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THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK APRIL 2019
freeimages.com/Justine FG
Chairman’s Message For April the message from our Chairman is a little different, it is Ailsa’s report from our recent AGM. “Welcome one and all. Thank you so much for taking the time to attend, and I hope those of you who wanted to, have had a chance to read last year’s minutes, the Welfare and Treasurers reports.
Before I deliver my report for the last year, we have apologies from Frances Luns, Yvonne Ziegler,Phyllis Duckworth, Dawn Gerson, Jane Rodgers, Betty Stewart, AnnBroadhurst, Marion Causton, Ann McKinnon and our Patron Scott who has just become a parent for the third time. Erik was born on Friday last week, a good 3.265kg, 20 inches long and everyone is healthy and happy. As he was born on International Women’s Day Scott assures me of him being an honorary BWG member and a strong feminist. Having had the honour of taking over as Chairman for the last year, I am happy to report that we have had a very positive ,successful and enjoyable Ailsa Kneath year, also forging our relationships with the other BKK Ladies groups. All of which could not have happened without the dedication and unending support of our BWG committee, who have worked voluntarily and tirelessly on our behalf throughout the past year, arranging and organising all the events. I would like to publicly thank them and all our ladies, who run our weekly activities, for their time and efforts. Not always easy when juggling life, family and travel. Our coffee team have arranged monthly gatherings and special coffee events such as The Queen’s Birthday, Pink Breast Cancer, Macmillan, Valentines and our excellent Christmas Coffee Morning and have managed the new way, of home and cafe coffee mornings, which have proved a popular new way to meet. I would like to thank Liz Khan for taking up the role mid year ( you cannot have missed all her FB postings!) and for being my “head of vice” keeping me and my memory in check. Lunches this year have made the innovative move to combine with Activities on occasions , which has been popular as it gives the lunch a new perspective. This may be a way that the other activities will choose to market themselves in the year to come. One of the most exciting being our whale watching trip which surpassed all our expectations and proved to be a massive hit. Which I am sure will be a popular return event in the coming year. Thank you to Sylvia, Val and Sue Williams and her team. Which reminds me to mention that to align with our 2016 Constitutional change, (when we allowed Associate Members to sit on the committee and have a vote) the committee has decided that from September 2019 Associate Members should pay the same fee as other members. It still applies that Associate Members cannot be officers such as Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary or Treasurer. As this is not a constitutional change, it is not necessary to take a vote. All our events have been supported by our Raffle Team Amelia and Rebecca who have begged and collected many prizes to surprise and delight us. We are forever grateful to all our BWG members who unfailingly put their hands in their pockets time and again to help contribute to our Welfare fund. We are constantly aware that we are asking the same people, but know that the charities which we support are enormously grateful for our help, and it does make a difference, as you will see from the Welfare report. You will also have noted that in future we will give in retrospect every 3 months, so that we align our giving with our income. A huge thank you to Gale and her team for their hard work during the past year and the year ahead. I would like to thank Sue Davy, who has had a challenging year with our online media, as the gremlins kicked in from the start and are still rearing their ugly heads from time to time. All credit to Sue and her patience. She has offered to continue until a replacement member can be found, as she wishes to travel more. So please come forward if you feel you can help.
www.bwgbangkok.org
info@bwgbangkok.org
British Women’s Group Bangkok
Contact April 2019
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Chairman’s Message -
continued
A huge thank you to Nicky Hughes, our Treasurer, who has done a Herculean and professional job on our annual and monthly accounts, and has kept us on our toes this year. A difficult and time consuming job whilst also running a family. We are indebted to her and wish her well in her new adventures and thank Liz Dobson for taking up the baton. I would also like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to Jane Rodgers who is standing down as Vice Treasurer, and who has given the BWG committee 8 years of her time. Our Special Events team have guided and arranged us through “Girl’s Nights, Soirées and Embassy bashes” with aplomb and energy. Making sure we all enjoy and socialise with our members, even arranging a Quiz night to see the year out before they hand over. They are also helping out with our very important CWL event which is also celebrating our 50th anniversary. Which we do hope all our members can attend on May 29th at the Kempinski Hotel. The actual day of our birth. Very many thanks to Lynne, Kelly and Justine. Last but not least a massive thank you to Claire Llewellyn for producing our Ailsa Kneath online Contact magazine throughout the year, a new venture which she has presented beautifully along with wonderful front covers. Putting together our events photos, articles and Val Scagliarino-Baker’s hard won advertising pages. We thank you both. Unfortunately Claire is leaving us for a new adventure in South Africa, and as yet no one has felt up to the challenge of taking on this role. If we are unable to find someone we will have to resort to FB, mailerite and web page to post articles and information. Not a problem as such , but it means we will loose advertising revenue which is so important to us. If anyone feels they can fill this position, please let me know, although I am meeting with someone on Monday who may take over. Fingers crossed. Before I come to the end, I would like to make a special mention and a huge thank you to Laura Smith who is standing down as Committee Secretary after 4 years, to be free to travel with her husband. She has given her time in a calm, professional, ladylike and über efficient way. Personally without her help in the last year I would have been drowning not waving! Thankfully she is not leaving entirely as she is adding to her 6 year service by taking over Membership from Phyllis and Tracey, who have done a sterling job this year and we wish Tracey every happiness in her new adventure. Very many thanks.
