1984-Oct-pg01_Editorial and Secretary’s Letter
Editorial And Secretary’s Letter
EDITORIAL
Author: B.C.Gittos
My forebodings concerning the supply of contributions for this issue have proved groundless, with a surfeit of material vying for a place in this issue, the first of Volume Three. As promised, the index to Volume 2 appears at the end of the present issue. The duplicator production method for Chronicle effectively precludes the use of illustrations but the inclusion of a photocopied page in this issue has enabled Mr.Brooke’s splendid drawing of the St.John’s flagon to be shown. It is hoped to continue with such a feature providing it does not prove too costly.
Many members have been kind with their comments on the last Chronicle and I hope that this one will provide further interest. Finally, I would like to congratulate John Moon on the successful outcome of his hospital treatment this summer and offer him a special thank you for his unstinting work for the Society despite such difficulties.
SECRETARY’S LETTER
Author: J.C.Moon
Writing these notes towards the end of August, I feel that we can look back on a reasonably successful summer season, though it has been a little disappointing to have to cancel the coach that had been provisionally booked for the visit to Downside on September 22nd, the more so as we had to cancel a planned visit at the same time last year through lack of support. Your Committee have pondered over why this should be but, apart from an obvious and natural reluctance to commit oneself months ahead and the possibility that the impact of higher petrol prices on personal transport has worn off so that coach travel does not have the same attraction, no real conclusion has been reached. For next year only two coach excursions are planned, one to Gloucester and one, in September but which I am confident will be well supported, to Kingston Lacy House. It will be first opened-to National Trust members and to organised parties only at the beginning of that month, so that we will be amongst the first to be able to see this magnificent house, While next summer’s programme is nearly complete, it becomes increasingly difficult to find new places to visit, particularly within a radius suitable for Friday evenings and longer standing members may well find in future that places are being revisited more than once. Suggestions for new venues are always welcome.
Reverting to the subject of this summer’s activities, the two coach excursions to the East Somerset Railway and to Wells have together made a small profit after what it is hoped was a reasonably generous contribution to the Cathedral as some return for the Dean’s kindness in giving up a Saturday afternoon. I hope that those members of the public who tacked themselves on to our party also put their hands in their pockets and handbags.
This is of course the second issue of ‘Chronicle’ under its new Editor (or Editorial Team) and I am sure that all will agree that the high standard set since its inception is being maintained. This leads me on to say that the last issue and this one have been typed by Mrs.Muriel Gittos and we are greatly indebted to her for having done so, but it is quite clear that this is an unfair burden on top of all the other voluntary work that she undertakes and that we must find a replacement for her after this issue. There must be someone or maybe more than one person within the Society who can help. To get the work done professionally would mean a substantial drain on our resources and probably necessitate an increase in our subscriptions.
Many members will have been aware of the very serious illness of our Treasurer, Paul Gardner, at the end of June, resulting in his being in intensive care and in a critical condition in Yeovil District Hospital for about two weeks. Happily he is now on the way to recovery and I am sure everyone will join me in wishing, that this be speedy and complete.