The holiday this year was again at The Inn on The Prom St. Annes, Lancashire. It ran from Sunday 14th June until Sunday 21st June. For a second year we had the benefit of using our very own W.Bro. Mick Jessop as our driver/tour advisor and all round helper. We do thank Mick for all his efforts that he put in on our behalf. The others to be thanked are W. Bro’s. Tony Brailsford, John Gray and, Sue Leach.
There were 39 holiday makers with several first timers. The hotel was excellent in all respects, the staff, the facilities and the food. We could not fault anything at all.
The weather was very good with plenty of sun and very little wind or rain.
Trips out to Bowness where we had a boat trip to Ambleside, enjoyed by all. Another to the Albert Dock, Liverpool and, finally to Morecambe where unknown to us it was Armed Forces Day with many related activities going on, including a Dakota flypast.
The days with no trips were enjoyed by our members in both St. Annes and Lytham both towns are great places to just chill out.
I received countless words of appreciation throughout the week and two in particular stand out.
A lady first timer whilst giving me a large donation said she had not had a holiday since covid and on Sunday when she got on the coach she knew nobody and now (Wednesday) she is surrounded by all these friends.
Secondly several of our guests said that they had not felt as well for a long time as how they were feeling on the holiday. This made me wonder if we should approach the NHS to fund a second week. Can there be any better testaments to the holiday as comments like this?
We have run out of words as to how to describe this holiday. During the week we had visits from our P.G.M. and Pamela. Provincial Assistant Almoner and Cleide, the C.W.T. Chairman and Chris and, other Trustees who can only have left with the most positive impression of what this holiday is about.
The good news is we have booked again for next year Sunday 13th June until Sunday 20th June.
My thanks go to Debbie and all her team at the Hotel for their unstinting efforts to make this a week to remember. My final thanks go to The Cleeves and Whitehead Trust for their generosity in making it happen.
With thanks to
W. Bro. Paul Leach
Provincial Grand Almoner
