Welcome to NARPO Colchester & North East Essex

Our Branch has both an active committee and an equally active programme. 10 Committee members meet on a quarterly basis and then take their discussions to the membership at a ‘Business’ meeting a week later.

Lance Williams and Dave Rout as our two Welfare Officers are also part of the general committee and provide regular feedback on any member who may be in need of either assistance or just a little company from time to time.

Branch Meetings will normally be held on the third Monday of each month at Clacton Golf Club, West Road, Clacton on Sea, CO15 1AJ at 11.00am [with exception maybe of December for our Christmas Social]. By necessity meal orders must be placed with the bar before we commence, so please arrive from 10:30 onwards in order to place your own.

* The Golf Club also has a Dress Code that is basically “Smart Casual” and excludes frayed or designer ripped jeans, cargo shorts [with the patch pockets], and tee shirts, however collared Polo shirts are fine. Additional to and specifically for motorcyclists, “Leathers” are not permitted in the clubhouse and alternative trousers and shoes should be changed into, in the men’s changing room.

Please see the map below in ‘Contact Us’ for the location detail.

Across the 12 months it is anticipated there would be four ‘Speaker’ meetings, three ‘Just Social’ and three ‘Business’ meetings, plus the AGM. After any meeting members can then enjoy a good meal, some more chat and also chance their luck in the raffle – which all goes to make for a good half-day out.

Our meeting on 15th April was a friendly Social Meeting, enabling us to have a good chat with one another, maybe win in the raffle and then enjoy a nice dinner. Our next meeting on Monday 20th May will be a Speaker meeting when member John Worland will be telling us of "The extraordinary story of Ursula Kemp" a 16th Century woman from St Osyth who was convicted of witchcraft!

We are always ready to welcome potential new members in the form of ex Police Officers from any Force, or the widows of ex officers, to join us for a “chat and a bite to eat” at any of our Golf Club based meetings.

Our ramble group normally meets on the first Tuesday of the month, starting and finishing at a public house where an after-walk meal can be enjoyed. Occasionally the day may have to be changed due to the availability of the intended pub having adjusted their trading days.

If you have never walked with us before and would like details on how to join in, or where the next walk will be starting from, then please contact Steve Hunt via his email link below.

For any walk, you would need to be at the start point by 10.15 - and for most venues - have pre-booked your meal with Shirley Carman if you wish to eat afterwards.

Please note that as this is not a NARPO recognised event, there is no Branch/National insurance cover for any incident that may occur.

Branch Rule re Covid: Although government advice on Covid has been reduced to a minimum, our branch committee realise that there remains a duty of care to protect our members as far as we can and as a result we continue with our own Attendance Rule which says that: “No-one may attend any meeting in an indoors setting for a minimum period of 15 days from the start date of contracting Covid”. Hopefully by taking this action we will prevent any unnecessary incidents.