By Jack Krayenhoff

Five years ago, the Cridge Club for seniors first welcomed the seniors of James Bay and Fairfield to its weekly program of lunch, sing-along and lecture, at the hall of the Church of our Lord on Blanshard at Humboldt. It was an instant success.

This fall the program is still going strong, but there is a difference: no longer do the people seek out an empty table when they come in, but instead they look for old friends and join them at their table. That proves the point of the Cridge Club: its aim is not only to provide a good three-course lunch with added attractions, but most of all to create an opportunity to meet congenial people and make new friends.

Invariably the mood of the get-togethers is upbeat. You feel the atmosphere the moment you walk in, as a gifted pianist is playing old favorites as a background. Then at the welcoming, the Emcee tells an excellent joke, and that too, helps. But the main source of fun and good cheer is the team of cooks, servers and washer-uppers. They are all volunteers, members of the Church of our Lord, and they enjoy their job. They love seniors, and they love serving them. That sort of attitude is infectious - it makes for a happy place.

What part of the program is the most popular? Some practical people will say it’s the food – it is tasty and there is variety. Soup, main course and dessert, plus coffee or tea – where can you get that for $5? For others, it’s the singalong with those lovely old songs about smiling Irish eyes and bicycles built for two. Or maybe it is the after lunch speaker they don’t want to miss: a geriatrician talking about blood pressure problems, or a lawyer explaining how to avoid pitfalls in making a will. Sometimes a minister or priest brings spiritual insight, or a gifted photographer shows slides from South America or the Arctic.

Some people who have moved to Victoria from elsewhere, having lost the connection with the church of their home town, now find that the spiritual aspect of their lives needs to be strengthened. For them, the Cridge Club offers, at 3 pm on the third Sunday afternoon of each month, a classical hymn sing. There we sing those rich and melodious classics, known in all denominations, that we remember from our younger days. To sing them is a sure way to connect us with our spiritual roots. As an interesting bonus, a historian explains the background of some of those hymns – that gives them all the more meaning.

Yet others are on a spiritual quest and want to talk about their concerns and insights with people their own age. Those matters are best discussed in the privacy and security of a small group, where all questions are taken seriously. In those groups, the Bible is used as a resource book, because it sheds light on almost every question humans of all ages have had to deal with. However, prior knowledge of the Bible is not necessary and in fact many people who come do not possess it.

Why not pop in about 11.45 this or any Thursday morning and get a whiff of the fun?