive prior approval from the Business Unit

Manager or equivalent.

· The rules on collecting, handling, storing and checking money are as for other collections outlined

ad hoc collection guidance of the Staff Clubs Guide. Under no circumstances must a charity collection

box be left unattended.

· After presentation a receipt must be obtained from the charity showing the total donation.

The receipt, together with an authenticated statement of the total amount collected and

dispersed must be either:

circulated to subscribers, or

displayed on a notice board.

Non charitable raffles are prohibited.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Badminton Club

Annual Review for 2010 BADMINTON Ever seen Gail Emms on television and thought

about giving badminton a try? Well, if you play

badminton already or are intrigued by what the

game has to offer you can do so at Quarry House.

The badminton club is an established club which has

been meeting in Quarry House for a number of years

and caters for players of all levels, providing a

mixture of exercise and fun. The club meets every

Tuesday between 5 and 7pm and newcomers are

always welcome.

We play doubles matches throughout the evening,

mixing players after each match so that everyone

gets to play against players with different skills and

techniques and have the opportunity to meet new

people.

You don‟t have to play the full two hours – just as

long as you want. Some people play between 5

and 7, some leave earlier and some come down

later. Just what ever suits you. There is also the

occasional (well earned) social curry after playing

on a Tuesday evening.

There are usually around 8 to 16 people each

evening offering a chance to get some good

matches in. Overall there are more people who play

so it means we get different games each week

depending on who can make it.

We have the use of the Forum sports-hall, therefore

members are required to swipe in at reception

before playing each week. Use of the sports-hall

during badminton is included for those with gold

card membership to the forum. Others can pay as

you go for each badminton club night based on

one or two hours. The forum can provide further

details of this.

Badminton nets are provided, but players will need a

racket (they don‟t cost too much and you can often

get good deals in the sales). Current members

maybe able to lend any new members a racket if

they wanted to give it a try before buying their own

racket. A small donation towards shuttlecocks is also

appreciated.

The club is informal and friendly, the main aim is to

have some good games of badminton and some

fun too! There is an e-mail circulation list for the club

so members can be informed of any updates.

There is no committee as such, but if you

are interested in joining in on a Tuesday or

have any questions please contact Toni

Winder.

(Ext. 45182) [email protected]

Or feel free to turn up on the day, as new

members are always welcome.

Did you know …..

HASSRA Leeds offers a wide range

of member benefits including reduce

price cinema tickets for Vue, Cineword

and Showcase available to purchase

from Forum reception; discounts off food

at the Aagrar Indian Restaurant, The

Wardrobe; Fairuz Lebanese Restaurant

and Black House Restaurant.


Drama Festival in Burnley DRAMA CLUB

At short notice I was asked to prompt for the Yorkshire and

Humber Drama Society for the HASSRA Drama Festival in Burnley.

What a great few days I had!

From getting in the mini bus I knew it was going to be a fun, social

event. The team spirit and excitement was infectious…but so were

the nerves. We immediately burst into rehearsals attempting to be

word perfect for the following day.

On the Friday we watched the other teams (there were 8 of us in

total) treading the boards and giving it their all. It was amazing to

see the talent that our colleagues have and, even though it was a

competition, each team supported each other. After a long day we

headed back to the hotel to get ready for the awards ceremony.

Yorkshire and Humber had a really good night – scooping Best Actor (the wonderful and talented Tony

Musgrave), Best Set (We had full size coffins that contained ghosts!) and then runner up over all, coming 2nd to

the London team.

Full results were as follows:

Best play London Runners-up Yorks & Humber Best actor Tony Musgrave (Yorks & Humber) Runner-up Jonathan Lighthill (London) Best actress Edna MacCallion (South West) Runner-up Sue Catten (London) Best set Yorks & Humber Best costume South West

It was a great event. I got the opportunity to know colleagues from all over the country and I would

recommend the experience to anyone. If you want to appear on stage, help backstage, build set, prompt,

etc contact Tony Musgrave and give it a go.

I hope I have the opportunity to attend next year but if I don‟t I wish Yorkshire and Humber „break a leg‟!!!

Fingers crossed for first place next year!

Laura (Loz) Pape

Winner of Best Actor - Tony Musgrave HASSRA Y&H Drama Group

Runners up for Best Play -

HASSRA Yorkshire and Humber


Friday 13th! In true HASSRA trip fashion, we all met

up in the Woodpecker. Within 5

minutes of my arrival I‟d caused

mayhem by spilling a cuppa all over

the floor & narrowly missed scolding

Beck‟s shoulder – fine thanks that was

– she bought me the cuppa! Just

before we left, I proceeded to spill the

remainder of my tea all over the sinks

in the Leisure Centre – well, it was

Friday the 13th after all!

