November 2015

Polio to Farming


9th November - Kate Dumelow told us Polio in India


Kate Dumelow, Past President and JVP of the Melbourne Rotary Club, gave us an informative and amusing talk about Polio in India, and her visit there to help with the immunization of the under 5's in Utra Pradesh.

Her arrival at Dehli Airport was not encouraging as the person she expected to meet her was not there.  However there was a driver who said he could take her to Muradabad, and so after a six hour drive she arrived to a major welcome laid on be the local Rotary club!

The slum areas are really beyond description, but these are the ones that house the most vulnerable youngsters and are the focus of the immunization.  Numbers of children per house/bus are kept and tallyed using chalk, pencils and paper.  Kate had to stop a bus to catch a youngster who was hiding to avoid taking his two drops!  The children who have had their drops, have their 'pinkie' marked with a purple dye.  The final tally was satisfactory, and indeed India is now on the way to being declared polio free.'

16 November - Rtn Ken Hair - My Job Talk

“We seek him here, we seek him there,
Us Rotarians seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? — Is he in hell?
That damned, elusive Pimpernel”

The self admitted Pimpernel dropped by the Pirelli Stadium on Monday 16th November to deliver his “My Job” talk.     In fact the talk was more about his role as the holder of four McDonalds Franchises in Belper, Langley Mill, Ripley and either Heanor or Ilkeston [same difference]

Ken worked for 10 years at Bass and also managed White City Greyhound Stadium before moving to Blackpool to manage a family owned amusement business.    Whilst there he was advised that he had the ideal skills set to be a McDonalds franchisee and embarked on a 12 month training programme to become one.   At the end of his training period he was allocated a position in Rochdale,   but because his wife wanted to move back to the Burton area he was offered the opportunity to open his first restaurant in Belper.    Since then he has never looked back and has obviously been very successful.    This was confirmed when he told us that he was looking at a bill of £1 million pounds simply to digitise his restaurants!

He employs managers and under managers for each restaurant and his role is to be out in the local community promoting the McDonalds brand.    He sponsors many local organisations and teams.     The atmosphere in the Sir Tom Bradbury room did chill somewhat when he admitted he had been to Ripley Rotary Club and given them some money!

He gave some details of the Ronnie McDonald Charity, which I was unaware of, and the marvellous work it does providing accomodation for the parents of children in hospital away from where they live.    All franchisees have to give a small but significant percentage of their annual earnings to this Charity.

Ken is also heavily involved with the Lords Taverners Charity and chatted about his idea to bring this high profile Charity into mutual co operation with Ronnie McDonald.  To this end he had, this summer, organised two Charity cricket matches, one in Repton and another in Cardiff [where the Ronnie McDonald Charity] are opening their next Accomodation Centre.     During lunch I had discussed this with him and he admitted that it had been very hard work to organise these matches although a huge amount of money was raised.

Through his charitable work Ken has met a lot of famous people and he showed us a photograph of him shaking hands with David Cameron.   Ken was also good enough to show us the same photograph with the rude caption that his son had superimposed on it.

Ken said how impressed he was with the work we did for Charity and suggested that we compared more than favourably with the two other Charities he is involved with.    He said that he wished he could spare more time to being a Rotarian and hoped we understood why this was not possible at the present time.

In my vote of thanks I remarked that he had demonstrated during his talk that he is the only Burton Rotarian [male] able to get down on his knees and get up again without assistance.    I congratulated him on a really interesting presentation and said that I was only sorry he had not circulated his audited business accounts.   

The Pimpernel did well!

Graham Dean


16 November - Cheque Presentation

Rtn. Malcolm Murray, on behalf of The Rotary Foundation PolioPlus campaign, receives a cheque from Rtn. John Moffat of The Glasgow University Graduates Rugby Football Club.
This will help finance the final push 'the last 1%' to rid the World of Polio.



23 November - Quentin Robbins - A Gentleman Farmer (almost!)

Quentin Robbins was our Guest Speaker on Monday 23rd November.I introduced him as Quentin is a friend of mine and I had invited him to speak to us.     He is a Solicitor but, notwithstanding, a really nice genuine man.    He is also a former Rotarian having been a member of Church Wilne.     He also “mucks around” with animals – hence the title of his Talk.

Quentin poked mild fun at his former Club for its continuing failure to recruit a female member.

We were treated to a series of anecdotes and risqué stories which highlighted his work as a busy Criminal Advocate in the stockbroker belt of North Derbyshire [Heanor and Alfreton] and sheep farmer in Elvaston Derbyshire.    It was noteworthy that his mother, who is still alive, featured in many of his anecdotes and it was apparent that she is very much the matriarch of the family.   He told an amusing story of him and his mother attempting to clip the nails of a pot bellied pig and another about his mother’s insistence at arranging nativity plays in nearby villagers and seeking a greater air of verisimilitude by using live animals [a bad tempered donkey prone to flatulence and worse ; and an aged sheep  having to masquerade as a lamb]

As this Bulletin has certain standards I will not elaborate on the jokes he told about the randy rooster or the vicar who forgot where he had left his bike.  

