The Thurmaston Evergreen Welcome Club

It all began with Miss Freda Howes telling me about an elderly people club being needed on the Silverdale side of the bypass, as the one held in the village was too far to walk for some of the elderly. After some thought it was decided to see if we could have one afternoon once a week at the Silverdale community centre. Me, Chris Pratt, got this sorted and the key was collected from Mrs Pat Pratt at dinner time every Wednesday.

The club opened with eight members, all friends on that first afternoon in July 1968. After the first month more members wanted to join and by Christmas we closed the books and a waiting list was made as 100 members were now on the books.

The Welcome Club went from strength to strength. The kitchen was in need of more help and one afternoon Mrs Nancy Slater turned up and asked if she could help in the kitchen, a prayer answered, dear Nancy, so kind and helpful. Tea and refreshments were sorted by Nancy and Mrs Pat Geeson another friendly lady who had a young family.

The bread was delivered fresh from the bakery and the filling was anything between cheese, potted beef or salmon together with a slice of brown bread and butter and a slice of cake.

Card games, dominoes, ludo etc were played in the first half followed by tea and bingo unless we had a speaker.

Things progressed and Mr Burt Burton of Age Concern, Leicester was kind enough to allow me to purchase some beverages, tea, coffee, Bengers food, horlicks, Bovril, marmite and teabags to reduce cost, which we only put pennies on the prices, this helped the members also the club.

We then required a cupboard to house these jars and packets in, so for a small donation we acquired one from Church Hill School, needed a little work on the front but it did the job, and was placed on the left hand side of the stage in the dressing room.

The Reverend Ev Loseby joined us from time to time, he always conducted our Harvest Festival service and Miss Dorothy Needham kindly played the piano for us.

Christmas was always hectic planning dinners and carol service and visiting members who were poorly and could not join us, taking them a small gift so as not to forget them.

After the first three years members wanted to know about a chiropody service, so taking the bull by the horns so to say, I approached Mr Johnson of Thurmaston who agreed to come in once a month for a reduced charge, a friendly gentlemen everyone seemed to get on okay with.

Raising funds was our biggest aim, so I approached Corah of Leicester and asked about some mixed seconds. It did take some time to get the okay but we did. I ordered, Miss Howes got on the bus and collected with her wheels and I would wait at Thurmaston bus stop with a pram to help her carry everything. This helped to pay for some of the charges for bus outings where the members only paid a little towards it. We now had underwear, tights, sox and stockings for sale which soon got sold. While all this was going on I had my third baby, a beautiful daughter but after only two weeks off I was back at the club again. Mrs Nancy Gilbert would always take over looking after Wendy and giving her a bottle, a loveable grannie and Mrs Geeson also gave birth to a daughter.

Sadly, all the members have now gone, Mrs Keetch was the last and she died very recently, she always made a beautiful large hat for the Easter bonnet competition, made her friends laugh on the “noisy” table which they called the grannie grumbles lot.

Dear Mrs Ivy Earl helped Freda collect the holiday outing money and she always did the bingo and raffle, a very kind helpful lady who rode a scooter.

After seven and a half years, Miss Howes and myself finished our time with the club and both moved from the area. We were pleased Mrs Ivy Earl accepted to carry on and thankfully it was still active as Silverdale Club.

I believe Mrs Geeson and myself are the only ones left now to tell the tale.

Joan Martin