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Our Diary of Events 2009
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Our usual monthy meeting, with 18 attending, was at the White Mare at Beckermet but with a distinctively Christmassy feel.
The pub was bedecked with lovely Christmas decorations and Phil had laid on his usual fine array of home-made cakes and mince pies. We has a small raffle with some nice Red Hat prizes and a competition for the the best decorated Red Hat. This was won by Countess Clara Cluck for a super hat decorated with pointsettias and other Christmas goodies. (The fact that Margaret is the owner of a local garden centre may have given her a bit of an advantage!) We all had a lovely afternoon and many items and ideas for future events were discussed.
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Today 6 of us caught the train from St.Bees to spend a days Christmas shopping in Carlisle. We had a splendid lunch in the Kings Head pub and then went our separate ways to the various shops. Again we caused quite a stir with our red and purple outfits. Carlisle is an ancient town but has a good variety of excellent shops at its centre. We returned home in the evening, carrying our purchases, quite tired but with much lighter purses!
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Queen Tripalot is on the radio again! Live on the Kevin Fernihough afternoon programme plugging the 2010 Ladies of Lakeland calendar of which Kevin had received a copy. He seemed quite impressed and amused with our efforts and, as a result, our ladies have again been invited to go to the studios in Carlisle for another afternoon chat on the air. This will probably be some time early in the New Year.
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Today 5 of our ladies travelled to Skipton in North Yorkshire where we met up with ladies from other Northern chapters. Included were Meg and some of her York chapter, Rose and her ladies from Halifax and another Pauline, with a new chapter from Manchester. Altogether there were 33 ladies and we all gathered for lunch at the Canalside Restaurant. After this we took to the streets and had a good look round the town's famous medieaval market and the shops. The weather was cold but it stayed fine and dry. All in all, we had a lovely day out.
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Somewhat hampered by road and bridge closures due to the recent horrendous flooding in Cumbria and despite a long detour through very muddy country lanes, today 10 of our ladies visited 'Fobbles' at Holmrook, which is a Needlecraft Workshops and Suppliers.
There we were met by Beverley and Edna with welcome tea, coffee and cakes. We were given a very interesting talk and information packs about all aspects of needlecraft and the different classes that take place there. We we shown around the workshops and saw the many exhibits of needlecraft they undertake. The quality and the beauty of the work was oustanding. We then had plenty of time to explore (and spend money!) in the very well stocked shop.
A very interesting and informative visit and some of our ladies who have hobbies in needlecraft are already planning a return visit.
To boost our spirits on the very wet and muddy return home, we just happened to call in at a regular stop, the Woodlands Tea Rooms at Santon Bridge! Nancy, as usual, supplied us with excellent tea and sandwiches and we went on our way suitably refreshed.
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Today sees the publication of
The Ladies of Lakeland 2010 Calendar
in which most of our Ladies appear in various guises, all resplendent in our Red Hats, some in fancy dress and some with very little else !
The Calendar, which has kindly been produced by David Briggs
(the husband of Duchess du Duvet)
is on A4 glossy paper and is sprung bound at the top.
It will be on sale soon for about £6 per copy and any profits that we make will be donated to
MacMillan Cancer Support (UK)
The front cover is the photograph of us all displaying our new banner after our first meeting
The rest are being kept under wraps for now.
If you want to see them, you will have to buy a copy!
If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy (or a few) of this Calendar, please contact Queen Tripalot for further details re postage etc.
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Today we had our usual monthly meeting at the Rugby Club and it was also arranged that we should meet Shameem and Mat Arnold from the Salsa Studio Dance School, Whitehaven. Shameem and Mat are the founders of Salsa Studio. They are renowned for providing fun and exciting classes, wedding dance choreography and workshops for private functions. They have performed Stage Shows for Whitehaven Festival, Carlisle's Culture Bazaar and Egremont Crab Fair.
They gave us ladies a taste of Salsa Dancing ("Dance like no one is watching ")
After about an hour, having been taught the basic steps, we graduated to dancing, with music, in couples. We all had a wonderful time and quite a few of us will book further lessons with Shameen and Mat.
If you have never done Salsa dancing, it's great fun and well worth a try.
