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(14/5/2019) Plaque presented to all those at the 80th Anniversary Dinner
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The committee had a special 80th anniversary plaque produced and one was presented to each couple at the dinner. It is a wonderful reminder of the event showing the Fellowship logo and a mighty oak which is the tree to commemorate an 80th anniversary.
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(14/5/2019) Eddie's Talk to 80th Anniversary Dinner
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A number of people have asked if the text of Eddie's speech could be made available. If you go the home page of the website and go down to the bottom green section headed "Resources" and click on "documents" you will see it there. Apologies for any errors in it.
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(13/5/2019) 80th Anniversary Dinner
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The highlight of our 80th anniversary celebrations took place on Saturday 11 May 2019 with our dinner at the Stormont Hotel. The evening started of with a wine reception followed by the most magnificent dinner.
After the dinner flowers were presented to Lady Joy Hastings wife of our late president Sir William Hastings, our current president Aileen Martin, Libby McCrory wife of our vice-president David McCrory and Hilary Doherty wife of our Chairperson Bobby Doherty who was unable to attend due to a serious fall.
Our vice-chair Eddie McCrory gave a brief history of the Fellowship from its founding by Patricia Carey and Frederic Morena in 1939 until the present day.
Thanks were paid for the life of Harold Rankin who for many years was the face of the NIPF. He was the driving force behind the development of the Fellowship. He organised events, got us our bus, masterminded the purchase of "Polio House". He made sure we all learnt to swim. He set up physio classes and shorthand and typing classes.
We had parties, trips, treasure hunts and lots more. We went to swimming Galas in GB and Dublin.
As we grew up Harold helped us get into employment and helped everyone to apply for an invalid cars.
We were told to get on with life and started to drift away from the Fellowship. Membership dropped from a high of 700 to around 20 but as survivors started to notice changes in their condition members came back and we now have 200 or so members.
As people came back we organised conferences on Post Polio Syndrome and benefit entitlements and we also reintroduced social events. We returned to the British Polio Fellowship Games after an absence of 25 years.
No NIPF event would be complete without remembering our old friend Paddy Grimshaw. The Fellowship had been his family and we are sure he was looking down on us on this very special night.
Throughout the talk presentations were made to people of significance to the Fellowship. Cup cakes were presented to -
Harold Rankin's daughters Joyce and Adrienne
Alice Bailie, Margaret Rooney, Pat Armstrong, Josephine Finnegan and Helen Nelson - who swam in the first gala in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1958
William Auld - a committee member throughout the darkest years of the Fellowship
Bobby Doherty our current Chair person
Joe McVeigh - for fund raising
Bernie Black and Joe Edwards -Short Strand Community Centre for the use of the centre
Susan Kelly - Ulster Museum for running courses for the Fellowship
Gwen Brennan - Newmount Credit Union for their continuing sponsorship of the Fellowship
Ronnie Connolly - for organising social functions and fund raising events
Christine Connolly, Heather Scott, Briege Torrans, Alan Hughes, Jim Bailey Eddie McCrory - for work on One Last Push film.
Everyone received a specially designed plague to mark this special anniversary.
The vice president David McCrory spoke to thank everyone who had organised the event. He also wished the Chair person Bobby a speedy recovery. He remarked how he always felt so relaxed and welcome at our functions because we always remembered that the most important thing in our organisation was the "Fellowship".
Our member Jim Bailey who had just returned from Pakistan gave a presentation on the drive to eradicate polio in Pakistan and all the dangers associated with this. It was a very informative talk and everyone was moved by the situation there.
A raffle was held to raise funds and the winners were
Overnight stay for 2 in Grand Central Hotel (donated by Aileen Martin) winner Heather Scott
Sunday lunch for 4 in Stormont Hotel (donated by Aileen Martin) winner Joe McVeigh
Afternoon tea for 2 in Grand Central Hotel (donated by Aileen Martin) winner Drennan McBride
£100 voucher for Deane's Restaurant (donated by David McCrory) winner Margaret Rooney
Drinks Hamper (donated by Eddie McCrory) winner Bernie Black
Chocolates and wine (donated by Stephen Gardener) winner Joyce Iwaszko
Yankee Candle (donated by Alan Hughes) winner Libby McCrory
Large bucket of Jelly Beans (donated by Christine Connolly) winner Susan McCrory
After the speeches we were entertained by the most magnificent singing by Holly.
It really was a most wonderful night
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(12/5/2019) Next Quiz - 25 May 2019
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The next quiz takes place on Saturday 25 May 2019 at 7.30pm in The Dockers Club, Pilot Street. As usual the cost is £7 per person and this covers entry to the quiz, spot prizes, play your cards right and of course Christine's famous supper.
Come along and support the Fellowship and at the same time pit your wits against Paddy "the inquisitor" Pill. None of us have got the better of him yet. Can you?
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