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Great Start to the New Year
1 January ~ New Year's Day Parade
The Ruby Belles were once again in attendance at the New Year's Day Parade in London
Thousands braved the cold yet bright start to 2009 to cheer the participants along the route
Sharing two open top London Buses the American, Canadian and British Red Hatters enjoyed wishing the crowds a Happy New Year
Later we all enjoyed each other's company whilst sharing a delicious Afternoon Tea at the Royal Horseguards Hotel
Belles attending, Linda Queen LindyLou, Gloria Lady Gloworm, Linda Lady Desert Rose, Pat Lady Pat in the Hat and Terri Mistress Moonstone. Sadly Joy Lady Amethyst had to give it a miss this year due to a heavy cold
Meet and Greet Saturday 3 January
Queen Lindy Lou, Gloria Lady Gloworm, Linda Lady Desert Rose and Pat Countess Co-ordinated enjoyed a Meet and Greet with three of our American Sisters visiting London for the New Year's Day Parade
We met in Covent Garden and lunched at The Globe a pub reputed to have been frequented by King Henry VII and William Shakespeare
and in more modern times Alfred Hitchcock
After a traditional lunch of Fish and Chips for some and Bangers and Mash for others we then spent some time browsing the stalls of Covent Garden
7 January ~ Dinner ~ White Hart
Our first monthly dinner of the year was held at the White Hart in Witham, our theme was Christmas in January
Everyone enjoyed a super meal together
We also had a Mega Raffle thanks to lots of kind donations from the Belles and we all exchanged Secret Santa gifts
After the meal Queen Mum Hazel Lady Lily told us an amusing joke followed by Pat Countess Co-ordinated who read her poem about Red Hats & Fate, more jokes were then contributed by Margaret Queen Millsy and Anita Signora Vino Amarone
17 January ~ Elvis Tribute Show
Twenty ladies had great fun at the Civic for the Elvis Tribute show, afterwards having a photo shoot with the King
Prior to the theatre most had enjoyed an excellent lunch at Verde, Italian Restaurant
22nd January ~ Lunch ~ Perrywoods
Our January lunch was held on the 22nd once again at Perrywoods, we had a brilliant turn out and were pleased to welcome Carol Crosbie who recently started the new Brentwood Chapter
Queen Cass of Warley and Sheila her Pinky will join us at our February Dinner at the White Hart on the 4th
We also were pleased to enjoy the company of 8 new ladies of which 5 joined the Ruby Belles
Also this month Janet Lady Janet, and Clare Countess Claret Velvet attended the showing at the Civic in Chelmsford of the film The Boy In Striped Pyjamas
Both enjoyed the film very much despite the sad storyline
Queen LindyLou & Pat Lady Pat in the Hat Fly the Ruby Belles Banner at the New Year's Day Parade London 2009
Wintery Start to February
4 February ~ Dinner ~ Date Changed
Due to the adverse weather conditions at the start of the week our monthly dinner was postponed till Wednesday 11 February
6 February ~ Green Party Quiz
We managed to field a team at the Green Party Quiz Night, and came second out of seven teams, the weather forecast probably putting many off attending the evening
So well done Linda Queen LindyLou, Linda Lady Desert Rose, Clare Countess Claret Velvet, Brenda Lady Red, Pat Baroness Bake-A-Batch, Jeannie Lady Tinkerbell and Pat Countess Coordinated
As no scores were given out till the end of the quiz we hadn't realised how well we were doing else we may have tried harder, ha ha !
An extra celebration as it was the anniversary of Clare, Countess Claret Velvet joining the Ruby Belles
11 February ~ Dinner ~ White Hart
After delaying our monthly dinner due to adverse weather conditions last week it was swings and roundabouts some ladies now being able to meet the revised date whilst others were unable to join us
However 22 Belles including some of our new members enjoyed the evening, we were also pleased that Carol Queen Cass and Sheila Princess Sparkle, Vice Queen of the Top Totties of Warley (Brentwood) were able to come along and join us
We look forward to welcoming them both and any of their ladies to future events
16 February ~ WOW ~ Les Miserable
Wow! 7 Ruby Belles attending the Schools Edition of Les Miserable were treated to a performance that was as near to a West End production as imaginable! The Girls & boys 13-18yrs of the Witham Junior Operatic Society certainly have a great deal of promising artists amongst them. It was an absolute treat! and we were all stunned by one of the most amazing performances which we all thoroughly enjoyed............can't wait for their encore!
26 February ~ Lunch ~ Poplar Nurseries
We finished the month off nicely with 17 Ladies attending our monthly lunch at Poplar Nurseries Mark's Tey. With the weather much milder and the sun shining Spring was in the air with lots of Daffodils,Tulips and Primulas all on display and an enjoyable lunch had by all. We were especially happy to once again welcome some of our new ladies
4 March ~ Monthly Dinner ~ White Hart
Twentytwo Belles attended our monthly Dinner at the White Hart one of our smallest groups for some time now, more opportunity to spread about and chat to each other.
We were pleased to welcome a new member, Maggie Turner who lives in Braintree and has chosen the Royal Title Lady Maggie May
12 March ~ Lunch ~ Wyevale Nurseries
After a change of venue and time a smaller group than usual met for our monthly lunch at Wyevale Nurseries at Freeport. It was a nice opportunity to talk more about some of our future play dates and venues for monthly dinners. Plus a chance for our newer member to get to know Linda Queen LindyLou and some of our longer serving members a little more
Pamela who celebrate her 60th birthday on the 25th was presented with two roses bushes as a celebration gift from the Chapter
15 March ~ Sunday Lunch ~ Peldon Rose
A super lunch was enjoyed by 8 Ruby Belles at the Peldon Rose, a fun afternoon filled with lots of laughter. Especially the 'pole dancing' performed by Signora Vino Amarone (Don't Ask!) Much enjoyed by other diners too
We received many nice compliments and much interest in Red Hatting with several cards being offerred and several ladies taking away our Play Day list
Another good opportunity for a chat about forthcoming events
21 March ~ Cancer Research Quiz
We Won!
