Apart from the concert and show dates, plans are afoot for three social activities:

• On Saturday 16 September at 5:00pm, a pre-concert meal at the Bruce Hotel, Limekilns for participants and friends. Book with Jack Archibald soon!
• On Friday 8 December, at 6:30pm for 7:00pm, our usual Christmas Night Out at the Pitbauchlie House Hotel. Sign-up sheets at rehearsals.
• A re-run of our successful Anniversary Tea on Sunday 21 April 2024. Note that this time it won’t be on the Saturday because other exciting things are planned for that weekend – details to follow!

And don’t forget to check with Ian Anderson to pick your number(s) and register your interest in the Bonus Ball competition. Only £1/week for each number for a bit of fun and a potential £20 win, and last year Ian made £300 for Society funds.

This is what greeted members and guests at our much-delayed 50th Anniversary tea, which was held at the Pitbauchlie House Hotel on Saturday 22 April 2023. We sat down at wittily-devised G&S-themed tables – thanks to all the creative members of Sinead Black’s team:

Not only did Sinead organise the event splendidly, but she also acted as Mistress of Ceremonies. Guests who were introduced included two of our founder members, Ann Duly and Robin Ożóg, who duly cut the cake after Robin had spoken most movingly of our history and what it had meant to him to be involved with the Society. Do take time to read what he said, which you can find at this link.

Stuart McCue-Dick, Councillor for NODA (Scotland), was our guest, both to speak and to present a record number of long-service awards. Illustrated at this link is how we totalled 315 years of NODA service! Presentations acknowledging specific service were also made to Gwyneth Kirby in memory of Howard, who had laboured valiantly front of house, and to Mary Kidd, a former vice-president and orchestra convenor. And, of course, no G&S gathering these days is complete without an appropriate ode from our G&S makar, Kerry Black, which you can read at this link!

Grateful thanks to everyone who took part on the day or worked behind the scenes to make the event such a success, and especially to Sinead. And of course we are eternally grateful to Val McManus our resident photographer who has helped us fix the fugitive moment! Val had also put together the archive material presentation projected during the Pirates overture, and this formed a backdrop to the tea: you can enjoy it again at this link.

And grateful thanks to everyone who came and supported. You can see below that they enjoyed themselves! [The order is fairly random, based on Val’s walkabout round the room, with some artefacts of the uploading process, and we hope that everyone has been identified correctly. All comments to the webmaster, please!]

Covid having intervened, no NODA awards could be presented until 2023, when the presentation by Stuart McCue-Dick, Councillor for NODA (Scotland) took place at our 50th Anniversary tea at the Pitbauchlie House Hotel on Saturday 22 April 2023, with what must surely be a record number of awards collected.

These awards recognising service to amateur theatre went to:

• Joy Campbell: 20 year badge
• Willie Campbell: 20 year badge
• John Allen: 20 year badge
• *Jim Robinson: 20 year badge
• *Ian Anderson: 25 year badge
• Anne Dolbear: 25 year badge
• *Jennifer Williams: 25 year badge
• Theresa Wilson: 25 year badge
• Jack Archibald: 30 year badge
• *Marion Kelly: 30 year badge
• Mary Kidd: 40 year badge
• Gwyneth Kirby: 40 year badge
• Martin Tarr: 45 year badge
• Mike Pendlowski: 50 year badge

The final award to Robin Ożóg was not for long service as such (Robin had already received his 50 year award) but a very special NODA Commendation Award recognising the major contribution he has made to our Society since its foundation.

*Four members were not able to attend the tea, so their awards were presented at a later date by our Chair.

This post will work its way down the page, but you can see all the recent presentation history at this link.

You’ll see that the New Show page now has an Auditions page, inviting you to contact Ellen and book a slot to audition for our next show. Michael has given us an intriguing insight into his plans for an excitingly different interpretation of Iolanthe, and we can’t wait for rehearsals to start. Meanwhile, it’s time for those who fancy a principal role to put themselves forward … Wednesday 12 July and Sunday 16 July are the main slots, but don’t hesitate to express an interest if you would dearly love to perform with your favourite G&S Society and can’t make those dates.