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Jan Baker (Lady Laureate) and her husband Howard were on a short visit to see her daughter Vicki who lives in Worcester. Her son Ian, who lives in Hong Kong, was also on holiday in the UK. The family had arranged to go out for a quiet meal at the Plough and Harrow Restaurant, Guarlford, Malvern. What a suprise Jan had when she arrived. There were 12 members of her family and friends sitting there. They were all treated to a wonderful meal and the wine flowed all evening. The suprise climax of the evening was when Jan was presented with a birthday cake, with a figure depicting her in her Red Hat attire, with seven candles, one for each decade.
Although Jan is not 70 until September, this was a lovely evening and a chance to see Ian again before he flew back to Hong Kong the following day. Aren't families wonderful?
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Boat Cruise on Windermere
This evening ten of our ladies, some together with our Flat Cap Fellers, went by coach to Bowness-on-Windermere for an evening cruise on the lake. The trip had been organised by Phil Ward, the landlord of the White Mare Hotel where we have our monthly meets. We arrived, resplendent in our Red Hat attire, much to the surprise of the other passengers. Our boat for the evening was MV Teal, an old Railway Company vessel buit in 1936 and lovingly restored to its former glory. On boarding, to the sounds of an excellent jazz band, we were given free glasses of wine and took our places on the upper decks. The weather was perfect, a clear sunny evening with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and fells.
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England, 10 miles long but only 2 miles at its widest point. The scenery from the boat is spectacular and we also spotted some of the locations used in the film "Swallows and Amazons" based on the story by Arthur Ransome. During the 3 hour cruise the crew served up a splendid buffet and there was ample space for a bit of dancing.
On the return leg of the cruise, we sailed past 'Millionaire's Row', some of the most opulent houses you will ever see, all with long gardens sweeping down to the lake, most with their own boathouses. To coin a phrase 'Who do you think lives in houses like these?'
As the sun began to set, the sky turned a beautiful orange and the cameras started clicking to capture the moment. All in all, we had a lovely evening and this cruise is one we must certainly do again in the future.
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Our First Birthday Party
Today, to celebrate our first Birthday, we held a party at the Egremont Rangers Rugby Club rooms. All the ladies took various items of refreshments and when added together, we had a wonderful spread. Lady Greenfingers made some beautiful floral table decorations. Baroness Bonny B made a lovely cake in the shape of a hat and Harry decorated it with red and purple icing. Thanks to you both. Queen Tripalot organised a free raffle, with various Red Hat items she had collected together, from wine, a hat box, a pashmeena, down to some Red Hat badges.
The main event, however, was using the Club's large screen and sound system to show the karaoke sub-title version of the film "Mamma Mia". There was lots of dancing and singing along to the words of the songs, in what is a very entertaining film.
With satisfied appetites and aching limbs, some ladies retired to their homes in the early evening. However most of the die hards remained at the Club and took part in Mike's (Queen Tripalot's husband) regular monthly Quiz Night. As a one-off, in recognition of our Birthday, we we organised into teams of Red Hat Ladies -v- Flat Cap Fellers. The ladies teams did very well, in fact Queen Tripalot's team taking the overall 1st Prize (No she DID NOT have a peek preview of the questions and answers!!) A lovely, lively afternoon, followed by a nice entertaining evening.
What a way to spend your Birthday
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This year the Ladies of Lakeland entered into the local spirit and joined the Whitehaven Annual Carnival. We were one of about 40 'floats' and bands. The sun shone all afternoon and the crowds turned out in force. Hopefully lots of money was raised by the Whitehaven Lions Club for local charities. Our 'float' was WHH 556S - a Vintage 1978 Mk.1 Leyland National Type 11351A/R, 52 seat single-deck bus. (Information especially for Red Hat Lady Bus Enthusiasts !) from the Workington Transport Heritage Trust and ably driven by Richard Edge. The man is a hero, having put up with our continuous chatter and singing all afternoon. The bus was decorated, with great help from our Flat Cap Fellers partners, with countless red and purple baloons and some wonderful bunting and a large banner made especially for us by Harry Allick. The route through Whitehaven was lined with thousands of people and those of us who walked the parade with our collecting buckets, felt at first hand the generosity of the British public in supporting charitable events. The buckets were quite heavy by the end of the day. We supplied all our own sandwiches and drinks on the bus and had a thoroughly lovely afternoon.
The only down side is that the following day there were a few aching legs and arms (from too much regal waving!) Nevertheless, a wonderful day, which we hope to continue in future years.
