THE PROBUS CLUB OF STORRINGTON AND DISTRICT
WEST SUSSEX

"Taking time off from doing nothing"

2025​

​11 June - Monthly Lunch

Before lunch, Vice-president Paul inducted and welcomed John Cronin into the club - our 37th member.

After a delightful lunch with plenty of good fellowship, our very own Clive Boland gave a talk entitled "Personal Memories of the D-Day Landings". The content of Clive’s talk came from the personal diary and notes of a D-Day survivor and former club member. They provided a contemporary, first-hand account of the trials and tribulations of those brave service personnel from a number of different nations, who took part in the D-Day landings. History tells us the extent of the horror and loss of life involved with the landings, but Clive’s talk provided a detailed and sobering account of what it was really like to be there at the time.

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14 May - Monthly Lunch

At the Tottington Manor Hotel. After lunch we received a most informative presentation by Lynda Vowles, the Mary Howe Trust CEO.​ Lynda explained that she is a passionate advocate for early detection and preventative healthcare, believing in the principle that "prevention is better than cure", and that her personal focus remains firmly on promoting healthy lifestyles and accessible health screenings for all.

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The Mary How Trust for Cancer Prevention was set up to honour the memory of Mary How, a resident of West Chiltington, who died in her 40s. The Trust was created by family and friends to provide easier access to screening for those people in need. Entirely supported by public donations, the Trust receives no Government money. Patients are expected to pay only as much as they can afford for access to the Trust's services. Screening results are sent to the patient's GP.

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Under Lynda’s leadership, The Mary How Trust for Cancer Prevention has experienced remarkable growth. Since moving to its new premises in 2022, the number of screenings has increased from just over 800 to nearly 4,000 annually — a testament to strategic vision and operational drive. The Trust is now looking for another centre to enable its work to keep expanding, thereby providing a service over a wider geographical area.

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9 April - Monthly Lunch

Again, at the Tottington Manor Hotel, following lunch we enjoyed a presentation by our guest speaker Kevin Newman. He gave us a talk entitled "Scrumptious Sussex"​​. Kevin is an author of novels, history books and school textbooks and his most recent books include "Clock Towers of England", "Pond Puddings and Sussex Smokies" and "The Little History of Sussex".  His talk covered the wide range of food and drink that are to be found in the County of Sussex. Sussex Pond Pudding was one of the interesting recipes mentioned and its shape is reputedly based on the dew ponds found on the South Downs. Another well known offering was Banoffee Pie which was originally created at the Hungry Monk Restaurant in Jeavington.

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Members thoroughly enjoyed the talk and finding out more about the culinary offerings of Sussex.

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12 March - Monthly Lunch

Meeting at the Tottington Manor Hotel, we started the meeting with our president, Peter Edwards, inducting two new members, Chris Lee and Steve Young. They were warmly welcomed into the club and each gave a short talk about themselves.

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After a  delightful lunch, our guest speaker, Edwin Preece, gave a most nostalgic and interesting illustrated talk on “The Sixties: Pop, Pictures, Plays and Politics”. He touched upon the major social changes that took place during that decade. The talk reflected Edwin’s deep interest in the theatre and cinema of the 1960s and thereafter, and the impact that music, in particular, had on everyday life.

 

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12 February - Monthly Lunch

At the Findon Manor Hotel, this month's talk was entitled “Behind the Privet Hedge”, presented by Michael Gilson an award-winning journalist and former editor of The Scotsman and the Belfast Telegraph among others. His talk acknowledged that Britain is a nation of gardeners and that suburban gardens, with their roses and privet hedges, are widely admired and copied across the world. However, it is little understood how millions of people developed an obsession with their colourful plots of land. Despite their stereotype as symbols of dull, middle-class conformity, these new open space gardens were seen as a means to bring about social change in the early twentieth century.

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Michael explored the history of this development. He also introduced us to a remarkable, but long-forgotten figure, Richard Sudell, who spent a lifetime ‘evangelizing’ that the garden should be in the vanguard of progress towards a new egalitarian society with everyday beauty at its centre. The talk was therefore about social history rather than purely horticultural.

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​8 January - Monthly Lunch

Before lunch at the Findon Manor Hotel, we were thrilled to induct two new members - Tim Bubb and Stephen Forster. Welcome both!

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This was followed by lunch. Then we were treated to a highly entertaining and informative talk on the “Art of Variety”. Our speaker, Brian O’Gorman, had close relatives who performed in variety shows that were hugely popular during the first half of the 20th century. His father and uncle performed as the “O’Gorman Brothers” and were often on the same bill as famous performers such as Max Miller.

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Using actual paintings of variety show performers and original theatre posters, Brian explained how the order of the performers in variety shows was created. He also amused us with his range of variety show jokes and impersonations. An excellent presentation.​

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2024

​​11 December  Club's Christmas Lunch

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​​​6 December  President's Ladies' Christmas  Dinner at the West Sussex Golf Club

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​​13 November  Lunch. Guest speaker High Sheriff of West Sussex Dr Tim Fookes

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9 October  Lunch. Guest speaker Chris Churchman on "Losing our Landscape"

 

​21 September  Recruiting at Storrington on Show, Chanctonbury Leisure Centre

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11 September  Lunch.​ Guest speaker Dr. Geoffrey Mead​

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14 August  Annual General Meeting​​. Peter Edwards succeeded Rob Neal-Smith as club president for the year 2024 - 25

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23 July  President's Ladies' Lunch ​​ at the West Sussex Golf Club​

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10 July  Lunch.​​​​ Guest speaker Hamish Brown on “Stalking the Stalker”

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12 June  Lunch.​​ John Bradley on Gifford House

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​8 May  Lunch.​ Guest speaker Ian Worley on “Racing to Victory in the Southern Ocean"​

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10 April  Lunch.​​ Guest speaker Frances Farrer-Brown talking about "The town of Rye" 

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​13 March  Lunch.​​ Guest speaker Jonathan Beardmore talking about "Filming at the Bluebell Railway"

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14 February  Lunch​​. Guest speaker David Bickerton about the pursuit and sinking of the German battleship Bismark

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10 January  Lunch​​​. Guest speakers  Chris Connors and Sharon Perry from CoCo's Foundation

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2023

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8 December  President's Ladies' Christmas Dinner ​​at the West Sussex Golf Club

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11 August  Annual General Meeting​​ when Rob Neal-Smith succeeded Tony Girard as club president for the year 2023 - 24