VISTA CHRISMAS PARTY 2006
by Janet Jenks

It’s Saturday January 14 th 2006 , the day for the VISTA Christmas party. As usual Jean and Trisha have been slaving in the kitchen to prepare yet another excellent meal for all the paid up members of VISTA to enjoy. We arrive at the appointed time of 6.30.pm and the tables are all laid and the room has been cleared of some of the soft chairs, which are normally around the room, to make extra space, a behind scene job for other committee members.

At 7.00.pm everyone is seated with a drink. Our first course is soup, either vegetable or celery and stilton, both delicious and hard to make a choice. We had all chosen our main courses, when we attended the Christmas Musical Evening in December. We had been given a choice of three meals, a vegetarian sausage and tomato casserole, chicken curry, or salmon en croute: they all sounded good. Sherry trifle or apple pie and then cheese and biscuits then follow.

The wonderful meal is over and we loosen our belts and sit back in our chairs for the rest of the evening. We are all wished a happy new year and informed of one or two t forthcoming events later in the year. Next we have a couple of presentations. The first is the John Adams shield, which this year is presented to Rex Darby, who has given outstanding support to the club throughout 2005. The second presentation is made to Anthony Arlidge, in the form of a tankard for his support to the club and to his long-standing role on the VISTA committee. The presentations over and raffle tickets having been bought, we now enjoy Tommy Faulkner who entertains us on his accordion for the remainder of the evening.

We all leave for our respective homes, with full stomachs and a sense of well-being, having all enjoyed yet another wonderful and very enjoyable VISTA Christmas party. To organise an event, for 52 people, takes a lot of hard work and I would like to thank, on behalf of all VISTA members, everyone who made the evening so successful.