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