Ruby Belles Top The Quiz
Our numbers may have dwindled from 15 to 12 then on the night to 8 but never the less we had the right combination of quizzers to clock up the winning score
Which came as a great surprise as we were only at 7th place at the interval.
We believe we excelled on the Marathon Round plus the Joker Round, Queen LindyLou's choice ~ Musicals
We were all presented with a nice Easter Egg each to much friendly applause from the other eleven teams, we were also the only all female team!
The Winning Team
Linda Queen LindyLou
Pat Baroness Bake-A-Batch
Jeannie Lady Tinkerbell
Pat Countess Coordinated
Brenda Lady Red
Muriel Lady Muriel
Carol Duchess of the Dance
Joy Lady Joyful
27 March ~ Lunch with Benfleet Chapter
A big thank you to Queen Marion and the ladies of the Benfleet Chapter for inviting us to join them for Linch at the Artichoke Brentwood. Carol Queen Cass of the Brentwood Top Totties also joined us, the company, food and venue were all excellent
It was lovely to meet the friendly ladies of Benfleet and we look forward to meeting up with them again in the near future
27 March ~ Jeff Short Band
Linda Queen LindyLou, Gill Princess Pansy, Gloria Lady of the Shining Star and Diane Lady Di had a fun evening at Witham Public Hall. The Jeff Short Band were excellent as usual and the other guests were all very friendly and we had a few good dances and laughs during the evening
We enjoyed our usual 'Desserts' at the Interval , Raspberry Roulade, Profiteroles plus Strawberries and Cream
28 March ~ Indian Concert
Five Belles and three Guests enjoyed a splendid pre-theatre dinner at Spice Indian Restaurant setting the mood for a relaxing evening of Classical Indian Music at the Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford
The Internationally acclaimed Ken Zucherman accompanied by Sanju Sahai and Gilda Sebastian took us on a fabulous journey of Love and Longing
Unfortunately the Soprano was ill and had to be replaced at short notice however her replacement Dominique Vellard was an absoloute inspiration to listen to
Renown for his Gregorian Chants and best in his field of Baroque music we were exceptionally lucky to be present and to experience the sheer purity of his voice
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The winning team show off their prizes an Easter Egg each ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Linda Queen LindyLou, Pat Baroness Bake-A-Batch, Jeannie Lady Tinkerbell, Pat Countess Coordinated, Brenda Lady Red, Muriel Lady Muriel, Carol Duchess of the Dance,Joy Lady Joyful
8 April ~ Dinner ~ Izumi Maldon
28 Belles and 1 Guest enjoyed a super Chinese Dinner at Izumi in Maldon, the eat all you can restaurant serves up excellent quality Chinese food including freshly cooked fish & meat to order
We had not taken into account school half term and as the restaurant is in the same complex as the sports centre & bowling alley it turned out to be very full & noisy
We later found a quiet area in the bar to discuss our business and present Lady Joyful with a bottle of Champagne in anticipation of her 60th birthday at the end of the month
17 April ~ Gerry Cross The Mersey
Linda Queen LindyLou and Sue Baroness Bookworm V Q were joined for a pre-theatre dinner with Margaret Queen Millsy, Carol Queen Cass of Warley, Sheila Princess Sparkle V Q and 18 Ruby Belles again enjoying the wonderful Italian food served at Verde
I Like It! I Like It!
Well we all loved Gerry! What a fantastic performance, we all just loved the show, not just the music for Gerry's voice is still as great as ever if not better, the interesting anecdotes of stars he toured with through the 60's and the songs that have meant a lot to him over the years, from Skiffle and Rock & Roll to Ballads
His 'Scouse' humour shining through and banter with the audience, with the theatre lights up throughout the performance so he could enjoy our company as well as us enjoying his performance
In the week marking 20 years since the Hillsborough tragedy it was no surprise that he ended the performance to a standing ovation and several encores as he performed You'll Never Walk Alone
After the show Gerry invited us back stage to meet him and for a photoshoot (see the 'Star Line Up' page) We wish to thank Gerry for being so kind and generous with his time, kissing each of us individually and shaking our hands then posing for lots, really lots! of photo's (also see 'Photo Album 2009' page) and signing autographs. We chatted about Liverpool City of Culture, our visit there in 2008 and the future plans for the City and of course Liverpool F.C. He also let us into a personal secret, that on the following Monday (20/04/09) he is to have the honour of the Freedom of the City of Liverpool bestowed upon him and how pleased he was for his own family, we were all so thrilled for him too ~
Many Congratulations!
