On 21 July, Mike (with help from Sheila) gave a fascinating talk on their explorations of the South West corner of the USA.  Packed with facts and figures, they recounted the highs (Mogollon Rim – 7000ft above sea level and marking the end of the Colorado plateau) and the lows (Death Valley); the heat in Death Valley – the hottest, lowest, driest place in USA with an average of 1.9 inches of rainfall pa and the cold of the snow still blocking a number of roads into Yosemite. » Read more..

On 14 July, Guildford Chantries Rotary Team, along with friends and family, enjoyed an evening of entertainment at the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s open air production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’.  Held, for the first time, in the spectacular grounds of the Guildford Law College, the audience were captivated from start to finish by the love story with a tragic twist.  To cap it off, the weather for the picnic on the lawn beforehand was beautiful.

“The actors and actresses truly brought the play to life – and with a modern twist, meaning even the children enjoyed it,”  said Chantries Treasurer, Tony Bennewith of local accountants A J Bennewith & Co, who were a sponsor of the production.

This year’s Bikeathon on Sunday 10 July proved to be a great success, raising £3,000. Sponsored by Allianz and with funds raised going to the cancer ward for children and teen at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, around 150 cyclists enjoyed the summer sunshine through Guildford’s streets and villages.  The Mayor of Guildford, Councillor Terence Patrick, also showed his support – starting the cyclists at 10am from Bushy Hill School.

Marina Chumakina who took on the 27 mile race said “I had a wonderful time. The route passed through some beautiful parts of Guildford that I hadn’t seen before and I got to raise sponsorship money to help local charities at the same time.”

David Greatbatch, President of Guildford Chantries said “Well done to everyone who took part – the cyclists were the real stars of the show – and the Chantries Team who ran the registrations and acted as marshals around the route, helped to keep everyone’s spirits high.”