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Another visit to the White Mare, Beckermet, this time to see Stuart, a young female impersonator, aka 'Stella the Fella'. Phil, the landlord, had laid on a hearty 'pie and peas' supper and Stella was in his (her!) very best form. His repertoire aways includes pleanty of beaty rock and roll music from OUR teenage years, which we can all sing along and dance to. His slim figure and wonderful costumes make us rather larger ladies very envious. Good food, good entertainment and the company of good friends. What more can we ask for?
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Following on from their meeting 'on air' on 24th April 2009, Pauline received an invitation from Kevin Fernihough for a few of The Ladies of Lakeland to appear live on his Friday afternoon show on Radio Cumbria. So this day came and Queen Tripalot, Vice Queen Golden Sunrise, Queen Mother Gadabout, Lady Liquorice, Lady Flasher and Countess Crystal Dreamer all travelled to the studios in Carlisle. They stopped for a lovely lunch at the Moota Garden Centre en route, to fortify their spirits. On arrival at the BBC in their red hats and full purple regalia, they were met by the show's producer, a lovely young lady called Nell. It was quite obvious from her expression and reactions that she had not fully realised what she and Kevin were in for!! After brief introductions, the ladies were led into the studios and immediately went live on air. Kevin had such a rapport with the ladies and was obviously enjoying his chat with them, what started off as a half an hour slot, turned into a full hour's transmission. During that time, the ladies spoke about the Red Hat Society in general, our local area in Cumbria and some of their roots before moving to this area. They took part in a karaoke sing-song and Dawn read out from a list of local events at the weekend. It was one hour full of chat but most of all, laughter and merryment. After it was all over, both Kevin and Nell agreed it was one of the best and funniest programmes they had ever produced. Queen Mother Gadabout, thrilled with her performance on radio, is now convinced she is likely to be headhunted for an appearance on BBC TV !!
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Today we had a change of location for our monthly get together. We made a good choice of the 'White Mare Hotel', a lovely traditional old English country hotel in the small village of Beckermet about 2 miles from Nethertown. Phil, the landlord, had laid on a nice selection of home made cakes and scones with plenty of tea and coffee. As they had only heard about the Red Hat Ladies at a social function a few nights ago, The Mayor of Copeland, Councillor Keith Hitchen and his lady wife Freda, asked if they could come and meet us. The invitation was accepted and they duly arrived together with a reporter and photographer from the News & Star. It was a nice sunny day, ideal for a photoshoot outside. We discussed a number of forthcoming events and generally had a lovely afternoon, resolving to use the 'White Mare' for our regular meetings in future.
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A gathering of Northerners! Today ladies from all over the north of England: 6 of us Ladies of Lakeland, 4 from Halifax, 3 from Morcambe and about 12 from York met for lunch in Spencer's Cafe Bistro in Skipton, North Yorkshire. The event was arranged by Meg from the Scarlet Ladies of York and Skipton was chosen as it is pretty central for us all. She had also arranged the presence of a reporter from the local newspaper 'The Craven Herald' who will be writing an article about Red Hatters.
Adam, the owner of the Bistro, decked it out beautifully with purple and red ribbons and balloons, and laid on a lunch of soup and sandwiches. After meeting and greeting over lunch, most of the ladies then went out shopping in the lovely old market town. One of the shops we visited was 'East End' ladies clothing, run by Joan, who for the day had brought a wonderful selection of red and purple items. She did a roaring trade!
As there is no Red Hat chapter in Skipton, our presence in the town was met with some surprise by the locals, although it is fair to say their response was fantastic and welcoming. The weather was lovely and we all had a super afternoon. It has been resolved that we must make this an annual event.
On the way home, us ladies from The Lakes, stopped off at the huge Boundary Mill Superstore at Colne.
We decided to carry on wearing our red and purple in the store and our presence created even more of a stir than it has done in Skipton! We were continually answering questions from both curious customers and staff alike!! The word about the Red Hat Ladies is now spreading fast.
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International Red Hat Day
Today 16 our our Ladies visited The Woodlands Tea Room at Santon Bridge where Nancy and her staff had laid on a Luxury Afternoon Tea of sandwiches, cakes and gorgeous clotted-cream scones. A truly lovely spread. We welcomed to our little party, Dame Jaunty Julia from the Scarlet Fedoras of Fareham, who was on holiday in the Lake District and who just happened to have her red hat and purple clothes with her!
There was even more publicity for Red Hatters, when Pauline was again interviewed by BBC Radio Cumbria, this time live on Kevin Fernihough's Afternoon Show.
