STOURBRIDGE BRANCH - DECEMBER 2014    

A Happy New Year to you all.  I was delighted just how great our 23rd Anniversary was, a maximum of members were there because of the buffet, which was excellent. Our thanks to the Staff of The Swan for the buffet. It had taken the pressure off the ladies from the GFS Branch who have prepared the food for a number of years. Now back to the statement at the start of the paragraph 'because of the buffet'. Every performer was restricted to one GFS number in the first half to give everyone chance of performing as we did not know how long the buffet would last, but there was still time afterwards for a second performance. Our 23rd Anniversary exceeded my expectations, little did I imagine 23 years ago, and at following meetings, that the Branch would be to the high standard it is today. My thanks to everyone over the years and also remembering those who have departed, they will always be remembered. All of us now will be looking forward to our milestone of 25 years in 2016. My thanks to everyone who assisted at the 23rd Anniversary - like Vince and the Staff at the Swan, Christine, David and Matthew Richards, also very many thanks for all who were at the meeting.

Late news - Floss Ashmore, the wife of the late Tommy Ashmore, passed away on Thursday 8th January 2015, she was 84yrs. Floss was a regular at the meetings in Blackpool and occasionally at the Stourbridge Branch. Our condolences are offered to her daughter Pat and son-in-law David and to member of the family. Bernard Francis, our washboard player has not been feeling too grand and is on a course of hospital treatment, like Bob Elwell and Tony Dean all of the GFS Branch wish them well and a very speedy recover. We all miss them at the Branch Meetings and hope it turns out nice again for them in this new year of 2015.

Your Roving Reporter

Malcolm Palmer

NB -  The £60 raised from the raffle held at the Stourbridge Christmas meeting and also from the Penn Ukulele Club was donated to the Stourbridge Air Ambulance.  A thank you letter was received - see below:

PERFORMERS

Malcolm Palmer                                                                           Sam Griffiths

"Sitting on the Ice"                                                                        "Mother What'll I Do Now"

"Banjo Boy"                                                                                 "Feed the World"

John Griffiths                                                                                Joe Thomas

"It Serves You Right"                                                                   "Trailing Around in a Trailer"

"Madame Moscovitch"                                                                 "Letting he New Year In"

Blake May                                                                                   Alan Evans

"Part-Time Jobs Santa Clause"                                                     "I'm Going to Stick to My Mother"

(sung to Sitting on top of B/Pool Tower)                                       "Gypsy Woman"

"Fairy on Top of the Christmas Tree"                              

Matthew Richards                                                                        Roy Holloway

"Merry Christmas Everyone"                                                        "Hitting the High Spots Now"

"Saving Up for Sally"                                                                   "Sergeant Major"

Geoff Salminen                                                                             Tony Dean

"Little Tool Shed in the Garden"                                                    "Chinese Take Away Blues"

"Sally the Salvage Queen"                                  

Matthew Sproston

"I Wish I Was Back on the Farm"

"Tan Tan Tivvy Tally Ho"

       Where's me uke!!   

Kevin Bridgewater

"Happy Go Lucky Me"

THRASH

OTHER PHOTOS OF THE EVENING