21 April ~ Calamity Jane
Seven Ruby Belles enjoyed an evening at Braintree Institute, attending a very good performance of Calamity Jane the production of Braintree Musical Society
24 April ~ RHS Birthday Tea ~ Stamford
We were welcomed to Stamford on a beautiful warm sunny Spring Day to gather with around 180 Red Hat Ladies from all over the Eastern Counties
The pretty Old Linconshire Limestone built town had lots of places of interest to visit and lanes to meander along, plus a thriving open market
Ladies from different Chapters mingled in the town, introducing themselves and taking photos, many taking a lunch time snack in the pubs, cafes and tea room about the town, plus getting involved in the RHS hobby of shopping, especially in the Charity shops, Queen LindyLou taking such an opportunity to buy a beautiful purple hat ready for her birthday month reversed colours in May
Whilst in Stamford the Ruby Belles promoted & encouraged local ladies to join Queen Merry the Maur and the A1 Hattractions
Around 2.00pm ladies started to gather at the Meadows beside the River Welland where Ice Creams were the order of the day. It was lovely to see all the ladies gathering for a press photograph at 2.30pm
Finally 150 Ladies joined Queen June Rose our hostess and the Ladies of the Fen Fatales at the Lady Anne Hotel for Afternoon Tea
Queen LindyLou and Sue Baroness Bookworm Vice Queen were joined by Margaret Queen Millsy, Margaret Stewart & Chris Dovey of the Purple Pearls and 26 Ruby Belles plus 2 Guests
We were pleased to be joined by Wanda Countess of Coburg our out of town member who was visting from Liverpool
We were also pleased to convert one our Guests and Welcome Jan Hill, Scarlet Lady to the Ruby Belles
25 April ~RHS Birthday ~ Angelsey Abbey
On the actual Red Hat Society Birthday Linda Queen LindyLou, Wanda Countess of Coburg and Terri Mistress Moonstone joined Jenny Lady Jingle Bells and ladies of the Daft Old Bats Bedford who had organised an extra celebration at Angelsey Abbey just North of Cambridge
21 Ladies in all from the Daft Old Bats Bedford, A1 Hattractions Stamford, Bardwell Batty Bees, Boudicca Babes of Colchester, Marlow Angels and Ruby Belles were in attendance enjoying a get together coffee before dispersing around the beautiful gardens, house, garden centre and National Trust shop
Returning for lunch then later taking in more of the gardens before making our way home
A really enjoyable outing and the venue will certainly go on to the Ruby Belles 2010 Play Day List
Chapter Queens
Stamford 24 April 2009
1 May ~ Jesus Christ Superstar
Linda Queen LindyLou, Sue Vice Queen, Janet Lady Janet, Terri Mistress Moonstone and Johanna Comtessa Cuisse de Grenouille attended the United Reform Church Witham to see their production of Jesus Christ Superstar
This amatuer production was extremley well produced and enjoyed very much by the Ruby Belles
5 May ~ Dinner ~ Jack & Jenny
An enjoyable dinner was held at the Jack & Jenny with 22 Ladies in attendance including our newest recruit Delia, Lady Cordelia
The food was very good & enjoyable and the staff very friendly...a venue we will use again in the near future
7 May ~ Day Trip to France
Another enjoyable day out with a trip to France for Linda Queen LindyLou, Sue Vice Queen, Linda Lady Desert Rose, Terri Mistress Moonstone, Suzi Princess Poppy and Sally Lady Primrose
A mostly window shopping expedition with a 'try on' of a variety of purple clothes in C&A with some fashion bargains purchased
Lunch with a little vino and then a shop in Carrefore for some 'French' specialities
A final visit to the Patisserie for coffee & cake before our journey home
Plus hopefully Suzi recruited a new member a lady from Braintree who was also on the excursion
14 May ~ Kiss Me Kate
Yet again another amateur production has given us great pleasure with such a professional produced show
Nine Ruby Belles enjoyed a brilliant fast moving production of Cole Porter's musical Kiss Me Kate
A thoroughly enjoyable evening !
15 May ~ Rat Pack Night ~ Top Totties
A brilliant night at the Black Bull Margaretting, it was great to join Queen Cass of Warley, Sheila Princess Sparkle and Top Tottie's new gal Maureen
The food a 3 course set menu with a choice of 3 options each serving had an American theme and was excellent!
As was the entertainment provided by the fabulous Deano a RatPack tribute artist, who has appeared in 'Stars in Their Eyes' as Perry Como and entertained the guests at Jodi Marsh's wedding...an act worth seeing
Linda Queen LindyLou, Sue Vice Queen, Margaret Queen Millsy, were joined by Janet Princess Purple Petunia,Pat Countess Coordinated, Johanna Comtessa Cuisse de Grenouille and Janet Lady Beatrice
Photos on pages 8 Star Line Up & 19 Photos 2009
16 May ~ Hats Exhibition ~ V & A
After changing the venue from Alfie's Antiques to accomodate viewing of the Hats Exhibition before it closed at the end of May on the day only two Ruby Belles attended this event
Johanna Comtessa Cuisse de Grenouille whose friend Carolyn also attended plus Terri Mistress Moonstone
Johanna reports that the three met up with Queen Merry Maur of the A1 Hattractions and had a most enjoyable day veiwing the exhibition and enjoying lunch afterwards
Unfortunately both Linda Queen LindyLou and Sue Vice Queen were under the weather and were sadly unable to attend the event but extremley pleased the day went well without them
19 May ~ Meet Sue Cadman ~ Roly Poly
Well it was more than worth the journey up to Gedney in Lincolnshire to spend the afternoon with the Fen Fatales. Refreshing friendships with the ladies and meeting up with Queen Carol and her Gadabout Gals plus her sister visiting from the USA who has recently joined the RHS, plus Queen Merry Maur of the A1 Hattractions and forging new friendships with the Sluice Women of Downham Market
But undoubtedly the star of the afternoon was Sue Cadman, a lovely lovely lady
Chatting to us for over an hour about her love for dancing , she amazingly qualified as a dance teacher at the age of 15! However her early career was in Pantomime and Summer Variety Shows. She then broke into television with parts in Crossroads, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Angels, Poldark and the Good Old Days. She briefly retired and started her own School of Dance when her Mum spotted in a copy of Stage an advert for larger ladies who can tap dance to attend auditions at the BBC. She went along and within days found herself in a dance group with no name, that was till Les Dawson found himself introducing them on his T V show, Les being quick witted introduced them as the Roly Poly's and the name stuck
Sadly in recent years they have appeared less on British TV but they have all remained very good friends and still regularly work mostly in Europe where Variety Shows are still very popular
A very interesting, amusing and entertaining Lady
Thanks to Margaret Queen Millsy who drove Jane from the Pearls plus Linda Queen LindyLou, Janet Princess Purple Petunia and Terri Mistress Moonstone a perfect journey thanks to Margaret who had to contend with some dreadful blustery downpours and hail storms on our way home....Well Done!
