Letters

Dear Gerald and Eileen, Just felt we needed to thank you and everybody involved for organising such a wonderful holiday. We had a laugh, what a terrific tonic, just what we needed. Please organise another one soon! From two bronzed bodies. Photo enclosed of the lovely cake.
Pat & John Barton.

On behalf of the BeARA members and their relatives and friends, I would like to thank you very much for hiring Thomson Celebration for KentARAs 25th Anniversary. Everyone agrees we had a wonderful cruise with all the staff being friendly and helpful. Our thanks also to Shirley for all the hard work she put in. I certainly would not have wanted to arrange the buses.
Barbara Sage (Bearsted)

Although writing personally, I feel sure its on behalf of many members. I write to offer congratulations on the setting up and organisation of the 25th Anniversary Celebration Cruise. In my opinion, the organisation by all the KentARA personnel involved, and I know there were many, was absolutely first class. We know we had a few hiccups, but to arrange for over 1,000 people, such a celebration took excellent organisation, and of course this lent itself to the enjoyment. It is a sure bet that the ships crew were taken by surprise with the enthusiastic involvement, again in no small way due to the organisation. Gerald, my most sincere thanks, please convey to all who contributed to the success of the cruise.
Jock Campbell (Maidstone)

Dear Mr Benham. Just a short note to thank you for giving us non KentARA members the opportunity of joining you for the fabulous cruise. A holiday to remember, with everything just perfect. We appreciated the amount of planning it must have taken.
Jean & John Hammond (sister of Peter Nicholls. Vice Chair).

We would like to say how very much we enjoyed the cruise and to thank you for all your hard work organising the trip. Looking forward to the next one!
Pat & Gordon Ranger (Bearsted)

We would like to thank you and ‘the team’ for the wonderful KentARA cruise that we experienced. There were one or two hiccups, but the splendid organisation overall reduced those hiccups to insignificance. This was our first cruise and we were very impressed. The feedback from the passengers on the coach home was very positive and nobody could fault the on-board entertainment, food, accommodation, excursions and the effort that both Thomson’s and yourselves put in to make it such a success.
Joyce & Gordon Hawker.

On behalf of NorthARA members I would extend to you and your committee, especially Shirley, our grateful thanks and gratitude for a simply wonderful cruise. I have been besieged by members as to when we are having another. Thank you and your committee for a truly great holiday.
Len Beven (Northfleet)

Dear Gerald.What a lot there is to do the minute one gets back from holiday— and what a holiday!. I was so glad you were able to address us all at the end of our spectacular CELEBRATION. You explained everything that had led to our cruise and thanked the crew exactly as we would have wished—Thank You! And thank you for all your hard work. Of course I enjoyed it all and surpassed myself with so much physical effort I was able to put into various trips ashore— encouraged by so many lovely people. It was wonderfully surprising to find so many people recognised me after all those years.
Jackie Rawlings. (Broadstairs)

All of you who sailed with the 25th Anniversary KentARA cruise on the Thomson’s ship Celebration must have enjoyed it as much as I and 31 other members of our club. The ship was very pleasant and ultra clean—we had to dab our hands with a cleaning agent every time we went into a restaurant. So many people of a certain age together at one time can be an eye-opener, so many laughs and I am sorry to say bad manners, a thank you doesn’t cost much. The high-light for me was the fancy-dress, probably 90-100 people took part and HasARA from area 5 took first place (just happens to be our club). We all dressed as Bunny Girls, two of which were men, Henry and Don. Don being of rather large proportions and an extrovert to boot, stole the show, but Henry looked a very tall and lithe woman. Again congratulations to KentARA for their organisation, the coaching worked very well. The food on the ship was super wherever you ate and whenever you ate. The days on shore very enjoyable, the crew members very polite and caring.
Millie Betts (Hawley & Sutton)

On behalf of the 14 members of HARA who were fortunate to go on the cruise, we would like to thank you and your team for organising such a fantastic holiday. The members thoroughly enjoyed themselves, joining in the fun and shore trips that were laid on. It was also very nice meeting other ARA members from all over Kent.
Jack Bicknell (Hythe)

How does one settle down to quite ordinary life after the cosseting we had whilst we enjoyed a ‘life on the ocean waves’? It was a wonderful experience for those who had never cruised before and a grand reminder for those who had. No washing up! No wondering what is for dinner tonight! It was the kind of lazy life I am sure most of us have at some time enjoying. What can one say-except, “roll on the next one!”
Walderslade.

My partner is a member of the Hythe ARA and we were lucky enough to take part in the recent Thomson Cruise. We were both cruise ‘virgins’ and so we were not at all sure how we would take to the concept. Well we are now hooked, and look forward to our next. We enjoyed ourselves so much that I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you all for all your hard work in arranging such a large venture. You are all hero’s. The ship, the crew, the tour all superb. Many thanks and roll on the next anniversary.
Mike & Anne Ready.

