Windsor and Eton Rotarian Derek Bishop, wearing his other disguise as Mayor of Eton, was a pivotal member of the restoration team, not only as part of the driving committee but also in designing and constructing himself the new bridge. 

The watercourse restoration project was officially opened last Tuesday with the unveiling of a plaque by Lord Waldegrave of North Hill and a ribbon cutting at the bridge by Eton Mayoress Mrs Glenys Bishop. 

​What a fantastic community project, with partners galore contributing to what in effect re-established the island of "Eyot-tun", from which the name Eton is derived.

Members of District 9 Inner Wheel and the longest surviving club so far, the Inner Wheel Club of Windsor & Eton, celebrated its 80th anniversary at the idyllic setting of Stirrups Country House Hotel in Maidens Green (Bracknell) together with friends and families, including the RBWM Mayor and Mayoress. Seven of our own Rotarians and their spouses also attend, along with former member Bob Heybourn and Christine.

The celebration was started by the current president Mary Weaver, with words of gratitude about the past, present and the future.

Representatives from District 9 (Vicky Mountford), the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in GB&I (Ann Acaster), the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Mayor Paul Lion), Windsor & Eton Rotary Club (Richard Carleton) and the Rotary Club of Windsor St. George (Andreas Stavrinides) presented their greetings and spoke highly about the Inner Wheel Club's involvement in the local communities.

There followed an excellent 3-course lunch and coffee and mints after which there was a short 'thank you all' from Inner Wheel President Mary.

The lunch guest  was a distinguished harpist, Margaret Watson Dip. ABRSM, one of the busiest professional harpists in the South East, with performances for social and corporate events.  Not only did Margaret play a wide variety of music, ranging from 'pop' through 'traditional' to classic, but also talked about the harp as an instrument; how it was made (cost of a new one about £30k); the (47) strings, tuning and playing - seven-foot pedals with 3 positions for each pedal!

Absolutely fascinating and informative - and her final quote, from the composer Shostakovich, "a harpist spends 90% of the time tuning the harp and 10% of the time playing out-of-tune" brought the house down.

The celebration could not have ended without the traditional raffle and after the final toast we all wended our way home from a splendid luncheon.

By Chris Simon and Paul Andreianu

This month Bob led us to a previously unexplored area around Taplow.  It was a windy morning but the rain stayed away so we set off from the car park near Taplow Church, went through a series of kissing gates and then reached the A4.

We followed the lane under the railway & past the lake on the left before crossing a number of fields and The Jubilee River, after a while we reached The Thames. We stopped for a quick break whilst enjoying the views of the luxury houses along the Berkshire side of the river.

Continuing our stroll we arrived at Brunel’s Railway Bridge, which is known as “the sounding arch” because of its echo.  The bridge has the flattest & widest brick built arch in the world and really is an example of amazing engineering.

After "testing" the echo we headed back to the A4  where we crossed into Mill Lane before following the path back to Taplow.

Total distance 3.8 miles, lots of laughter and some beautiful sights along the wa!

Of course no ramble is complete until lunch and a pint are consumed, this time at The Feathers, across the road from Cliveden House.  Apparently, Edward VIII frequented the pub during the 1870's when he was Prince of Wales, just another little known fact we thought we'd share with everyone!

Here's to the next wander round the countryside!

Following a recent talk at our Rotary Club by Tony Churchill the Founder of 'OKOurKids' we have decided to support the project by getting their book called 'Watch Out 'into all the schools in the area with Key Stage 1 pupils.

OK Our Kids is a community interest company that helps young children to deal confidently with the challenges and dangers of staying safe at home, in school and in the community.
 
Their Mission
Our mission is to help our young children deal confidently with the challenges and dangers of staying safe at home, school and in the community: to empower them with the skills they need to face everyday situations knowing what is the right thing to do and leading others by their example. We aim to achieve success in our mission through educational partnerships with schools, businesses, and community and parent groups.
 
Their Inspiration
‘OK Our Kids’ first Watch Out book was the inspired idea of Claire Annison, a serving Police Officer with Thames Valley Police, and Tony Churchill, a former Police Community Support Officer. Through their work in Primary Schools and the wider Community, Claire and Tony saw the need for a new initiative to develop resources specifically designed to educate, inform and empower primary school children to stay safe in the community and on-line. ‘OK Our Kids’ was then further developed by Tony and Lynn Churchill to provide help, guidance and counseling to schools and families that have already been affected by events involving child safety and protection.
 
