Christmas is almost here!

At last I find myself in a position to put pen to paper again. November was an incredibly busy month with all four weekends away from home.

During the first week I made a visit to the Rotary Club of Brixham on a very blustery and wet evening. The wind was really lashing around the Yacht Club up on the cliff where they meet, and this made their warm hospitality even more welcome.

The following day I attended the Inner Wheel District 17 Rally at Exmouth, where I was also made most welcome, and it gave me an opportunity to catch up with many old friends from my Inner Wheel days.

On Thursday it was an early start for the visit to RC Torbay Sunrise for their breakfast meeting. It was still wet and windy and the sea was lashing on the rocks.

Friday saw me traveling to Germany for the Rotary International Institute in Hanover. When I booked my flight I was delighted to find that I could fly from Exeter and expected it to be a pretty straight forward journey. I didn't bargain with Flybe cancelling all the flights to Hanover from Exeter after the end of October, thus finding that I had to fly from Southampton. The flight was at 10.30 so necessitated a fairly early start from home and after much investigation I decided that a train to the airport was the best option. To make the connection I had to catch the 05.57 train from Totnes, so it was an early start. There were two other connections to make and because of the lateness of the train, I missed the second one! I did, however, arrive in time for the flight and the rest of the journey went reasonably well.

It did turn out to be worth the effort because it was a very useful weekend with some interesting presentations. I joined DGE Paul in Hanover and we travelled home together on Monday. It did, however, take four trains to travel from Southampton airport to home on the return journey.

On Tuesday I visited Newton Abbot club who very quickly made me feel at home and brought me up to speed with all that they are doing. It was a most interesting meeting.

The following day it was time for District Continuity again. This is when the Governor group (PDG, DG, DGE, DGN &DGNN [if there is one]) get together for a chin wag and talk about the things that affect District Governors and the continuity of service in the district.

Then came the highlight of the week. On Thursday RC of Teignmouth Estuary Inaugurated. It was a super evening with Peter Davey, RIBI Membership Development and Retention Chairman and John Banks, RIBI Extension Officer traveling to Devon for the occasion. Many congratulations to all those who have worked so hard. It was a special evening and well supported by all the local clubs.

At the weekend I took a couple of days off to see my family. It was well worth the long drive as I hadn't seen my grandchildren since the beginning of the Rotary year and was really missing them.

When I got back on Monday we were straight into all the District heats for the Young Chef Competition. It never ceases to amaze me the quality and variety of the food that these youngsters produce.

On Friday lunchtime I was off on my travels again, heading for Coventry for the Mid Year Review. This is when all the District Committee Chairmen from RIBI get together to compare notes and see how the year is progressing. I was there to attend the Membership Development group and help with the day. I was fortunate that the weather wasn't too bad and the snow followed me up the country although the journey did take five hours.

I fully intended coming home on Saturday evening so that I could be at Dartmoor Vale's Santa Special on Sunday morning, because it is such a special event and really heralds the beginning of Christmas. My plans were thwarted though, because when I came out of the hotel I found four inches of snow on my car! In the event, I decided to spend the night and Sunday in the midlands as I had a General Council meeting at Alcester on Monday. Common sense prevailed!

Two more Young Chef heats and a Conference Committee meeting and another week drew to an end. This time Les and I were off to Ilfracombe to saver the pleasures of their President's Night. We were so lucky with the weather, with a break from the cold snap and the roads clear of snow. It was an exceptionally good evening, and it seemed that most of North Devon was there, although sadly, President Ian's family couldn't make it out of the snow covered south of England. On Sunday morning our generous hosts Nigel and Jill Vince, treated us to a walk on the cliff in beautiful sunshine and, with good visibility, the views were stunning.

By Monday the temperature had dropped once more and I made my way to RC of Torquay for lunch. They are a busy club and are preparing for their ninetieth birthday in January; what an achievement!

The following day I was with Preston Club for their meeting in the evening. I gingerly picked my way through the weather and am increasingly grateful that I visited the distant clubs earlier in the year when the weather was better.

On Thursday I joined DGE, Paul and Editor, Peter and we spent most of the day with the January edition of the District Magazine before making our way to Tiverton for a District Executive Meeting. This was followed on Friday by Paul and I meeting up again to see Teinbridge MP, Anne Marie Morris to talk about The Big Society. A very useful meeting, and it will be interesting to see how this develops and what comes from our discussions.

