Yetties Newsybits
FINAL FLING
The Yetties retirement weekend, 8th to 10th of April, went with a real swing. Obviously it meant a great many farewells but the atmosphere was one of celebration. I will certainly remember all my days and I trust those who came will tuck it away in their heads as something to savour in the years to come. The event was helped no end by the weather. Those who had travelled to Sherborne from afar were treated to wall to wall sunshine and the town looking at its very best.
Thank you so much to all those friends who decided that we might needed cheering up and bought us presents. These came in a wide variety of shapes, tastes and sizes. Mountains of chocolates, roses, a Norfolk pineapple plant complete with a small fruit, which looks a bit like a stick hand grenade, and loads of cards and books explaining what retirement was all about and how to tackle it. On top of this there were gorgeous bunches of flowers for our long-suffering wives.
The sale on the Sunday afternoon was a bit of a hoot and I'm delighted to say that much of the Yetties memorabilia trundled off to happy homes. Our rooster, for instance, was snapped up by a Morris Team from Priston in Somerset and he will be appearing on their tours and at festivals etc. I'm sure he is going to be a dab hand at collecting money for charity.
CIVIC HONOUR
Sherborne Town Council paid us a great honour by presenting us with a citation at the Saturday night concert. This is only the third time they have done such a thing and we were all very proud to receive the plaque from Jane Smith, the Town Mayor. It reads, 'In recognition of service to music and entertainment in Sherborne and the rest of the world as a member of The Yetties folk group.'
MUSIC NIGHTS
Pete is running 4 Music Nights at The Weavers Club, Westbury, Sherborne on the 1st Tuesdays of June, July, August and September. There's not a lot of room in the skittle alley so best ring Pete [contact details removed] for tickets.
NO TIME TO TURN AROUND
What happened to the life of leisure we were promised? On Monday 11th of April it was all hands to the pump to clean out the minibus. 8 years of litterous allsorts on the floor and bins full of (well you don't want to know). It didn't look too bad by the time we'd finished though. Tuesday it was off to the store in Yeovil to get the back seats and then to Bruton to have them installed. Back home to clear out the detritus they had found at the garage, which we had failed to spot, and then pass the bus on to it's new owners Mike & Sylvia Rodbourne from Suffolk. They still have the logos etc. in place so if you see them on the road give them a toot or a wave or both.
On Thursday (at 7.15a.m.!!!!!!!) I was down at Dorchester Hospital for an operation on my right eye. Cataracts and short sightedness all sorted in one go. The fact that I am writing this four days later is a great tribute to the skill of the surgeon and his team. Hopefully they will sort the other eye before too long. The only snag is that I can now see the wrinkles. Mac had an eye operation back in February and is also doing OK. He is in the same boat now waiting for another appointment.
SMUGGLER'S TRAIL
I am helping to create A Smuggler's Trail for families at Stonebarrow, just to the East of Charmouth, for the National Trust and The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty department of Dorset County Council. This is a stunning location and was used by smugglers years ago to land their contraband. You can learn how they went about their trade and have a lot of fun as well. I'm not sure when it will be open, hopefully quite soon, so watch this space for more details.
Bonny