NEWSLETTER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUTLAND & MELTON CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
MARCH 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oakham February Meeting
Many members braved the icy car park and path
at VAR on Wednesday (we have since been told
by VAR that we should only use the side
entrance for meetings) to meet friends and chat
over a coffee and tea. Gwen welcomed everyone
including a new member. future speakers were
discussed which Kate has booked. This was
followed by John Aylward telling us an amusing
tale about his visit to the opticians that day
including UFO’s on the way home!
Gwen then introduced our speaker for the
evening, the owner of ‘Toot Sweets’
Peter writes……..
This week it was ‘paper unfolding!’ (sorry Kate),
as we got to grips with the sweeties and
memories of rationing, pre and post, in the
company of Bronia, who has established our
childhood dream – an old fashioned sweet shop –
almost exactly as they used to be in our fondest
memories.
A large selection of the favourites were staring at
us from the long remembered glass jars – ready
to be scooped and weighed into little paper bags
– so much easier to cope with than the nasty,
secure, impenetrable plastic bags that defy
arthritic fingers. At least all the favourites, that
have not fallen foul of ‘health and safety’ and
‘political correctness’ Orwell-like regulation,
were there to be sampled .
It was not too romantic to learn that the British
wealth of boiled sweets, toffees, etc, owed their
existence to the glut of sugar from an empire, but
it still spoke volumes about British inventiveness
in making such a use of it.
We were left at the end of the talk rummaging in
remote corners for the ‘pennies’ of pocket
money to take us back in taste as well as memory.
----------------------------------------------------After the meeting John Aylward emailed me
saying “I will not forget gazing across the room
at my darling wife and seeing her struggle with a
somewhat large and hard liquorices sweet!
Working cement mixers spring to mind!!
I suppose you can get away with a quote like
that after 50 years of marriage!
Harry made a very good suggestion re the
newsletter, if a web site is printed in the news
letter and you do not have access at home to a
computer the staff in the local libraries are very
helpful, possibly a short session on the computer
is free to library members.
Next month’s meeting is the AGM and our
speaker is Joyce Lucas.
Melton February Meeting
Hi everyone, no meeting at Melton in
February because of the weather, so I
shall write a few musings off the top
of my head!! The photo is Don aged
19 taken outside a concrete igloo
which was our accommodation in
1953 in the Canal Zone Egypt.
Who remembers 1947? We had 10 foot
snowdrifts and the snow and ice hung about for 2
months, but the schools all opened and everyone
got to work. We also cleared the snow from the
pavements outside our houses but that was
before the PC brigade and the sue for anything
culture.
Have you noticed one phenomenon lots of old
men including myself have a good head of hair
while more and more young men are going bald.
One thing I have noticed is there are more good
people on this earth than bad but the bad get all
the publicity and the good ones plod on unnoticed. Have you noticed how on the television
you get rubbish most of the time then two
programmes on different channels you want to
watch at the same time.
The Indispensable Man
Sometimes, when you're feeling
important,
Sometimes, when your ego's in bloom,
Sometimes, when you take it for
granted
You're the best qualified Man in the
room.
Sometimes, when you feel that your
going
Would leave an unfilled hole,
Just follow this simple instruction,
and see how it humbles your soul:
the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal
for the fibre, not the toy.
THIS IS WEIRD, BUT INTERESTING!
Fi yupcna raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too!
Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out fo 100
can.
I cdnoult blveieet that I cluod aulacity
uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal
pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a
rscheerarch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t
mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the
olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and lsat lteer
be in the rghit pclae.
The rset ca be a tautl mses and you can still raed
it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn
mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the
word as a wlohe.
Azanmig but ture! And I awlyas tghuot slpeling
was ipmorantt!
Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that's remaining
Is a measure of how you'll be missed.
Bset rgeards, Mjrairoe.
You may splash all you please when you
enter,,,
You can stir up the water galore,
But stop, and you'll find in a moment,
It looks just the same as before.
The moral of this is quite simple,
Do just the best that you can;
Be proud of yourself, but remember,
There is no indispensable Man.
The Indispensable Man was written by Saxon
White Kessinger an American Poet and
Author, she has kindly given me permission
to reproduce her work.
Thought for the day
Don’t leave until tomorrow what you
can do today you might like it so much
you can do it again tomorrow.
‘Great Truths’ from John M...
GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE
LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge. mostly sweet, with a
few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that
held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on
South Pacific
The Rutland Musical Theatre is performing
South Pacific at the Uppingham Theatre from the
6th – 11th April, tickets cost £12-£15 and are
available from Freeway Travel in Uppingham
telephone number 01572 822702 or from Anne
at the March Group meeting in Oakham.
From Johnross Aylward's Side of
the street!
Some of you may know that I work with
various churches up and down the country. I am
involved in church advertising and
promotions. This gives me a terrific insight into
the hard work that most churches manage. It
also exposes some Slack Alice performances! I
would like to share with you some of the funny
side of church life in the form of the delightful
mis uses of the English language. So here goes,
do smile and if it fits, laugh out really loud and
tell your doctor that laughter really is the best
medicine. Now where did I put my
prescription...................
