THE original intention of his Club in 1983 was to create a meeting place for anyone of any age in Leonard Stanley to come along for a couple of hours on a Monday afternoon to the Village Hall and have a chat and some light refreshments.

Gradually it became obvious that it was mainly the retired people who were turning up on Monday afternoons, and so the programme evolved as it is nowadays.

The Monday Club was started up in 1983, meeting every Monday except Bank Holidays between 2 and 4pm with a programme of visiting speakers on a wide range of topics or sometimes a musical afternoon, plus entertainment on the Social afternoons such as Bingo, a card game or a quiz, and plenty of time over refreshments for a chat.

There have also been visits to garden centres or places of interest, to the theatre or a Christmas pantomime, and in the Summer a garden party tea in a member's garden.

Over the years, the Club has faithfully supported Macmillan Cancer Care by organising a Coffee Morning during September.

In the early years there was a thriving membership of around 60 people, but sadly over recent years the numbers have declined, and the present Committee have struggled at times to keep the club functioning.

We are proud that we have one of the founder members of the Monday Club, Lorna Niebryzdowski, still very active and still in charge of the kitchen and refreshments as she was in the early starting-up days.

Monday, April 14, will be a sad occasion in that at the AGM on that day the present small Committee is standing down after many years of faithful service and unfortunately there have been no volunteers to take over the organisation.

However, the Committee members are determined to make this last afternoon as cheerful as possible and have arranged a 'Ritz Tea' for all members with a musical entertainment as well.

The Monday Club will cease to meet but it is hoped that many happy memories will remain.