Editor’s Note Welcome to my final issue as editor of Contact, it has been a real pleasure putting the BWG Magazine together for the past year, and I would like to thank all of you who have supported with content, proof reading and awesome photos (I’m talking about you Lisa Anaman!). I am however thrilled to be leaving it in the very capable hands of Rebecca Adderley, and look forward to reading it online from Cape Town.
Claire Llewellyn
www.bwgbangkok.org
info@bwgbangkok.org
British Women’s Group Bangkok
Contact April 2019
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BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP The aim of the Group is to enable its members to meet socially, to welcome its new members and associate members to Bangkok and to establish a programme of social, welfare and cultural activities.
Contents
March Diary Page 7
March Coffee Report Page 8&9
AGM Photos Pages 10-12
Combined Women’s Lunch Page 13
April Activity Page 14
Welfare Reports Page 15-17
April Coffee Page 18
St George’s Soiree Page 19
Bookworms Page 20&21
Membership News Page 22
Editor contact@bwgbangkok.org Advertising advertising@bwgbangkok.org Please note that the deadline for advertisements is the 5th of the month prior to issue. Please contact advertising@bwgbangkok for more information. PLEASE NOTE : Contact is published as a service to our members to keep them informed of news and events within BWG. The accuracy of other information cannot be guaranteed and is not an endorsement by the group. This also applies to advertisements that are included in Contact in order to cover some of the production costs. Every effort is made to produce Contact in good time to reach members before the first scheduled meeting, but the editor cannot be held responsible for unavoidable delays caused by circumstance beyond their control. It is the members’ own responsibility to know when meetings are scheduled and to contact someone to check if any changes have been made. Members are also asked to bear in mind when booking actives that most venues are not deemed suitable for children over six months of age and to make appropriate child minding arrangements.
Contact April 2019
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“With the power of imagination, characters can actually fly off the page” Jun, Grade 11.
April Diary SUN
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MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
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8 Mah-jong
9 Bridge Golf
10 Mah-jong Art Group
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Newcomers Coffee @ Bistro 33
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15 Mah-jong
16 Bridge Golf
17 Mah-jong Art Group
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22 Mah-jong
23 Bridge Golf
24 Mah-jong Art Group Activities : Royal Varuna Sailing Club
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29 Mah-jong
Coffee Morning @ Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand
Activities : Royal Varuna Sailing Club
27 St George’s Society Annual Soiree
30 Bridge Golf
Weekly/Monthly Activities You are invited to join these groups, but final approval is at the discretion of individual group leaders
Monday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm) Tuesday Bridge - Audrie Sill Beginners/Intermediate Golf - (morning) Ann McKinnon Golf - (morning) Sheona Jackson Bookworms - 1st Tuesday (10am) Jane Upperton Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr
Save the Date Combined Women’s Lunch hosted by BWG for our 50th Anniversary Wednesday 29th May @ Siam Kempinski Hotel
Wednesday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (1pm - 4pm) Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 (10am -12:30pm) Melissa Preston
Contact March 2019. 5
March Coffee at Tracey Nazif’s apartment By Liz Khan Seventeen ladies attended Tracey Nazif’s lovely apartment for our March Coffee Morning. Tracey had kindly baked cakes and made sandwiches and even had some delicious sausage rolls for us to share ! Clare also brought two cakes to add to the spread . Amelia organised a raffle which was very exciting as there were Cadbury’s Creme Eggs to be won (lucky Justine !) . A fun time was had by all !
