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JANUARY |
2019 |
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ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
COIN BRANCH 13th BIRTHDAY
Fifty-four members and guests of the Coin branch of the
Royal British Legion gathered at 11am at La Parilla De Pepe on the 16th of January
to celebrate the branch’s 13th birthday. To mark the occasion, Jean Merry (left) baked
a fantastic fruit cake and Rosie Mahoney (centre) used her extensive icing
skills to produce a culinary delight that both looked good and tasted
delicious. In accordance with tradition,
Chairman Jo Taylor (right) cut the cake for everyone to taste and auctioned a
big piece for the poppy appeal.
After wishing the Branch a happy birthday and leading a
round of applause, Jo Taylor told the story of January 2006 when 6 people
formed the Coin branch and curiosity got
the better of 46 people who turned up to see what this new venture of the
Royal British Legion in Spain
looked like. They must have been impressed because the branch
membership in January 2019 stands at 134.
The next big social
event is an Abba night on Saturday the 2nd of March at La Carolina in Alhaurin El Grande. The function is in aid of the Poppy Appeal
and includes a meal and live entertainment for just €20.
If anyone would like to join the party see George Chaney to book your ticket. |
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JUNE |
2018 |
COIN RBL PAELLA
NIGHT
Forty-eight
members and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion enjoyed a
paella dinner dance at La Tavola by Miky in Sierra Gorda on Friday 22 June
2018. Poppy Appeal Officer George Cheney,
ably supported by his wife Marion, showed the guests to their pre-assigned
seats and the entertainment commenced partway through the meal. Lesley Harrison, who is becoming a firm
favourite with the Coin Branch, performed an eclectic selection of songs from
years gone by and enjoyed incredible audience participation. Just about everyone left La Tavola wondering
just who was Alice. Chairman of the
Branch, Jo Taylor, acknowledged all the hard work that had gone into organising
the evening and thanked George and Marion on behalf of everyone there. At the
end of the night a very tidy 213 Euros had been raised for the Poppy Appeal.
The Coin
branch has a full entertainment programme right through the summer, details of
which can be found at http://www.coinrbl.info/.
Why not take a look and consider joining one of the most active and
friendly groups in the area?
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MAY |
2018 |
RBL QUIZ TROPHY STAYS IN COIN
On
Thursday the 24th of May, two teams of dedicated quizzers from the
Coin branch of the Royal British Legion gathered at the Ginger Pig Country Pub
in Coin to try and retain the coveted Michael Taylor Trophy they won in Loja
last year. Quizmaster Bob Felgate set
the questions and was ably assisted by Rayah Felgate and Val Gardener
throughout the day. Seventy two people
took part in the quiz and against strong opposition from Loja, Molina, Los
Romanes, Torremolinos and Mijas Costa, Coin team A claimed a very close victory
just one point clear of Loja.
Congratulations go to team captain Perry Spencer together with Russel
Riggs, Frances Knowles, Tom Sawyer, with Harry and Kerry Newell. In another close contest Coin team B, Peter and Rosey Brown, Heather Riggs, Ian Matthews, Jan Smith and Jo
Taylor, won the open section beating Los Romanes C by just one point. To top off a brilliant day of quizzing the
raffle raised 217 Euros for the 2018 Poppy Appeal.
The
challenge is on; can Coin retain the trophy in 2019?
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MAY |
2018 |
BREAKFAST AT ROSIE’S
Fifty-one
members and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion gathered
together under a clear blue sky for the annual breakfast at Rosie’s at 10am on
Friday the 18th of May. For
the first time ever the breakfast represented two special occasions commemorating
the 2018 Armed Forces day and celebrating the Royal Wedding to be held the
following day.
The meal got
underway with a glass of ice-cold orange juice freshly squeezed by PRO Charles
Edwards from two huge crates of oranges kindly donated by local grower
Bartolome Rojano Madrid. Jean Merry and Maureen
Ramayon, cleverly disguised as Prince Harry and Megan, served the hungry diners
a superb selection of food prepared by a team of thirteen highly-trained cooks
and bottle washers ably directed by Peter Brown. Diners could choose whatever they wanted from
the full list of English breakfast ingredients sourced once again from T&S
Butchers in Coin. At the end of the meal Chairman Jo Taylor thanked
everyone for coming along and helping to raise over 200 Euros which will go to
the 2018 Poppy Appeal. She also thanked
the breakfast team for producing such a sumptuous meal with style and a smile.
If you would
like to join this group why not consider coming along to a Paella Evening in
aid of the 2018 Poppy Appeal on Friday the 22nd of June at 19:30 for
20:00 at La Tavola by Miky in Sierra Gorda. Lesley Harrison will be there to entertain
with popular songs from the 1950’s to the noughties.
