Brief History
In 1970, Rotary Clubs in the UK were promoting the concept of Clubs for retired men and John Robson and Bill Murray from Hartlepool Rotary Club invited likely members from Hartlepool to an inaugural meeting on 9 April 1970. 38 potential members attended and a further seven expressed interest but couldn’t attend. The proposal that a Club be formed with weekly meetings on Thursday mornings was accepted and the Forum was born. Meetings were to follow the pattern of a talk, coffee break, questions and then time for social interaction.
The Club was offered use of the Atheneum Library at a charge of £1 per meeting with tea/coffee and biscuits at one shilling per person. It was agreed that members would pay two shillings per morning 5 shillings annually and that the Club would be known as ‘The Hartlepool Retired Men’s Forum’
Five Officers were elected:
- Chairman: Eric Smith
- Vice Chairman: Frank Robinson
- Secretary: Mac Lindsay
- Treasurer: Harry Pickard
- Speaker Finder: Bill Ellerker
A Steering Committee was formed with A V Shingles, W Jones, E F H Thurlow,
W S Clarke, R D Sibson and J Wand as co-opted members,
Despite initial fears about survival, membership increased and the Forum became well established with good weekly attendances. The Steering Committee became the Management Committee and an Oak Lectern was presented by Hartlepool Rotary Club.
Meetings were transferred from the Library to the Lounge in the Athenaeum in 1980 and then to the Masonic Hall in 2016. Membership continued to increase and is currently around 100 members with 17 Honorary Life Members.
The annual subscription was increased to 50p in 1976 and the weekly fee increased to 15p the following year and 20p in 1982 with the annual subscription going up to £1 in 1983. The weekly fee increased to 25p in 1984, 50p in 2003 and then £1. The annual subscription increased to £3 in 2009 and £5 in 2017 before it was increased to £40 in 2018 and the weekly charge abolished.
Christmas Luncheons have been well supported since 1970, initially in the Athenaeum and subsequently in the Masonic Hall, Windsor Restaurant, Hill Carter Restaurant and Marine Hotel.
Outings have been held nearly every year and on occasions involved two coaches to accommodate as many as 90 members, partners and friends. Locations have included the Yorkshire Moors and Dales, NYM Railway, Alnwick Castle, Berwick, Newby Hall, Harewood House, Bowes Museum, Beverley, Eden Camp, Bolton Abbey, Grange-over-Sands, Ullswater, Carlisle, Shipley Canal Cruise, Ampleforth Abbey, Sunderland Glass Centre, Tyne Cruise, Beamish, Whitby and Scarborough.
Works Visits were popular in the 1970’s, often with several visits each year. Visits included Thornaby Marshalling Yards, Cameron’s Brewery, Hartlepool Parks Department, Northern Daily Mail, British Steel North Works, Durham County Scouts HQ at Moor House, Wills’ Tobacco Factory, RHM Foods, Nuclear Power Station, Tudor Crisps, Hartlepool Civic Centre and Middlesbrough Telephone Exchange.
Cookery Classes were held at the College of Further Education in 1972 and 14 members attended. Bowls matches against Eldon Grove Bowling Club were organised for several years in the 1980’s.
In 1975 after five years without any formal rules, a Constitution and was compiled and adopted.
The Chairman’s Collar was presented by Colin Stead and past Chairman’s badges by Leslie Stamp in 1978
Forum Ties were made available in 1981 and 100 were sold by 1987 when further supplies were ordered for sale at £3 each.
Honorary Life Membership was started in 1984 and Charles Smith produced the first Newsletter for HLMs at that time and then subsequently two Newsletters per year.
Various items of audio-visual equipment were purchased over the years, often with the help of grants and the Secretary was provided with a brand new Olivetti Portable typewriter in 1981.
Celebrations
The 10th and 15th Anniversaries were celebrated at the 1981 and 1986 Christmas Luncheons with Bill Murray and John Robson as special guests. The 21st Anniversary celebration was held in the Athenaeum in 1991 with a buffet lunch and speeches by John Robson and Vic Branfoot.
In 1995 thoughts on 25 years were given by Frank Brunner, Alec Telfer, Deryck Williams, Ralph Dollin, Petr Withington, Bob Hunter and Charles Smith at the 25th Anniversary,
The 40th Anniversary was celebrated in 2010 with a buffet luncheon and an address by Eric Prestedge ?? after the normal Forum meeting.