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March Coffee at Tracey Nazif’s apartment By Liz Khan
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British Women’s Group AGM - 14th March 2019
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British Women’s Group AGM - 14th March 2019
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British Women’s Group AGM - 14th March 2019 2018-2019 Committee
2019-2020 Committee
Congratulations to our Patron Scott Chang and his husband H.E Brian Davidson on the birth of their son Erik. The BWG wishes them much luck and happiness for the future. Contact April 2019
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The BWG will donate proceeds raised from the charity lunch to; Gift of Happiness Foundation in Thailand and Steps with Theera
Duo of Cold Steamed Atlantic Lobster Salad and Tartar ***** Oven Baked Tiger Prawn and Scallops “Pot au Feu� OR Natural Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin ***** Non-classic Banoffi Sphere, Coconut ice cream. ***** Vegetarian Option available. ***** 2 bottles of complimentary wine per table of 10
Welcome drink, Shopping, Free corkage (feel free to BYO) & Disco
April Activity Royal Varuna Yacht Club Pattaya 24th and 25th April Come and join us for our second annual trip to the lovely Royal Varuna Yacht Club. Due to the success of last years activity, we are once again heading to the beach for an overnight stay. The Royal Varuna Yacht Club is situated between Pattaya and Jontiem on its own private beach. Once there, you can try your hand at sailing, or just relax by the beautiful pool or on the beach. In the evening, we will have a bbq at the beach bar. Accommodation is on site and you can share with a friend or have your own room if you prefer. All rooms are air conditioned with en-suite facilities. Rooms are THB 1,5750 each for one night and the beach bbq is THB 650 per person. We will be organizing transport to Varuna and back to Bangkok and once we know numbers, we can book the mini buses and the cost can be calculated. All other items, are what you chose to spend once there. We hope you can join us for another trip of fun and laughter and partners, family and friends are welcome. If you are interested in joining us, or would like further information, please email activities@bwgbangkok.org Cost: tbc RSVP: Friday 19th April activities@bwgbangkok.org, any cancellations after this date will be liable for the room
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April Welfare News By Gale Bailey MBE HDF Annual Party - 27 February 2019 Many thanks to Maria Cuckson for rescuing the yearly children’s party which was postponed due to schools being closed because of the terrible pollution. We were also provided with lovely bags from Bumrungrad Hospital – gratefully received with thanks. Thanks also to the volunteers – see their comments below - It was a great success! Success. Hello my friend, I hope your travels are going well. I did my little part today at the Children's party and it was a complete success. They were just so brilliant and so cute and so lovable. It was great. Thanks Gale, Santa Bill In Chuen Phloneg Alley today I learned that Christmas can come at any time of the year! Myself and other BWG ladies had an enormously rewarding morning singing and dancing with the children from Ceuplongnai Preschool. The highlight of my day was witnessing the pure joy and delight of the children when Santa Bill dropped by to hand out gifts. I felt proud to be a part of the BWG today as we made dreams come true for the children of Ceuplongnai. Amelia Deely What a wonderful morning spent with 90 2-6 year old boys and girls having fun, games, lunch and Santa. Such lovely children and so well behaved. Jane Williams Brilliant affair as usual! Couldn’t be more satisfied seeing the joy in the childrens’ eyes! Thanks BWG! Cheers Siti Survo A wonderful experience. A hot day but lots of fun with the children’s laughter and smiles especially when Santa appeared! Sarah Lesko It was a delight to join in the party, the children enjoyed the games, songs, food and they were in awe of Santa Bill. All the children were very appreciative and polite and it was rewarding to see them so happy! Maria Cuckson From Prawina Sompong of the Mercy Centre, Human Development Foundation Thank you very much for lovely party for the children at Ceuplongnai Preschool. I hope that you had a great time with the children and Mercy Centre team. I want to inform you that every year we are looking forward to your visit and bring a lot of fun for the children in communities. All off you are so kind and wonderful. Thank you and keep in touch. Best wishes, Prawina Contact April 2019
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April Welfare News By Gale Bailey MBE HDF Annual Party - 27 February 2019
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April Welfare News By Gale Bailey MBE Thanks from BCMF After BCMF team visited Naung Bo Den School on February 10th, BCMF Director Kanchana Thornton put out a request for towels when she saw that none of the children at the boarding school have one. On Valentines Day 14th February,after Yvonne Ziegler asked members from the British Women's Group to donate any unwanted towels to the school in Mae Sot, the group amazed Yvonne by not only showed up with a large amount of towels, but also toiletries, door mats and cash. Some of the donated items were then shipped directly to BCMF through Kerry Logistics Company while Yvonne and a friend also brought some in their checked luggage when they flew to Mae Sot. On behalf of the students and teachers, we at BCMF would like to thank everyone who came together to donate these goods and showed their generosity, love and care!
Burma Children’s Medical Fund - Van trip! Our last week's van left Mae Sot on February 13, carrying 8 patients and 5 caregivers to Chiang Mai. Among them were five new patients who will be undergoing their initial medical investigations. Of the remaining, two were going back for follow up appointments while one will be admitted for receiving surgery.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to The British Women's Group in Bangkok for their ongoing support of our patients.
