Retford Men’s Probus Club has been running since 1971. Their meetings take place at the Westhill Community Centre, Ordsall at 10.00am every other Friday. If you would like to join them see www.retfordmensprobus.org.uk. For those new to the idea of Probus, the name is an acronym for Professional Businessmen (and of course we must not forget the women).
Last year the Retford Branch of the British Legion asked if the club would like to produce a panel to go on their banner commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of The Great War. Members decided to help and have enclosed the following to go in their book of remembrance.
“When Arthur Mee wrote his ‘King’s England’ series of books in 1932, he said 32 ‘Thankful Villages’ existed where everyman returned safe and well. What, of course, he didn’t say was that every man who returned had lost someone, a work colleague or friend.
“Those who went off with a smile on their face either as a single soldier, airman or sailor or whether as part of a group of ‘Pals’ all knew and experienced Passchendaele in 1917 or the Somme in 1916.“The two battles cost 245,000 allied men at Passchendaele and 624,000 at the Somme. Of those killed at Passchendaele, 54,000 men with no known graves are commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres, whilst at Thiepval 72,300 men are commemorated, who have no known grave.”
“All current Retford Men’s Probus Club members know of at least one relative or family friend who was lost on the Somme, and so the committee decided to commemorate those 72,300 men with our main picture.
“Probus, whether it be the men’s or women’s section all believe in good fellowship, which was exactly the spirit of those who never returned.”
Retford Men’s Probus Club meet every other Friday morning at Westhill Community Centre, Ordsall at 10.00am. If you are interested in joining the club, please email secretary Dennis Beevers at dennis@denboy.plus.com and he will give you more details.