These sentences (with all the BLOOMERS)
actually appeared in church bulletins or were
announced in church services:
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes
meals.
--------------------------
The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the
Water.'
The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
-------------------------Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a
chance to get rid of those things not worth
keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
-------------------------Remember in prayer the many who are sick of
our community. Smile at someone who is hard to
love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care
much about you.
-------------------------Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
-------------------------Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this
way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the
congregation.
-------------------------For those of you who have children and don't
know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
-------------------------Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.
They need all the help they can get.
-------------------------Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on
October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship
that began in their school days.
-------------------------A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening
in the church hall. Music will follow.
-------------------------At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic
will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to
our choir practice.
-------------------------to be continued next month......
Items from Macmillan News Digest
and Cancer Backup
People being treated for cancer can now apply
for free prescriptions.
Everyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the
effects of cancer or the effects of cancer
treatment is entitled to free NHS prescriptions
from 1st April this year.
Up to 150,000 patients already diagnosed with
cancer are expected to benefit, saving them £100
or more each year in prescription charges.
Patients can collect an application form from
their GP surgery or oncology clinic, from
Tuesday 20th January. Their GP, hospital doctor
or service doctor must countersign the form.
All cancer patients are entitled to apply for a 5year exemption certificate, which will entitle
them to all their NHS prescriptions free of
charge, not just those relating to cancer.
The certificate can be renewed as many times as
necessary and will not have to be returned if the
patient’s condition changes.
Applications received by 24th March will be
processed in time to be used for 1st April.
Patients who do not apply for their certificate in
time will have any prescription charges they
have paid since the 1st April refunded.
A review of how to extend exemption to those
with long-term conditions is being led by
Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal
College of Physicians, and is currently
consulting patients, the public, patient
representative bodies, clinicians and healthcare
organisations. People can participate in the
review in a web survey running on the DH
website until 27th February from
www.dh.gov.uk/prescriptionchargesreview
Cancer treatment breakthrough hope - A
breakthrough advance in cancer treatment may
have been signalled by research on the enzyme
protein kinase B (PKB). Over-activation of this
molecule, which is an important regulator of cell
survival and proliferation, is a major driving
force behind many cancers.
http://www.pharmacyeurope.net/default.asp?title
=Cancertreatmentbreakthroughhope&page=articl
e.display&article.id=15370
Cancer: Recovered but not covered for travel
–The One Show’s Dom Littlewood investigated
the problem of getting travel insurance when
you've recovered from cancer with some mystery
shopping. He met 68 year old David Griffiths
who's been in remission from prostate cancer for
a few years, but still struggled to get travel cover.
Links to Macmillan Cancer Support. Watch the
report here…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/consum
er/
Noel Edmonds backs fuel campaign for
cancer patients - Noel Edmonds last night used
his new TV show to demand the Government
helps thousands of cancer patients stricken by
rocketing fuel bills. The Deal Or No Deal host
read about the problem in the Sunday Mirror and was so moved he launched the nationwide
appeal on his new show, Noel's HQ. We are
backing calls by charity Macmillan Cancer
Support for the £250 winter fuel payments to be
given to cancer patients, who need extra heat.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2009/02/01/noel-edmonds-backs-fuelcampaign-for-cancer-patients-115875-21087467/
Please show your support for the campaign and
sign our pledge here
www.macmillan.org.uk/campaigns
Macmillan Nurse contact number.
The Rutland and Melton Macmillan Nurses, are
based in Melton Mowbray their contact
telephone numbers are 01664 854818
The Macmillan Benefits number is 0808 801
0304 this is a free telephone number and their
advisors will help you with financial problems.
Group Meetings
Oakham evening meetings are held on the 2nd
Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm at
Voluntary Action Rutland, Oakham (behind
Rutland College on the Barleythorpe Road)
Melton Mowbray daytime meetings are held on
the 1st Thursday of each month between 10am
and 12 noon in an upstairs room at the Samworth
Centre in Melton Mowbray
Parking Ticket for LRI
If you have an appointment due at the LRI don’t
forget the parking tickets we have purchased for
members use. Eileen holds the Melton pass and
Tony/Marjorie has the Oakham pass.
Items for the Newsletter
If you have any items of interest for the
newsletter, please could you let me have them by
at the latest the 20th of the month, contact details
are as follows:
E-mail: apfletton@talktalk.net
If you have the facility to receive your newsletter
by email please contact Gwen on
apfletton@talktalk.net
Tel: 01572 770289
Or by post to ‘Oakley House’ 5 Gunthorpe Close
Oakham Rutland LE15 6FH
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Remember – you don’t have to cope alone. You are most welcome to attend out meetings and
social events to meet old friends and make new ones, or just ring us for a chat!
R & M Group Contacts
Marjorie 01572 722311 -Tony 01572 724375 - Eileen 01664 850226