24 May ~ Sunday Lunch ~ ITIMO
Seven Ruby Belles enjoyed a very nice Sunday Lunch together, good food & good company, can't be bad. As Gill Princess Pansy will be away in the USA on the 1 July and will therefore miss our July dinner date at ITIMO it was nice for her to enjoy the venue this time around
29 May~ Queen LindyLou's Birthday Lunch
A beautiful sunny day greeted 30 Belles and 4 Purple Pearls as we arrived in Dedham mid morning
Meeting first for tea & coffee in the Essex Rose Tea Rooms then we all went off to do our own thing around the village, the quaint high street, church and Craft Centre
Meeting at 1.00pm for a a very enjoyble lunch at the Marlborough Head Hotel
Linda Queen Lindy Lou thanks everyone very much for making her birthday a very special day thanks too for the cards and gifts
Linda Queen LindyLou
2 June ~ Monthly Dinner ~ White Hart
A quiet start to June though a jolly evening all the same, unfortunately we had around 7 cancellations on the day mainly due to headaches probably caused by the very hot & humid day
Jan Scarlett Lady invited along a guest who we hope will like us enough to join the Chapter
During the business Linda explained the requirement for pre-payment for pre-orders plus also the policy regarding not following up on members who had not been to gatherings for some time
Once again Janet Lady Beatrice has invited the Ruby Belles to hold their 2009 Garden Party in her beautiful garden, this will be held on Saturday 1 August, thank you Janet & Maurice
With 20 Belles and 1 Guest it allowed more room in the White Hart front Dining Room for us all to enjoy each others company
11 June ~ 65th Birthday ~ Queen Cass
A lovely lunch was enjoyed in Brentwood to celebrate Queen Cass's 65 Birthday, Queen LindyLou and nine Belles were in attendance joined by Margaret Queen Millsy
There were 4 Top Totties and a new recruit brought along by Chris Madame Marina, we were also joined by Queen Red Mel and Jennie Lady Boz Vice Queen of the Crimson Crumblies of Chelmsford
14 June ~ Made In Britain
Just four Ruby Belles attended this concert which celebrated the best in British Pop with Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and Lennon & Mccartney Tribute Artists
A fun night with the usual sing-a-long to old favourites
Prior to the show we once again met for a pre-theatre dinner at Verde Italian Restaurant
19 June ~ Lunch ~ Hanningfield Reservoir
Well the rain that threatened at the beginning of the week stayed away though whilst the sun shone the blustery conditions on the verandah of the Cafe On The Lake meant it was far too breezy for our hats
So 15 Ruby Belles made a hasty retreat indoors and despite Queen LindyLou's concern that the cafe was too small we all found tables together leaving plenty of room for other diners
We had quite a bit of interest from other ladies in the cafe including a lady from New Zealand who bubbled over with excitement to find that there are plenty of Chapters in her homeland, Pamela Lady Crystal de Caff and Queen LindyLou spent about 10 minutes with this lady & her friend who almost was determined to return to NZ and start her own chapter. Hopefully too we recruited a new member for the RoseRed Hatters in Benfleet
Once again a delicious lunch enjoyed by all accompanied by much happy chatter
26 June ~ Sweet Pea Visit ~ Layer Marney
Eleven Ruby Belles visited the Sweet Pea Grower and had a very interesting talk about the History & Development of Sweet Peas and also visited the Test Fields in the Glass Houses
Well over 50 Red Hat Ladies were in attendance from several East of England Chapters and it was once again nice to see all the colours on such a warm summer day
Later we visited Perrywoods Garden centre Tea Rooms for Afternoon Tea & Lots of Chatter
29 June ~ Leigh Folk Festival
Due to unforseen circumstances Linda was unable to drive to this event therefore no car share was available and we had to cancel, hopefully we can look into attending next year
1 July ~ Dinner ~ IMTIMO
22 Ladies attended the monthly dinner, all enjoying an excellent meal despite the very warm & humid evening
3 July ~ Wild Flower Walk ~ Dovercourt
Terri Mistress Moonstone and Janet Lady Janet both enjoyed a very interesting walk with the Purple Pearls, guided by Terri a member of the Pearls who made it a very interesting and informative couple of hours, afterwards they enjoyed a lunch together
4 July ~ Strawberry Fair ~ Hyde Hall
A warm sunny day welcomed us to Hyde Hall gardens for the Strawberry Fair. Meeting around 12 Noon we first went for lunch in the Coffee shop, afterwards exploring the beautiful gardens at their Summer best
The Queen Mother's pretty garden, onto the Australian & New Zealand gardens with lovely exotic plants and then to the dry garden with plants suitable for planting in 'Essex' gardens as the Anglia region has the least rainfall in the UK
Then on to admire the Lily ponds and rose garden including the Rose Rope with it's climbing roses and Clematis of everything colour
In the food tents we discovered an array of fresh fruit Strawberries, Rasberries and Bluberries, English Wines and produce
Strawberries with cream, plus cream teas and the very popular fruit chocolate fountain and home made ice cream
Around the gardens were areas for talks and demonstrations and a Coconut Shy with several dance sets on the lawn from the Colchester Morris Men
16 Ruby Belles enjoyed a traditional English Strawberry Fair with much interest in Red Hatting and lovely comments about our outfits, especially our hats!