I would like to place on record our sincere thanks for all the hard work and effort that you must have put into getting this venture ‘off the ground’. It was without doubt a superb effort and a holiday never to be forgotten. As part of the social team that ‘puts’ together days out down here in Folkestone we know the stresses that this can cause but for this magnitude of an event the mind ‘boggles’. So once again a great ‘THANK YOU’ to you all.
Joan & Gerry (Folkestone)

The most memorable part of our summer was the KentARA cruise. What a superb holiday that was. 37 of our members made the most of the on-board facilities and enjoyed the various activities during the day and the superb shows and evening entertainment provided by the Cruise Director and his hard working team. The food was outstanding and, to quote Richard “You come on as passengers and go off as cargo”. That certainly applied to a good few of us! Our grateful thanks to Gerald and Shirley who organised this wonderful time for us. Well done.
Chris Asplin (Cliffe)

On behalf of the members of CalARA who joined the Celebration Cruise, I am writing to say a big ‘Thank You’ to you and all the other members of KentARA who made this possible. We all had a great time and it was so nice to meet up with members of the other clubs who, for one reason or another, had not been seen for some time. Special mention must be made of the work put in by Shirley and Pam in co-ordinating the details with Thomson and also for the job done with the transport arrangements to and from Southampton which all seemed to go without much problem. Once again, Gerald our grateful thanks for a Wonderful cruise.
Brian Fuller (Coxheath & Loose)

Just a quick note to thank you both (Gerald & Shirley) for all the hard work you both did and for making the “Celebration holiday” so wonderful. I know your Eileen must be thrilled with the result after the months of listening. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday as much as OptARA. It was amazing how little we saw of you, but we met some smashing people from other ARAs. Well done all of you.
Pamela Dale (Orpington)

BorodARA club members thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. The size of the cabins, the attentiveness of the staff/crew and the amenities were excellent. Many of our members are looking forward to the next cruise. One aspect we found very comforting was when one of our members fell ill with a serious complaint and the care and attention she received was second to none. Congratulations are in order to Gerald Benham, Shirley Skinner and the committee for arranging such an adventurous undertaking and coming up smelling of roses. Well done.
Sheila Brown. (Borough Green)

Dear Gerald, Shirley and Eileen. Many thanks for arranging a super holiday on Thomsons celebration. Geoff and I (Joy) had a wonderful time, what a wonderful get-together it was. It must have been very hard work for you, but you must have been very pleased with the outcome. We thought the staff and crew, and especially the entertainment was first class, what wonderful shows they were, we saw all of them so it a lot of late nights!! And of course early mornings on the tours each day, but well worth the effort of getting up early. Once again many thanks for all your work.
Joy Burr & Geoff Gregory.

Dear Mr Benham. I am a member of SamARA and I would like to thank you for the wonderful cruise which I and other members of SamARA were able to take part in. We had a wonderful time—and hope, of course, that there will be a repeat of another one in the future. I hope the organisation of it all did not cause you too many sleepless nights—which I’ve no doubt it did. Also we would like to thank Shirley Skinner for the organisation of the coaches, that too was quite an undertaking I’m sure. I’m sure that all the members everywhere are grateful that they had the opportunities which the ARA’s provide—for me personally it was a life line after very serious heat surgery—and I’m pleased to say I’m still able to take part in our local Group after 13 years.
Sheila Maytum (Sittingbourne & Milton)

So we were. Well out at sea. Did we see what we went to see? Of course! This cruise was well conducted by ‘Thomsons’ The food was superb. The crew, from Officers down to cabin Stewards, were most helpful. We didn’t see Engineer crew but we did meet, some of us, the Engineering Officers and as the ship took us safely to Malaga and returned us safely, then they are to be congratulated too. The entertainment reached levels not often witnessed by us. The Director, Richard Sykes, proved to be a real mountain of energy. He was a ‘stand up’ entertainer, able to perform intricate and involved dialogue either as a solo act or in company with others. His musical ability impressed us as did his delivery and witty asides. The important result of this enterprise, celebrating 25 years of Active Retirement in Kent, was the opportunity to meet old friends, make new friends and enjoy the company of our fellows in a relaxed atmosphere, eating together, talking together. It gave us that unique chance to exchange ideas, meet other minds and attitudes, in a community of people enjoying a way of life we deserved. That we were all confined to a ship made such intimate contact possible and desirable. The really hard work put into this event by Club Holiday Organisers must not go without praise and, most certainly, sincere tribute paid to Shirley Skinner, the KentARA Secretary and her friend Pam for the co-ordinating, organising, sorting out all the queries caused by the ‘nitty gritty’ of getting us aboard and getting us home again. A ‘Thank You’ to all of you for the unpaid hours devoted to ensuring success and to the loyal members for their support in turning up and taking part.
Frank Fellows. President.

34 members from Maidstone-MaidARA had a marvellous time on the Jubilee Cruise. The ship, Thomson ‘Celebration’, was luxurious; the cabins were spacious and well furnished. The food was excellent as were the activities and shows. Roy Sidebottom, dressed as the invisible man, reached the final 10 in the talent competition, and he, his wife Betty and Jock Campbell were loudly applauded for singing the ‘Maori’ song in the talent show. After 3 relaxing days at sea, we had 6 good shore excursions at Cadiz, Malaga (where some of us visited the exquisite Alhambra Palace), Gibraltar, Praia da Rocha, Lisbon and Vigo. According to our captain we had one of the calmest crossings through the bay of Biscay. We were all sorry when the cruise ended. We had such a good time and good weather. Many thanks to Gerald and Shirley for such wonderful organisation and best wishes to all our friends in KentARA.
Irene Hales (Maidstone).

Dear Gerald and Shirley. I would like to place on record our sincere thanks for allthe hard work and effort that you must have put into getting this venture ‘off the ground’. It was without a doubt a superb effort and a holiday never to be forgotten. As part of the social team that ‘puts together’ days out down here in Folkestone we know the stresses that this can cause but for this magnitude of an event the mind boggles. So once again a great “THANK YOU” to you both.
Joan & Gerry (Folkestone).