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.
Going through from Turl street through the porter’s lodge we entered the Front Quadrangle, the oldest parts of the college are here and date back to the 16th century.
Bishop Morgan’s translation of the bible into Welsh (around 1588). The oldest book dates from 1467, a version of De vita Christiana by Saint Augustine, but many of the oldest books are now held in the Bodleian Library. The library contains benches at which the books can be read – they are called ’15 minute’ benches as the design has intentionally made them so uncomfortable that scholars could only bear them for 15 minutes at a time.
rooms, student accommodation and a ‘digital hub’. The view from the top of the building is wonderful, and we stopped for a group picture.
We all met up at Christ Church Cathedral for 3pm, where we were met by our guides Anne and Steve Handsley. Christ Church is unique in that it is the college chapel and also the cathedral for the city of Oxford, and as such one of the smallest cathedrals in England. This means that the Dean of the church is also the head of the college.
Before the college was built, it was the site of the church of St Frideswide’s Priory. In 1532, Cardinal Wolsey chose the church for his proposed new college – Cardinal College, but Wolsey soon fell out of favour with the king, Henry VIII for failing to secure him a divorce, and eventually the project was taken over by Henry in1532, renaming it Christ Church (Ecclesia Christi Cathedralis Oxoniensis).
Christ Church is famous for its stained glass windows, including the Becket Window from the 14th century, the Jonah Window by Abraham Van Linge in the 17th Century, the St Michael Window by Clayton and Bell in the 19th century, and the famous pre-Raphaelite Frideswide Window by Edward Burne-Jones, also from the 19th century.
Ladies nearest the pin: Jane Morris
Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce & veg followed by lemon tart with mixed berry compote and whipped cream
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.
On the way Gwyndaf found several plants of interest, including the Coralroot, a tall pink flower which is quite rare (in most places)96, but one of the few places you can find it is in the Chilterns.
5 Horsemoor Lane, past a farm and some woodworking buildings, across a field with views across to Penn Street and its church, then turned right into a path edging Priestlands Wood, back towards the common and The Potter’s Arms. On the way we were told of the hundreds of different types of dandelions, and were informed about sedges – all being asked to recite ‘Sedges have Edges’.