This week, after attending my club on Monday, Les and I were off to North Devon again for the Inauguration of RC of Braunton Caen. This was another very special occasion with the new club being heralded by a fanfare. It was a very lively and enjoyable evening. Another hard working group having made the new club possible, and provided an evening club for those who have difficulty making lunchtime meetings. They were also delighted that RIBI Extension Officer John Banks made the long journey from Leigh-on Sea in Essex to be with them.

Thursday saw a second Editorial Meeting and I now only have my own Club's Christmas bash and Christmas lunch at Ashbuton/Buckfastleigh on Tuesday before I can look forward to a very welcome Christmas break.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all:

All the Blessings of Christmas and a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.

I also offer my sincere thanks to you all for the untold hours that you put in on Rotary projects to help those less fortunate and in need.

November is Rotary Foundation Month

Your support of the Annual Programs Fund through the Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative makes it possible for The Rotary Foundation to continue its work of 'Doing Good in the World.'

If you contribute to the Foundation, you advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. You also support Rotary's six areas of focus.

By donating less than the cost of your Sunday newspapers each month, and gift aiding it, you can become a Sustaining Member of the Rotary Foundation. Contributions to EREY are the primary source of funding for Foundation programs.

Here are a few ways in which your contribution makes a difference:

Ø Fighting Hunger: In Romania, orphans and sick children have eggs, milk, and meat because of a Foundation grant that benefits local farmers. The farmers are able to buy everything from animal feed to packaging materials. There is one stipulation: they must donate a portion of their products to children’s hospitals, schools, and orphanages.

Ø Fighting Child mortality: Rotary clubs in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, and Tamil Nadu, India, are helping to reduce child mortality by providing improved sanitation facilities for 15 families in a small community in Sri Lanka. With a Matching Grant , the clubs have built 14 toilets, helping to prevent diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation.

According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million children die of diarrhea every year, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. Proper sanitation can reduce the rate of child mortality in many communities by up to a third.

Ø Promoting peace and conflict resolution: Watching civil war tear apart his homeland of Côte d'Ivoire instilled in Rotary Peace Fellow Kouame Remi Oussou a passion to resolve conflict. He is now working for the United Nations Development Programme in the Central African Republic,

Ø Basic education and literacy: Education helps rebuild lives, whether it's in small rural towns or war-torn countries. A literacy project sponsored by Rotarians in conjunction with the International Reading Association (IRA) is helping Sudanese refugees rebuild their communities by equipping them to teach future generations. The Southern Sudan Teacher Training Initiative provides refugees of the country's decades-long civil war, who are known as the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, with teacher training materials, guidance, and support to help them teach students from kindergarten upwards.

Ø Eradicating polio: Around the world, Rotarians are taking millions of steps from walkathons to diving into icy ocean waters to help Rotary fulfill its promise to rid the world of polio. Si Burgher from Indiana, USA, raised almost $1,600 by having his shaggy eyebrows shaved off!

The Rotary Foundation is our very own charity. Please do what you can to support it throughout each Rotary year, and especially this month.

Since I last put pen to paper, I have made a very pleasant visit to RC of Tormohun where the club was showing its support for four young lads who have really demonstrated their compassion by raising several thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy. This followed the loss of one of their friends, and the son of one of the Rotarians in the club, to this debilitating disease.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday Les and I were guests of District 1060 at their Conference in Torquay. 1060 is a large district and had more than 650 registrations! I can dream!! I can also tell you they definitely know how to party, and we had a really fun weekend. Their Governor, David and his wife Sue will be my guests at our conference in February.

The first week in the month is always conference committee month, and things are really beginning to hot up now. The programme and speakers are finalised and the entertainment is booked. I am very excited by the programme that we have prepared for you. It's full of surprises, with something for everyone and I'm amazed by what we seem to have squeezed out from what is really a very meager budget. It's all down to a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work by the Conference Team.

Get your registration in soon, and don't miss out on a very reasonably priced weekend, with all the very best that Rotary has to offer in terms of fun and friendship.

I hope you are all enjoying the first District Magazine of the year. The editorial team have had some really good and encouraging feedback from you.

