Category: Events

Monday 16th March 2026 

REPORT & PHOTOGRAPHS

Forty one ESEC members attended the clubs 51st AGM held at the Devon Hotel, Exeter. It was the first time we have held the meeting at this new venue, due to the ongoing closure of the Swans Nest at Exminster caused by flooding. General feedback from members on this new venue however was very positive!

Following coffee and biscuits on arrival, our Chairman and Treasurer Garry Adams began the formal AGM proceedings by welcoming members and giving his annual reports, concluding with a membership vote to approve club accounts. This was followed by a report from our Wellbeing Officer Ray Cavill.

A special thanks and gift was presented to Barbara Johnson who was re-elected to continue her role as Club Secretary. Once the election of Officers and Committee members together with AOB had been completed, the AGM was formally brought to a close.

Our Chairman then welcomed our guest speaker retired vet and otter expert Stephen Powles, who gave a very interesting and enjoyable presentation on his experiences filming river otters.

At around 1pm, members were seated for a very enjoyable carvery lunch followed by dessert.

Grateful thanks goes to Committee member Peter Johnson for his help in securing this new venue at such short notice and of course to the staff of the Devon Hotel for looking after us so well.

A small glimpse of blue sky, (yes really!) greeted around thirty ESEC members at the White Horse Inn at Woodbury for the first of our 2026 coffee mornings, giving everyone an opportunity to chat and catch up on news since our Christmas lunch held at the Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth.

Members enjoyed free coffee and biscuits served by the staff at the White Horse Inn who always look after us so well.

Our Chairman Garry Adams welcomed everyone and gave a reminder of the change of date and venue for our March AGM.

Our thanks to Committee members Peter and Barbara Johnson for organising this event and of course the staff at the White Horse Inn.

After a turbulent week of wet weather, blue skies greeted 58 ESEC members at the Victoria Hotel, Sidmouth on the 4th December for our annual Christmas lunch.

This event is much anticipated by members who especially admire the hotel’s stunning Christmas decorations.

Our Chairman thanked Mr Duncan Henshaw and his team for looking after us so well and wished everyone a very happy Christmas and healthy New Year.

Around 16 members met at Bickleigh Mill on Armistice Day for a Club coffee morning with scrumptious home made tray bakes which were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

Members wore red poppies and observed the two minute silence at 11am remembering the cessation of hostilities which brought an end to the First World War, also remembering the fallen in subsequent conflicts.

Several members stayed on to enjoy lunch at the Mill and indulge in a little Christmas shopping.

Grateful thanks to Peter and Barbara Johnson for organising this event.

(Photo by Jan Russell)

Thirty one members of the Club were warmly greeted by staff at the White Horse Inn at Woodbury on Wednesday 22nd October for a Club sit down lunch.

Members were appreciative of another opportunity to enjoy a tasty and leisurely lunch made even better when Club Chairman and Treasurer Garry Adams handed out ‘a little something’ for everyone towards the cost of the meal.

Our grateful thanks to the staff of the White Horse Inn who looked after us so well and of course to Peter and Barbara Johnson for organising this event.

Photo by Jan Russell

Thirty members were able to enjoy a very happy afternoon in the horse-drawn barge on the Great Western Canal at Tiverton. The weather was good, the commentary excellent and a peaceful 90 minutes ensued. This was the 50th anniversary of the Canal company and members judged the event a great success

The AGM for 2024 was held on 12th March once again at the Swan’s Nest near Exminster when 38 members attended. Garry Adams as both Chairman and Treasurer reported on the year’s events and planned events for the future. The Club is in a good state financially thanks to continued grants from the Bank. Future lunches, coffee mornings, cream teas and other visits such as to the theatre in Sidmouth and to the Grand Union Canal in Tiverton will be heavily subsidised.

The Committee members remain unchanged but with the welcome addition of Martin Mitten.

Members were royally entertained after the AGM by Rose Chanin whose humour, dialect and interaction with the audience were greatly appreciated and warmly applauded.

The Minutes of the AGM may be obtained by contacting Les Rendell (lesrendell41@gmail.com)

The White Horse Inn at Woodbury Salterton was again the venue for a Coffee Morning with 19 members enjoying their free coffee and a chance to meet up and exchange a great deal of chat!

The staff at the White Horse were very attentive and kept bringing round more coffee etc. and they had provided a good selection of biscuits on each table.

Several stayed on for lunch (but they had to pay for this) and overall it was another happy occasion for Barclays pensioners.

Despite the incessant rain which threatened to flood the roads to and from the Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth, 72 members, partners and friends attended our annual Christmas lunch in the beautifully decorated hotel and enjoyed a first class meal at a heavily subsidised price. There were a number of new members present and these were particularly welcomed by Chairman, Garry Adams, who extended the welcome to everyone present. Good wishes were conveyed to all members for a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year with a reminder about our next function which is a Valentine’s Day (February 14th) free coffee morning at the White Horse Inn, Woodbury Salterton (from 10.30am).

(The photo is by Martin Mitten – whom do you recognise?)

A record 28 members attended the annual event at Bickleigh Mill near Tiverton on November 15th and were able to enjoy not only coffee or tea and cakes free of charge but also the beautifully stocked shop there full of tempting Christmas gifts. Most of the group stayed on for lunch (at their expense) and the visit was voted a great success ahead of the forthcoming (and heavily subsidised) Christmas Lunch at the Victoria Hotel Sidmouth. See Newsletter for full details.