Javea Conservatives

Visit of Lord and Lady Parkinson 21 April 07

The visit of Lord and Lady Parkinson to our Branch was an outstanding success. Prior to the lunch on the 21 April, the committee had the opportunity to brief Lord Cecil on the history of the Branch, and to outline matters which affect UK expatriates here in Spain. He was most interested, and promised to do what he could to ensure that some of the points were raised in Party discussions.

The lunch, which was held at Restaurante Pepes in Alcalali, was most enjoyable. 80 members and guests attended, and the Branch obtained 14 new members from the event. Lord Cecil addressed the Branch, and urged all members to support the Party efforts to move forward to win the next election, whenever that might be. He assured us that under David Cameron's leadership the Party was in good hands, and that the team behind David was strong and very competent. He also told several amusing anecdotes. One so amused one of our members that we were worried he might not survive the lunch, he was laughing so heartily.

The Branch presented Lady Parkinson a napkin ring holder and 6 napkin rings which was made by Derek Giddons. The rings and the holder were made from different hard woods and turned by Derek on his lathe. Lady Ann and Lord Cecil seemed delighted with the presentation, and I understand that their grandchildren will be using them on a regular basis!!

All in all a great day for the branch, and many thanks to Lord and Lady Parkinson for their company and their help in boosting our morale.

AGM Feb 2007

This years AGM was a successful event which was held at Pepes in Alcalali. One decision taken was that in future all guests would be charged a premium of € 2 for each event they attend. The meeting felt that it was unfair for members to pay subscriptions, but guests who paid no subs. might attend several functions at the same charge as members.

Sadly we said goodbye to John Deacon, Eunice Stanford and Veronica VOkes from the committee. John Deacon as the the ex.Chairman has contributed greatly over the years to the Branch. Three new members were voted onto the committee-Derek and Anita Giddons and John Tucker. We are sure they will contribute greatly to the life of the Branch.

The AGM passed all audited accounts and the meeting was, to everyones relief quickly over. The lunch was enjoyed by all.

We ended the last year on a high note with two excellent functions.

In October John Deacon presented one of his best music nights thus far. John introduced us to some exciting new talents and his anecdotes on many of the pieces were always interesting and informative. The evening was slightly marred by the crassness of the restaurant owner who reneged on his promise of exclusivity and thus almost spoilt the show. The committee have written to the proprietor voicing our discontent. Nevertheless, John provided us with a rewarding event which was greatly appreciated, despite the distractions, for which we wholeheartedly thank him.

In December, we held our first Christmas event for some years at Las Brisas. It was good to see so many of our members present, and the committee received many compliments on the meal and the arrangements. We were so delighted, that we have booked the same venue for this years Christmas lunch already, which we hope will be as popular and as well received.

Our first function for the Spring season is the AGM at Restuarante Pepes in Alcalali. We hope to have some exciting news for our members and some interesting forthcoming events. We look forward to seeing you all there. So far 50 members have booked which is excellent for an AGM. The blossom this year is fantastic, so you will really enjoy your drive to Pepes.

Branch Trip to Mallorca

24 members of the branch took the opportunity to visit Mallorca between the 13 and 16 October, at the invitation of Conservatives Abroad Mallorca Branch. It was good to meet members of Mallorca Branch, and the kindness we were shown was much appreciated. On the Saturday evening we were taken the Sonamar for Dinner and the spectacular show which followed was thoroughly enjoyed. On the Sunday, a coach tour was arranged coupled with a lunch at a country restaurant. Javea branch presented a signed print of a painting by Mai Griffin as a memento of our visit. We were all enchanted by the beauty of the island, and we were glad to make new friends from the Mallorca Branch. We thank them all and especially their committee for their hospitality. Photos of the visit are on the Branch website at www.javeaconservatives.org

Val de Pop

Our first event of the new season was held at the Val de Pop restaurant in Lliber on Wednesday 20 Sep. The lunch was a great success and and 36 of our members turned up for the occasion. The event was organised by our new entertainments member Eunice Collins, and Ann Weskett assisted Eunice with the raffle. Our thanks go to them both.
We now look forward to the trip to Mallorca and to the Music Night announced on the previous post.

We are delighted to announce a John Deacon Music Night, to be held at the Restaurante Pedramala II (on the Benitachell to Teulada Road) on Friday 27th October 2006 (the restaurant is under new management).

If you have not been to one of John's presentations before, we can assure you it is an experience not to be missed. Many of you will know that John spent his career in the international record business (EMI Music & Philips Classics) between which he founded Conifer Records, his own successful classical music distribution company and award-winning label. He is known to be an enthusiastic expert in the field of classical music, especially opera and vocal, and he is one of the few westerners who has a deep knowledge of Arab music. His presentations are conducted in wonderful sound (ATC speakers) supported by equipment of the highest technical quality. The music he presents becomes an entertainment covering a wide range from music hall to opera via comedy and orchestral. A donation from this function will be made to the Musicians Benevolent Fund.

The presentation will be in two halves with a hot buffet supper served in the interval. A half bottle of wine and water is included in the price of €22 per person. Members and their guests are asked to arrive at 19:00h for a prompt start to the presentation at 1900h we are expecting a good turnout please book nearly for this event by contacting your committee member or Eunice Stanford on 96 579 1680 or reply to ddecker01@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you and, more importantly, to your joining us on the 27th October.