Meat paella
(with an alternative) plus a selection of desserts is included in the ticket
price of 15 euros. Tickets are available from George on 666 721090.
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APRIL 2018
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COIN RBL SPRING FAIR
The Coin
Branch of the Royal British Legion held its annual Spring Fair at La Parilla de
Pepe on Wednesday the 18th of April.
Around fifteen of the sixty members present entered seventeen individual
categories including best spring floral arrangement, best spring photograph,
best spring creation and best spring collage, painting, drawing or colouring. Other categories included best jam, marmalade
or chutney and best decorated cake or cup cake.
There were too many winners to list but the extremely talented Rosey
Brown, seen here being congratulated by Chairman Jo Taylor, secured top spot by
winning six of the seventeen categories. Everyone who entered had put a lot of work into
their submissions and Jo Taylor sincerely congratulated all those who took part
and thanked them for getting into the spirit of the Coin RBL Spring Fair.
If you would
like take part in such activities come and meet the people who make up the Coin
Branch of the RBL at La Parilla de Pepe just opposite La Trocha at 11am on the
first and third Wednesday of every month. |
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FEBRUARY 2018
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Coin RBL Valentine’s
Day Party 2018
Fifty-five
members and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion celebrated
Valentine’s Day with a dinner dance at La Tavola by Miky on Friday the 9th
of February. Poppy Appeal Officer George
Chaney struck a terrific deal with Miky and everyone enjoyed a superb two
course meal plus live entertainment for 15 Euros a person. The entertainer for the evening was Lesley
Harrison who was helped along by her friend Alicia Lane. Towards the end of the evening the Valentine
couples were bashing the balloons around the room and having way too much fun. Alicia commented that it was that it was more like
a kid’s party than a senior citizens dinner dance. Whatever the case, the function raised 304
Euros for the 2018 Poppy Appeal.
The Coin
branch has a full entertainment programme right up to Easter, details of which
can be found at http://www.coinrbl.info/.
Why not take a look and consider joining one of the most active and
friendly groups in the area?
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FEBRUARY 2018
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ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COIN BRANCH 12th
BIRTHDAY
Forty-six members and guests of the Coin branch of the Royal
British Legion gathered at 11am at La Parilla De Pepe on the 17th of January to
celebrate the branch’s 12th birthday. To mark the occasion, Jean Merry baked a
fantastic fruit cake and Rosie Mahoney used her extensive icing skills to
produce a culinary delight that both looked good and tasted delicious.
After wishing the Branch a happy birthday and leading a
round of applause, Jo Taylor reminded everyone that not all the members were
well enough to celebrate. She made
special mention of Vice Chairman Jim Cross who was very poorly and translator
extraordinaire Maria Paz Edwards who was currently undergoing heart surgery. Jo wished them both a speedy recovery.
The next big social
event is a Valentine Party on Friday
9 Feb 2018 at La Tavola by Miky in Sierra Gorda. The function is in aid of the Poppy Appeal
and includes a two course meal and live entertainment for just 15€.
If anyone would like to join the party see George Chaney
to book your ticket. |
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DECEMBER 2017
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COIN RBL CHRISTMAS
PARTY
Fifty-seven members
and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion launched the festive
season with a Christmas Dinner Dance at Los Candiles on Thursday the 7th
of December. Perfect entertainment was
delivered by the versatile and talented Juliet Williams, who really is much-loved
by everyone in the Coin Branch. Chairman
of the Branch, Jo Taylor, acknowledged that a lot of hard work had gone into
organising the evening and paid tribute to Jean Merry, Maureen Ramayon and Rosie
Mahoney who decorated the dining room and made table arrangements that set
everyone’s festive spirits soaring. The
branch also took the opportunity to celebrate their very successful 2017 Poppy
Appeal year. In October the Poppy Launch
and Autumn Fayre raised €865 and in November generous
donations and the money collected in poppy boxes totalled €3191.
This brought the overall sum raised by the Coin branch in 2017 to a
magnificent €8874.
The Coin
branch has a full entertainment programme right up to Christmas, details of
which can be found at http://www.coinrbl.info/.
