Christmas Drinks 2023 – Sunday 3rd December 12:30
This year Ann Evans hosted the event at her house, The Tuft, in Chesham Bois. This was the original location for Christmas Drinks in the earlier years, until the Society became too large.
About 40 members attended as a few had called in sick at the last moment. We were lucky with the weather as it was quite clear and dry, without the snowdrifts that we have had in previous years!
As we entered, Ann and Kay Day greeted us with name badges – a great help if you can’t quite remember someone’s name.
Moving into the dining room we met Lloyd Jones at the drinks table, helping everyone to wines, beers and soft drinks.
As soon as everyone had arrived, Ann Tennant appeared from the kitchen, carrying canapes and soon various members were acting as waiters and waitresses.
There was lots of food to go round and it was great to see old friends and to meet new ones.
One encounter had everyone smiling. Heather Roberts, a new member from Chorleywood arrived with her daughter Susan. Heather was originally from Pontypridd and it was pointed out that two of our longest standing members, Chris and Hazel Thomas were also from Pontypridd.
Well, it was quite a re-union, as it turned out that Heather and Hazel were in the same class at school – and even more interesting that Heather and Chris once went out together.
Although pressed neither Heather nor Chris would reveal what happened all those years ago when they went for a walk to the top of the nearby mountain (hill?).
Janet John circulated handing out copies of the 2023 Winter Newsletter (and saving postal costs).
At about 3pm everyone was handed a song-sheet and we all gathered around the piano as Ann played 
many of our favourite carols.
We all said our goodbyes at around 3:30, before it got dark, and made our way home again.
It was a very joyful occasion, and our thanks go to Ann for hosting the event again, Ann Tennant for the lovely canapes and to Kay for organising the event.
More photographs of the day can be found here.
This year we chose a new venue for the AGM – the Jubilee Hall in Amersham. This is a new building on Rectory Hill, near the railway bridge, and just down the hill from Dr Challoner’s and is the home of the 2nd Amersham-on-the-Hill Scout Group.
There were about 33 members in attendance, and chairman, Colin Picton, kicked off the meeting at 7:30. Colin went through the formal part of the evening with approval of last year’s minutes and a run through of all the events we had enjoyed over the past year. Membership remains at about 110, and Colin welcomed several new members to the Society.
2Ann Lawrence asked a question about older members. Some members are no longer able to attend any of our meetings but still wish to keep in touch with the society. Ann asked whether it would be possible to let these members become ‘honorary members’ with no fee, but still included in emails and sent copies of the newsletter. David Powell said that, as treasurer he should point out that newsletters and postage would cost £4 per annum. The chairman proposed a vote on the issue and it was carried unanimously. The society will now offer an honorary membership to those who can no longer attend meetings.
Ann Tennant then served us all with dinner with three choices of main and several alternate desserts. We are all very thankful to have Ann, and are constantly surprised at how she prepares such good food on her own at such reasonable prices.
locations in the UK, both in Snowdonia. The flower is the only Alpine bulb in the UK and is probably a remnant from the ice-age.
No-one was absolutely sure whether our 2021 drinks party would go ahead, due to rising numbers of Covid.
Bright blue matching chairs and, cheerful garden flowers adorned the crisp white tablecloths. At this juncture, our thanks to the ‘flower girls’ as they were referred to. The guests had come laden with their own wine, fruit juice, beer and fizzy water and people on the tables introduced themselves. I maintain that Welsh is my first language and, was fortunate enough to be educated through the medium of Welsh from the age of 3 to 21. I was especially pleased to catch up with a few people who spoke Welsh and spent a while chatting to Bill Jones about the delights of Amlwch and Anglesey in particular!
Table by table, we were invited to the serving area, where the To Dine For ladies had set up a veritable spread. Our food had been pre-ordered, I had salmon, others had chicken and there was a vegetarian option, all adorned by a variety of salads, I have to say it was very tasty. We had olive and chilli bread, which you could wash down with the drink of your choice. Extra food was available if you wanted a top up. Chatter, covering a multiple of varied subjects, was constant. David Powell managed to pop round each group to photograph everybody deep in conversation. For dessert there was fruit salad, tiramisu, chocolate tart with lashings of cream, should you want it. To round off the meal tea and coffee were served with some lovely chocolate mints. All in all, I would say the afternoon was a massive success, everybody was pleased to catch up, after such a long time of being at home.
I would like to give a special mention to Ernest Morris, whose delightful garden we enjoyed and for the loan of the gazebos by Alan Longshaw. Thanks too to David, Gwyndaf, Alan, Peter Johnston and Colin Thomas for erecting these and, getting the furniture in situ; hopefully it was dismantled a bit quicker than it went up. Thank you very much to Kay for her organisational skills and making the afternoon such a success, we all know that these events, don’t ‘just’ happen.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of our local MP and honorary CDWS member Dame Cheryl Gillan on 4th April 2021, after a long battle with cancer.