Please note that the copy date for the next magazine is 7th December

Editor, Peter has been out and about procuring advertising for the January edition and this will enable us to have 20 pages, so we are very much looking forward to receiving some punchy articles about your projects and activities together with action photographs of at least 300dpi.

I understand from district Communications Chairman Les, that the Website News will be up and running very shortly, and I'm sure you will all look forward to that.

I very much hope that you all enjoy your Rotary on the lead up to Christmas with all that it entails with sleighs, Santa's Grottos and parties. Have fun!

Autumn has really arrived now......

The leaves are really changing colour on the trees now, and with the wonderful sunny days that we have experienced during the last couple of weeks, it has been a joy to drive around our beautiful county of Devon.

It was on such a day that I paid my official visit to Tiverton. This is probably one of the most vibrant lunchtime clubs in the district, and they made me very welcome. With six current or past district officers in the club, they have a tremendous knowledge of Rotary, and this must make a significant contribution to the success of the club.

During the week I also took part in my first audio conference meeting of the RIBI Membership Development and Retention Committee. I must admit the prospect of this was quite daunting, and the closer it became the more twitchy I was, but in the event it was fine and I really needn't have worried! It is quite strange though, having a six or seven way conversation over more than two hours on the telephone. It does, however, save RIBI, and consequently members of Rotary, a great deal of money by holding committee meetings in this way.

On Thursday morning Les and I embarked on the mammoth journey to Eastbourne for District 1130's Conference; better known perhaps as 'The London Conference.' There is no easy way to Eastbourne from Devon and the journey took us the best part of six hours. I am no stranger to this conference, as it is the District in which Michael was a Governor many years ago, and I have continued to attend the majority of their recent conferences and do have many friends there.

We were treated like royalty and had a tremendous weekend. The dinner dance on Saturday and the entertainment on Friday were stunning, and I have to say, that I was taking careful note of all the proceedings in order to pick up any useful tips for our own conference in February.

We arrived home late on Sunday evening, having partaken of a very pleasant lunch with the members of the London Conference Committee and the rest of their guests, and I then spent Monday preparing for the week ahead.

On Tuesday there was another very pleasant drive through the Devon countryside to visit RC of Exmoor. They were holding a partner's meeting so Les accompanied me, and also did the driving. It was a lively meeting and I was very impressed by all that they do. They were building up to the Bampton Fair this weekend, and I was very interested to note that they were holding a pony and tack auction. This must be quite unusual for a Rotary club, and I take my hat off to them.

Bampton Fair existed even before King Henry III granted it a Royal Charter in 1258 and it is always held on the last Thursday of October. It is one of the oldest surviving Charter Fairs in the country.


This leads me on to a request to you all. Please don't hide your light under a bushel. You are all doing such exciting and innovative things in your clubs. Please let the rest of the Rotarians in the district know what you are doing by sending a short article and some good quality action photographs to the Editor of the District Magazine, (Peter Thornhill at peter@buckfastleigh.org) so that your ideas and expertise can be shared. That way Rotarians in this district can do even more to help in their communities and further afield.


This week also saw the clubs assembling at Tiverton for the first District Council of the year. PDG George Kempton introduced a very interesting presentation by the RNIB, for a screening programme to detect eye problems. We are very privileged that we have been asked to be the first Rotary district to pilot the scheme alongside our Stroke Awreness day.

As an optometrist, I think that it is a very exciting opportunity for us to help our communities, and I would urge you all to take part in the scheme if you can.

October is Vocational Service Month;

During Vocational Service month, learn how to put your professional expertise to work helping those in need. Vocational service is what makes us different from any other service organisation, and is the golden thread that runs through all that we do.

Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their professions, and to practice high ethical standards in all they do. As business leaders, we share our skills and expertise through our vocations and inspire others in the process. Observed each October, Vocational Service Month spotlights Rotary club projects related to this avenue of service, offering an opportunity for clubs and districts to use their professional skills in service projects.

It's likely that your community has boundless opportunities for volunteer service. Consider mentoring children at a local school or helping with their reading, participate in a neighborhood cleanup day, or conduct mock interviews in your local secondary school. There is no end to what you can do!