An excellent day out together
9 July ~ Newmarket Ladies Day
Right from the off everyone was ready for a fun day at the races despite whatever the day would bring weatherwise
After loading our picnic tables, chairs, gazebo and our picnic and Pink Fizz we were off!
On arrival the dedicated team went to work setting up to ensure we all sat down to enjoy our lunch and leaving plenty of time before the first race
The catered picnic could not have been better, everyone complimenting the food which we ordered from Mama Dell's in Witham
After lunch whilst the ladies went off to explore Newmarket & meet up with sister Red Hatters from local chapters the team swiftly packed everything away on the coach
Thank you to Sue Vice Queen, Pat Countess Coordinated, Suzi Princess Poppy, Sally Lady Primrose, Margaret Queen Millsy and Margaret S from the Purple Pearls
Thanks also to everyone else who helped by allowing the team to set up so efficiently
We all enjoyed the racing with some winners & some losers the weather had treated us well despite the forcast and at times through the afternoon the sun was very hot
Lots of meeting with other Red Hatter's in attendance, so a great afternoon once again
Before we left we finished the last of the cakes & strawberries and had our usual raffle leaving us all to quietly contemplate our day out & have a snooze on the way home
17 July ~ Lunch ~ Perrywoods
St Swithen made his mark on our trip to Beth Chatto as after Thunder Storms the two days previous and waking to heavy rain in the morning Sue & Linda quickly phoned around to advise a change of plan
We decided it was not worth risking paying to visit this National Trust garden when the chances were we would not want to wander round in the rain plus underfoot may well be treacherous
Ironically Beth Chatto was the first garden in the UK to demonstrate gardening in arid climates as East Anglia has the least rain fall in the UK
We all met up at Perrywoods garden centre and enjoyed a nice lunch & a good chatter
12 July ~ Opera in the Orchard
Report from Linda Lady Desert Rose and Terri Mistress Moonstone ~ Pat Lady Pat in the Hat also attended
“A must for the Ruby Belles in 2010.
For various reasons only 3 of the Ruby Belles were available for Opera in the Orchard on Sunday 18th July. We set off from Witham station, each of the two drivers thinking the other knew the way….. wrong!!!. But despite the road works, the circular route, the abstemious (honest) stop at the pub for directions and a van, travelling the wrong way, introducing itself to us on a single carriageway lane, we finally arrived!!!
We had a lovely relaxing afternoon. Two short one hour operas set in the farmhouse orchard with the families rare breeds chickens pecking around and about – including a randy black rooster who added to the entertainment.. Plus there were other things to keep us occupied. A craft shop, food stalls, vegetarian with a wide selection of various items to try, a local sausgage and burger etc stall (we understand there was a hog roast on the Saturday), an excellent and colourful cake stall, a stall selling apple juice (including a delightful hot mulled apple juice) and a bar.
It turned a little cooler at the start of the 2nd opera and there was a little rain but this did not dent the casts or the audiences spirits. Many people were intriqued by our colourful dress and showed an interest in the Red Hat Society.
The journey back was unadventurous compared to the outward one, a bit tame in fact for the 3 intrepid ones. All in all an event to be thoroughly recommended.”
29 July ~ Sandringham Flower Show
15 Ladies of the Ruby Belles enjoyed a day out at the Sandringham Flower Show the high point of the day was of course the Royal walk about
Many of the ladies having the opportunity to chat and shake hands with Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall.
Linda Queen LindyLou presented Prince Charles with seeds of the Official Red Hat Sweet Pea, Ruby Red Hat. The Prince being an avid gardener promised to sow the seeds at Highgrove, whilst Camilla Duchess of Cornwall admired Linda Queen LindyLou's hat
We all had a great time at the show with all the fun of the fair, with demonstrations, bands, trade and charity stalls and not forgeting the beautiful flower & vegatable displays
Whilst it was a tiring day, the weather held for us and we all agreed we must put the event on our 2010 playday list
3 August ~ Iolanthe
Yet another brilliant production by the South Essex Savoy Players enjoyed by Linda Queen LindyLou, Janet Princess Purple Petunia, Chris Marchioness Marischino, Linda Lady Desert Rose and her guest Irene a member of the Benfleet Rose Madder Hatters
5 August ~ Dinner ~ Jack & Jenny
Our monthly dinner was a return visit to the Jack & Jenny in Witham with 23 Belles in attendance, everyone was very pleased with the food and it was nice that Janet Lady Beatrice and Carol , Sue's sister was able to join us later for a drink
We also welcomed Carol Bennett, Lady Valentine as a new member
12 August ~ Melton Mowbray & Belvoir
Only Terri Mistress Moonstone was available to make this day out organised by Queen Maur the Merrier of the A1 Hattractions ...Terri's report below
Last Tuesday 4 August was market day in Melton Mowbray, a seemingly peaceful bustling midlands town. By 10-00am, approx. 60 redhats from all parts of the country in a marvellous mixture of purples and ingenious redhats invaded. We were as usual met with great friendleness and innumerable questions. Groups of us attended a pork pie demo in the last and original shop and sampled the wares. We strolled about the open and covered markets,one stall with red and purple gloves sold them out quickly. Then we assembled in the local park for a photo shoot . A community policeman became a focus of attention handing out small bells for our purses and spent the next 45mins chatting to us and having his photo taken, even exchanging hats with Queen Maur the Merrier. Then onto Belvoir Castle for a delicious lunch . Although not very old Belvoir Castle is very gothic and romantic with wonderful views over the countryside. Our lady guide-in a redhat- gave us a fascinating history of the castle and then we all gathered on the terrace for more photos. A really lovely and fortunately warm day arranged by Queen Maur the Merrier of the A1 Hattractions
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14 August ~ Lunch ~ Oliver's Nurseries
We had an excellent turn out for lunch and the venue was most comfortable with scrummy food
We received lots of nice compliments and interest from other visitor's to the tea rooms
