Page 42 - QARANC Vol 20 No 3 2023

42 The Gazette QARANC Association
JURASSIC COAST BRANCH
‘Patience is a
virtue at the
vineyard’
Jurassic Coast Branch enjoyed had a lovely outing to Langham’s Vineyard just outside Dorchester in September. We had 15 people present including four husbands.
Our host for the tour was the owner Justin Langham who made us very welcome. It was so interesting to hear about the setting up of the vineyard and the patience required plant and grow the vines before reaping any rewards.
Once the grapes are harvested it can take three to four years before the wine is ready to drink. The root stock is from America and the soil is chalk alkaline with the wind pollinating and not insects as maybe thought.
We sampled four varieties of wines and scrumptious high tea of sandwiches, quiche, scones with cream and jam were served – with a glass of bubbly of course!
The visit was made just a few days after the news had reached us of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and we raised a toast to her memory. It was very apt that we were together at such a time and the conversation was full of nostalgia about our memories of The Queen.
Hyde Warren Village Hall in the beautiful New Forest provided the venue for our annual general meeting in October. It was a lovely drive across the New Forest seeing the ponies and cattle and of course the Autumn colours. We followed the AGM with a lovely meal in the local pub and had to fight our way to leave through the New Forest ponies that were right outside. What a wonderful spectacle!
A record 13 husbands joined us for the meal. A most enjoyable day.
After several days of high winds and rain, the sun shone for the Weymouth Remembrance wreath laying at Assistant Nurse Hooks’ grave which is in the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Chickerell, Weymouth.
Sue Boulsfield, our newest member laid the wreath. Coffee was hosted by Pat McKay and then nine of us had a delicious lunch at a pub just outside Weymouth. Sue Shrimpton’s Father, John, 92 joined us for the wreath laying and the lunch. There were lots of reminiscing and the buzz of conversation was so lovely to hear.
For Christmas we had a Zoom meeting with a set