During the last week of September I visited the RC of Exeter for lunch at their very swish venue, the Exeter Golf and Country Club. The room where they eat has recently been refurbished and used to be the billiard room. I was fortunate that they also had two other visitors in the form of the President of the RC of Jaipur South and his wife; both Rotarians. They were paying a visit to Exeter as their daughter was beginning a past graduate course at the university. They were from the largest district in the world, District 3050, which covers three states; there are 19 Rotary clubs in Jaipur and his club has 164 members. It makes me feel quite relieved to be a governor in RIBI!

Also during the week I met with your Assistant Governors who, as you all know, are my eyes and ears around the district. This was a very useful meeting because it gave them a chance to compare notes and me a chance to catch up with what is happening in your clubs.

Saturday night was fun night because Exeter Southernhay were celebrating their 20th Charter Anniversary in the Officer's Mess at Lympstone Camp. It was a real party with lots of silly games, and a great time was had by all.

Two days later I was treated to a fantastic mixed grill on my visit to RC of Dawlish. They are a very busy club working hard in their community. Another club with lots of fresh ideas is RC Chudleigh and Bovey Tracey, who I visited the following evening. They really seem to have found their feet now, and will be busy planting 4000 crocus corms during October. I hope the weather holds for them!

They will also be reminding some of the local school children of the lessons they presented on Polio last February. President Vicky has some fantastic lesson plans that she used for Thanks for Life last year, and would be very happy to share them with any interested Rotarians to use for TFL next February.

On Saturday I was honored to present a cheque and unveil a plaque at the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust, Seale Hayne on behalf of the Rotary Clubs of Newton Abbot, Dartmoor Vale, Dawlish Water and Ashburton/Buckfastleigh , who have worked together to provide specialist sensory equipment.

The Trust's new enterprise at Seale Hayne is an enormous undertaking, showing enormous vision and their mission is that the enterprise will be run by their adult users who will have either physical or learning disabilities or a combination of both.The space will be a vibrant, inclusive and innovative one and will support community participation, inclusion and cohesion that people will want to be part of.

There will be two elements:

The commercial aspect will provide income, but also bring the world into this community. The adults will run their own commercial enterprises such as the shop, the café, the function room, the lettings service, a small holding with incorporated livestock and public interaction, the gallery, the sports centre and more.

One side of the quadrangle is occupied by artist's workshops and studios, bringing an income. There is a sculpture trail, and a gallery for selling their work which will be run by the users. The adult's creative arts enterprise will produce their own art and they will sell it in that same gallery.A shop will sell the produce from other skills and training courses, and day services will bring value to a true work ethic and serve the wider community. Produce could include honey, wine, vegetables, paper, jewelry, printing, craftwork, manure; the list is endless! A café/bar run by the users will enhance a thriving commercial enterprise and cater for all it’s needs, adding to the community buzz.

On the service side, Dame Hannah Rogers Trust offers a first class multi-disciplinary and holistic service to children, young people and adults. There has long been a growing need to expand the services to meet the wider community through an innovative and carefully planned programme. This will transform access to services for children, young people and adults with disabilities.

There will be a Communication Assessment Centre based in this area; at present our young people have to travel to Bristol for this, together with access to innovative Music & Sensory areas. The use of this kind of facility transforms young people's lives.The centre will become a base for outreach services whereby expert physiotherapy, speech therapy, communication training, and educational advice can be offered.

Currently young people in the South West have to travel 200 miles for Rehabilitation services. These will also be available. There will be access to hydrotherapy facilities in an interactive setting together with holiday lets for the disabled; there is a real shortage in this area. There will also be activity breaks for a day or for a week, giving respite to young people both with or without their families, giving access to a vibrant community, friends and peers alongside exciting activities As you can see, this is an ambitious plan, but it is really beginning to become a reality.

As Rotarians we are able to play an enormous part in this vision on our patch, both by fundraising and by hands-on help. One of the most pressing needs is providing disabled and wheelchair access to some of the buildings, but working parties are also needed to clear out and paint. Many of you will know of the amazing work already carried out by the Trust at the Ivybridge site, and it would be great to see more of our clubs becoming part of this truly amazing vision to help people with disabilities to become a real part of the community. The clubs already working together on this project have shown how much more can be done by cooperation with each other. Why not join them and show that;

Together we can make a world of difference.

September is New Generations Month

We are coming to the end of another busy month and September has been New Generations month. The commitment to getting youth and young adults actively involved in Rotary was strengthened in April when representatives at the Council on Legislation approved New Generations as the fifth Avenue of Service.