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April Coffee Please join us at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club for coffee and a talk by author and journalist Dominic Faulder Time : 10:00am - 12noon Venue :518/5 Ploenchit Road (connected to the BTS Skytrain Chitlom station)Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Cost : 300bht for coffee, cake, biscuits and fruit RSVP : to coffee@bwgbangkok.org by Monday 8th April
Bangkok St.George’s Society 57th Annual Soiree Saturday 27th April 2019 Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit Sparkling Reception from 6:30pm ~ Gourmet 5 Course Dinner ~ Free Flow Wine and Beer ~ Dancing until 2am with ‘The Midnight Ramblers’ and a DJ
Tickets 3,500THB pp email : steveharrop@hotmail.co.uk
Bookworms - Left Neglected by Lisa Genova by Jane Upperton Just a few of us met in March, we welcomed Ann who was introduced by Laura and who comes from France (and the rest of the world-she has lived in many places.)and loves English classics. The book was Left Neglected by Lisa Genova who is a neuroscientist and incorporates her knowledge and experiences into her novels. Her novels introduce neurological conditions which are little known like Huntington’s Chorea, (Inside the O’Brien’s’) and Left Neglected which inform and leave the reader with some understanding of the lives of people with these conditions. We had a good discussion and the discussion spilt over into Lisa Genova’s other book topics such as Alzheimer’s which most of us were familiar with. I had heard of Huntington’s Chorea but never met anyone suffering but Gale told us about a family she knew where a few members suffered this dreadful genetic condition. None of us had come across ‘left neglected’ sufferers and we all struggled to imagine what it must be like to have this condition. It’s a case of ‘ why can’t I see the food on the left side of my plate or know where my left hand and leg are?’. More people are suffering with it as in addition to it being a consequence of a stroke it is being seen more as a consequence of traumatic brain injury. Lisa Genova has a video imploring people not to text and drive. So not uplifting but interesting read. Scores were 1-7/10, 1-8/10, 1/9/10
Contact April 2019
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Bookworms - February by Jane Upperton We had made a decision to discuss two books for February meet up. Just four of us attended the meeting but comment was received from another member.
Room by Emma Donaghue Sadly this is a not an unfamiliar story of a girl being kidnapped and held captive. The story is told from the perspective of a five year old boy, Jack ,who is being held captive along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five year old Felix in the Fritzl case. The room is a secure single room building at the bottom of the garden of the house where ‘old Nick ‘their captor lives. Old Nick brings food and necessities and regularly rapes Jack’s mother -ma- whilst Jack is hidden in the wardrobe where he sleeps.Jack is the product of one such sexual assault. When Jack is five ma organises their dramatic escape and rescue which culminates in their rehabilitation to life in the world. One of our members noted that at this point the writer could have ended the book but she didn’t. She went on to describe the confusing challenges facing them outside the room. Emma Donoghue has to be applauded for this work. Her ability to tell the story from the perspective of Jack and his world view is remarkable. I have to say I struggled with this initially but found it eventually to be totally appropriate. This book has been made into a film. Scores: 2-8/10, 3-9/10
Normal People by Sally Rooney This book charts the relationship between two young people -students Marianne and Connell from their small town high school to their university days at Trinity College , Dublin. They are from different backgrounds- she comes from a well off background and his mother is her families house cleaner. At high school he is popular and she is popular. At university things change-she is the social butterfly and he is pushed to the sidelines. These changes of status and roles switching continues through the book .they move part, they come together no matter how hard they try their paths keep crossing over. There’s also some examination of relationship changes as the people/family left behind get replaced by friends. This is Sally Rooney’s second book and her first seems to have been a masterpiece. Scores:
1-4/10, 1 -5/10, 1-6/10
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Membership News Don’t forget to let Laura or Ann(membership@bwgbangkok.org) know if any of your details change, or you leave us, so that they can keep the database and, of course members up to date with the latest information. If you use Facebook you can join the group : BWG Bangkok Women’s Group
Newcomer’s Coffee Mornings April Wednesday 3rd@ Bistro 33 22 Sukhumvit Soi 33 10am - 12noon May Wednesday 1st May @ Bistro 33 22 Sukhumvit Soi 33 10am - 12noon Please let Laura or Ann (membership@bwgbangkok.org) know if you are attending.
Birthdays in April 7th April
Rebecca Adderley
9th April
Ann Napier
9th April
Tatjana Kaiser
11th April
Catherine Bowers
16th April
Yvonne Ziegler
17th April
Lisa Annam
17th April
Apinya John
19th April
Jodie Holdsworth
22nd April
Shirley Kennedy
29th April
Anna Morivo
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