Whilst catching up with old friends by

the bus lay by, our coach driver Paul

(a lovely chap, a Cockney – but

no-one is perfect), was fighting to get

the extra long (57 seater) past the

front of Quarry House & down the

ramp. With us all safely on board we

broke out the butties, lollies & various

other sweeties only to grind to a halt

halfway down the ramp. The posh bus

had grounded on the dip in the ramp

& was also having its paintwork

removed by a tree. With only a slight

delay Paul jacked up the suspension

& we were off by 12.45pm.

Pauline (who I finally met for the first

time face to face – after all these

years of emailing write ups to her - its

ok, she‟s getting counselling for it), did

a wonderful job as the tea lady, not

spilling a drop (unlike me earlier).

Barry gave out the itineraries, there

was a change to the plot of the

murder so we all had chance to have

a good read & prepare ourselves to

be detectives for the evening.

En route to Royal Leamington Spa we

saw two lads stood in the middle of

an A road wearing giant Dominos

Pizza Boxes (other pizza delivery

companies are available). The poor

lads must have been miserable, so we

all waved at them, which at least

raised a smile. At about 3pm, we

arrived in lovely sunshine at Royal

Leamington Spa. Opting out of a visit

to the historical pump rooms, we

strolled up the main street. Lovely

brightly coloured hanging baskets &

flower troughs lined the streets but we

were surprised how modern

everywhere looked.

In true girlie tradition we mooched

around the shops & yet again I

caused mayhem – this time in Claire‟s

Accessories (other accessory shops

are available) with Beck‟s hair grips

(which didn‟t grip). Why do they insist

on hanging girl‟s accessories at

ceiling height when the average

height of a woman is about 5ft 4”? I

had to perform acrobatics to get the

hair clips off the top rack - which you

would have needed a 6ft 4” fella to

reach (or maybe that was just me

wishful thinking?).

Having purchased a blackboard &

wind up penguin, the rain came

down with a vengeance & so we

were forced to take sanctuary in

Weatherspoons – The Benjamin

Satchwell. From outside it didn‟t look

like a pub & if John hadn‟t pointed it

out we‟d have missed it. Inside it was

clean, modern & very roomy with

loads of booths to hide away in &

look on Facebook in search of a

Knight.

We arrived at Coombe Abbey at

about 5.30pm. The Abbey was more

like a mansion house & reminded be

a little of Brideshead Revisited. The

grounds were beautiful with

woodland, fountains, water lily ponds

& sculpted privets. There was a moat

– though I didn‟t spot any crocodiles,

but there were some swans &

cygnets. We checked in & were

escorted through the labyrinth of

corridors packed with medieval

memorabilia to the new wing (built on

what used to be the car park). I admit

I was dubious as I wanted an oldie

worldie room like the ones in the main

building. My doubts were unfounded;

the new wing was just as exciting &

full of nooks & crannies, suits of armour

& old paintings to explore.

Our room was huge & had a

gorgeous window seat looking out on

to the woods, complete with squirrels

running up tress & birds singing their

little hearts out. There was such

attention to detail too, a small

bedside statue holding sweeties

(though they were somewhat sticky)

& even the hairdryer, spare loo roll &

hot water bottle were wrapped in

covers matching the upholstery.

We had a majestic seat / throne –

ideal to relax in & enjoy a pre murder

glass of wine. Only slight hitch was

that we had requested twin beds (we

are close friends, but not that close!)

but had been given a room with a

huge double bed. Housekeeping

came up to un-Velcro the beds &

convert them into singles. We had a

very interesting chat with the

housekeeping lady who had worked

there for 13 years & loved every

minute of it – refreshing change in this

day & age.

Having dressed for dinner we went off

to the Abbeygate banqueting hall

which would be the setting for the

murder. Outside were two monks

dressed in rather striking (if not

surprising) blue habits. We were

chatting & joking with one of them

but the other (who was later identified

as Brother James the Provost), would

not play the game. He perhaps took

offence to Beck querying the

authenticity of his brown loafers. His

humourless response was – „I got them

from Tesco Express actually‟ (please

yourself mate). Inside the hall was a

bar & dance floor with tombs, flags,

heraldic shields, armour & dim

lighting, all very atmospheric. To get

the evening off with a kick, John &

Julie introduced us to the very

quaffable Maredsous Belgian blonde

beer – pricey but worth it.

