The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Why not join Rotary today and have thrilling experiences
One of the best things about joining Rotary is getting to meet people you would never normally meet. You get to enjoy opportunities and learn about areas of life and the world you wouldn’t otherwise experience.
Last summer local Rotarians from eight clubs travelled to Hunstanton to join friends from the local Rotary club. Together, they helped care for the environment byengaginginabeachcleanatOld Hunstanton. Not only was lots of plastic,rubbishandoldbarbecues clearedfromthebeachbutfriendships were also established with local Rotarians. An invitation was offered by Revd Clive Doubleday, presidentofPeterboroughOrtons RotaryClub,forlocalRotariansto join us for a day in Peterborough.
Cliveheardhowmanyofthemembers had a keen interest in trains, so there was only one obvious reunion location for us to take our gueststo–theNeneValleyRailway at Wansford.
Fortunately a member of Stamford Rotary Club, Mike Werrington, has been a long-serving volunteerforover30yearsatNene Valley Railway and had the ideal knowledge and expertise at hand to assist with planning of the day. As we developed a programme, the word spread and over 40 Rotarians joined us, from Rotary clubs Peterborough Minster, Uppingham, Lincoln Colonial, Stamford, Oadby Launde, Market Bosworth, Blaby Meridian, Wreake Valley, Leicester Novus, Huntingdon Cromwell and, of course,ourfriendsfromHunstanton District Rotary Club. Rotarians
gathering from the Midlands andEastAngliatoenjoyafascinating and nostalgic train journey, as we travelled to Yarwell Junction and then on to Peterborough and back. It was a lovely sunny day as the train went through the beautifulCambridgeshirecountryside, crossing the meandering River Nene twice, and offering unique views of Peterborough from the railway tracks.
Mike kindly led a guided tour of the engine sheds and signal box. He also told how, over the past 50 years more than 150 TV shows and films had used the station and trains as part of their story line; the most famous being the James Bond Octopussy film, made in 1982, with the 007 actor Roger Moore.
Fuelled by ample refreshments,thebandofRotarianswent homehappyandsatisfiedthatthe reunion had been so successful. Theeventalsoraisedover£230for local Peterborough charities supportedbyRotary.Itwasawonderfuldayoffun,foodandfellowship.