Cyril Ford gave the vote of thanks and managed to get a good dig in about Church Wilne’s misogyny and paid tribute to Quentin’s talk being something rather different to what we normally hear and also very funny.

Graham Dean


Related pages...

March 2023

more John Etchells on National Service ; Kathryn Caple on Rotary Foundation ; Trevor Wright and Yvonne Campbell on the Burton Carribean Association

February 2023

more Steve Smith, 'My Job' ; Richard Farman, 'Zeppelins over Burton' ; A Welsh Music and Supper Evening

January 2023

more Mark Semmence, Head of Repton School ; Richard Winterton, Auctioneer ; Burns Night Supper

December 2022

more Business Meeting / SGM ; Queen's Green Canopy ; Santa's Grotto ; Christmas Party ; Christmas Service & Lunch

November 2023

more Special General Meeting ; Burton Rotary Quiz Night ; 'the Shoebox Appeal' ; 'Derby Wood Recycling' ; Who am I?

October 2022

more WORLD POLIO DAY ; 'Seham Village Project, India' ; District Governor's Visit ; 'Vernon Barnes' Golf ; Bucket collection for Pakistan Flood Relief ; golf match v Ashby ; Ukrainian Aid ; Evening of Magic ; 'The Octagon Centre' ; 'Fall Fighters'

September 2022

more The 2 of Us ; A shared reflection of the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ; Philip Metcalfe, 'Future Plans for the National Forest'

August 2022

more The Club Summer Party; The Archie Gentles Trophy golf tournament; Rolleston Scouts; Visiting Angels; a 'Scatter' week

July 2022

more Risk ; Winshill Football Club; the Caudwell Charity and Caudwell Sensory Packs; Burton Rotary Club Under 11’s Shield

June 2022

more The Club Assembly ; Clive Baker, 'Paddle steamers' : Andy Pownor, 'Army Life' : The Club Handover

May 2022

more The Washlands Litter Pick ; The resumed AGM ; Tony Rundle on 'Taking Better Pictures' ; Peter Barnett, 'Walking into Retirement' ; Charlotte Greenwood on her trip to Ghana

April 2022

more 'Christians Against Poverty', the Pirelli Stadium Poster Parade, the AGM, & the St George's Day Dinner at Bretby

March 2022

more The Club's 85th Birthday; and talks by Clive Kearney on his career, Kim Smith on 'Winshill Community Centre', and Emily Bakhita on 'Service to Children'

February 2022

more John Moffatt on 'Peace Building & Conflict'; A Joint Meeting with Bretby RC for Rotary Day; and an introduction to Rev Mike's Hearing Dog.

January 2022

more Burns Night, and a talk by Donna Adams on ‘Connecting Communities’

December 2021

more The Club Christmas Party, President's Walk, and a talk by Julie Groves on Christmas Past

November 2021

more Everest Base Camp (at The Winery), Curry Night at The Apne, Business Meeting & Special General Meeting, 'End Polio Now', 'William Bagshaw Stevens'

October 2021

more Club Quiz, Vernon Barnes Memorial Golf, DG Martyn Bye's visit, Mrs. Paul Harris, Trafalgar Day dinner, The Northern 500

September 2021

more 'Kids Aid, Tanzania', 'Membership Development, Ideas & Plans', 'Modern Policing'

August 2021

more The Archie Gentles Golf Tournament, The President’s Garden Party, and a Scatter Meeting

Tom Day hands over to Ben Robinson

June / July 2021

more A double handover, a new President takes office, and a lockdown release party. Talks on Rural Action Derbyshire and Burton Albion Community Trust.

March 2020

more Repton's new Village Hall, Sign Language for beginners, The Mighty Amazon.
Meetings between March 2020 and June 2021 were online.

February 2020

more The Butterfly Children, an evening meeting with RC Bretby, Skittles, and our Charity Race Night

January 2020

more Burton Prostate Cancer Support Group : Antiphospholipid Syndrome : Jack's Teddies

December 2019

more Joint Carol service and Christmas Meal at the Dovecliff; Christmas Lunch with partners; Post-Christmas Walk

November 2019

more Special General Meeting; Burton YMCA; Bonsai; Burton Speakability & the Stroke Association. It was a clean sweep for Bretby RC in our quiz: Bretby City won with Bretby All-Stars runners-up. Must do better!