REVIEW OF TRIPS 2010

In 2010 HASSRA Leeds has been on numerous trips and the

following are reviews from members about their experiences:

Coombe Abbey Murder Mystery Friday 13th – Saturday 14th August 2010

By Sal Hopkinson



At this point can I just say thank you to

the guest appearance in the bar area

by the gentleman who looked like

Clive Cussler, the action novel writer. I

only wish I had asked for your

autograph Mr C, as your books have

kept me amused for many years now!

The murder was played out in several

short tableaux between the courses of

the meal. In between the tableaux,

the characters came down into the

audience so that we could pick their

brains & try to work out which one of

them was guilty. Abbot Geoffrey was

very shifty & I was convinced he was

the culprit. The food was lovely –

poached salmon followed by pan

fried chicken & roasted vegetables.

The dessert was too much even for a

chocoholic like me. There were too

many flavours & textures going on

(oooo hark at me, a Michelin star

chef). It was honeycomb, banana &

chocolate truffle torte with rum soaked

raisins in it, surrounded by cappuccino

sauce. (No, it didn‟t go to waste, Beck

happily finished mine.)

During the meal we had many

entertaining exchanges with those

around us including Sir Rupert throwing

paper missiles at me – one of which I

still haven‟t found! I won‟t tell you

what the outcome of all our detective

work was but what I can say about the

deceased is – they deserved it!

Back into the bar & onto the dance

floor for a fabulous disco. The DJ was

brilliant, playing a whole range of

decades as well as our requests &

everyone at one time or another had

a dance. One lady (who shall remain

nameless to protect her dignity) was

giving it her all & fell over – that didn‟t

stop her, she continued to dance on

her knees! It was also great to see that

even the biggest stick in the muds

came out of their shells by the end of

the night. Needless to say, some of us

danced all night until they were

thrown out in the wee hours of the

next morning!

Saturday 14th

Having had a solid night‟s sleep we

made our way to the beautifully sunlit

conservatory which was packed with

murder mystery guests & a wedding

party. The conservatory was

decorated with lots of curious bits &

pieces, my particular favourites were

the Elephant lamps – very grand. Due

to the number of people eating, there

was a slight delay whilst the bacon &

sausages were restocked. The wait just

gave us an excuse to stand in line &

chat about the previous evenings

exploits & how brilliant it had been.

Patience was displayed by most of us

– though some were very eager to get

at the mushrooms and beans! My only

minor complaint was that the

scrambled eggs were far too watery

for my taste.

We didn‟t have enough time to

explore Coombe Abbey & its grounds.

We managed to grab a quick look at

some of the corridors with creepy

heads, suits of armour, pulpit & a

confessional – converted into a phone

booth. We also had a quick nosey at

John & Julie‟s plus Robert (aka Sir

Rupert) & Elaine‟s rooms in the main

part of the Abbey. John & Julie had a

two poster bath & Robert & Elaine had

a bath in middle of the bedroom!

Over John & Julie‟s bed were two big

bell pulls. Beck asked “what d‟ya get if

ya pull „em John?” – thankfully he

resisted the temptation for any rude

answers & said “the light goes on”!

On the way to check out we met

another wedding party with beautiful

pink Gerbera button holes. One of the

members of staff showed us the

wedding reception room – beautifully

laid out & decorated. He then showed

us to the gardens. Whilst walking down

the uneven path towards the lake,

yours truly went over on my left ankle

& sprained it. (It was fine until having

sat on the coach later in the day, after

that I was like Long John Silver –

without the parrot obviously!). As we

were halfway along the lakeside path

– off to look at the swans & ducks, the

torrential rain struck again. As a result,

we boarded the bus with dripping hair,

cold soggy jackets & jeans. As I

demonstrated how wet my jeans

were, John rubbed his hand up &

down my soggy thigh – which caused

some amusement on the bus - “It

could have been worse” he said, “it

could have been me”. Charming!

Onwards to Newark. A lovely market

town with river cruises, lots of cafes &

shops in alleys & arcades. We explored

the castle ruins where brides were

having their wedding pictures taken

(whilst getting drenched in the rain).

We had a spot of lunch in; yes you

guessed it – Weatherspoons! The Sir

John Arderne. I don‟t recommend it

though as they burnt my haddock &

mozzarella fish cakes & some of the

clientele (other than the HASSRA

gang) were considerably dodgy. As

the torrential rain set in yet again, we

found refuge in another John & Julie

recommended hostelry – The Castle

pub. I wish we had eaten there too.

