Forthcoming Events
15th November: 2023 – Bodmin Hospital Leauge of Friends’ Annual General Meeting – 12 noon, Lanivet One or All Community Hall commencing at 12 noon
2024: The League of Friends have been invited to take part in Pencarrow’s Snowdrop Weekend on Saturday 10th February, about which we are thrilled – we will be serving tea, coffee and cakes in the Old Servants Hall as well as being on the drive, taking entrance fees. We also hope to have a bric-a-brac or tombola stand in the Old servants Hall together with colouring and other games for the children
Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th April 2024. BHLF will be supplying teas and refreshments for Tony Ryde’s Open Garden for the NGS at The Lodge, Fletchers Bridge, Bodmin PL30 4AN
Last Night of the Proms Revisited – a fantastic night to benefit our local hospital
Sounds of brass and beautiful voices reverberated around Wadebridge Town Hall on Saturday 21st October and probably could be heard all along The Platt!
The massed bands of St Breward, St Minver and Wadebridge with their Musical Director Tom Howard came together with Wadebridge Male Voice Choir, directed by Gareth Stubberfield and the wonderful Soprano soloist Karen Hurn, all compered by the incomparable Neil Caddy of Pirate FM to perform a last Night of the Proms. Organised by Bodmin Hospital League of Friends.
This wonderful group of performers gave their time again this year following many requests for a repeat of the 2022 concert. Unfortunately the night clashed with England playing in the semi finals of the Rugby World Cup which reduced the audience to a degree, but even so, nearly £1000 was raised to help ‘The Friends’ in their task to supply goods and services not supplied by the NHS for the staff and patients of Bodmin Hospital.
Said Friends’ Chairman, Susie Gore: ‘What a truly happy and successful evening we had last Saturday; if anything and if possible, I thought the whole concert even eclipsed last year’s performance for the high standard of the music and singing. I, as a Cold Play fan, of course, thought the evening couldn’t get better when the band played Vive La Vida by Cold Play as one of it’s opening pieces. For the massed bands to do justice to such a brilliant iconic number I knew that the evening ahead was going to be a good one and it certainly was. The atmosphere was quite lovely, everyone friendly and Wadebridge Town Hall looking so festive with the bunting and flags. The Cornish Anthem Trelawney at the end really raised the roof.”
Listen to the audio clip below:
Iona, Lady Molesworth St-Aubyn DL
Sadly we have to report the death of our wonderful President, Lady Iona, who died on 19th September and whose funeral was held on 3rd October in an overflowing Egloshayle St Petrocs Church, followed by a ‘party’ at Pencarrow.
Said our Chairman, Susie: ‘We were so honoured to have Iona as President of Bodmin Hospital League of Friends. As a founder committee member of the Friends from when Bodmin Hospital was opened on 6th June 2002 Iona gave of herself to the patients of the hospital and was always ready to help out with fund raising activities in any way she could. Iona was not just a valued President, but she was also a dear friend, full of support for our welfare and success as a league, and we shall always cherish her warm and caring personality combined with a wonderful sense of humour.’
A surprise boost for Bodmin Hospital
‘We were surprised and delighted,’ the words of Bodmin Hospital League of Friends’ Chairman, Susie Gore, as she received a cheque for £2000 from Peter Bray of the National Grid Benevolent Fund. This is ‘hot on the heels’ of a cheque for £1000 Mr Bray presented to the League last November. This time the money is the result of the old Western Power Distribution Benevolent Fund being wound up and the residual monies distributed to local charities.
‘This very kind and generous donation will help enormously in our task which is to supply equipment and services not available through the NHS for the staff and patients of the hospital,’ said Susie.
Mrs Maureen Tetley OBE
Bodmin Hospital League of Friends were deeply saddened to lose one of their members who was instrumental in forming the league. Maureen (Mor) Tetley died peacefully on 15th August 2023.
Mor had served the hospital for over fifty years, first with the St Lawrences League of Friends where she was Chairman, then when the Friends of Bodmin Hospital (now BHLF) were formed, amalgamating the East Cornwall and St Lawrences Leagues of Friends, Mor was the first Chairman and remained active and on the committee until very recently.
