Newsletter 4 - September 2022
The AMRA Committee would like to express the sadness that we all feel at the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Photo: Tim Baker
Welcome to the next AMRA Newsletter. It’s been a long hot summer, but we are now well into the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.’
What a year we have lived through so far! Covid has forced us to revise the way we all live our lives and many activities have had to be cancelled by all of us. However, the Platinum Jubilee Party in June to celebrate the Queen’s seventy years on the throne went ahead and what a great street party that was, thanks to our social committee. We all enjoyed a carefree, fun afternoon with friends and family
and your generosity meant that we were able to send £400 to Sobell House in memory of Brenda Standen (their thank-you letter called us ‘Hospice Heroes’!).
This sense of freely being together again, led to a successful Boatnic in July and your generosity again enabled us to send £255 to another of our charities, The Abingdon Bridge (TAB). They wrote to us saying: ‘On behalf of TAB, I would like to thank you all for supporting us again as one of your charities. We are very encouraged to be supported by local groups.’
Coming up, we have our AGM combined with a Christmas party on the 9th December when I hope that you will all join us. The social committee are hoping to make it a happy evening with delicious food, games, a raffle and live music throughout the evening from Rod, who played for us at our last summer party. Despite the sadness that I know we all feel at this time, let us make it a joyous evening heralding in a new era and a happier 2023. Delia
Macmillan Coffee morning
For some years AMRA has organised a Macmillan Coffee Morning. In recent years this coffee morning has been held at St Helen’s Church hall. This year, it has been decided to combine our coffee morning with St Helen’s Church own event. It will be held in the Church Hall at 10.30 am on Friday 30th September and we hope that as many of the Marina residents as possible will come and support this event.
Photo: Macmillan Cancer support
In addition to your presence at the Coffee Morning, cakes and raffle prizes would be most welcome and these should be given to Lilian Antill, 4 North Quay, by midday on Thursday 29th September. The money made by the AMRA contribution will go to the Maggie Centre which gives such wonderful help to the people suffering with cancer in Oxfordshire
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.00pm on Friday 9th December. Although it is less than nine months since our previous, delayed AGM, we are pleased to be able to return to our normal pattern of holding our AGMs annually at the start of December.
Edwin Antill has indicated that he wishes to retire as AMRA Treasurer at the AGM, so we are looking for a volunteer to replace him. Edwin has said he will remain available to his successor for mentoring and guidance as necessary.
AMRA Book Club
The AMRA Book Club met on Wednesday 7th September to talk about Edna O’Brien’s book, The Little Red Chairs.
The book selected for next month’s reading is The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. Anyone is welcome to join the group – if you wish to do so please drop us a line at amra.social@yahoo.com.
The Boatnic
Photo: Lilibeth Newham
At last! On the 23rd July we were able to go on our annual boatnic to Day’s Lock, for the first time in three years! Ten boats were in attendance including the narrowboat Louisa. It was lovely to see so many people attend this very sociable event.
While we were there we raised a glass to our dear friend Brenda Standen who passed away in January this year - Brenda always loved this event.
We collected the fantastic sum of £255 for The Abingdon Bridge (TAB) which is a wonderful well-being charity that supports young people aged 13 - 25 in our town. So thank you everyone who came and enjoyed this event. Angie
Photo: Angie Goodman
Photo: Pam Hemsley