The staff were friendly & it was an old

style pub with lots of little rooms to

explore. There were quotes on the

walls & coincidentally, we all sat under

the quote that said “I‟ve never been

drunk, but I‟ve often been over

served” – how very true.

Back onto the bus & Julie asked me if I

wanted to “strip off & chuck up”.

Hmm, how was I supposed to respond

to that? Knowing that some people on

the bus were into

naturist bathing, I was getting a tad

concerned but thankfully what she

meant was to put my soggy jacket in

the overhead locker – well, what else

could she have meant!?!

Yet again we didn‟t win Barry‟s raffle –

despite Barry trying to do the draw

before giving the tickets out! The

journey home passed quickly

especially for the sleeping beauties on

the bus – thanks to the sneaky

photographer (you know who you

are) for the very unflattering photos of

the snoozers.

I would like to say a huge thanks to

Julie for organising another smashing

trip & to Barry & Pauline from Group

Choice for providing a smooth

running, relaxing & excellent value for

money two days. Thanks to my „old‟

friend Beck for being fantastic

company as ever (& putting up with

my OCD) & to the rest of the gang for

making the whole experience a

superb barrel of laughs. More of these

trips PLEASE HASSRA!


“Big Snow Ploughs” Borovets From a ski virgin‟s perspective


Saturday 27th Feb 2010 – Off We Go!

We arrived at the Hotel Rila in time to grab a late dinner. The deal was half board & throughout the week

the food was plentiful & of good quality. E.g. mustard & honey chicken, stuffed peppers, roast potatoes with cheese,

veggies, a whole host of salads etc etc. Desserts were always a selection of fruit & various sponge type fancies.

To toast the start of the holiday some of us went to a local pub called the Sun Ski Bar. Very welcoming, with a few local

beers on draft. There was a Boar skin on one wall; some traditional Bulgarian dresses on another wall & the rest of the

walls are covered in brightly coloured skis. (Think I‟m gonna do my lounge like that next time I decorate.)

Sunday 28th Feb 2010 – First Day Skiing!

All decked out in sallopettes, jackets, gloves, scarves, helmets (optional for adults) & goggles we waddled down to the

ski depot to get our ski boots fitted. We 4 intrepid ski virgins then strode off to find an instructor who would take

beginners. We ended up in a group of 9 beginners with an instructor who told us to call him „George‟.

First we learnt to fall over & get up correctly, then we walked up the nursery slope in our big heavy boots, full thermals &

ski‟s on our shoulders. The sun was blazing down & it was 16 degrees (should have been about -3). As I was boiling hot, I

went very red. Think George thought I was going to pass out! We then learnt how to stop. It‟s a manoeuvre called a

snow plough. Now, please imagine saying “big snow ploughs” in the accent of the Meerkat off the TV advert, I swear I

will never be able to say snow plough in a Yorkshire accent again.

After skiing we went over to the Black Tiger Karaoke bar for the Inghams Tours welcome meeting. A free glass of

Bulgarian red wine helped boost the attendance figures! Loads of additional activities were on offer: Bulgarian folk

evenings, horse riding, skidoo safaris & a tour of Sofia.

Monday 1st March – Baba Marta or Martenista Day

On 1st March Bulgarian‟s wear red & white platted bracelets & decorate their houses etc with red & white. These are

worn until you see a Stork, Swallow or budding tree. The red symbolises life & passion whilst the white symbolises purity.

Baba Marta means Grandma March & she is a grumpy old woman with mood swings.

Hopefully by wearing these colours she will show you mercy. So, wearing our bracelets, we met up with George & after

a revision session we went on a four man lift to about half way up the mountain (1780m). It was terrifying! All you have to

hold on to is a thin metal bar & whatever you do don‟t swing the chair or drop you ski poles – „cos there aint no going

back! It was soooooo high!

Our first green run was 5km of fantastic woodland tracks - trees on one side & a sheer drop on the other. That

concentrates the mind when falling over! Problem was, the warm weather caused icy & gravel patches in places.

Several of us fell spectacularly on a large patch of ice – my ski came off & was skating down the mountain whilst I was

clambering to get up – hopeless. What a fantastic sense of achievement for all of us at the end of it though.

Tuesday 2nd March – Après Ski Karaoke

It rained heavily all day so we practiced runs & „big snow ploughs‟ up & down the nursery slopes & towards the end of

the day thankfully the rain turned to snow. I think the only dry bit of me was under my ski goggles!