We welcomed three new guests who are now also new members of the Ruby Belles
Welcome to Jackie Crowe from Braintree, Barbra Holmes from Witham and Sue Lampton from Hutton, their Royal Titles to be advised in the next issue of The Chimes
22 August ~ London 2012 Olympic Tour
A party of 22, Ruby Belles, Purple Pearls and Guests enjoyed a very interesting and informative tour of the London 2012 Olympic Park site
The tour lasting just over an hour in which our blue badge guide told us of the history of the site, as well as what is planned for after the Olympics
Obviously it is still a very large building site but we could see it coming to shape as the structures are well on target and distinguishable
We hope to do the tour again in September 2010 to see how much further ahead the project is
Afterwards most of us went on to Spitalfields and had a super relaxing lunch at The Real Greek Restaurant
28 August ~ Queen Millsy's Birthday
Linda Queen LindyLou and 7 Ruby Belles joined by Carol Queen Cass of the Top Totties enjoyed a birthday lunch with the Margaret Queen Millsy and the Purple Pearls
We met at the Albert Cowdray Avenue in Colchester were the fod & the company was convivial
28 August ~ Tina Turner & Diana Ross
Six Ruby Belles enjoyed the talents of Milly Monroe whose tributes to Diana Ross & Tina Turner was very much enjoyed
In her tribute to Tina Turner two Belles, Suzy Princess Poppy and Sally Lady Primrose were recruited to be Tina's backing dancers and they certainly kept the Ruby Belles flag flying high strutting their stuff to an appreciative audience
Well Done Girls!
The Capitol Square Club has a friendly atmosphere and the buffet was very enjoyable and very reasonably priced
Big Treat of the night was Danny Owen's three numbers in his tribute to Tom Jones
Next visit 30 October for an Abba Tribute Night
Don't Miss It!
6 September ~ English Wine Festival
A lovely sunny day made our visit to the Vineyard even more enjoyable on arrival we all met up and made directly for the home made cakes to reserve our favourites for picking up at the end of the day
On then for coffee and snack (brunch) before exploring all the exhibitions in the barns
We thoroughly enjoyed the displays of Belly Dancing whose troop had our Red Hat friend Marilyn from the Crimson Crumblies and the Boudicca Samba Band from Colchester with another Red Hat friend Sue from the Purple Pearls
Ruby Belles of course were as always eager to participate with Janice Scarlet Lady, Carol Lady Valentine and Gill Princess Pansy joining in the English Country Dancing and Johanna Comtesse Cuisse de Grenouille and Linda Queen LindyLou shaking their booty along with the Samba band
Lovely day and the WINE was good too!
8 September ~ Dinner ~ White Hart
A super evening was had by all attending our 2nd Anniversary Buffet at the White Hart in Witham
We of course enjoyed our Birthday Cake and some filming of our 'Bling My Coach' video
A Great Gathering!
14 September ~ Sue V Q Birthday Lunch
Didn't we have a lovely day the day we went to Walton?
Yes a great day from start to finish, most of us travelling from Witham by train chatting so much we almost forgot to get off at the other end
We then went for coffee and teacakes meeting up with Margaret Queen Millsy and several Purple Pearls. The rest of the morning we hit the high street checking out every charity shop and found an excellent Bling shop, then on to the seaside shop to search out items to decorate our Maritime costumes for the Convention in October
A traditional Fish & Chips lunch was served at one of the towns famous chippy's
Then a 'breezy' walk along the prom we certainly had to hold on to our hats, Pat Countess Coordinated Vice Queen marked out 'Ruby Belles' on the perfect unspoilt beach after Pat and Sue Baroness Bookworm Vice Queen decided to have a paddle
On then to the Pier for some fun on the shove penny machines after which Janet Lady Janet also decided on a paddle before home
A really fun brilliant day
Sue Baroness Bookworm Vice Queen thanks everyone for her cards and prezzie's and a great day out
19 September ~ Musical Vienna
Only four Ruby Belles attended this concert after dinner at Verde, we were treated to a wonderful evening of music from Vienna
The Locrian Ensemble, all top classical musicians working in London were excellent and their dynamic performance made it both a fun yet relaxing concert
Treated to the wonderful talent of the Soprano Annette Wardell (F A Cup Final 2009) and the dancing skills of Shaun Christie , winner of Australia's Strictly Come Dancing and his partner Emma Munbodhowa
Vivaldi to Mozart and Tschaikowsky to Strauss and performed in sumptuous period costumes with candlelight setting the atmosphere
Not to be missed next time they are in town
20 September ~ Sunday Lunch
The Wild Berry Bistro at the Rivenhall Hotel was the venue for our quarterly Sunday lunch. The food, the service and the shared company of seven Ruby Belles were 100% and we had some very kind interest from other diners
26 September ~ Garden Party
Well after the weather let us down in August we could not have asked for a more pleasant sunny & warm Indian Summer afternoon
25 ladies from the Belles and Pearls plus Carol Queen Cass of the Top Totties enjoyed a buffet afternoon tea
We had a couple of rails of outfits in the colours from the Helen Rollason shop, a Hat & Bag stall and a Bling sale. Our Raffle was to support the Macmillan Coffee Morning appeal and the jar went round for the last contributions to the donations to Chritie Hospital in memory of Linda Queen LindyLou's niece Angela who had sadly recently lost her fight with Cancer
Our Mascots and Photo albums were on display for everyone to admire and for our new members to see where we have been & what we have done in the last two years
A table quiz about London Underground Stations and several games of Bingo with a Red Hat twist added more fun to the afternoon
Many Thanks to Sue & Phil for allowing us to hold our Garden Party at their home and extra thanks to Phil who also din much of the hot food cooking
3 October ~ Cancer Research Quiz
The Ruby Belles Flag still flies high as we once again won the Cancer Research Quiz a clear 10 points ahead of the second team
This time we entered as Phil's Floosie's as he was the only man in the team, Phil is Sue Vice Queen's husband we were also joined by Linda a guest of Sue's
The remainder of the team being Linda, Queen LindyLou, Pat Vice Queen, Anita Signora Vino Amarone, Carol Duchess of the Dance and Muriel Lady Muriel
We all won a large bar of Aero Chocolate ~ Well Done!
