Lenham Valley
Active Retirement Association

			Emails @lenara.org.uk
CHAIRMAN	John Edwards	01622 858439	john.edwards
VICE-CHAIRMAN	Mike Compson	01622 851763	mike.compson
SECRETARY	Sue Compson	01622 851763	sue.compson
WEBSITE	Mike Compson	01622 851763	mike.compson
EMAILS			info

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

Hello All

May I firstly take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a happy and healthy New Year. Hopefully you all enjoyed Christmas with family and friends and now it's onwards and upwards for 2025.  Stay safe.

Past events

The trip for the London Christmas Lights - I understand from some of you it wasn't as good as expected. Not enough time at Covent Garden, then off to the Chelsea Pensioners Museum and then back to see the Christmas Lights. Unfortunately you were not allowed to drive down Oxford Street or Regent Street, this would have been very disappointing.

LenARA Christmas Social

This was very well attended which is nice to say and a big thank you goes to all committee members and helpers who made it a successful afternoon.  I thought our entertainment for the afternoon was brilliant. It was nice to see lots of you singing along to the songs and many of you dancing. 

    

We had an email from a member asking us to put the comments in the newsletter. It read as follows: 

"Our thanks to everyone involved in putting on our Christmas Social. What a good afternoon it was, by the looks on members' faces it was universally enjoyed and we thought the entertainer got it absolutely right. Well done.  Thank you."  

From Roger & Sue Newman.

I must say that many of you came up to me at the end of the afternoon and said the same. It is nice to know when the job of organising any event is successful and nice to have feedback such as this. Thank you.

Monthly events

This month's Pub Lunch is on Wednesday 15^th January 2025 at 1.00pm

Click here to see menu the menu 

This is to be held at the:

Bridges Restaurant, Ledian Gardens, Upper Street, Leeds ME17 1RZ. 

This is an inspired retirement village.

January's Speaker

Have you ever wondered what those bumps of earth on the meadows are? Come along and hear from Chris Stewart, who has been a molecatcher for 12 years and trained with the Guild of British Molecatchers, as he gives his talk "The Fascinating and Secret Life of the Mole".

There's a secret world that exists just beneath our feet. While we know plenty about Britain's mammals above ground, we've never really known what they get up to once they scurry into their subterranean homes. Until now.

Tenpin Bowling

This month's Tenpin Bowling at Ashford will be later than usual.  It will be on Wednesday, 29th January at 11 o'clock. The price is £7.50 per person and then, if you wish, we go back to the Kennington for lunch.

Please make your booking with Pat at the next meeting on 22^nd January.  In February we will resume as normal for this activity which is on the second Wednesday in the month.

Weekly events will resume as follows:

Short Mat Bowls - Tuesday 7th January 

Zumba - Wednesday 8th January. We will be welcoming a new instructor, Andee, so I hope you can all make it.  

Line Dancing also 8th January.

OUR WEEKLY EVENTS:

Short Mat Bowls	Tuesday	2.00pm to 4.00pm	£3 per session	Phil Gooda 01622 851217
Zumba	Wednesday	9.30am to 10.30am	£6 per session	Barbara Kyprianou 01622 850468
Line Dancing	Wednesday	7.30pm to 9.00pm	£4.50 per session	Ann Rolfe 01622 859725
Petanque (this activity will resume in the spring)	Thursday	10.00am to 12.00pm	£3.00 per session	John Edwards 01622 858439

OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS:

JANUARY

Ten Pin Bowling in Ashford	Wednesday 12th  February 2024	11.00am	£7 for two games	Pat Highsted  01622 743658
Members' meeting:  Richard Griffin - Bodyguard to the Royal Family.	Wednesday 26th February 2024	2.00pm	Lenham Community Centre

Ten Pin Bowling in Ashford	Wednesday 12th  February 2024	11.00am	£7 for two games	Pat Highsted  01622 743658
Members' meeting:  Susan Shaw from the Heart of Kent Hospice.	Wednesday 26th February 2024	2.00pm	Lenham Community Centre

A reporter interviewing a 104 year old woman asked her "What is the best thing about being 104?"  She simply replied "No Peer Pressure!"

Look after yourselves and see you soon.  Regards John.