Officers of the Hartlepool Retired Men’s Forum
Presidents
- 1996-2011: Charles Smith
- 2011-2022: Eric Prestedge
Chairmen
- 1970-1971: Eric Smith
- 1971-1972: Bill Jones
- 1972-1973: George Pearson
- 1973-1974: Cyril Burnham
- 1974-1975: Albert Shingles
- 1975-1976: Harry Pickard
- 1976-1977: Percy Howard
- 1977-1978: Joe McDermott
- 1978-1979: Colin Stead
- 1979-1980: Les Stamp MBE
- 1980-1981: George Gray
- 1981-1982: Arthur Scurr
- 1982-1983: George Whinham
- 1983-1984: Frank Wilson
- 1984-1985: Alec Telfe
- 1985-1986: Ralph Dollin
- 1986-1987: Bob Hunter
- 1987-1988: Ted Withy
- 1988-1989: Bob Low
- 1989-1990: Peter Withington
- 1990-1991: Frank Brunner
- 1991-1992: Bill Taylor
- 1992-1993: Charles Smith
- 1993-1994: Derek Williams
- 1994-1995: Jim Bailes
- 1995-1996: Ken Watson
- 1996-1997: Frank Dunn
- 1997-1998: Derek Burdett
- 1998-1999: Roland Jackson
- 1999-2000: Brian Gale
- 2000-2001: Charles Bartram
- 2001-2002: Frank Walker
- 2002-2003: Jeff Burland
- 2003-2004: Alan Pace
- 2004-2005: Keith Rogers
- 2005-2006: Gerald Raine
- 2006-2007: Alan Rodgers
- 2007-2008: Charles Bartram
- 2008-2009: Ray Cook
- 2009-2010: Bob Bambrough
- 2010-2011: Ken Williams
- 2011-2012: Alan Rodgers
- 2012-2013: Tom Foster
- 2013-2014: Graham Thompson
- 2014-2015: Mike Moy
- 2015-2016: Allan Newton
- 2016-2017: John Taylor
- 2017-2018: Alan Jackson
- 2018-2019: Duncan Graham
- 2019-2020: Roy Tozer (1)
- 2020-2021: Roy Tozer
- 2021-2022: Roy Tozer (2)
- 2022-2023: Colin Griffiths
(1) (2) Chairman part year during Covid lockdown.
Secretaries
- 1970: Mac Lindsay
- 1970-1980: Frank Robinson
- 1980-1982: Charles Smith
- 1982-1997: John Emerson
- 1997-2011: Eric Prestedge
- 2011-2018: John Coward
- 2018-2021: Neil Midgley
- 2021-Present: Allen Waller
Assistant Secretaries
- 1970: Frank Robinson
- 1970-1992: George Pearson
- 1992-1996: Charles Smith
- 1996-1997: Eric Prestidge
- 1997-2009: Geoff Fearnley
- 2009-2015: Jeff Burland
- 2015-2017: Duncan Graham
- 2015-2019: Colin Griffiths
- 2019-Present: Kevin Dixon
Treasurers
- 1970-1983: Harry Pickard
- 1983-1992: Fred Spensley
- 1992-2008: Maurice Baines
- 2008-2012: Mike Moy
- 2012-2013: Alan Jackson
- 2013-Present: Nigel Turner
Programme Secretaries
- 1970-1975: Bill Ellerker
- 1975-1977: Joe McDermott
- 1977-1978: Charles Smith
- 1978-1991: Frank Wilson
- 1991-2005: Ralph Dollin
- 2005-2007: Peter Hogg
- 2007-2009: John Dobbie
- 2009-2015: David Mills
- 2015-2016: Alan Jackson
- 2016-2018: Duncan Graham
- 2018-2019: Jeff Stephens
- 2019-Present: Duncan Graham
Honorary Life Members’ Newsletter Editor
- 1985-2007: Charles Smith
- 2007-2011: Vic Branfoot
- 2011-Present: Duncan Graham
Printer of Programmes, Menu, Members Lists etc
- Vic Branfoot
Biscuit Distributor
- Rota basis until Ron Brough took over the job
Tea Distribution
- Rota basis until John Coward offered to manage the distribution every week.
Some of the Speakers in the first 10 years
E N Houlton, retired Headteacher of West Hartlepool Grammar School, was the first speaker on 16 April 1970 when his theme was Charles Dickens. Many subsequent visits included presentations on Sir Walter Scott, The Advantages of Growing Old, I Like it Here, Churchill, The Art of Fiction, The Jubilee, The Armistice, Shakespeare, Past and Present and The Queen Mother,
Bill Ellerker: East Africa Safari, USA, Roses, Holland, History of the Rose
Derek Williams: Changing pattern of Sport in Schools, Psychology of Sport, What we have learnt from the Olympics
David Relton: Comprehensive Schools
Geoff Fearnley: Hartlepool Corporation Transport, Hartlepool Transport, Live Steam
Les Jobson: Forum Theatre, Life in the Theatre
Doug Ferriday: Masons the Printers, Hartlepool Civic Society, Social History of Hartlepool
Dacre Dunlop: The Sports Council
Edward Bunting: 4000 metres High, How to make a Will
Frank Wilson: The Campden Wonder, Swaledale and Wensleydale, New Forest, Canals, Roman Wall, Coronation Memories, Captain Cook, Carols and their History, The Lake District, Down Beverley Way, The Royal Maundy, America, Midlothian Campaign, The Happy Return, Journey through North Wales, East Anglia, a Queer Zoo,
Alan Greenhow: RAF, North Yorkshire, Per Ardua ad India, Water, Basics, Old Wesley,
Yorkshire Coast and Castle Howard. Yorkshire, Tynedale
Frank Dunn: Bird Watching, Isle of Arran, Oberammergau
Other information about speakers
To follow – Edward Bunting has a complete list
Debates
1971: ‘The World is getting better’ 15 voted for and 15 against the motion.
1973: ‘That the Influence of TV and other Media is for the good’. 27 for and 12 against