GROUP MEETINGS AND VENUES
This letter is being circulated for us by HQ and has news for both existing and potential members of our Group. if you have friends you would like to invite to our activities, please do.
(In case you wonder: Any scan square above, and any figures around it are, we understand, added by HQ’s outsourced printer. Our material is below.)
| 1. Monday 16 October: Walk or ride down the Pier 2. Monday 13 November: At SAVS: Quiz – Did you know that of London? 3. Monday 11 December: Christmas lunch at Tomassi’s 4. Looking forward to 2024 5. Renewing Group Membership or becoming a new member. |
1. Monday 16 October 2023: Walk or ride down the Pier
The time and place to meet is at 12.00 noon at the bottom of the High Street looking at the modern lift at the top of Pier Hill. Please do not descend towards the Pier buildings until we are all gathered. So, that we can descend together to the upper entrance to the Pier. At that upper entrance, those going along the Pier by walking or using a mobility scooter will be at their entrance level and can wave goodbye till later to those planning to use the train. The latter can enter the side of the Pier and, hopefully, find the lift there working and ready to take them down to the street level from which the train operates. (If it is not working, fear not, you can return to the path outside the upper level entrance, continue down it to street level and find a level crossing waiting to take you to the side of the street on which the street level entrance is situated.)
Ticket options for the two groups: Pier tickets for over 60’s to use the train both ways are £3.10, walk one way and train the other £2.90, walk both ways £1.50. The trains run on the hour and half past the hour from the shore end and at quarter past and quarter to from the Pier Head. The train takes about 10 minutes to stop near the buildings at the Pier Head. The walk takes however long you need to walk one and a third miles!
Other information about the Pier:
a) You could bring a picnic or buy something to eat at the Pier Head – seats are mainly outside. The “Offshore Restaurant” which is licensed and for which we have not been able to discover the menu, the “Lazy Jack’s Café” (cakes, snacks and drinks) and the “Tea with the Tide” tearoom (ice creams, light bites and gourmet cakes) are all card payment only. There is also the “Beach Huts” – one selling fish, chips with tea and coffee, the other ice cream and doughnuts both of which accept cash.
b) Think what clothing you will need for the end of the Pier!
c) The trip will go ahead unless raining hard for a long period or the Pier is shut due to very strong winds. Note trains work in some winds when it is judged unsafe for you to walk.
How to book for the Pier: Please complete the booking form at the end of this newsletter, and post to Betty Anderson to arrive by 9 October if possible. Betty’s address is 15 Cromer Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 2DU. For later bookings please either email or phone: e-mail iandbanderson@btinternet.com Phone: 01702 466335 Mobile: 07804948954.
2. Monday 13 November: At SAVS: Quiz: Did you know that of London?
We will meet as planned at our main venue, the SAVs Centre, at 2pm for 2:15 to about 4 pm for a quiz from Mary King on places in, and facts about, London. It is not essential to book this with us in advance. You can, if you wish, simply turn up on the day. The SAVS Centre is the HQ of Southend Association of Voluntary Services, of which our Group is a member. It is located at 29-31, Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1BW. We use the good-sized, light and airy, conference room on the 1st floor, which can be reached by a small lift near the reception desk, or you can ask reception to let you use the staircase.(Note: when we meet at SAVs there is a separate entrance fee of £2 to help with the rent. Optional items are tea and coffee at £2 per person (refills free), and a raffle at £0.50. These should be paid for on the day by cash or cheque).
3. Monday 11 December: Christmas lunch at Tomassi’s
Time and Venue: We will meet at 12.00 noon for 12.15 pm. at Tomassi’s, 7-9 High Street, Southend–on-Sea, SS1 1JE, opposite the Royals shopping centre.
To book a seat: There is a detachable booking form on page 3 for you to give us your details. But there is no need to choose what to eat or pay anything in advance of the day. However, please return the booking form
to make or confirm your booking – easier to keep track of rather than many telephone calls and e-mails! For a summary of the menu see below, for other information please contact Anthony Blinder, (email, and phone details below). If possible, the booking form should be returned at our meeting on 13 November, or to Anthony Blinder (at 64 Hilary Crescent, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 8ND), preferably by 4 December. (If very close to the lunch, please email or phone – email: a.blinder@talktalk.net or phone 01268 743023.
The menu: We have opted for Tomassi’s for this year’s Christmas lunch, because it offers a wide selection of traditional meals. These may not include turkey or Christmas pudding but are expected to include some tasty alternatives. Examples from the menu are:
Starters: Chicken bites, soup, prawn cocktail, and 3 others (priced at £4.45 – £6.95)
Mains: Fish: Grilled Fillet of Plaice, Grilled salmon, and 6 others (priced £11.95 – £ 12.45); Italian: Spaghetti Bolognese, and 4 others (£9.45 – £10.65); Chicken: choice of 7 (£ 9.65 – £10.95); Meat & Grills: All Day Breakfasts, Sirloin Steak, and 5 others (£9.45 – £16.45); Salads: With Quiche and about 10 others (£9.95 – £13.45).
Desserts: Big choice of ice cream-based treats, also apple pie, and sticky toffee pudding (£6.25 to £6.95 each).
4. Looking forward to 2024
As usual, the Group will not meet in January. For February to April, we suggest the following activities:
12 February – meet at 2.15 pm for refreshment at a café in Southend High Street, or maybe a talk at SAVS
11 March – Spring lunch, probably at Tomassi’s
8 April – Local AGM at SAVS
5. Renewing Group Membership or becoming a new member:
The annual Group membership subscription for 2023 is £6.00. It is for those Group expenses not met from subscriptions to HQ, e.g. the occasional rent of a local conference room. If you have not paid for 2023 yet, it can be paid at a Group meeting, or send a cheque – payable to CSPA (Southend & District) – to our Membership Secretary: Betty Anderson (15 Cromer Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 2DU) Please include your address, phone number and email address (if you have one). By providing these, you confirm your wish to be a Group member, and agree to the Group officers contacting you, when appropriate, about Group activities or other CSPA matters. (Note: when we meet at the SAVS Centre, there is a separate entrance fee of £2 each meeting to help with the rent. Tea, coffee, etc are always optional extras!)
Contact details:
We hope that you will remain safe and well. If we may be able to help with further information, or you would just like to chat, our contact details are:
Chair and Secretary: Mary King Tel: (01268) 794790
Vice-Chair: Anthony: Blinder Tel: (01268) 743023 Email: a.blinder@talktalk.net
Membership Secretary: Betty Anderson Tel: (01702) 466335 Email: iandbanderson@btinternet.com
Yours sincerely
MARY KING
Group Chair and Secretary
