Wessex Mead (Trowbridge) Rotary Club

The annual Beach Party in Trowbridge Park organised by Trowbridge Town Council gave the members of Wessex Mead the excuse to bake some delicious cakes to sell in aid of the Rotary Foundation Charity. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side, the rain poured over the specially imported sand and over our poor members manning the stall in the morning.  But as the sun came out in the afternoon, so did the people of Trowbridge and the cakes sold, raising over £50!

We were also raising awareness of and collecting for Water Survival boxes that are being sent to Pakistan at the moment to help with the relief effort - more information and how to donate can be found on their website.

Cake Sale

Water Survival box

Members of Wessex Mead Rotary and Trowbridge Lions Club enjoyed a vocational trip to Wadworth's Brewery in Devizes on Monday 5th July. We were greeted by Tim from the Visitor's Centre, who took us to see the specialist in-house sign workshop followed by the stables, where we met the Shire Horses who regularly pull the drays to 40 pubs in the Devizes area.  The tour then took us into the Victorian building, where we learnt about the brewing business, from techniques that have been used for many years, to the ultra modern hi-tech ways of today.  The in-house cooper showed us the tools of the trade and gave us a facinating in-sight into the world of barrel making.  The evening finished with some beer sampling.  

It was a really interesting evening and great opportunity to spend some time with our friends from Trowbridge Lions.

Percy the Shire Horse

Old Wadworths

New Wadworths

This year, 3 schools took part in the Wessex Mead Rotary Young Chef competition.  Heats were held at the schools with the finals taking place on Thursday 24th June at Trowbridge College.  After 2 hours of cooking time plus 30 minutes of setting up time, the 5 finalists presented their meals to the judges.  They had cooked a 2 course healthy meal for 2 for £9.  After taking into account a range of skills the overall winner was announced as Holly from Lavington school.

the winner

Winning menu: Mushroom and Stilton Tart with Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Couscous, Salad topped with bacon and balsamic vinegar dressing followed by Brandy Snap Baskets filled with vanilla mascarpone cream with summer berries.

Wessex Mead enabled 71 children from Larkrise Special School in Trowbridge to visit Longleat as part of Rotary Kids Out. Rotarians Caroline Smyth and Sarah Hiscocks spent the day with Kingfisher class.  Lunch and all the activities were included in the day out provided by Rotary. 

The theme of Rotary Club of Wessex Mead 8th President's night was fun, friendship and fundraising. It was a lovely spring evening as 61 guests gathered at the beautiful Cleeve House at Seend, in their posh frocks and black tie. They were greeted with a glass of Pimms or juice, and mingled outside on the terrace or in the great hall before a bugler called us into dinner.

Casino winner

Here is a list of many of the things that Wessex Mead Rotary has either organised or taken part in in the year 2009/10  - click to find out more:

The Rotary Club of Wessex Mead had a special guest at the Business meeting in April 2010, Gill Frere-Smith from Alzheimers Support was invited to join us at Red or White for a meal and to accept a cheque for £617.50 - half the money raised at the Bavarian Night that we arranged in March. 

Gill gave the club members an interesting talk on the wonderful workings of the organization, detailing some of the range of flexible services that they offer to support people with Alzheimers disease and other dementias and their carers.This organization is for the residents of Wiltshire; with many activities on offer locally, we were particularly interested to hear about the Singing for the Brain group that will start on April 19 at the Wiltshire Music Centre.

Karls Bavarian Brass

The Rotary Club of Wessex Mead (Trowbridge) held it's 8th Annual Bavarian Night at St Margaret's Hall, Bradford on Avon on Saturday 13^th March. The hall was organised into 4 rows of long tables to resemble a Bavarian Oompah party night, where Karls Bavarian Brass entertained by playing not so traditional Bavarian party music and organising not so traditional party games including favourites such as knobbly knees and yodelling. The games were punctuated with the bands signature song ‘lean forward, lean backwards to the left and the right, stand up, sit down, to the left and the right song.

We split into two teams - Berlin and Hamburg, both had team captains and secretaries who chose contestants for the games. German beer and sausages were sold, and a commemorative glass Stein was included in the ticket price.

Over £1300 was raised in aid of Alzheimer's Support South West and Wessex Meads very own International project in Indonesia for a Mobile Health Clinic Project to provide health care to street children.

Bavarian Oompah Night 2010

The Pub Quiz at the Polish Club in Trowbridge raised over £300 to be shared between Age Concern and Children's Hospice South West.

16 teams battled it out over the 8 rounds of the quiz. Fish and Chips from Frydays in Frome Road, Trowbridge, were served in the interval, there was also a raffle. 

 The winners were Andrew Mullens, Louise Knox and Carolyn Spruce, the runners up were Martin Bloomfield, Nick Bloomfield, Rhian Griggs and Trudy Rosling.