A group of card sharks met that evening in the hotel lobby & we played „basket‟ (that‟s the cleaned up name for it).

Thankfully we were not playing for money as I lost all the time – wonder if some cheating was going on…….. After dinner

we went to the Karaoke bar. I will never forget the version of Barbie Girl that Beck & a stranger sang – let‟s just say, the

words he was singing were not what were on the TV screen!

Wednesday 3rd March – Top of the World Ma!

It was a beautiful sunny day & we went up to nearly the top of the mountain (2369m). At the summit, the snow was a bit

better than on the nursery slopes & we got to see the marvellous views which nearly made up for the frankly boring day

of going up & down an unchallenging part of a green run & queuing for ages to get on the button lift. By the end of the

so called lesson I hadn‟t learnt a thing & George wasn‟t even watching. The 4 of us stayed at the summit after class &

had a fantastic 45 minutes trying out moves, practicing falling (honest), laughing, spurring each other on – brilliant!

That evening the card sharks all met up again – & do you know - I continued to loose! We discussed the days skiing with

our more experienced friends & they were just as unimpressed with our instructor……. George would have to go!


Thursday 4th March – Goodbye George, Hello Romie

We awoke to thick fog which didn‟t bode well for the day ahead. Beck & I spoke to the Inghams rep, told her that

we were unhappy with George, & she sorted it all out straight away. Our new group was made up of two couples, 1

Irish & 1 Serbian – a very multicultural group! Romie was like a breath of fresh air. She took us one by one & assessed

our skills & by the end of the morning lesson we had all gelled together, & best of all – we were learning again!

That evening we went on a Skidoo Safari which we‟d booked as an extra adventure with our tour rep. despite the

fog it was now snowing heavily & so was very atmospheric when driving up the mountain through the woodland. I

drove for 30 minutes then we had a photo shoot & then Beck drove for 30 minutes. It was brilliant fun!

Friday 5th March – 12km Green & Blue Run Adventure

We were all buzzing as it was snowing thick & fast & the fog had lifted on the nursery slopes. We went up on the

Gondola & at the top we hit more flippin‟ fog & it was really windy, blowing the snow everywhere. The button lift also

stopped working. We had a hot chocolate in the hope that it would clear & that they would fix the lift, but it got

worse. Somewhat disheartened we headed back down onto the slopes by the hotel & practice stem turns &

traversing.

After the lesson Beck, Ian & I went back up on the Gondola to meet Julie, John, Suzanne & Dave. We were going to

do the 12km green & blue runs! Despite some nerves we all did really well (thanks Mr Grace). We fell – often in

spectacular fashion – several times. I crashed into Beck & later Ian on two fast corners where I was out of control &

latterly Suzanne had to dig me out of the pile of snow I‟d buried myself in – well, it was better than burying myself in a

tree! All four of our volunteer tutors were extremely patient & made it so much fun. We learnt so much in those 12km,

made important mistakes to learn from & improve. It was a SUPERB end to the skiing week.

That evening the groups met up for the official Ski Diploma presentation - we‟d achieved Intermediate status! We

had a couple of bottles of Bulgarian Merlot & Bulgarian Sparkling Wine with some nibbles & had a laugh whilst telling

tales of our week‟s adventures. To finish the evening we all piled in to the Retro Bar – No Limits Club under the hotel.

Dancing in big winter boots isn‟t easy but I had a flippin‟ good try & danced the night away with Beck & Suzanne.

Saturday 6th March – Whistle Stop Tour of Sofia

We had some spare time before the tour bus came to take us to Sofia, we went for a walk with Julie to the old ski

jump which it is reputed, Eddie the Eagle Edwards jumped from. Standing at the bottom of it is scary. These ski

jumpers really must have a screw loose and as for the single chair lift to get them to the top – there is nothing to

them, one false move & - splat – you‟d be on the floor!

We checked out at 12pm & when we arrived in Sofia there were icicles on the coach wheel hubs – we had all

thought it would be warmer lower down the valley but stood outside the Aleksander Nevski Memorial Church

hearing all about its history from the fastest tour guide in the East – my teeth were chattering!

To be honest I could have happily wandered around the Memorial Church without our tour guide rabbiting on. It is a

beautiful sight to see. After the Memorial Church we flew past the eternal flame memorial to the Unknown Soldier &

several other magnificent churches & then arrived at the pizzeria where our lunch was cooked fresh in front of us.

