Page 31 - link magazine

LocalLives

Words around the world

Earlier this year Robin Rowles from Chartdos Close, Grange Park started making contact with letter writers across the globe.
Here he describes the pleasure to be gained from communicating through the post.
I work full-time for PPS Chartered president. Its simple objective is to If your hobby is exchanging
Accountants, in Old Town, Swin- .mmote peace,harmony and friend- stamps, then all the contacts that
don, as an unqualified accountant, ship worldwide through sincere '1FF' will give you, will be stamp-
and in my spare time, I have devel- personal correspondence. exchanging club members. '1FF'
oped a growing interest in writing The doors of '1FF are open to now has over 6,000 stamp collectors
letters to penfriends, worldwide young and old, male and female, and also has its own stamp ex-
through 'International Pen Friend s'. married and single. Our youngest changer division.
Ijoined '1FF in January 1 994, hav- member is eight years old and our '1FF' provides a special school
ing seen an article in a local paper, oldest was born in 1920. To each of class service, for teachers, school
and on becoming a member I re- you '1FF' can bring friendship from classes, girl guides, boy scouts and
ceived a list of penfriends to contact, across the surging seas, through all youth groups aged 10-17 years.
in my own age group. Within a English, French, German, Spanish Indeed 'IPF now has over 70,000
short period of time I have quickly and Portuguese languages. Every students registered and teachers in
established a sincere persona lcorre- caste,creed and colouris represented almost all countries realise that
spondence with six penfriends in our club. It includes people from through correspondence their stu-
worldwide. I have already found it all walks of life. dents have a unique opportunity to
to be very interesting, educational Whether your interests vary from learn good writing techniques and
and rewarding, so much so, that a desire to cultivate congenial friend- develop their existing hobbies or
during the last couple of months, I Robin, making contact worldwide ship or practise a foreign language, acquire new ones.
have now been appointed as a club to improve your technical knowl- `1FF' publishes its own interna-
agent of '1FF' to help promote and Pinatubo in Zambales on 15 June edge, to arrange exchange holidays tional magazine entitled 'People and
represent this organisation, within 1991 and to say it was a fascinating or to develop your hobbies, please Places', and club members can sub-
the UK and Europe. and horrific story would be an un- be assured that from among 300,000 mit articles for publication in it.
One of my penfriends, living in derstatement. club members in 210 countries, '1FF' There is an award of 100 US dollars
the Philippines explained to me her '1FF was founded (in a shoe box!) will provide you with many new, for the best item in each quarterly
in-depth, witnessed story of the in Dublin, Ireland on 7 April 1967 by refreshing, exciting and interesting issue.
major volcanic eruption of Mount Irishman Neil O'Donnell, now club contacts worldwide. Becoming a club member of '1FF
has opened up new horizons forme.
Youngsters receive I had forgotten what it was like to
look forward to the postman com-
Duke's bronze ing. In truth I can expect a letter
from 'anywhere, anytime'.
award I hope that you will consider join-
Six Greendown School students and ing '1FF' and by your honest and
one from Hreod Parkway received sincere correspondence you will
Dukeof Edinburgh's bronze awards encourage international harmony
fromThamesdown' s Deputy Mayor and find many true friends among
Bert Smith at an outdoor camp at 'International Pen Friends'.
Coate Water on 17 July. Full information and an applica-
To achieve the award they had to tion form can be obtained from:
carry out a variety of activities rang- Robin Rowles, Representative
ing from an overnight hike to com- International Penfriends
munity service, developing a hobby 67 Chandos Close,
and a physical pursuit. Grange Park
The Coate Water camp gave a Swindon SN5 6AQ
large number of youngsters the
chance to try many Duke of Edin- Award winners with Deputy Mayor
burgh activities like canoeing, radio Bert Smith,clockwisefromfront, Green- Parish of West Swindon Freshbrook
controlled boating, air rifle shoot- down students Sam Brassington, & The Lydiards
ing, orienteering, bird watching and Evangelical
Gemma Bond, Fiona Wilistead, Gayle Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, URC
camp skills, including cooking rab- Church
Curtis,JaskirmKhaira,Helen Stamford
bit over wood fires. and Matthew Smith from Hreod All Saints, L. Millicent (1O.3Oam) Worsley Road
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Parkway (for the village) &
scheme operates at Greendown Holy Trinity, Shaw (1O.3Oam) Will give YOU
the Greendown D of E Open Award Rev. Andrew Hetherington 770568
School and is available both to stu- Centre, contact Bob LinnegarorNick a warm welcome
dents attending the school and oth- Stening at Greendown during term St. Mary's, L.Tregoze (10.30am) Sunday lOam Family Praise with
ers aged 14 to 25 years who do not. time. Tel: 874224. (for Freshbrook & Grange Park) children's Covenanter Movement
The scheme is available to young- Rev. Rob Buries 870244 & creche
sters of all abilities. No special aca- Kenya Bound Toothill Church (10.45am) 6.30pm Evening Worship and
demic or physical skills are needed. Two ex-Greendown pupils Sarah Rev. George Gibson 692620
(also free church minister for parish) Communion
Each part of the award is flexible in Lothian and Richard Cockell will be
its demands; effort and staying spending the end of July and two Westlea Church (lOam) For details of mid-week meetings,
Rev. Peter Walker 872932 house groups and other
power are the imponant require- weeks of August in Kenya as part of
ments. their work to achieve the Duke of Evening & other services as announced, activities, telephone the
Church Office, Tel: 873050
To find out more about joining Edinburgh Gold Award full range of children's & other groups
NO r 1
Local information for local people. To advertise in this
1 1 essential directory in next month Link magazine, call 872282