Arundel Probus Club
What is it?
Like all the 1,500 or so Probus clubs in the UK, the Arundel club is autonomous and chooses its own rules and programme. It is run by a small Committee of members elected annually.
When?
The Club meets regularly for comradeship as members enjoy the company of like-minded local people with whom they can share their lifetime experiences as well as extend their knowledge and interests.
Where?
The club meets on the fourth Thursday of each month, except for December, at the White Swan Hotel,
Chichester Road, Arundel and members gather from 10.30 for a 11.00 start.
At most monthly meetings there is an invited speaker after which members retire to the bar before
having a two-course lunch in a private room at the hotel. But staying for lunch is optional.
Sometimes a club quiz may be organised in the place of a speaker.
On the second Thursday each month members and their partners and friends have a Pub Lunch at one of the
many excellent hostelries around Arundel. (See 'Lunches')
Tell me more
At the AGM in April the club elects its officers for the following year, typically a president, vice-president,
secretary, treasurer, speaker-secretary and social secretary.
As Christmas approaches a Christmas Lunch party is held, also at the White Swan Hotel.
PROBUS is not a charitable organisation so there are no fund-raising obligations on members. The only source
of income for the club is from members’ annual fees which are currently £40 for a full year. (That fee is reduced
depending on the time of joining during the year.) There is no joining fee. In addition, a monthly raffle
for a bottle of something also adds to the kitty.
Neither is Probus a service organisation other than by providing services to its own members and their partners.
The club is run by its members for its members.
Interested?
Arundel Probus Club welcomes new members and invites men and women interested in what the club has to offer to make contact
and to visit for a couple of meetings to find out more about what we do and whether membership is for them.
Loneliness in old age is on the increase as people live longer, sometimes eventually alone, and the days of meeting
regularly with workmates or colleagues become a distant memory. For people trapped in this situation joining Arundel Probus
Club can provide some relief.
But you don’t have to be lonely, depressed or fed up with your lot to enjoy Probus membership.
Many of us joined because we simply wanted to after hearing good reports from existing members!
What Next?
Please contact our Secretary, Richard Brennan for more information.Phone No. 07974 021045 or email rbrennan1944@gmail.com
Martin is officially the last commercial fore-edge painter in operation, he remembers the art going through something of a
renaissance in the Eighties and Nineties. It was then that Martin did most of his work, but the art itself stretches
back for centuries. "It goes back about three hundred years." Martin says.
Dr John Godfrey DL MA FSA came to Arundel 47 years ago to take up the role of Assistant County Secretary
with West Sussex County Council. He worked with the County Council for nearly 30 years,
focusing mainly on the management of protected landscapes, such as the South Downs,
Chichester Harbour and the High Weald, aviation, sport and the arts.
The role of the Royal Navy around D-Day, the victorious landings in Normandy seventy nine years ago this month,
is often overshadowed by the activities of the allied air forces and armies at that time. That role was,
in fact, pivotal not only on the day but in the preceding months of planning and preparation and in the
post-invasion period when countless supplies of men, armaments, fuel etc had to be carried to the beaches.
Located in a corner of the former Tangmere airfield, famed as an RAF fighter station from 1918 until Fighter Command
left in 1958, the Aviation Museum was opened by a group of aviation enthusiasts in 1982 to promote public awareness
of the United Kingdom’s military aviation heritage, to educate present and future generations in military aviation
and to serve as a memorial to airmen and airwomen who gave their lives in the service of this country.
Since that time, it has been managed and run entirely by volunteers. Now one of the UK’s leading aviation museums,
in 2017 it was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Being a Tour Guide at Twickenham, the mecca of English rugby, for over twenty one years must be the perfect job
in retirement for anyone who loves the game. Rubbing shoulders with many of the greats from England and from
abroad has equipped Phil with a wealth of stories which he will share with us. 
Bill is a retired Geography teacher and Deputy Head at Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, during thirty years.
He is well known on the speaking circuit, particularly amongst Probus clubs, so is an excellent choice
to help re-start our regular Speakers’ Programme after an eighteen months’ absence.