Why not take a look and consider joining one of the most active and
friendly groups in the area? |
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NOVEMBER 2017
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REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
Coin Cemetery Chapel was almost filled to
capacity by 11.30am on Saturday the 11th of November when members of
the Coin branch of the Royal British Legion gathered together with friends to
pay their respects to all servicemen and women who lost their lives in
conflict. As in previous years the
congregation was in awe of the Tapas choir who sung a beautiful selection of
songs before the Service started. The Mayor of Coin, Fernando Fernandez
Tapia-Ruano and his fellow councillors were enthralled and complimented the group
on their performance. The branch
chairman Jo Taylor started the Service with an address in Spanish and English
which included for the first time a welcome to Captain Bernade Moya Ortiz of
the Civil Guard in Coin. The branch’s
chaplain Caroline Macfarlane then led a poignant Service with the theme of
Women in the Armed Forces. On a beautiful sunny day everyone’s spirits
were truly lifted by an amazing all-round effort by the Coin Branch. For the first time in Coin Cemetery Chapel
the Last Post and Reveille were played on a cornet by the Coin Standard Bearer’s
daughter Annette Spokes Ellis. Annette
can be seen here beaming with pride as she stands side-by-side with the
outgoing Poppy Officer Paul Pritchard, Standard Bearers Marian Ellis, Chris
Smith and Charles Edwards together with Caroline Macfarlane and the
distinguished guests from the Council. |
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October 2017
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COIN POPPY APPEAL
LAUNCH 2017
Fifty members
and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion launched the 2017
Poppy Appeal with a dinner dance at La Parilla de Pepe on Saturday the 28th
of October. Retiring Poppy Appeal
Officer Paul Pritchard, ably supported by his replacement George Chaney,
orchestrated an amazing evening that raised €406. Karen Kooper entertained the diners with a
fantastic selection of songs from the 50’s and 60’s that everyone instantly
recognised but could not always remember the artist or group that made them
famous. Towards the end of the meal emerging
star Ricky Leach, a firm favourite with the Coin Branch, joined Karen in
several excellent duets. After the meal
and raffle Karen returned to the microphone to continue the fun while the
more-active members of the branch danced the night away to a popular selection
of songs. Chairman of the Branch, Jo
Taylor, acknowledged all the hard work that had gone into organising the evening
and paid special tribute to Rosie Mahoney who had decorated the tables with brilliant
poppy centre pieces. Jo also thanked Paul
for arranging his farewell function and complimented Monica and the staff at La
Parilla for an exceptional meal. Without
everyone’s support such an amazing evening would have simply not been possible.
The Coin
branch has a full entertainment programme right up to Christmas, details of
which can be found at http://www.coinrbl.info/.
Why not take a look and consider joining one of the most active and
friendly groups in the area? |
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June 2017
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ARMED FORCES DAY
Thirty-nine members
and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion commemorated Armed
Forces day on the 24th of June 2017 with a wonderful lunch at
Parilla de Pepe in Coin. The entire
group gathered together at 1.30pm on a sweltering afternoon in Parilla de
Pepe’s dining room; fortunately the air-conditioning was on. Poppy Appeal Officer Paul Pritchard had
arranged a big screen to show various parades from around the UK and segments
from various Royal Tournaments through the years to provide an authentic Armed
Forces Day atmosphere here in rural Coin. Russell, the Armed Forces Quizmaster of the
day, tested members’ brain power with a challenging themed quiz that covered
all three Services as well as a selection of near-impossible dingbats. Thanks
to generous donations from David and Eve Simpson the raffle was a major success
and altogether almost 200 euros were collected for the 2017 Poppy Appeal. At the end of the meal Chairman of the Branch,
Jo Taylor, took the opportunity to thank everyone for coming along to pay
tribute to all our active duty servicemen around the world and she wished them
safe wherever they were.
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May 2017 |
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BREAKFAST AT ROSIE’S
Fifty-four
members and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion gathered
together under a clear blue sky for the annual breakfast at Rosie’s at 10am on
Saturday the 20th of May. The
meal got underway with a glass of ice cold orange juice freshly squeezed by PRO
Charles Edwards from two huge crates of oranges kindly donated by local grower
Bartolome Rojano Madrid. Jean Merry and
Maureen Ramayon dressed up in their best waitress uniforms and served the
hungry diners a superb selection of food prepared by fourteen eager Masterchef
fans ably directed by Social and Fundraising Committee Chairman Peter Brown. Diners could choose whatever they wanted from
the full list of English breakfast ingredients bought at the recently
established T&S Butchers in Coin. Some diners suggested the bacon, sausages and
eggs were among the best they had ever had.
One happy diner when encouraged by Chairman Jo Taylor to have two eggs
declared that one egg was “an oeuf”. At
the end of the meal Jo thanked everyone for coming along and helping to raise
over 200 Euros which will go to the 2017 Poppy Appeal. She also thanked the workers for producing
such a sumptuous meal with style and a smile.
