We met at 6pm on 8th May at a new venue this year – at the Fitzwilliams Centre in Beaconsfield Old Town.
It was a good venue and had been recommended by Ann Tennant, our caterer.
Gwyndaf welcomed everyone and proceded through the formal part of the meeting at pace.
His Chairman’s Report ran through the events that we had organised over the previous year, starting with the Summer Lunch (where more help is needed in setting up the gazebos) which was hosted by our President, Ann Evans.
The Golf Day in September attracted a good number of non-golfers, coming for the lunch.
Our visit to Milton’s Cottage and St Giles church was very popular and informative, finishing in a trip to Merlin’s Cave for lunch.
In November we had a fascinating talk on Patagonia by Gareth Morgan of the Slough Welsh Society. He told us of the Welsh settlers who travelled there in the 1860’s in order to defend their Welsh heritage. We held this meeting in Gerrards Cross Community Centre’s Garden Room and this proved a good venue.
Ann Evans once again hosted the Christmas Drinks in December and this year we did not run out of prosecco. Michael Owen led us at the piano as we sang Christmas carols.
In January, many of us met at the Magic Circle in London, to be amazed and fooled by close up magic tricks.
At this year’s St David’s Day we were entertained by Gwion Thomas and his wife, Chloe Willson-Thomas who sang for us, accompanied by John Breese on the piano.
This year’s events will include a Tudor themed walk through Old Amersham, a Country Walk in Hodgemoor Woods, the Summer Lunch and a new event – a visit to Vache Baroque, which is a music festival held in Chalfont St Giles.
Gwyndaf continued by saying that Ann Lawrence, who has been our Membership Secretary for almost every year since the Society started in 2000, is going to step down from the committee this year.
Gwyndaf thanked Ann for her many years of service and presented her with flowers and a bottle of champagne.
Membership of the society has remained constant at 121.
Lloyd Jones then gave his Treasurer’s Report, saying that over the year 2025/26 the Society had made a loss of £429.90, which was expected as the 2025 AGM was planned as a free event to celebrate our 25th year.
We then came to the election of the Officers of the Committee. Ann Browne has offered to stand as Membership Secretary in place of Ann Lawrence, and all the other committee members have agreed to stand again.
The vote was taken and the present committee was unanimously voted in.
So are current committee consists of:
Ann Evans Life President
Gwyndaf John Chairman
Michael Owen Minutes Secretary
Lloyd Jones Treasurer
Ann Brown Membership Secretary
Kay Day, David Powell Committee Members
& Colin Thomas
The posts of Vice Chairman and Secretary and currently vacant.
Gwyndaf then told us that David Powell has indicated that this would be his last year on the committee and that we do need others to volunteer to help with the running of the society.
That concluded the formal part of the meeting, and we broke for a meal provided by Ann Tennant and her daughter-in-law, Jagger. This was up to their usual standard – delicious – with a choice of chicken or salmon and lots of different deserts.
After the meal, Gwyndaf introduced our speaker, Wendy Blythe, from the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales.
Being new to the location, we did have some tense minutes trying to set up the overhead projector, but then Wendy was able to start her talk.
Wendy told us about the Council, its background and its current campaigns. These included campaigns against onshore windfarms (advocating offshore ones), protecting the habitat of endangered red squirrels and campaigning against pollution in our rivers, particularly the Wye and the Usk.
The evening finished at about 10pm with Gwyndaf thanking Wendy for such an interesting and informative talk.
