Shaking hands: Roger Hope (left) Loyal servant: Tessa Murray says
takes over as President from Jonathan Balcon goodbye after more than 20 years
Friends stalwarts thanked
Presentations were made to three long-serving members of the League of Friends of Sevenoaks Hospital committee who retired at the annual general meeting on July 7, 2009.
Tessa Murray stepped down after more than 20 years as secretary. Chairman Roger Hope said: “Tessa has been an absolute stalwart for the past 20 years and the League could not have run without her. She has been an complete focal point for everything and words cannot describe the support she has given the league.
Roger himself stepped down as Chairman having originally taken on the role for three years and ending up serving 16. He will now take over the Presidency from Jonathan Balcon who tirelessly led a the £200,000 campaign to build the hydrotherapy pool a few years ago.
Jonathan said he was entering his 79th year and would reiterate the historic quote: “Whereas I don’t think I made too many mistakes, I think it is time I went!”
Tessa and Roger had been the mainstay of the committee, he explained.
Ian Philip was elected as Chairman, Lee-anne Robinson as secretary and Chris Dent as treasurer.
Sevenoaks to play key role - see Chairman's report (PDF 11KB).
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Photographic competition winners
Shifting scenes: Competition winners Mary Allwood, Champagne and roses: Mary Allwood is thanked by Chairman
Joyce Shaw and Celia Smith Roger Hope
The Changing Face of Sevenoaks has been portrayed by three enterprising winners of a photography competition organised by the Friends of Sevenoaks Hospital. The contest was won by Mary Allwood for her picture of Black’s Yard, near the Black Boy pub.
Mary said: “I was surprised and delighted to win the first prize in the competition, especially as I thought the subject was quite difficult, and also because I had encouraged the Sevenoaks U3A Photography Group, which I lead, to enter. “I was of course particularly pleased that two other members of the Group won the second and third prizes.”
This is the third competition run by the Friends and Mary won the first contest and also had a picture accepted in the second. The runner-up was Celia Smith who pictured the Mexican restaurant Zapata in London Road - which at different times in its history was the local Job Centre and Lady Boswell’s School. Third prize went to Joyce Shaw for her photo taken near Chez Gèrard Brasserie.
All the pictures are now on display in the hospital’s out-patients’ department.
Friends Chairman Roger Hope said he was impressed with the high quality of photographs entered. He explained: “The competition was originally designed to provide a number of pictures for the walls in the hospital which would remind patients and staff of the area in which the hospital operates.
“It was felt that photographs of the Sevenoaks area would be more inspiring than the standard prints you often find in hospitals.”
Mary is a volunteer garden guide at Ightham Mote and three years ago her pictures showing the Mote through four seasons formed the first exhibition to be staged in the undercroft area (more pictures). 
Third prize: Joyce Shaw Bouquets: The winning trio Runner up: Celia Smith
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Christmas Fayre
The event was a huge success with visitors of all ages and the main building was packed with a variety of stalls manned by hospital staff and members of the League of Friends. Local medical practices donated festive hampers.
League of Friends Chairman Roger Hope said: “The Christmas Fayre was a great success with plenty of visitors - raising £2,000 in spite of the dismal weather. We are very grateful to all the members of staff who worked so hard to make it such a wonderful day."
Local author Graham Cawley was there to sign his books and is donating proceeds to the hospital.
Festive fun: Stallholders display their wares at the Christmas Fayre and are joined by author Graham Cawley on November 29
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Hospital quiz success
A special quiz arranged by the Hospital Friends raised just over £200.
The standard was very high - with most entrants scoring more than 80%. The two joint winners had 91 out of 100. Mike Murray who organised the quiz with his wife Tessa explained: “There were some interesting questions: - A house built in 50BC burns down in 25AD. How long had it stood? Most people said 75 years, but the answer is 74 years - there's no year 0!
“There was a question on the longest word made up using only the upper row of a standard computer - we had thought that the answer was `typewriter’ but someone found the word `Rupturewort!’ Sounds horrible - but it is a flower.
The questions were compiled from a variety of sources. Mike explained: “Some questions we posed from facts picked up on our travels
- for example: “What does the Bosphorus have in common with an English University?” “The answer is Bosphorus, meaning Ox Ford.”
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