Remembering Ruby Hunt 1903 - 1993 By Anne Lawson Continued... 

She also housed the Red Cross Loan Service where she had space to have many wheelchairs in her hall.  I once counted eight commodes round her bedroom.   Sticks and everything you could think of were at the back of the house.  She loaned out various items when needed by the local people coming out of hospital.   This is what the locals knew her for.  Wheelchairs were ordered for people coming on holiday.  She occasionally had to ask for more from the Red Cross depot in Norwich.  She cheerfully called out to let people know she was coming down her long corridor, and was as helpful as she could be.  She collected money for the Red Cross this way and sometimes told us she had sent off another cheque to the Red Cross.  She was giving out aids until she went into Kingsgate Care Home.  She had tried to find someone to take over the loans from her, but with no luck.

Now she had retired she had time to think of other things and started Valentine Club for disabled people so that they had an outing once a month to look forward to.  She thought up games and found Speakers and drivers to collect some of the people. For many years she booked holidays at places like Skegness, Caister and Yarmouth - somewhere where it was easy to push wheelchairs.  She organised the Blood Donor Sessions twice a week and found helpers to make tea and look after the donors.
Abbeyfield House was another project she helped with.  The group of people decorated the house themselves.  There are two of her paintings in the hall of Abbeyfield House. She belonged to Beeston Regis WI always doing the competitions and helping the drama group by letting them rehearse in her studio.  She liked to put a float in the Carnival.  The last one I remember was a large Allan Smethurst - Singing Postman.   She told us she had been given Life Membership of Amnesty International (I think that was the organisation) I hope we were suitably impressed.
She died in Kingsgate November 22nd 1993. Her body was offered to Medical Research.
There was a Thanksgiving for her Life on December 14th 1993.

 

The Royal Air Forces Association Sheringham & District Branch

On Tuesday, 29th November the Branch held it's last Luncheon at RAF Coltishall.  One hundred and nine members were present plus three special guests :-
Group Captain Graham Wright, the Station Commander, Flt. Lt. Liz Shaw and Kenneth Clarke, RAFA Manager, Eastern Area.  A first class menu was served plus red and white wine.   The service was excellent and W/O Gorman in charge of catering at the Officers Mess and his staff were congratulated on the superb luncheon.

Sir Colin Turner, the Branch president thanked Group Captain Wright and all the other Stations Commanders in the last 12 years since he took over as Branch Chairman, for all their kindness, friendship and co-operation, which had played a great part in the growth of the Branch from a nominal 50 to 239 today and still growing.  All of us here today will remember this last Luncheon at FAR Coltishall.

In reply Group Captain Wright thanked Sir Colin for his kind comments agreed that the closure of the Station next year would provide a great loss to those many organisations with which RAF Coltishall and its personnel had been associated with for so many years.   The President called on Sir Roy Austen-Smith to give a more detailed account of how RAF Coltishall had assisted the Branch.  Sir Roy reminded the members of the numerous invitations received each year to events at the Station.  He talked about the RAFALOs who helped to organise Branch events.  Some of them became close friends and joined the Branch.  Sir Colin called Kenneth Clarke, the Manager or the Eastern Area, RAFA.   He congratulated the Branch on its record breaking Wings Week collection and its growing membership now at the record figure of 237.  Sir Colin then called on the Branch Chairman, Derek Shrigley.  He thanked all those members, who had helped him organise various events and in particular in the Wings Week collections.  Then he undertook the draw of the Raffle prizes.  The Group Captain being the first winner!   The Income from the Luncheon was £1554.00, Expenditure £1193.83. Profit £360.17.   The Raffle made £324.30 making a total profit £684.47, which is the first contribution to the 2006 Wings Week Appeal.

SHOP WINDOW COMPETITION

Congratulations to the winners and to all of you who took part in the Shop Window Competition.  Norman Lamb our Liberal member of Parliament for North Norfolk toured the streets of Sheringham to award Sheringcraft the winner, Jacquelines second and Creativity third place.  Norman stated that the decision was very difficult in view of the high standard of all the entrants.
Chamber of Trade

Youth group leaders wanted

Youth groups for Briston and Melton Constable are in need of Leaders to support their growing numbers of children.
You have to be willing to have a CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check, which is normal for anyone working with children these days, but you will understand that every parent wants to know that their child is as safe as possible in all circumstances.  You will also be willing to undertake the training to be a leader which could be an asset on your C.V. or lead you on to greater things, but will most definitely enable the youth groups to cope with the many children who wish to join.
It is only a couple of hours a week and is an enjoyable way of teaching our children new things and making new friends.
It is FUN!  If you want to know more about helping the youth in our community please call:- Andrea Surridge - 01263 587503