Lentune Probus Club had two meetings in February (Lentune Ladies met on 1 February and Lentune Probus Men on 13 February ). On 22 February an evening of fun (and physical exhaustion) at the Annual Skittles Competition.
Lentune Ladies Probus - 1 February
Lentune Ladies Probus had a stimulating talk given by Ron Taylor, entitled 'South west Europe and North West Africa'. Starting in Portugal, we journeyed through Lagos which has a grim history of the slave trade. These slaves were used in the sugar plantations of Madeira. Huelva and the nearby village of Palos de la Frontera were where Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492. It is also the resting place of the “Man who Never Was”.
Seville and Cadiz were explored and then we turned south and arrived in Morocco. Tangier and the capital Rabat were fascinating including the smells and inhabitants and Ron then explained about the six pockets of Spanish territory on the north coast of Morocco. As these are technically EU, both Spain and Morocco are very nervous of illegal immigration. There is much ill-feeling and aggression between the two countries.
Finally, back to Spain and more ill-feeling with British Gibraltar. The phrase “Strong as the Rock of Gibraltar” is a misnomer, as the rock is riddled with tunnels! Roads, railways, rivers, a reservoir and a magnificent concert hall with stunning acoustics!
An excellent and lively talk, much enjoyed by the audience, was followed by the usual good lunch and much chatting amongst friends and their guests.
Lentune Probus Club - 13 February
Our speaker today was Richard Hutley on the subject : "Policing - Past and Future". Richard lives in Dorset. He retired in 2015 after a varied and colourful career.
We were greeted by a fascinating array of truncheons and handcuffs on entering the room to listen to retired police inspector Richard Hutley’s excellent talk on policing. A fourth generation officer, Richard took us from the 14th century origins of the force through to Sir Robert Peel’s Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, establishing the foundations and principles of modern policing, and the present, with a peek into a slightly uncertain future.
We were reminded that the police are servants of the Crown, not parliament and treated to a number of telling anecdotes from recent times ending with “hands on” experience of the afore mentioned items essential for keeping miscreants under control.
Skittles Competition Lentune Probus Club - 22 February
Members of the Lentune Probus and the Lentune Probus Ladies clubs met on Wednesday 22nd February 2023 to compete for the clubs' highly prestigious Skittles Trophy, at the annual members-only Skittles Competition, held at The Huntsman of Brockenhurst. 
23 top-flight players keenly fought three rounds of full-size skittles over the evening. Competition was fast and furious in a friendly atmosphere. The Cup is awarded to the player who knocks-down the most pins over the three rounds.
In the event, the Men's Club swept the floor, with the Referee (Men) winning the Trophy, the Club Secretary (Men) taking the Wooden Spoon ( utter shame !!) and the Chairman (Men) winning a thrilling Killer finale. The Ladies team showed some excellent skills and also took the overall Runner Up slot.
A convivial supper was enjoyed by all and concluded the eveningl.