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QUIZ TROPHY COMES HOME TO COIN
On Wednesday the 26th of April a team of 6
dedicated quizzers from the Coin branch of the Royal British Legion travelled
to Loja to try and regain the coveted Michael Taylor Trophy. Michael and his wife Jo, now Chairman of the
Coin branch, bought the trophy many years ago and offered it as a prize for the
Spain South Annual Quiz. Loja managed to
win the trophy from Coin three years ago and every year Coin has tried to win
it back but failed narrowly each time – except this year. Against strong opposition from Loja, Torre
del Mar, Molina and Mijas Costa, the Coin A team claimed an outstanding victory
seven points clear of the field.
Congratulations go to team captain Russel together with Heather,
Frances, Bob Rayah and Perry. Coin also
fielded a B team to run interference for the A team and they came a creditable
second just three points behind the winners of the B group. The challenge is on; can Coin retain the
trophy in 2018? |
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COIN RBL SPRING FAIR
The Coin
Branch of the Royal British Legion held its annual Spring Fair at Parilla de
Pepe on Wednesday the 19th of April.
Around 50 members entered over a dozen competitions including best spring
floral arrangement, best spring photograph, best spring craft and best spring collage,
painting, drawing or colouring. Other
categories included best jam, marmalade or chutney and best decorated cake or
cup cake. There were far too many
winners to mention here but the prize of the day went to Rosey Brown who made a
spectacular spring flower arrangement entirely from coloured paper. Everyone who entered had put an amazing amount
of effort into their submissions this year and the Chairman Jo Taylor sincerely
congratulated all those who took part and thanked them for really getting into
the spirit of the Coin RBL Spring Fair.
If you would
like take part in such activities come and meet the people who make up the Coin
Branch of the RBL at their new venue at Parilla de Pepe just opposite La Trocha
at 11am on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHIC
COMPETITION
The Coin Branch of the Royal British Legion held its annual
Photographic Competition at Yates’s on Wednesday the 15th of
March. The subject was Creepy Crawlies
and submissions were judged in 2 categories: Category 1 was open to all branch
members not in the photographic group; Category 2 was open to members of the
Coin RBL photographic group.
Category 1 was won by Monique Mansfield and Category 2 was
won by Charles Edwards but unfortunately both winners were missing on
Presentation Day. However, Chairman Jo
Taylor managed to catch them at the Branch Meeting on the 5th of
April and present them with their trophies.
She thanked everyone for submitting photographs of such a high standard
and awarded the Chairman’s choice trophy to Alan Ellis for his superb picture
of a European Swallowtail Butterfly taken in the woods near Coin. The lucky
winners will keep their trophies until March 2018.
Photos
Monique Mansfield and Charles Edwards with their
winning photos
21 February 2017
BODEGA FUN
FOR COIN RBL
On Tuesday the 21st
of February thirty eight members and guests of the Coin Branch of the Royal
British Legion enjoyed a remarkable trip to the Bodega Cuatro Vientos in the
Sierra de la Contraviesa. Although the bodega is a functioning wine
producer it has what is probably the most interesting and comprehensive wine
museum in the area. After a smooth a spectacular two-hour drive
into the mountains the group was greeted by the bodega staff who did everything
they could to make the day rather special.
Their incredible tour of the museum was topped off with a multi-media
presentation that was both entertaining and informative. When the presentation was over the group was
treated to a wine tasting experience where the samples were very generous to
say the least. At 2pm the very happy
bunch of travellers was escorted to an impressive dining room and served a
3-course lunch that featured a range of food typical of the Alpujarren region. The meal was served with an endless flow of
wine and topped off with an amazing cake and cream dessert. On the way home event coordinator Peter Brown
paid special tribute to the trip organiser and coach driver Gloria Bergillos
for bringing together such a memorable day.
18 January 2017
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COIN BRANCH 11th
BIRTHDAY
Forty-seven members and guests of the Coin branch of the
Royal British Legion gathered at 11am at the Yates’s Family Bar and Restaurant
on the 18th of January to celebrate the branch’s 11th birthday. To mark the occasion, Chairman Jo Taylor baked
a fantastic fruit cake and Rosie Mahoney used her extensive icing skills to
produce a culinary delight that both looked good and tasted delicious. For those who did not like fruit cake an
enchanting chocolate log was served as an alternative.
After wishing the Branch a happy birthday and leading a
round of applause, Jo Taylor reminded everyone that not all the members were
well enough to celebrate. She made
special mention of Vice Chairman Jim Cross who was in hospital with bronchitis
and our oldest member Eris Wallis who was struggling with his health in a
particularly tough winter.
The branch has enjoyed many day trips to beautiful locations
over the last 11 years and Jo summed up the branch’s excursions as simply “a
group of friends out for the day “. The
next trip on the 21st of February is to Bodega Quatro Vientos in the
Sierra de la Contraviesa. The outing
includes a tour of the bodega and museum, with samples, and a three-course
lunch with wine. If anyone would like to
join the group simply email Object
or call 663 157 776.
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