THE second half of the season of Torbay Recorded Music Society opened in lively fashion thanks to a presentation by society president, John Davis, who took as his theme 'It Ain't Necessarily So'.

This proved to be the title of the first musical excerpt, the Gershwin composition normally heard as a song — here, in John's presentation, it appeared as a piano/violin arrangement.

This proved to be the key to the intriguing range of musical excerpts that followed since each appeared in unfamiliar transcription form.

Included were a Debussy piano Arabesque, heard as a harp solo, a Kreisler violin love song (as a piano solo), and a major work, Brahms' much-loved Anthony Chorale Variations, appearing in three guises: the orchestral version, an organ transcription, and as a piano duet... this was as originally played in first performance by Brahms and Clara Schumann.

These three versions had been skillfully welded together by John to give a continuous performance.

Works in the second half of the evening included Flanders and Swann's III Wind, Borodin's Prince Igor, Ravel's Vallee des Cloches, Kern's Pick Yourself Up (Menuhin and Grappelli) and Schwanda the Bagpiper.

Adding much to the pleasure of the evening, however, was John's introduction to each item for he was able to draw upon his long experience of things musical — and his many travels — having given 53 invaluable years to the society in various posts for which he was recently awarded a long-service certificate at Symphony Hall Birmingham at the hands of internationally renowned concert pianist Peter Donohoe.

Thanks to John's expertise and enthusiasm this was a thoroughly rewarding evening.

PRESIDENT Barbara Lawrence welcomed members and new members of Brixham WI to the first meeting of 2012.

Notices were given out of various events in and around the county.

The new year lunch was held at the Berry Head Hotel.

Members were then introduced to the speaker Wendy Ashley, who gave a very interesting and informative talk on bee keeping.

The president's flowers were provided by Beryl Bradford.

The competition was a bee ornament, which was won by Val Charlton, Sheila Jones second and Jennifer Evans third.

Flower of the month was won by Wendy Swain, Joan Coyde second and Kate Jackson third.

Thought of the month was read by Margery Bernard.

New members welcome. For more information, call Barbara on 01803 855439.

TORBAY Film Club is looking to support community groups who would like to screen films at special events.

The club can offer excellent audio visual projection equipment, support and advice at a greatly subsidised rate.

Torbay Film Club is a not-for-profit group run by volunteers who want to see the finest independent and world cinema in Torbay.

Members organise monthly screenings at Torquay Museum, which are very sociable with many guests having a drink and a chat before the film.

The films were voted for by members and include a mixture of English language, subtitled, documentary and a classic film.

The club has worked with Torbay Care Trust, a learning disability charity and other fledgling film clubs such as Follaton in Totnes.

For more info, email admin@torbayfilmclub.co.uk.

GOODRINGTON Townswomen's Guild had a very busy few months leading up to Christmas.

At their Christmas party, members enjoyed a Christmas flower demonstration given by Anita Baker.

This was followed by tea, lucky dip, and cards being handed out.

Several guild members attended the Torbay Federation carol service at Furrough Church, St Marychurch, after which they had tea and mince pies, organised by the Babbacombe guild.

The guild Christmas lunch held at The Waterside was well attended and members enjoyed a lovely carvery.

The new year started with a discussion at the January meeting.

All groups are up and running after a break for the festive season, these include whist drive, arts and crafts and games afternoon.

Members are also attending the federation new year get-together later this month.

The speaker for February is Ted Woolvet speaking on old Paignton.

Goodrington Townswomen's Guild meets every first Thursday of the month at the Methodist Church Goodrington at 2pm.

Visitors are always welcome. For more details, contact Mrs E Temple on 01803 842507.

Paignton Probus Club members were treated to a digital slide presentation of memorable interest and profound reflection on events in the Great War 1914-1918 at their weekly Wednesday morning meeting.

The speaker, Alan Salsbury, at the meeting in the Redcliffe Hotel in Paignton, held the audience in rapport with his vivid account of the genealogical trail and fate of distant family relatives with military service in the tragic conflict in Flanders where vast poppy fields still bloom annually as if in sombre remembrance.

Club members also contributed to the presentation with their own reflections on the visits they had made to the Commonwealth Graves Commission sites in Belgium and of the daily sounding of The Last Post by buglers at the Menin Gate.

Paignton Probus Club members look forward to a full season of meetings and social events with the annual club lunch taking place in February.

Members also look ahead to the end of season lunch when the guest speaker will be Privy Councillor, the Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe, who is well known for her forthright and sometimes humorous comments on current affairs and public life.

Paignton Probus Club offers a friendly forum and fellowship to professional and semi-retired businessmen.

Prospective members and those interested should contact John Bastow on 01803 556835 or Bill Bradley on 01803 842200 or log on to www.paignton probus.co.uk

DO you want to have a go on an indoor climbing wall? Made a new year's resolution to try a new activity or start a new hobby? Well, now's your chance!

