To be honest, I don’t know where the old cherry-picker had ever ended up, after its use over a couple of years in the installation of festive lights in the trees around the square. So this photo of a similar sort of ancient contraption will have to suffice.
The first mention I can find of the investment that the Allendale Lions would make, of an ancient cherry-picker, is in the minutes of our 88th meeting in October, 2011. As usual, the matter was opened, and there it would rest for weeks or even months, until we decided that we’d come to some decision. But Peter Aldcroft was already getting antsy about time constraints, with only another six weeks left before the lights needed to be up.
Meanwhile, along with funding requests that went forward to the next Board Meeting for careful consideration, the date for the Mystery Trip was mooted for the 25th of October, which was suggested to involve coffee at Rothbury, lunch at Seahouses, and a shopping exploration around Morpeth on the way home.
After the Charity Auction’s profits recorded at £2,755, and the purchase of fireworks for Bonfire Night, the charity account balance was £4,338. Peter wondered if we could be aiming for a fund-raising ambition of £100,000, cumulatively, with which we could celebrate our tenth anniversary in a couple of years time.
Meanwhile, plans were afoot for the Carols in the Square event (22nd December), and Fergus Sandison was organising for the Backworth Colliery Band to play again, but the logistics of chairs and the printing of the carol sheet would have to be developed more smoothly this year.
Apparently the books in bread crates stored in the far corner of the committee room at the village hall were taking up rather a lot of space! Perhaps they might be stored in the dry basement, after the Mini-Market event in November?
Finally, business and reports concluded, it was time once again to toast Elsie-Aye, aka Lions Club International.