Mor was supportive in all League activities, showing her true empathy with the patients and staff. All the BHLF committee have fond memories of Mor arriving at the fete every year with her Land Rover bursting with plants, cakes and produce to sell, then organising and running the Family Dog Show.
Her funeral was held at Creed Church, Grampound on 1st September 2023
She will be greatly missed by all.
L-R: Maureen Tetley, Dog Show organiser, Dog Show Judge Jenny Hick, winner of Best in Show and his owner and Jane Scott joint Dog Show organiser
Friends give cup for Bodmin Carnival Queen
A silver cup was found stored with other similar items with the inscription: East Cornwall Hospital Charity Cup, presented May 1956 by P H Polkinghorne Esq, Chairman of the East Cornwall Hospital Physiotherapy Appeal. (East Cornwall League of Friends combined with St Lawrences League of Friends in 2002 to become Friends of Bodmin Hospital, now Bodmin Hospital League of Friends)
Bodmin Carnival Committee were looking for a suitable cup for their Carnival Queen and this was donated to them with the following inscription: August 2023 – given to the Bodmin Carnival Committee by Bodmin Hospital League of Friends to be presented annually to the Bodmin Carnival Queen
Photo by Paul Hockaday, Bodmin & District Camera Club.
Everything great for the Bodmin Hospital Fete
The weather was perfect and the site ideal when Johnny Cowling set the scene, in his inimitable way, for a happy, busy and fun afternoon. Johnny, Cornwall’s great entertainer, opened the fete and was introduced by the Bodmin Town Crier.
Local people all enjoyed the many stalls run by both hospital staff and Bodmin Hospital League of Friends, Inner Wheel, MND, Hugs Foundation, and Bodmin Scouts. There were Skittles, Splatt the Rat, Bouncy Castle and Roundabout by Thomas Rowland, Cornwall Ambulance Service, Blood Bikes, face painting, family dog show. The music and entertainment supplied by Tina Roberts and Chico the Clown and the dance displays by amazing local groups – KBSK and Future Youth Dance were outstanding.
The fete is organised by Bodmin Hospital League of Friends. Our Chairman, Susie Gore, thanking everyone, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who helped to make this such an enjoyable and successful afternoon. It was wonderful to see the Bodmin Rotary and Lions Teams and many family and friends swing in to action to erect the gazebos, 15 of them kindly loaned by Bodmin Town Council and 4 from St Breward Village Association. Then to see Norman Trebilcock, of Cornwall Ambulance Service Ltd, directing operations to erect his marquee which he very kindly lends every year to be used as the ‘Tea Tent’. There are so many people to thank: Bodmin Town Council, Bodmin Town Crier, Bodmin Rotary and Lions, friends and family who helped set up and dismantle and run the many stalls and we are so grateful to them all and special thanks to all the generous people who came to enjoy the afternoon. It was lovely to see patients being able to attend in the care of their wonderful nurses.
It is looking as if this is one of the most successful fetes for several years, raising in the region of £6000 for the hospital and the other charities attending.”
An Open Garden benefits local hospital
On the weekend of 25th and 26th March Tony Ryde opened his beautiful garden at The Lodge, Fletchers Bridge for the National Garden Scheme, a countrywide organisation which supports nursing charities, originally set up in 1927 to support district nurses.
For several years now, when Tony has opened his garden for the NGS, he has asked Bodmin Hospital League of Friends to supply the refreshments “Which we are always delighted to do,” said League of Friend’s Chairman, Susie Gore, “especially after all the hard work that goes into preparing the garden by Tony and James to make The Lodge look so wonderful with inspirational planting, design and statuary. And we are so very grateful to Tony for giving us the opportunity to raise funds for the staff and patients at Bodmin Hospital in this way, to enable us to supply goods and services not provided by the NHS. I should also like to say a huge thank you to the team who organised the teas, to all the committee members and friends who baked or supplied items for the teas and to all those who came to see the garden and, hopefully, enjoy all the home made goodies.”