6 October ~ Ladies Day
Pat Baroness Bake-A-Batch and Julia Lady Jewels joined the Top Totties in Hornchurch for a theatre visit to see the play 'Ladies Day'. They both enjoyed the evening very much, the play was extremely funny and the friendship of the Top Totties
7 October ~ Dinner ~ Prezzo
A bit of a manic visit to Prezzo, the restaurant being very busy left little room for us to move about and the noise level made it difficult too hold conversation with more than the sister sitting next to you
A difficult venue for both Vice Queen's though we all agreed the food was excellent. 29 Ruby Belles attended and we welcomed two new members Lynda Hammond & Kate Manning
9-11 October ~ Convention Portsmouth
Once all our luggage and Hats were stored 15 Ruby Belles set off in a Turner's Coach for Portsmouth, where we would meet up with our 16th member Wanda Countess de Coburg
After a comfortable journey we arrived mid afternoon to Register for Convention
After Coffee we all went to unpack and prepare for our Fancy dress Evening on H M S Warrior
Before meeting our coach to taske us down to the Historic DockYards we all gathered in Queen LindyLou's bedroom for some fizz before departure
We were pleased also to welcome to our pre-dinner gathering Audrey from Bromley
HMS Warrior certainly was a challenge for a number of the Ruby Belles but once aboard we enjoyed a sumptious feast
On our return the party carried on for a while in the Queen's bedroom
Saturday graced us with a beautiful barmy Indian Summer day and our Brolly Parade was bathed in Sunshine
150 Ladies dressed in Purple with Red Hats and beautiful individually decorated umbrellas certainly turned heads and filled Portsmouth town centre with lots of smiling faces
After coffee we practiced the Red Hatters Hobby of Shopping
Finally we visited the Spinnaker Tower for fabulous views of The Solent and the Isle of Wight
Saturday evening was the 'Bling' Dinner where we all dressed in our finest
Sunday Farewell included a Sailor's Hornpipe and wonderful singing from a Ladies Barber Shop Choir
We all said our final goodbye's and boarded our coach for home after a fun week-end together
18 October ~ One Night With Queen
Sixteen Ruby Belles had a great rock night at Charter Hall in Colchester enjoying the sounds of Queen
Linda Queen LindyLou, Terri Mistress Moonstone and Gill Princess Pansy all venturing forth to have a dance at the front of the stage
Everyone was of course on their feet for the finale, We Will Rock You, Radio GaGa and We Are The Champions
20 October ~ 1st Anniversary Top Totties
9 Ruby Belles attended the celebration of the Top Totties 1st Anniversary and were made very welcome by Carol Queen Cass and her Ladies
The Garden Centre and Tea Rooms were very nice and we will visit there again next year
Queen Cass & Queen LindyLou hope to have joint gatherings every thre months or so and the Ruby Belles certainly look forward to meeting up with the Top Totties again soon
28 October ~ WAOS ~ Hello Dolly
Yet another fantastic performance by WAOS on stage at Witham Public Hall
All the cast was superb and Witham is so lucky to have such a talented operatic group in the town
With amusing performances by Nick Clough (Horace Vandergelder, Matthew Lezcnar (Cornelious Hackl) and Clarke Edwards (Barnaby Tucker, whilst Kim Anderson's as Mrs Dolly Gallagher Levi was as good as any as to be expected from West End stars
The five Belles attending thoroughly enjoyed the performance
29 October~Lantern Tour ~Layer Marney
Just a few words about the Layer marney event which we all enjoyed
Never mind the 'trick' what a 'treat'! Halloween came early tonight for four Ruby Belles, suitable dressed in purple but with red 'witchy' hats and armed with lanterns who enjoyed a guided tour of this atmospheric site
Following a very welcome glass of mulled wine to put us in the mood we were guided around the garden, churchyard (very spooky in the misty evening), the chuch and finally the tower itself
Ghostly apparitions appeared in various places and caused quite a stir with the more nervous members of the group! (Scarlet Lady let out such a screech at one stage I thought she was auditioning for a horroe movie
Lady Valentine was involved in trying to get some response from a young man in a Sedan chair. Lady sewnSew was doing what she does best - taking photographs and I was trying to keep some sort of order being Queen for the evening
Seriously though we had a really good evening and would recommend the event for next year
Chris Madame Marina
30 October ~ Abba Tribute Night
Another brilliant evening at Capitol Square with the music of Abba
We all enjoyed a delicious buffet and whilst waiting for the 'live' show to start sharpened our brains on a table quiz kindly provided by Johanna Comtesse Cuisse de Grenoiulle, who also donated two prizes which Barbara Lady Buddleia and Janet Lady Janet won having the two highest scores
31 October ~ Calendar Girls
A fabulous theatre trip to the West End kindly arranged by Queen Cass of Worley and the Top Totties
Arriving in London late morning we decided first to enjoy a coffee at Brown's Restaurant then enjoy lunch there too. We had plenty of time to have a good chatter together with many of the ladies ( 15 including Ruby Belles & Top Totties) indulging in a pre-theatre Cocktail
The show had been very well adapted to the stage and it was great to catch the show before all the original cast changed the following Monday
Despite the sadness behind the story there were of course lots of laughter and sisterly support
Just Like Red Hatting!
