Date for your diary: ANNIE THE MUSICAL

ANNIE THE MUSICAL-MAY 10th. 2023, Regent Theatre SOT. Booking form will be included in the NOVEMBER edition of your Newsletter.

The smash-hit West End production of ANNIE, the world’s favourite family musical, returns to a city near you in 2023.

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…

With its Tony® award-winning book and score, including the unforgettable songs It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it!

Outing to the Dog Breeding Centre

New Outings organiser! New venue! Thank you for the photograph Alison.

NEW Fun Sing-Along Group

A new singing group will be making its debut on Wednesday 21st. September from 10.30am – 12 noon

Song sheets will be provided. Keyboard accompaniment.

All Phoenix members welcome.

NEW Zumba Gold Monday Class with Aby

Thank you to everyone who attended our trial classes. Despite the heat, we had a brilliant time with our new teacher. Aby is so professional, friendly, enthusiastic and motivating. If you are interested in joining our waiting list for the class, please contact Carol (phone number is in the Newsletter)

Check out Aby Kate’s website: https://abykate.co.uk/

The new term will commence on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th at 12.00 pm.

Pre payment per term will be required. £4.00 per week.

Please contact Group Leader, Carol for more details.

NEW Zumba Gold Thursday Class with Jackie

Start date: Thursday September 8th. 12.30 pm.

Pre booking per term required.

If you would like to join our waiting list, please contact Rose (phone number in Newsletter)

Classical Concert-Outing: Friday 18th November

GREIGS PIANO CONCERTO-HALLE ORCHESTRA at The Victoria Hall, Hanley

Our NEW Group Leaders, Alan and Leonie are delighted to announce that they have arranged their first concert for our members.

Grieg’s Piano Concerto

HUMPERDINCK

Hansel and Gretel Overture

GRIEG

Piano Concerto

DELIUS

Sleigh Ride

VIVALDI

Winter from Four Seasons

WALDTEUFEL

Skater’s Waltz

TCHAIKOVSKY

Nutcracker: selection

PROKOFIEV

Troika

Full details and Booking Form are included in the August edition of your Newsletter.

Book early to avoid disappointment.

CHRISTMAS CRUISE-TUESDAY DECEMBER 6th. and THURSDAY DECEMBER 8th. Both dates FULLY BOOKED. Please contact David if you would like your name to be added to the waiting list.

Please see your Newsletter for full details and booking form.

LIMITED AVAILABILITY on the outing to The Guide Dog breeding centre Leamington Spa- Book now to avoid disappointment.

An outing has been arranged to a NEW venue!

Guide Dog Breeding Centre

The National Centre, formerly known as the National Breeding Centre located just outside of Leamington Spa, is where our puppies begin their journey to become life-changing guide dogs. The centre has room to breed up to 1,500 puppies a year and, since opening our doors in 2011, we have now bred almost 11,000 puppies – that’s a lot of life-changer.

Total cost: £30.00

Full details and Booking Form will be included in the August edition of your Newsletter

NEW-Monthly QUIZ GROUP

The group will meet on the first Monday of each month at 2.00 pm. at Walton Village Hall.

The first meeting will be on Monday September 5th.

Entrance fee £1.50. All Phoenix members are welcome to attend

The outing to Dunham Massey & Speke Hall on Wednesday October 19th is now fully booked. If you would like your name added to the waiting list, please contact David.

An opportunity to visit Speke Hall Garden and Estate and Dunham Massey, a garden for all seasons, an ancient deer park and a house filled with treasures and stories.

Full details and Reservation form will be included in the AUGUST edition of your Newsletter

Speke Hall (below)

Our Saturday monthly SINGLES Lunch Club welcomes NEW members

See your Newsletter for reservation details.

New Line Dancing Group starting soon

Watch this space!

ZUMBA GOLD THURSDAY GROUP Update!

The Group is now full due to limited numbers

New members are invited to join our NEW class on Thursday September 8th.

Pre payment per term will be required. Please contact Group Leader, Rose, if you are interested.

Time for some practice to one of my favourites

This one is for you, Carol 🙂

Queens Platinum Jubilee June 29th 2022

**The lovely Lola provided the entertainment.**

New! Monthly Quiz Group

New member, Mike, a well-established quizmaster is bringing his experience to a completely new monthly Quiz group, starting soon. More details in the AUGUST edition of your Newsletter.

Date for your diary: Thursday December 8th.

Christmas canal cruise & Lyme Park

Full details and Booking form will be included in the AUGUST edition of your Newsletter.

Book early to avoid disappointment!

New Singing Group

A new singing group will be making its debut on Wed 21^st Sept from 10.30am – 12 noon, Walton Village Hall in the Bromage room.

We will be singing a variety of popular songs from the 20^th century bringing back memories of that golden age of musical medley from the 20s right through to Abba in the 70s. The singing will be very light-hearted with no hard practice as we are not a choir. Anyone can sing along with others in a group so why not give it a try.