New Generations Service acknowledges the positive change implemented by youth and young adults involved in leadership development activities, community and international service, and exchange programs that enrich and foster world peace and cultural understanding. Programs include RYLA, Rotaract, Interact and Roatry Youth Exchange.

This week has been a very busy, mainly because the District Magazine needed to be completed by the beginning of next week, in order to meet the District Membership Committee's deadline for submission to the RIBI PR and Marketing Committee for approval for an extra run of 2000, before going it goes print. It is now safely put to bed, and we can only hope that we have done enough to get the funding.

Besides an Editorial Meeting on Monday, I paid a visit to Sid Valley who made me very welcome and served me scampi and chips, for which I was very grateful as I hadn't had time for lunch! They ran a mini Assembly for me which was terrific, because it gave me a real feel for what they are up to. They have had significant success with membership recruitment, having used the Totnes Plan, and are about to go through the process again. I wish them well and am sure that it will come to fruition.

On Tuesday I made my way to Ashburton/Buckfastleigh club at lunch time. This is the daughter club of Totnes and is consequently a club that I know pretty well. I was honored to be able to induct a new member for them, and much enjoyed their hospitality as usual. In the evening I visited Dawlish Water, a club I had not been to before, although there were some familiar faces. It was a very well trodden route to their meeting place because it is only a few paces from the Langstone Cliff Hotel where we are holding the District Conference, so I didn't have any trouble finding it.

Speaking of the Langstone Cliff, we were amazed to be informed that after less than two weeks of registration being opened, the Hotel is full! Fantastic. Don't despair, however, if you wish to stay overnight, because there is still plenty of accommodation available close by, and you can find it easily by checking out the conference pages on the District website.

On Wednesday, it was heads down again with the District Magazine. We have been fortunate to get some advice from a non-Rotarian who works in PR, and who was able to look at it for us from an outside perspective. We have been busy trying to incorporate his advice.

Thursday saw me with the speech therapist again and she seems to think I am making good progress. The sun was shining when I went in, and it was so warm I decided to leave my jacket in the car. Bad mistake! When I came out it was just beginning to rain, so I decided to make a run for it. Second mistake; just as soon as I was past the point of no return, and without any cover at all, the heavens opened and I got drenched. When I got home it had to be straight into the shower as I was due at the Cliffden Hotel in Teignmouth at 6.00, where the provisional club of Teignmouth Estuary were holding a members interest meeting. They had a very good turnout and it was a well run and nicely casual evening, which I am sure will prove successful. I hope the organisers will be prepared to pass on their knowledge and experience to help in the formation of more new clubs in the District. They are hoping to Charter in November.

On Saturday morning I was back with the Magazine again, putting what is hoped are the final touches to it. It just needs a few very minor tweaks now and it should be safely put to bed ready to go to Nova on Monday, and in time for her meeting on Tuesday night.

That's the end of another week, and only leaves the preparation for next week and this blog to be completed and I can put my feet up!

The shades of autumn have arrived..........

Another weekend; they come around so quickly, and time to update the blog again. I am beginning to feel that it must be getting very repetitive for those of you who are reading this, but I'm told that it's the modern way, so here goes.

I spent most of Monday dealing with matters Rotary. I am sure Club Rotarians would be amazed how much goes on behind the scenes. Generally, you only see what is happening in your own club, and not always all of that, but when that's multiplied by 48 and you add to it RI, RIBI and District paperwork, it's amazing how much time it takes.

In the evening I attended my own club meeting. That is always a relaxation for me, as I can sit back, be myself and enjoy the proceedings as just an ordinary member of the club.

On Tuesday I visited Kingsbridge Estuary. Why is it always wet when I visit Kingsbridge? It was a particularly nasty evening, and as I drove through the low cloud in daylight, I pondered that it would be an even worse journey when it was dark on the way home! Stupidly, although I knew that the venue was The Seven Stars, I hadn't set my sat nav because I thought I knew where it was. I was, of course, quite wrong and had to stop to ask the way. The club had needed to change their venue since my last visit. When I arrived, I found that the car park was completely full, so had to make my way back to the Quay car park. Then umbrella in hand, and hoping that I wouldn't do an impression of Mary Poppins because of the wind, I traipsed across to the Seven Stars where there was, as usual, a warm welcome waiting for me from President David and his members.

