Happy New Year! You are invited to warm up at our now toasty Hall.

The occasion is, of course, our annual Mystery Auction, where we have some fun raising cash for our pet charity, Shelterbox.

If you’re not familiar with Shelterbox have a look at their website, https://shelterbox.org/.

What you can do is to

1. wrap up your goods (unwanted and/or valuable)

and/or

1. turn up, enjoy the banter, and above all place your bids for the mystery parcels.

Don’t worry if you can’t contribute items, just come along and enjoy the evening.

For the uninitiated, here are Ireen’s words of explanation from her email:

Dear All,

I hope 2026 is off to a good start for everyone – and you are each feeling “resolute”!  No, I’m not referring to all the personal resolutions (which might already have been broken?!) but to our Club one that we make this annual effort to gather enough funds for a whole “ShelterBox box”.

For our “Mystery Auction”, please spend a few mins in advance, wrapping your duplicated or unloved objects (rapping, as you do so, is optional!) and pass them to me from 8.15pm on Tuesday.  Household / kitchen appliances in good condition – (perhaps never used, even if intentions were good!) could also be rehomed.  IF there is a content of particularly high value, you can add a label with a reserve or start price on – likewise, if the item is only suitable for a male or female recipient.  However, part of the fun is sometimes when bids disregard the latter, e.g., when Chris T. became the new owner of a lovely, silky camisole!  (He happily gifted this to a female friend!!)

Wrapping paper need not be new – any kept from opening your own received presents, be they Xmas, birthday etc. will be good.  If you have some items to donate but cannot manage to come along in person, please let me know and I hope I can help by collecting beforehand.

Re my title, “Lightening Your Load”: bulging wallets and purses can be brought through the door and you can benefit by carrying them away with far less weight in them!  Also, please remember that our 2025 techy advance gave us a card machine, although chequebooks could still be brought!  Once again, Treasurer Bob will kindly be managing the finance for the evening.

N.B. If the attached table is of interest, I am taking emailed or telephoned bids, as well as on the night, and can collect from its donor and deliver to you in the near future.  The table is good and sturdy and a size that will very comfortably seat four people.  Please contact me with your offers!

Width: 46¼”  (117.5cm)  X  Depth: 31½”  (80cm)  X  Height: 29”  (74cm)

I close with another good wish for everyone to have as good a 2026 as they possibly can – and with a quote from the ShelterBox website:

EMERGENCY DISASTER RELIEF Families are facing a bitter winter in make shift shelters, struggling to survive:

Supporting communities in crisis

Right now, over 120 million people around the world have been made homeless by disaster and conflict. ShelterBox is working to change this.

By providing emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster, we’re transforming despair into hope.

We want to see a world where no family is left without shelter after disaster. Join us.

Regards,

Ireen Best (079868 035522)