October 2019

more Burton Mail Heroes Awards; District Conference at Scarborough; Archie Gentles Golf Trophy; Wheelchair Football; Trafalgar Night Dinner

September 2019

more The Staffordshire Search & Rescue; Burton Albion Community Trust; the Great Dane link; Julia Coffin, a Rotary Peace Scholar; Vernon Barnes Memorial Trophy

August 2019

more The Club Summer Party, an Indian Banquet for charity, and Burton U3A

July 2019

more A new President takes office. The Lymphoma Action Organisation; Gambling & Young People; Rotary Young Leadership Award; Summer Social Walk.

June 2019

more The Club wins the Bernard Simcox Trophy

Club Assembly; From Clinigen to the Dovecliff; The Club Website; President’s Celebration Dinner & Handover; Marquee Summer Party at Repton School

May 2019

more French meal at the Mulberry, The Children Reading Project, Views on Cricket, Know your Blood Pressure

April 2019

more AGM, Microbreweries, and Archives

March 2019

more Our Charter dinner, a golf tournament, and Adventures in Happyland!

February 2019

more The best service project in the District

A Murder Mystery, The Methodist Housing Association, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust, an evening meeting with partners

January 2019

more A Taiwan Expedition, Homestart and Derbyshire Cricket

December 2018

more Rotary Hearing Ambassadors, a Fayre, two collections, the Carol Service, Christmas Lunch and the Christmas Walk

November 2018

more Special General Meeting, Carol Hickebottom's 'My Job', The YMCA Sleep-out, Can’t drive a bus - can fly a plane part 2, Annual Club Quiz, Global Sight Solutions

October 2018

more The District Conference, Chris Cutchey's reflections on Bumrungrad, Can’t drive a bus - can fly a plane, and Trafalgar Night

September 2018

more An Umpire’s Road to Wimbledon, an Antarctic Expedition Cruise, Around the World in 20 Minutes, and a golf match

August 2018

more The 'Auntie' project, and 'Sheila's Life in Pictures'

July 2018

more A new president and visit from the new District Governor, a local hero, a garden party, Tom Day's 'other Job', Royal Crown Derby, Young Carers, and the 'Archie Gentles' golf tournament.

June 2018

more Club Assembly, Iron Man, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, a visit to St Kilda, Rotary Football, an outing for Carers+, and the President hands over.

May 2018

more Do you remember Berni Inns? A visit to Amazon

April 2018

more The National Conference in Torquay and a Devon safari, Scatter Week, Rotary Peace Scholars, our Annual General Meeting, 'Know your Blood Pressure', and Young Photographer Competition

March 2018

more The Pirelli Stadium Parade, Tony Bentley's 'My Job', the District Quiz, Addiction and Redemption, and our 82nd Charter Dinner

February 2018

more The Crich Tramway Museum, First Responders, 10 pin bowling, a joint evening meeting with Bretby RC, and the induction of two new members

January 2018

more Donna Louise Hospice, Dentaid Boxes, The Falklands War and 'Young Chef'

December 2017

more Charity Collection, 10 pin Bowling, Carol Service, 2 Christmas Lunches, Christmas Walk - and Disasters!

November 2017

more 'Just Us', Indian Polio Vaccination, Rotary Quiz, a charity 'sleepout', The Thai-Burma railway, and Burton - a Great Place to do Business

October 2017

more Repton Crypt, Purple for Polio, Trafalgar Night and Muddy Boots

September 2017

more A Family at War, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award

August 2017

more RYLA and Burton Albion Community Trust

July 2017

more Carers, Drones and our Summer Party

April 2016

more The Young Photographer competition & Photography for Dummies

March 2016

more Trade Aid and Marketing

February 2016

more Third World Poverty, Terminally Ill Children, After War and Forensic Science

January 2016

more Helping children across the world

December 2015

more Air Ambulance

October 2015

more Group Support, our Club's History and Social Media for Dummies

September 2015

more Youth Services and an introduction to various Charities

August 2015

more Kidney donation and third world issues

July 2015 -

more World Challenge & Car Rallying

June 2015 CAB to the Navy

more a month of fascinating talks

May 2015 Dementia

more As the Rotary sponsored Memory Cafe is opening in June 2015 this was particularly timely talk

April 2015 Bletchley Park

more One fascinating talk and lots of Bank Holidays

March 2015 - Embalming to Motor Bikes through Small Change

more some really fascinating talks

January 2015 - Bees, Barnardos and the Jinny Nature Trail

more wide ranging topics this month

December 2014 - Visionaid, Music and Moravia

more some excellent pre-Christmas talks

November 2014 - Dementia, Auntie and Pumps

more A wide range of talks about different charities

October 2014 - Food banks and a visit from the District Governor

more A quiet month but with two thought provoking talks

September 2014 - Football, solicitors and Danes

more A really busy month - four speakers and a visit from our Danish twin club

August 2014 Models and War

more Some very different talks in August

July 2014

more DEBRA, Street Angels and Ben Robinson's My Job

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