Whitchurch & District Theatre Club
The Whitchurch and District Theatre Club had its final
Annual General Meeting on 23rd March 2023. At this meeting the decision was
taken to close the Club. Here are the
minutes of the meeting.
Here is a note about the club by Meryl Weir,
including a tribute to Chris Martin, the organiser for the last 17 years:
Very sadly, the Whitchurch Theatre Club has been disbanded following its
final AGM on Thursday 23rd March, as no-one felt able to take on the role of
organiser.
The club had been in existence for over 40 years. In the 1980s I
can remember seeing large groups of people waiting outside The Greyhound for the
coach to take them on a trip. Later, because of the closure of the bridge and
bigger modern coaches which couldn't get under the railway bridge, the pick-up
moved to Pangbourne. Until the Covid pandemic, the Club's activities were well
supported and the outings were a much valued social event for many.
We had
outings at least once a month, sometimes twice a month. We visited West End and
regional theatres such as Brighton, Salisbury, Malvern and Chichester to see
plays, musicals, concerts, opera and ballet. There was an annual visit to the
RSC at Stratford. We also visited Flower Shows (the driver was always very
patient when stowing purchases in the boot of the coach), art exhibitions and
stately homes. All in all, something to interest everyone.
Since 2006, the
person who took on the Herculean task of devising our extensive programme,
organising ticket sales, dealing with coach companies, liaising with members and
much more has been club chairman, Christine Martin. It is due to Chris's
commitment and hard work that so many of us have been able to enjoy such a
variety of events over the past 17 years.
On behalf of us all,
thank you, Chris!
whitchurchtheatreclub@gmail.com
Meryl Weir, 26th March 2023