Parkfield Torbay has a first class climbing wall and it is offering one-hour taster sessions for adults who want to give it a go in an informal setting.

One-hour taster sessions will be taking place on February 4, between 10am and 4.30pm at Parkfield, Colin Road, Paignton.

The sessions cost £5 for the hour, the normal price is £15. Hire of equipment is included in the price.

Call Parkfield on 01803 698900 to book or drop in on the day.

TORQUAY and District Horticultural Society invites new members from both within and outside Torbay who are interested in gardens and plants.

The aim of the society is to promote horticulture as a creative, educational and artistic pastime, to inspire a taste for horticultural knowledge and to make that knowledge available to as many people as possible and also to hold and sponsor flower shows, meetings, garden visits and any event which promotes the society's aims.

The society meets regularly in Torquay, from autumn to spring, for 13 talks on plants, gardens and gardening, as well as related wildlife, travel and ecology.

At most meetings there are also competitions for floral art, fruit and vegetables, and indoor and outdoor flowers and plants.

The society's headline speaker this year is Toby Buckland, TV presenter, author and nurseryman.

This year, members are also delighted to be hosting an additional talk on behalf of the RHS by another former Gardeners' World presenter, Gay Search.

The society arranges up to a dozen coach and car trips in spring and summer visiting gardens, shows and nurseries and also holds three social events: a summer show and plant sale, a winter lunch and a Christmas buffet.

Non-members are welcome to attend the talks for a £2 entrance fee.

The next talk, 'grow your own vegetables' by Chris Smith of Pennard Plants, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, is on February 8, at the Livermead House Hotel, Torbay Road, Torquay.

Chris is a perennial favourite with the society with his practical and encyclopaedic knowledge of growing plants.

On this occasion he will be talking about vegetable varieties, soil conditions, tending your crops, and making sure you grow what you really like.

He and his partner, Mike Milligan, run a mail order and online seed and plant nursery in Somerset, specialising in vegetables, fruit trees and bushes, other plants for the kitchen garden including rhubarb and herbs, and Agapanthus.

They have a particular interest in heritage varieties.

For further information about the society and its events, contact the secretary on 01803 294171.

THE first meeting for 2012 of Torbay Woodturners' Club was a hands-on night and some club members gave demonstrations and then requested volunteers to try out the proceedures.

First up was David Wilson demonstrating basic spindle turning mainly for the benefit of the new members and the raw beginners that have recently joined the club.

Several tried the various methods and many questions were asked.

Len Tucker demonstrated long-hole boring and deep hollowing. He followed this by showing members how to get two or more bowls out of one piece of wood.

David Miles was demonstrating the use of a sharpening jig and one or two people had brought along their tools for sharpening.

During the evening, Natalie Wills demonstrated the art of pyrography.

She completed a duck and a butterfly, but the most striking was a beautiful kingfisher which she had prepared earlier.

One of the members, Barry Hornsby, brought in a photograph of a 16-inch platter he had made in rosewood with an ash centre and a purple heart ring set between the ash and the rosewood.

An enjoyable and informative evening was had by all.

Torbay Woodturners' Club meets in the hall at Sacred Heart R. C. Church, Cecil Road, Oldway, Paignton. (Opposite Paignton Fire Station). The club has a small Axminster M600 for demonstations of the production of small items and a larger Woodfast lathe which is capable of turning very large items eg bowls, platters, hollow forms etc.

The lathes are used by club members to demonstrate their turning when a professional turner is not available. Turning is demonstrated on most club nights and can show how to do simple spindle work or more advanced turnings like hollow forms and inlaying. Members are encouraged to demonstrate some form of turning but this is not compulsory as not all members are happy to turn in front of a crowd.

The club also has a growing library for members to use.

The club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at around 7pm. The next meeting is on February 7 when members are going to be shown how carving can enhance our turning.

PROBUS Club of Torquay provides an opportunity for retired and semi-retired people to keep active mentally and physically as well as enjoying social interaction with fellow members.

The club was formed in 1970 and currently has 50 members.

The meetings are held at 10am every Thursday in the Livermead House Hotel, which provides plenty of free parking.

Many of the members choose to socialise after the meeting in the bar and once a month have lunch together in the hotel restaurant.

Torquay Probus Club welcomes inquiries from professional and business men interested in joining the club, for more information e-mail ger aldbarrington@btinternet.com

NEWTON Abbot Probus Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays in the month, from September to May, at 10am to midday at the Cockhaven Manor Inn, Bishopsteignton.

A wide range of interesting speakers attend. Most members and speakers retire to the bar for a swift half before departing.

Two lunches are held each year, and occasional additional events.

Retired business and professional men are invited to join.

The secretary can be contacted at raymccarthy@blueyonder.co.uk or 01626 331864.