August actually witnessed some members of the Rotary Club of Retford meeting up again after months of isolation. COVID-19 restrictions still mean that full club meetings at Ye Olde Bell Hotel are out of the question, but small numbers, suitably social distancing, have been able to meet to start the process of committee meetings for the new Rotary year. The good weather has helped, allowing meetings to take place in the open air.
The Zoom meeting on 17th August began with an interesting talk on snoring by Andrew Nicholls before the monthly Business Meeting. Members discussed the plans to distribute funds accumulated during the pandemic.
On 18th, the golfing members played at Gainsborough Golf Club. Past President Gordon Muir organises these events and, in keeping with his reputation, sourced beautiful sunshine for the day. Golf was one of the first activities allowed because social distancing is quite easy. Just hard to remember not to help others, as players normally do, picking up clubs and balls etc.
There is a well established tradition of the club assisting in litter picking. On 23rd , Past President and Club Environmental Officer Paul Withers organised litter picking in the Babworth Road / Ordsall Road area and a second party on London Road, south of Whitehouses. Sign of the times: PPE articles are now added to the list of items collected!
Finally, whilst on the topic of ‘picking’, Rotarian Mary Danby has an orchard full of traditionally managed plum trees. Every year, she invites members to pick their own fruit. The normal get together could not take place this year, so members visited in dribs and drabs, to comply with distancing requirements, and to find that 2020 has been an exceptional year for the fruit.