Before we ventured out again for the afternoon session, I asked our guide for a map. “You don‟t need a map, Sofia is

small.” Hmmmmmm. So, we left the tour in the subway where during its construction the Roman Fortress of Serdica

was unearthed. It was bizarre to see a Roman road & artefacts in a subway. There are lots of little souvenir shops

down there too. After some shopping in the lovely atmospheric local covered market (full of Bulgarian goodies &

gifts), we wandered back towards the Memorial Church & the coach. But we did get a tad lost – no map you see!

I did ask Andy at one point as he strode of in determined fashion, if he knew where he was going. When he said no,

I reverted to John‟s advice – follow the yellow brick road. No, he wasn‟t being sarcastic. There really is a yellow brick

road through the middle of Sofia & it lead us right back to the Memorial Church & coach.

Can I just say, thanks to HASSRA Leeds, Julie & John for organizing such a fantastic trip & being tour guides as well as

ski instructors; to Beck, Ian & Andy for losing their ski virginity with me; to Suzanne, Dave & Leah for their brilliant ski &

card tutorials; & to everyone in the group for such a good laugh & memorable holiday.

Sal Hopkinson



Sunday 6 June

Jan managed to herd all but one of us

(40 odd) to catch the flight. Some of us

had the £5 pint and a sandwich deal

despite the early time. Dennis probably

had an ice cream.

The flight was smooth and quick and we

landed at an overcast but warm Nice

airport, where we met Barry & Pauline

and were driven by coach to the Diano

Marina resort on the Mediterranean

coast. The Hotel Torino was clean,

modern and (almost) ready for us. We

explored the little seaside town and met

again for dinner where we were very

pleasantly surprised by the quality of the

food. (Actually some of us were just as

pleasantly surprised by the quantity of

food)

Monday 7 June

This was a free day to acclimatise

ourselves and the weather started to pick

up despite dire forecasts. Some went by

the local train to the pretty village of

Allasio. Others used the promenade to do

a bit of walking and taking pictures. One

of us even got lost in the hills where his

wife was less than impressed – but that‟s

another story!

Tuesday 8 June

We picked up our guide - another Jan,

(What‟s the collective noun for Jans?)

and took the coach along the

picturesque coast road to Monaco, all

the while being regaled with interesting

anecdotes. We watched the changing

of the guards (not quite Buckingham

Palace) and had some refreshment -

€15.20 for a beer and a coffee! And saw

how the other half live, Mind you it‟s so

built up it‟s an enormous concrete jungle.

Some of us went round the castle and

some round the museum, which was full

of Grimaldis (another collective). After a

quick couple of quid in the very opulent

Casino in Monte Carlo we set off back

and got the lowdown on the current

monarchy. Dennis had an ice cream.

Diano Marina Review



Wednesday 9 June

Another coach tour with Jan along the Italian

Riviera coastline with a services stop (the hot

chocolate was good), and we stopped in

Santa Margarita for lunch. Then a short boat

ride to the beautiful resort of Portofino, one of

the most picturesque fishing ports on the

Mediterranean coast, also one of the most

expensive. The walk up to the castle and

lighthouse was good and back in the village

square the local ice-cream speciality

(Pacuigo) was most welcome. Dennis had an

ice cream.

Thursday 10 June

There was another trip today to Grasse to visit

the perfume factory of Fragonard. Grasse is a

picturesque town nestled amongst wonderful

countryside above Cannes. This was followed

by a visit to the lovely resort of Antibes. For

those of us who didn‟t go on the trip, we

walked along the beach to the nearby

village of Cervo and up to the pretty church

on the hill. Dennis had an ice cream. The

many restaurants and bars along the beach

served us wonderful mussels and salads. That

evening after dinner Dennis had an ice

cream.

Friday 11 June

Another free day and most of us took the

train to Ventimiglia in brilliant sunshine for a

look around the weekly market, which

seemed to stretch for miles. Those who were

that way inclined tended to shop. Those of us

who weren‟t sampled the delightful bars. A

mix-up with the train times left us with an hour

in the station where to our surprise the station

café had a generous buffet which included

rabbit and heaped plates of vegetables.

Back to the hotel where we were treated to

a glass of bubbly with our last supper. Dennis

had an ice cream.

Saturday 12 June

After an enormous breakfast we set off by

coach to the airport for another smooth flight

back to Leeds. What a fantastic trip this

turned out to be. Many thanks to Barry &

Pauline for a very professional trip and to Jan

who was certainly worthy of the highest

praise.


HASSRA Leeds

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