January2024 

Slide Show of Nicaragua given by Peter Clague

On 4th January 2024, the stroke club members were transported to Nicaragua when Peter Clague brought us his slide show of his travels there. A hardy group of travellers, of which Peter was one, were guided through amazing country side and up and down the many volcanos of which seven are still active! Peter talked us through his journey and his slides showed us the beautiful and stunning scenery. There is a definite Spanish influence in Nicaragua which is the result of the Spanish conquest many years ago. The buildings in the town reflect this as does the wall art around the towns. One slide showed the beauty and workmanship of the tiled roofs. There is also evidence of the artwork of the ancient inhabitants seen on the petroglyphs – pictures scratched in stone. Peter had some wonderful slides showing the flora and fauna of the country which is so varied and colourful. A very enjoyable evening was had and we hope Peter will return with another slide show in the future.

February 2024

1st February Musicale Choir

On Thursday 1st February the stroke club members enjoyed a lovely concert given by Musicale, under the direction of Judy Cross. The concert began with a rousing rendition of ‘Cantar, Sing Alleluia’ and continued with a wonderful selection of songs and poems. We heard a duet of the ‘Sky Boat Song’ and this was followed by a soloist with ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’. There was a romantic selection which included ‘Close to You’ and ‘You Raise me Up’ and watery section which included ‘The Water is Wide’ and a sea shanty ‘The Weatherman Comes’. It was a varied and very colourful show with the ladies in colourful jackets and the men with colourful ties. The whole programme was supported with the exceptional piano accompaniment given by Jennifer Bird.

March 2024

7th March Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer

We were fortunate to welcome The Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer to speak to us on Thursday 7th March 2024. He gave a very interesting talk on his military career. He began as a private soldier but then was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment and was gradually promoted up the ranks to Lieutenant General and later Commandant of the Parachute Regiment. He told us about the people he worked with and how he learned a lot from watching others. Although he was too young to serve in the Falklands’ war, he was impressed by those who were there and said that they laid standards for the service. His service took him to many troubled places – Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. His presentation had us all transfixed. His Excellency then spent some time speaking to members individually and answering their questions. A very interesting evening was had for all.

April 2024

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 4th April

The meeting was opened by the chair, Michelle Ferrer, who welcomed everyone to the 27th Annual General Meeting of the Manx Stroke Foundation. She then called on the President, Dr Thomas, to give the opening address.

The annual report and the annual accounts, which had been circulated prior to the meeting, were agreed. The trustees were re-elected to their roles and Michelle was elected as chair for the next year. The trustees are as follows:

Michelle Ferrer Chair

Maureen Redmayne Secretary

Robyn Redmayne Treasurer

Robert Fayle

Elizabeth Forbes

Edward Kelly

Patricia Lambert

Enid Potts

Following the meeting, the members enjoyed a buffet supper.

May 2024

Afternoon Tea 2nd May

The Peel Golf Club Pavilion was the venue, once again, for our afternoon tea on Thursday 2nd May. Thirty-six members were treated to a lovely feast of various sandwiches, pastries, cakes and fruit and there was still plenty for people take a doggy bag home! Lots of conversations were had as people caught up with old friends. To top it all it was a lovely sunny day which made it more special

July 2024

4th July Little Gem care button

Our stroke club on Thursday 4th July 2024 welcomed Julie Martin to speak to us about the Little Gem care button. Julie, who has a Health and Social Care background, was aware of the need for a reliable and affordable safety device for those who are vulnerable. She researched all devices around the world, but found the one that filled all the aspects that she was looking for in Liverpool. She came to name it ‘Little Gem’ when one of her ladies who was delighted with it, called it a little gem. There is a one-off initial payment and then, after 6 months, £2 per month for the service. It comes with a small pop-in charger and can be charged overnight. Up to three phone numbers (preferably mobile) can be given as contacts. It is activated by pressing a button on the device which will then send a message, and map of where the individual is, to the contacts. It will keep sending the message to each contact until it is answered. It can be used anywhere – not just in the home – which is why the map is so useful. We were very grateful to Julie for her presentation and there was a lot of interest in ‘Little Gem’

August 2024

1st August - Juan Corrin – Magic

We were delighted to welcome Juan Corrin, once more, to entertain us on Thursday 1st August. His magic show had us just as perplexed as the first time he came to stroke club. With sleight of hand, he seemed to cut up rope only to, magically, join it back together, eggs disappeared and reappeared and bottles just multiplied! He had plenty of audience participation and a good night’s entertainment was had by all.

September 2024

5th September Afternoon Tea at Milntown 

For our Autumn outing on Thursday 5th September 2024, the stroke club ventured North to Milntown, the erstwhile home of the Christian family and Illiam Dhone. The café welcomed us with a lovely afternoon tea. There was a full selection of sandwiches, pastries and a variety of cakes. It was a good time to meet up with old friends and new and have a good chat. The outing included a walk around the wonderful gardens for those who wished to take the opportunity. A pleasant afternoon was had by all.

October 2024

3rd October Laxey Handbell Ringers

This evening we enjoyed the beautiful tones of handbells. These tuned percussion instruments were brought to us by the Laxey Handbell Ringers who meet regularly to practice their prize winning skills in Ramsey and then share their music throughout the Island.

Each handbell is tuned to a particular pitch which means they can produce recognised melodies and harmonies. The bells  are  precious, handled with gloves  and are insured for £40,000 !

The programme opened with the delightful Music Box Dancer and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and proceeded with an eclectic selection of pieces from hymns, films, Morris tunes and World Wars to Uncle Mac’s Children’s Favourites era raising a few smiles, Puff the Magic Dragon, Oranges and Lemons and The Runaway Train (with the plaintive whistle) and many others to add to the fun.

Our surrounding nations were represented too. We heard the Welsh lullaby ‘All Through the Night’ , Irish ‘The Gypsy Rover’ , Scottish ‘Skye Boat Song’ , and last but not least, ‘Ramsey Town’.

The evening was rounded off with two British patriotic songs, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and ‘Rule Britannia’, so we went home with a choice of earworms!

Thank you to the Laxey Handbell Ringers for lifting our spirits with music.

November 2024