Zumba Gold

Sadly, Nikkie has decided that it is time to move on, so we are working hard to find a replacement qualified teacher. Members will be contacted by e mail as soon as we have any news. Meanwhile, enjoy the Summer break and hope to see you in September.

Due to a cancellation, there are 2 places available on the outing to WELSHPOOL LLANFAIR STEAM RAILWAY and POWIS CASTLE (NATIONAL TRUST) WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17th 2022

David has arranges an day in Mid-Wales, with a delightful ride through beautiful countryside on the charming
Welshpool and Llanfair narrow-gauge steam railway, with the afternoon at the lovely house and
gardens of Powis Castle.

Full details of the outing and booking form will be included in the MAY edition of your Phoenix Newsletter.

PLEA FOR OUTINGS ORGANISERS

We have taken great pride over the years to offer a wide variety of outings in every Newsletter and would like to continue to do so.

Mike Jones our organiser for Symphony Concerts has now decided to retire so if you enjoy
attending these wonderful concerts please volunteer to take on this role, Mike would be very
happy to guide you through.

Please contact Pat Hayward if you would like to join our team of organisers. Help and advise always
available.

History Group- Monthly

Group Leader; David Wilkinson

Meetings are held at Walton village hall at 10am on the first Wednesday of each month
except August. The usual fee of £2 will apply and all members of Phoenix are welcome.
Refreshments will be served after the talk for 30p. There is plenty of time to enjoy
refreshments and a chat.
Wednesday 3 April. Alan Taylor will talk about Staffordshire Parks and Gardens.
Alan has worked as a conservation officer for both English Heritage and Staffordshire local
government. He is currently chairman of the Staffordshire Gardens and Parks Trust. An
important aspect of the Trust’s work is commenting to local authorities on planning proposals
affecting historic parks and gardens and Alan will discuss some of the challenging casework.
Wednesday 1 May. Steve Edwards will talk about Military and service medals and badges.
Steve is a leading member of the Phoneix Military History group and will tell us something
about the group as well as his own particular interest in badges and medals. If you have some
WWI or WWII badges or medals you would like identified or advice on caring for them,
please bring them along.
Wednesday 5 June Dave Barrett will talk about From Tunnel to Viaduct. The story of the
construction of the Trent Valley Railway and its route through the Shugborough estate.
Wednesday 3 July Carlotte Ball will be talking about Beasts of the Battlefield. It is 15 yearrs
since the Staffordshire Hoard was found. Pieces of helmets and swords have animal
ornament; sometimes recognisable, sometimes intertwinned and sometimes stylised. Are the
beasts recognisable and what do they mean?
There is no meeting in August. There will be a coach trip on 7 August to Penrhyn Castle and
Plas Newyn Parkland and Gardens organised by David Barker and regular attendees at the
history talks will heave priority in April to book. Booking forms will be available at the April
meeting.

Wednesday 4 September. Ray Sturdy will be talking about The Real Dad’s Army. The true
story of the Home Guard. Was it like the TV comedy?
Wednesday 2 October. Jane Dew will be talking about The Just Sew Stories. The stories are
concerning the love of the textile town of Leek and the surrounding countryside. The talk is
about inte-conecctions between various artists, designers, industrialists and authors involved
in the textile industry. Objects will be handed around.
Wednesday 6 November. Nick Seager will talk about Daniel Defoe and the Politics of Queen
Anne’s England. An account of Defoe’s political writings and espionage work in the reign of
Queen Anne. It deals with religious toleration, the Anglo-Scottish Union, Jacobitism and the
War of the Spanish Succesion. Was Defoe unprincipled and mercenery?
Wednesday 4 December. Brian Morris will give a presentation on County Life in Victoria’s
reign. A Magic Lantern Show. County Life as it really was with farming and other
occupations. Also village life and the church and its influence.

Congratulations Jean!

Congratulations to Jean who has reached the ripe age of 90 and is an accomplished indoor bowler with Phoenix at Walton VillageHall. Age would appear to be no barrier to this marvellous player and shows that exercise can help and is important to us all

.Pam Ewan

Limited availability! Outing to The Museum of Timekeeping & The Workhouse Wednesday 16th March

David has arranged an outing to the Museum of Timekeeping and The Workhouse at Upton, Notts. Full details and Booking form are included in the February edition of your Newsletter.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-workhouse-and-infirmary

River Cruise Fully Booked

The cruse on the River Trent outing is now fully booked! Outings that include WATER are always popular with our members!

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration

Our Committee members would like your thoughts on our plans to organise an event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The event would not be held during the official bank holiday weekend, as there will be so much going on. The suggestion is that our celebration should be an Afternoon Tea with entertainment. The date of the event is yet to be decided, but will probably be in mid July, before the School holidays. Your comments & thoughts would be appreciated. The event is dependant on the number of positive responses we receive.