john r is back

I am back with the rubbish ha ha ha

Reregistering

Ken Leckie here. This new blogger stuff is not as easy as it was in my day. Hopefully it will get better.

Grounded Zoomers

It was Monday morning and we were all flexing our fingers in antisipation of getting to grips with the computers and show them who is in charge!Well we were pulled up sharply in our tracks as the internet was not on line. So it just shows how we take things for granted, sorry to be typing the obvious.

As leader of the Mondaygroup

My first meeting as leader of the Monday group ( We Zoomers) at the HSPB users meeting was a quiet affair, I was mainly getting to know the routine.
However the next meeting to be held on the 16th april should be different. Anything that our group wishes to bring up needs to be given to me by the second Monday in March so that it can be included on the agenda for that meeting.
Capt 'n Ken

Who is in charge!!

This morning has been one of the time's when one or to have been trying hard to get somewhere but have failed .(that is me).
But Elaine has once again come to rescue with a stunning report on a visit to the museum last week

Visit to Manchester Museum 8.02.07

We had a very good visit to the Museum for the purpose of creating an Audio orientation tape to assist visually impaired visitors to find their way around the various sections.

We were asked to try not to be too diverted by all that we passed en route. Impossible!! How could we resist the temptation to experience some of the amazing items made available for us to touch and hear about from Peter and his colleagues, who were on hand to answer all of our questions.

The Museum was very busy and consequently very noisy, so Ann Hornsby was hard pressed when describing the different areas to us. Needless to say, we ran out of time during our walkabout as we lingered too long and were too slow during each roundup.

The thee stairs we traversed were very well indicated by the yellow and black striped tapes and this could maybe be utilised to mark other hazards, provided it did not spoil the asthetic appearance of the Museum, which is superb.

Perhaps the Museum could arrange for Ann to do the narration whilst the Museum is closed or at a time which is known to be very quiet.

The visit was rounded off by a hands on look at dinosour parts, which were moulds with the exception of a very heavy vertebrae. We were treated to a cup of tea or coffee and what appeared to be an unlimited supply of delicious biscuits.

Many thanks to the Museum and staff, to Ann for her brave attempt to overcome some noise and to Mary for arranging the visit, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

90th Anniversery of the Co-operative Party

A post on behalf of John Smethurst

Trip to London 29/01/07

Left 81 Parrin Lane at 8.15 am. Jim picked us up, met Pat Wheatley and Kath Cousins at the station. They were going to Newcastle to the Guild of Co-operaters Conference.
Train left at 10.15 am. We were in London at 12.30, buggy met us and took us to the taxi. Taxi driver very helpful and got us all in, also the wheel chair.
We phoned Ian Stewart the MP from the taxi and he told us to go to the Riverside entrance of Portcaulis House opposite Big Ben. Went in through security and Ian met us and took us for lunch. He rang upstairs and asked his wife Mex to join us, which she did.

Then he took us upstairs to the co-op party meeting on Ethiopian coffee film show called Black Gold.
Representatives from Ethiopia and Third World Agencies were there.
Photographs taken with Co-op Party banner, with Ian Stewart, MP for Eccles.
After the meeting Jim collared Peter Hunt to see if it would be possible for me to get into 10 Downing Street, as I would have to be on my own. He said he would see what he could do, came back and said he had got me on the list, asked if I had ID and I had my passport.
We came downstairs and had tea from the snack bar, then Jim pushed John along Whitehall to Downing Street. Went through security at the gates and then through a special security before arriving at No, 10. Took photos on my camera so hope they come out.
It was a real honour to get in there as we never ever thought that we would ever enter the doors of 10 Downing Street, or even sit on a chair in one of the state rooms!
We were able to look in some of the rooms and the cabinet room. The silver and candelabra were out of this world!
Mr. Blair was shaking hands with people and Jim asked him if he would come across and meet John, who presented him with a copy of his book, The Historical Directory of Trade Unions volume 5 and we had our photographs taken with Mr. Blair.

After drinks and canapes we left and got a taxi back to the station.

We cannot thank Jim enough for all his help and that he and the Co-op party have done for us to allow us to have this wonderful day out and to meet the Prime Minister.
Thank you. An absolute honour.

Dictated by Alice, John's wife and typed by Elaine, whose fingers are faster than John's!!

Engineering works

The Zoomers blog has been updated to NewBlogger, so people will have to set up new accounts on Monday.