Not many ladies in Cumbria had heard of us before this - but they have now!
If any ladies reading this, happen to be in Cumbria at any time, please get in touch with Pauline who may be able to arrange a meet and a treat at The Woodlands.
We had a really delighful afternoon and already requests have been made for repeat visits. The Strawberry Cream Teas are especially nice.
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In anticipation of the International Red Hat Day on Friday 24th April 2009, Pauline contacted the local Press to see if they would be interested in giving some coverage to the Red Hatters and in particular the Ladies of Lakeland.
Nineteen ladies assembled outside the park office, dressed in all their finery, (see Photo Scrap Book) where some of them were interviewed by Caryl Ireland from Egremont Today newspaper and Sarah Penn from BBC Radio Cumbria. Caryl will prepare an article for inclusion in the newspaper and their website and Sarah's piece will be broadcast on BBC Cumbria - Breakfast with Gordon Swindlehurst - on Friday 24th April 2009 to coincide with the International Day. Both reporters, who had never seen 'Red Hatters' before, seemed delightfully shocked and enthralled by the group and will undoubtedly produce nice articles reflecting their experiences of the meeting.
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Pauline, Queen Tripalot, off on her trips again. This time with Dawn, Vice Queen Golden Sunrise to the Gathering of Queens at Littlecote House, Hungerford.
Over 40 ladies, from all over England, attended the event which had been originally organised by Red Mel and Lady Boz from the Crimson Crumblies. There they met many of the ladies they had only seen before on Face Book. Too many to mention all, but they made special friends with Peri, Barbara, Jenny and Wendy. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss mainly the changes to the rules and subscriptions being proposed by the Red HatQuarters in the USA and to arrange future conventions. Having said that, plenty of time was left over for very lively social events. There was a cabaret showtime on Friday, Shang-a-lang Bay City Rollers Tribute Party on Saturday and an Abba Tribute band on Sunday. A fantastic time was had by all. Pauline and Dawn returned home on Monday for a rest!
There are lots of extra photos of this event in our Photo Album and also on Face Book. Have a look and see if you are there!
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Today 11 of our ladies went to the Eclipse Leisure Centre in Workington for an afternoon of 10 pin bowling. Resplendent in our red hats, we caused quite a stir, especially to the young male attendant, who had never seen our like before! That day he had chosen to wear a purple t-shirt and was therefore allowed to join in the fun. Considering some of us had not been bowling for (too) many years, we achieved some good scores. Not too many aches and pains either, so definitely a repeat event for later in the year.
On the way home, we stopped for afternoon tea at Morrison's Supermarket Cafe. We received some curious glances from staff and customers alike but once we explained who we were and what our aims in life are, we were made most welcome. All in all, a lovely afternoon out.
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Today we have a new member, Lilian Bowers - Countess Rainbow Dancer, who is another resident on Lakeland View. She has observed the carryings on of her Red Hat friends and neighbours since we started last year, thought that might be fun for her also and decided to join! Welcome Lilian. We are sure you will have a great time with us.
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First meeting of 2009 at 'Good Companions', mainly to discuss and arrange forthcoming events (see below)
18 ladies attended and lots of ideas were put forward.
It looks as if 2009 should be an eventful Red Hat year.
Lets hope the weather is a bit kinder to us this year.
A nice friendly discussion accompanied by teas and coffees with delicious Malteser and Tiramisu cakes, made for a very pleasant afternooon. Now the arrangements can begin!
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Forthcoming Events and Meetings still in planning stages
Regular meetings and Afternoon Tea on 2nd Tuesday every Month at White Mare Country House Hotel, Beckermet.
Ten Pin Bowling at Workington
Bingo sessions at Whitehaven
Crafty Pottery and Jewellery Workshops at Workington
Afternoon Teas at The Woodlands at Santon Bridge
Day trip on invitation from Scarlet Ladies of York
Coach/Boat to Bowness and Lake Windermere and
then on to Lakeland Plastics Factory Outlet
Shooting for 2010 Calendar in Wasdale
Beauty Treatment at West Lake College, Lillyhall
Shoping trips to Gretna Gateway, Newcastle etc
'Red Hat' Tombola Stall at Lakeland View Spring Fair - all prizes on stall will be red in colour.
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Ladies of Lakeland
1st Birthday Party
at Egremont Rugby League Football Club
followed by a Quiz Night
'The Ladies of Lakeland'
-v-
'The Flat Cap Fellers'
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