How we are supporting the campaign
We have so far had a good response to our initial contact with schools and in the next few weeks we will take a copy of the book to those interested to encourage them to share with their pupils.
 
The book 'Watch Out' is a child's guide to everyday dangers, it is well written and illustrated in a way that the children will understand.
 
If you’d like to find out more about this project or support us please do contact us.
 
More details of OKOurKids can be found on www.okourkids.org.uk 

For our December ramble  this year we did a circular walk starting from Boulters Lock.
​
Bob thought that the first part would be boring so he set us a “Car Rally” type quiz. David W proved to be the most alert (he spotted the Olive Tree)  & came top of the pile.  We made our way to Widbrook Common which is used by the commoners (not us) to graze their cattle in summer.

I think we then went wrong somewhere but with the help of a local resident we did eventually reach Cookham Moor. From there we made our way through woodland down to the River Thames, opposite the Hanging Woods of the National Trust’s Cliveden Estate.  We then walked along what is considered to be one of the most beautiful stretches of the Thames, Cliveden Reach. Even on a dark December day it was very scenic.

Finally we made our way back to the car park, crossed the road & had lunch at Boulters Inn. A very enjoyable, if somewhat damp walk, with friends.

The Community and Vocational Committee have supported the Windsor Observer newspaper annual Christmas Toy Appeal for many years through  donations of new children's books. The books were given to children in need in the catchment area. In 2018 the newspaper did not promote this appeal, so to ensure our commitment to the community and to ensure local children received gifts at Christmas, the club decided to donate books to DASH, a charity which helps victims of domestic abuse.

The books were selected by Rotarian Martyn Gorton's wife Diana, who is a former teacher and school librarian and had contacts with the trade.

We were very pleased to donate over 60 new books to cover ages from babies to teenagers, this year adult books were also purchased for the Mums and Dads.   This is just another example of our club doing good in the world and making a difference locally.

2019-20 RI president announces his presidential theme
​Rotary International President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney explained his vision for building a stronger Rotary, calling on leaders to expand connections to their communities and to embrace innovative membership models.

RI President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney announces the 2019-20 presidential theme, Rotary Connects the World, to incoming district governors in San Diego, California, USA. 

Maloney, a member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, unveiled the 2019-20 presidential theme, Rotary Connects the World, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s annual training event, the International Assembly, in San Diego, California, USA, on Monday.

“The first emphasis is to grow Rotary — to grow our service, to grow the impact of our projects, but most importantly, to grow our membership so that we can achieve more,” Maloney said.  Maloney believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience.  “Rotary allows us to connect with each other, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences,” Maloney said. “It connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us to our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.”

Maloney also called on every Rotary and Rotaract club to identify segments of their community not represented in their club by creating a membership committee with diverse members.  “Through Rotary, we connect to the incredible diversity of humanity on a truly unique footing, forging deep and lasting ties in pursuit of a common goal,” he added. “In this ever more divided world, Rotary connects us all.”

Maloney urged leaders to offer alternative meeting experiences and service opportunities to make it easier for busy professionals and people with many family obligations to serve in leadership roles. “We need to foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with the family, but rather complements it,” Maloney said. “That means taking real, practical steps to change the existing culture: being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.”

Maloney said many of the barriers that prevent people from serving as leaders in Rotary are based on expectations that are no longer relevant. “It is time to adapt, to change our culture, and to convey the message that you can be a great district governor without visiting every club individually, and a great president without doing everything yourself.”

Relationship with the United Nations  
During 2019-20, Rotary will host a series of presidential conferences around the world, focusing on Rotary’s relationship with the United Nations and the UN’s sustainable development goals that many Rotary service projects support. More information will be available in July.

In 2020, the United Nations will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its charter and its mission of promoting peace. Rotary was one of 42 organisations the United States invited to serve as consultants to its delegation at the 1945 San Francisco conference, which led to the UN’s charter. For decades, Rotary has worked alongside the United Nations to address humanitarian issues around the world. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status that the UN offers to nongovernmental organisations.

“Rotary shares the United Nations’ enduring commitment to a healthier, more peaceful, and more sustainable world,” Maloney said. “And Rotary offers something no other organisation can match: an existing infrastructure that allows people from all over the world to connect in a spirit of service and peace and take meaningful action toward that goal.”