On Wednesday, I again spent several hours with the District Magazine before pulling my papers together and heading off to a District Foundation Committee Meeting in Exeter. This committee, under the very able leadership of Frank Hart Venn, takes on all the complexities that surround the management of our very own charity in this District. They are a hard working team, each with their own speciality, and pull together the funding for the educational and humanitarian projects of The Rotary Foundation in which we participate.

A significant improvement in the weather, saw me making my way back to the seaside for lunch with Paignton on Thursday. I was back on home territory here with a member of the Bay Club Group, and a familiar club and venue. I was early enough to enable a good chin wag with some of the members before lunch, and it was a lively meeting with a couple of visiting Rotarians from District 1060 whose conference I will be attending at the Riviera Centre at the end of October.

Following a very moving presentation to my own club, Totnes by the local charity Lifeworks, the club members agree that they wished to provide some kind of support for them. It was arranged that the members would support their 'Breaking the Barrier' surfing day at Bigbury on Sea on Saturday by providing the barbecue, and I was delighted to be able to give my support.

The sun shone, a band played, the children made sandcastles and played football and there was traditional Punch and Judy. It was a perfect beach party and a joy to see the smiles of the faces of these young people.

Lifeworks aims to tackle exclusion, disadvantage and inequality as it concerns children and young adults with learning difficulties. It is the collective name for all the services and facilities of The Bidwell Brook Foundation.

Breaking the Barrier is a day of free surfing sessions for learning disabled children between the ages of 8 and 25 as an introduction to the experience of surfing. The event consists of individual sessions for the young person with one to one instruction from a qualified coach who has knowledge of additional needs, a personal support assistant in the water and full support for first aid and lifeguarding. There is also be group introductory lessons for a parent/carer or sibling to enable them to support and participate with the young person in the future.

Back in Harness; Week beginning 6 Sepember......

Well, here I am back in harness after a week's rest and relaxation in the Italian Alps. I use the word 'rest' loosely because I seem to have done a tremendous amount of walking, and even managed a 62 kilometer bicycle ride one day. Something of which, I have to confess to being quite proud at my time of life, because I really didn't think I could still do it! So, lots of exercise and plenty of time cuddling Les's gorgeous 12 week old baby granddaughter, Ingrid should have put me back on track!


On Monday I made two 'A' Visits. The first, at lunchtime to RC of Kingsbridge accompanied by their AG Peter. We were, as always, made most welcome, and if it hadn't been for the torrential rain, which was coming down in stair rods, it would have been a very pleasant diversion.

On Monday evening I made my way to Exmouth to visit Exmouth Rayleigh. There was time for a good chat with members before the meeting, and it was wonderful to see how seriously they are taking the new membership campaign on board, and how hard they are working towards its success.

On Tuesday, after a very long appointment with a speech therapist who is endeavouring to put some strength back into my newly acquired croaky voice, I spent my time in several small meetings, before curling up in a chair and taking a break during the evening.

Wednesday saw the sun shining again. This was very pleasing because I was due to visit RC of Salcombe for lunch. It is such a beautiful spot, particularly when the sun shines and I always enjoy my visits there. It may be a small club but it has a very big heart, and they are very good at making visitors feel welcome. Perhaps because they have so many! It you're looking for something pleasant to do on a sunny Wednesday lunchtime, where better than the Salcombe Club for lunch at The Salcombe Yacht Club overlooking the estuary.

On Wednesday evening I went along, again with AG Peter, to visit RC of Ivybridge who were holding a Membership Interest meeting at the new Watermark Centre. It was a very well thought out and well structured evening for which my sincere congratulations go to the club, and I am sure that we will see a surge in their numbers in the near future as a result. Many congratulations to Olly and his team.

On Thursday we were again blessed with a sunny day, and again I was able to be in another of Devon's beautiful and interesting places, as I took lunch with RC of Dartmouth at the Royal Castle Hotel overlooking the river. Dartmouth is a lively and vibrant club, and demonstrates how well a lunchtime Rotary Club can flourish in the right environment.

Friday saw me getting down to some paperwork and other pressing chores. I must make a note not to take another break too soon, as I am still trying to get to the bottom of the hundreds of emails that awaited me on my return home! I also spent several hours with the Distinct Magazine. Hopefully, by Monday I should be prepared for another week!