Our History
Wilmington Probus Club 1990 by Royston Durbidge
The new Probus Club was formed as part of my Rotary Club of Darenth Valley President’s programme in 1990. Trevor Beech was my Community Service Chairman and suggested we try to form a new Probus Club in my year as President. This was agreed and if successful I would be one of his first Members – little did I know then that it would turn out to be such a success. The costs of the formation would be borne by the Rotary Club including the Chairman’s sash, ties and badges for the Founder Members.
Trevor, along with Alan Pye-Finch, did all the donkey work finding the Founder Members and I asked Arthur Robinson if he would be our first Chairman having had previous experience of Probus in a London Club.
Our first meeting was at the Olympic Restaurant where formalities were completed – our Probus Club was born and still going strong
(Photo [Left to Right] – Alan Pye-Finch, Royston Durbidge, Arthur Robinson, Trevor Beech)
The picture above was an early meeting of the Rotary Club of Darent Valley outside the Fighting Cocks pub, Horton Kirby, in 1989/90 to discuss the formation of the new Probus Club.