Book Club
Violeta by Isabel Allende
11th April at 7:30
This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life will be marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.
Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. . . .
She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life will be shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.
Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.
(Good Reads}
Cheese and Wine Party
It’s always fine with Cheese and Wine!
AMRA’s Spring Wine and Cheese Party will be on Friday 12th April from 6:45pm to 8:30pm, at St. Helen’s Church Hall, West St. Helen’s Street.
Time to shake off the winter blues and join us for the first AMRA Social of the year. A chance to meet informally and unwind with a glass of wine and a plate of cheesy goodness. Cheers to nights filled with wine, cheese, and great company!
A short talk will be given by Gill Dean from The Abingdon Bridge to thank Marina residents for their support over the last few years.
The evening is free to all members, so make sure you renew your AMRA membership. Non-members are also welcome at £7.00 per head. Please confirm your attendance for catering numbers as soon as possible. Drop a line to amra.social@yahoo.com. Lifts to St. Helen’s can be organised, if required.
Membership Renewal
Time to renew your AMRA Membership
Membership of AMRA costs £15 per person, per year, and this becomes due in April of each year. The annual subscription of £15 can be paid by BACS to AMRA’s account number 63783863, sort code 30-98-97, name: Abingdon Marina Residents Association. Please note that this is a Business Account. Please use the payment reference box to show your name and address. For more information, contact our Membership Secretary, Tom Hardy, on Tomrw.Hardy@btinternet.com. Alternatively, feel free to write a cheque payable to AMRA, and to deliver it to Tom Hardy at 20 West Quay. Please complete the following details with your cheque:
Name: email address……………………………………
Address: phone number……………………………………..
AMRA SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
AMRA Social Sub-Committee
The social side of AMRA is run mainly by a Social Committee consisting of six volunteers led by the Social Secretary, who also sits on the Management Committee, ensuring that everything is cohesive. We are pleased to announce that Laura Johnson has taken over as social secretary. She is a great ideas person so you will enjoy her energy.
We organise three, free, get togethers annually paid for from members’ subs ...... a wine & cheese party in March to herald in the new season, an afternoon party for children as well as adults and a Christmas party when we also hold our annual general meeting before the fun begins!
In the past, we have also organised various outings or “get togethers” called, ‘AMRA extras’ ..... events where those members who choose to join in, just pay for the actual cost. These have included: wine tastings, fish and chip suppers on the Wallingford to Cholsey steam train and visits to various places of interest. There has also been the annual, ‘Boatnic’ often held in June where the boat owners amongst us, along with their friends, moor up at Days Lock for a picnic.