1 November ~ Mind, Body & Soul
A bit of a wash out as several ladies did not make it probably as the weather was so wet & wild, and the exhibition was not as large as we had expected
We perused the stands, several having very nice bling, quite a few practitioners in alternative medicine and Readings in Tarot and Angel Messages
We enjoyed a light lunch of Pumpkin Soup and French Bread and it was nice to meet Margaret a friend of Vice Queen Pat, we hope to encourage her to join the Ruby Belles in the future
3 November ~ Lunch ~ Writtle
Nine Ruby Belles made it to the tea rooms for lunch, which was enjoyed in comfortable surroundinga with pleasant staff
Although only a small gathing it gave us all chance to have a good natter
The venue is certainly one we will return to
5 November ~ Purple Pearls Anniversary
Eight Ruby Belles met up with 10 Purple Pearls to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary at Coopers in Aldham
Good food and good company the order of the day, a very enjoyable afternoon
10 November ~ Dinner ~ Ria
Thirty Ruby Belles enjoyed an evening at Ria restaurant and all agreed another visit next year will be most welcome
Linda Queen LindyLou presented three ladies with prizes in respect of two competitions she had set on this website
The Caption Competition was a draw between Pat Countess Coordinated and Maggie Lady Tai-chi, the final result based on votes at our garden party
Pat Lady Lilacblossom was the first Ruby Belle to advise Linda Queen Lindylou that our website had over 50,000 visitors
20 November ~ The Full Monty
Well the full monty we got! A brilliant performance of the American version of this play, our theatre seats were in the front rows so we didn't miss a thing!
A pre-theatre dinner was also enjoyed by some of the ladies
23 November ~ Pam Ayres
Only days later we were back at the civic and another pre-theatre dinner at Verde. We were joined by Clare Countes Claret Velvet who we had not had chance to get together with for some time and it was lovely to catch up some. Clare then came over to the theatre in the hope of a last minute ticket but the show was a sell out
Pam Ayres of course kept us rolling in our seats for two hours with her poems and chat
A very enjoyable evening
25 November ~ Lunch ~ Blake End
24 Ruby Belles enjoyed a delicious lunch the last for 2009 lots of happy laughter and chatter followed by some Christmas Shopping in the Craft Centre units
27 November ~ Beatles Night
A brilliant evening was enjoyed with the Top Totties at the Black Bull Margaretting. A super buffet supper was enjoyed by all and the 60's music was brilliant so plenty of opportunity to strut our stuff
The music provided by 'Music by Lennon and Marcartney', two Colchester lads was brilliant ...catch them if you can they are well worth seeing
29 November ~ Sunday Lunch ~ Crofters
Unfortunately our numbers dwindled from 12 - 5 with Linda Queen Lou missing the lunch too due to a family crisis. However Terri, Pam, Pat, Paula and Muriel had a very enjoyable lunch with good food and good conversation...rumour is they put the world to rights!
1 December~Guildhall & Bank of England
The first really frosty morning of the winter did not deter the 20 Ruby Belles starting out for a day out in London
We first met up in Ponti's for morning coffee with Queen Maggie of Bromley and 9 of her ladies before winding our way through the City to the Guildhall
The Red Hat Christmas Market was very busy, very hot and very good...lots of very interesting stalls
The prizes were to be found in the Nearly New Designer Clothes hall with lots of amazing clothes, hats, bags and shoes at bargain prices, many ladies taking advantage of the chance for great bargains
We had lots of enquiries about Red Hatting and lots of lovely compliments, the Lord Mayor of London taking time out to chat for a few minutes with Linda Queen LindyLou about the Ruby Belles and the RHS, though no one there to get the photo shoot
Later we all met at the Bank of England, unfortunately due to crossed wires we missed the Christmas music however we all enjoyed a very interesting talk about the history of the Bank of England, Gold & Money...the latter being right up our street
A very enjoyable if tiring day out
11 December ~ Vegas Vegas Christmas
Our evening at Benton Hall was very much enjoyed by 21 Ruby Belles and our guest Queen Cass of Warley, Top Totties
The Dinner was enjoyed by all and whilst some tripped the light fantastic the rest passed the evening away playing Roulette and Blackjack
Queen LindyLou did not have her usual luck on the Roulette and faired no better with the cards whilst Gloria Lady of the Shining Star came out tops winning $3500, sadly it was only toy money ...but we can dream!
We must have had fun as we all commented on how quickly the evening passed
14-18 December ~ Christmas with Queen
On Tuesday eight ladies joined me for cake & coffee and lots of lively conversation, again on Wednesday a further seven ladies spent the afternoon in a similar manner
We all marvelled on both days how a topic of conversation can lead on and change course to an entirely diffent mode and how quickly the afternoons passed
With six ladies despite the heavy snowfall joining me again for another convivial afternoon on Friday making a total of 21 ladies attending in all
19 December ~ Vegas Night at Capitol
Unfortunately we had to abandon our evening at Capitol Square due to the extremley adverse traffic conditions but it really was not worth chancing the drive especially for our ladies who did not live locally
We were all especially sorry to miss the evening as we had been so looking forward to see Danny performing his tribute line up ...but we will just have to hope he has a similar show sometime next year
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