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See
the latest and best shows around in London and the South East.
A one off payment of just £10.00 and £3.00 per year
annual subscription allows you to enjoy the benefits of the
Club. Your ticket purchased through the Theatre Club gives a
discount (for a block booking) and travel by coach to and from
the Theatre with other neighbours and members of the club from
the centre of Old Coulsdon included.
The
decision to hold the AGM in the summer proved to be the right
one as shown by the increase in the numbers taking part on 13th
June.
A
lively meeting discussed amongst other things, use of the web
for communicating with the Membership. Jenny Hughes' assurances
regarding confidentiality went some way to allay most people's
fears and, in the end, there seemed to be a guarded approval to
our proposals. Most people seemed to be keen on our existing
policy to see a variety of shows with minority interests
getting a look in occasionally.
For
our summer outing we are having a trip tgo Hever and a
leisurely wander around its Castle. This will be followed by a
performance of Alan Ayckbourn's play “Joking Apart”.
For those with a sweet tooth, a cream tea is available after
the show.
If
you would like to join us on future outings, please call Daphne
Hobday or 01737 551338 for details.
Mike
Blake
20TH
ANNIVERSARY OF OUR THEATRE CLUB
Congratulations
to the OCRA Theatre Club which, in October 2009, celebrated its
20th anniversary. The history of the Club, still highly
successful after two decades, is fascinating. Originally, a
theatre club was formed by the Parents' Association of Purley
High School (now Coulsdon Sixth Form College). After the school
closed, the "Purleys" club continued under the
chairmanship of Mike Blake, until 1990, when it was realised
that without the notices brought home from school by the boys,
communication with members was difficult, to say the least!
The
OCRA Club got going in 1989 under the leadership of Mike's late
wife Louie. As an OCRA committee member and Road Steward, she
realised that the Club was an ideal way of keeping in touch. By
July 1989, she had a list of interested members and by
September, she was able to announce that the inaugural meeting
was to take place later that month. So, for a time, there were
two clubs running in parallel, organised by each half of the
same couple!
The
Minutes for October 1989, show that the OCRA Theatre Club was
formed with a initial membership of 60, a committee was elected
and draft rules drawn up and approved. The joining fee was
fixed at £10, plus £1 annual subscription. The
November Minutes record that there were 101 members, and they
were looking forward to their first outing on 6th December.
This was to A Little Night Music at the
Piccadilly Theatre, London, starring Dorothy Tutin, Susan
Hampshire and Peter McEnery. The production only opened on 8th
October, so we were no slouches!
By
January 1990, membership had zoomed to 115 and, with £1310
in the kitty, we we all set for a trip to Nutcracker
a the end of the month, and Rebecca in March.
Since
those early days, we have witnessed a wide variety of people
running the Club which has maintained its original link with
OCRA. Membership is not limited to those living in the OCRA
area, although the essential ingredient of the Club -
comfortable transportation to and from the theatre - is
obviously one of its big attractions to local theatregoers. We
try to elect a committee which represents a wide variety of
tastes and to cater minority interests as well as the popular
shows. We now have a membership of 174, which is a good working
number.
At
the Club AGM on October 7th 2009, we raised a glass to Louie
and the other members who by their hard work and good humour
have given us a Theatre Club to be proud of.
Mike Blake
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