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CITY OF DURHAM PROBUS 

 

durhamprobus.co.uk     

OFFICERS

CITY OF DURHAM PROBUS CELEBRATES

FORTY PLUS SUCCESSFUL YEARS


2018 marks a significant milestone for City of Durham Probus Club being forty years since our foundation. This webpage is designed to mark the anniversary and should be regarded as "work in progress" rather than complete.

The original source for much content is the 1998 booklet on our history written by Arthur Moyes covering the period 1978 to 1998. A number of members were involved in this booklet project, including current member Len Graham, who read the final draft. 

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The decision to create Durham Probus Club was taken at a meeting in the Royal County Hotel on 20th February 

1978 which was the culmination of work done by the Rotary Club of Durham. The Probus Club rules were 

established, officers elected and the first meetings held during March 1978. The first meeting independent of 

Rotary was on 3rd April with 36 members present who listened to a talk given by Tom Nell. By August there were 50 members and the new venture seemed secure. The original Officers were Vince Edwards - Chairman, John Peele - Vice Chairman, R.Barrie - Sectetary, Reg Mayne - Speaker Finder with Committee members John Oliver and Bill Surtees.

These first meetings used The Royal County Hotel but from 11th October  1978 the Club moved to The Masonic Hall where it remained until its move to The Redhills Hotel on the 25th April 1991.

Membership continued to grow and since the rooms being used dictated a limit of 70 members, the list of applicants waiting to become members lengthened. Consequently a decision was taken to form a second and then a third club in Durham. The Dunelm Club was formed on 7th September 1983, which was quickly followed by The Palatinate. Both clubs met in Elvet Methodist Church in the city centre.


With the demolition of the Redhills Hotel pending, City of Durham Probus Club held its last meeting at this venue on 23rd April 2001 with the Bishop of Jarrow as speaker. One week later on the 30th April our inaugural meeting took place at Durham Indoor Bowling Centre, our current venue, with guest speaker David Thornborough talking about "The Ancient Civilisation of Peru and Bolivia".


2019 marked another significant chapter in the history of our club when members voted unanimously to open membership to ladies. Since the beginning of the year several ladies have already become members participating in the the weekly meetings and our visit to Beamish. We extend a sincere welcome to our new lady members.



 

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CITY OF DURHAM PROBUS OFFICERS

 

THANKS TO NICK GEDYE FOR THE INFORMATION SINCE 1997


PRESIDENTS

IN MARCH 1980 BISHOP MICHAEL RAMSEY, FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO BECOME THE FIRST HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB. IN SEPTEMBER 1981 SIR KINGSLEY DUNHAM BECAME VICE-PRESIDENT AND THEN PRESIDENT WHEN LORD RAMSEY LEFT DURHAM FOR YORK IN 1986.

 

SIR KINGSLEY DUNHAM (d 2001)

 

WILF STAVELEY (d 2004)

 

ARTHUR MOYES (until 2013)

 

KEITH JAMES CURRENTLY

 

CHAIRMEN


1978  VINCE EDWARDS     1978/79  JOHN PEELE     1979/80  TOM GREENER     1980/81  TOM NELL     1981/82  ALAN RAMSDEN


1982/83  GEORGE SCOTT     1983/84  BILL SURTEES     1984/85  BILL ROBSON     1985/86  ROY WEST     1986/87  WILF STAVELEY


1987/88  NORMAN HENDERSON     1988/89  HARRY WATERS     1989/1990  STAN HUNTER     1990/91  ROY MAKIN     1991/92  ERIC BEAUMONT


1992/93  JOHN MACDONALD     1993/94  DAVID MACFARLANE     1994/95  BRIAN WARD     1995/96  DEREK SOWELL     1996/97  GERRY MITCHELL

 

                              1997/8 LEN GRAHAM     1998/99 PHILIP MAY     1999 /00 LES HENSON     2000 /01 JOHN HERRON / BARRIE SUTHERLAND   

                              

                                    2001/02   BARRIE SUTHERLAND     2002/03   DENIS TRIGG    2003/04   RON TODD     2004/05   ROBIN SIMPSON


                                    2005/06    LES JOHNSTON     2006/07    ALAN SPENCE      2007/08  DEREK SOWELL     2008/ 09     COLIN TONKS


                                    2009/10     MIKE FIRTH     2010/11     KEITH JAMES      2011/12     IAN McCULLOCH      2012/13    JOHN EVERATT


                                    2013/14     GAWIN ROBSON     2014/15     PETER MORGAN     2015/16    JOHN TAYLOR    2016/17    ADRIAN PENNA 


 2017 - 18 JAMES WOLSEY     2018 - 2019 MIKE FOREMAN     Currently - ROBIN MACKAY


SECRETARIES SINCE 1997


JIM THOMAS UNTIL 2001     LES HENSON UNTIL 2005     TOM SIMMS UNTIL 2011     MIKE FIRTH since 2011


TREASURERS


HAROLD LISTER UNTIL 2002     NICK GEDYE UNTIL 2017     BEV THOMPSON SINCE 2017


SPEAKER CO-ORDINATORS


BARRIE SUTHERLAND UNTIL 2000     BRIAN WARD UNTIL 2004     TONY KITCHEN UNTIL 2009     CYRIL PALIN SINCE 2009 - 20 


TECHNICAL OFFICERS


DON BENNETT SINCE 2000/20    JOHN CURRY     JOHN HECKELS

Probus Clubs 

of Great Britain and Ireland
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durhamprobus.co.uk