C NTACT THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK
February 2021
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
Directory Page 2
Diary Page 3
Chairman’s message Page 4
BCCT Christmas Lunch Pages 6-7
Book Club Page 10
Positions on the BWG Committee Page 12
February Coffee Morning Page 14
Place of Grace Page 16
Carousel Page 18
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.
Chairman’s Message Hello February 2021! Seems that “same same but different” is the most profound of statements. I am afraid that not much has happened in the past month; however we are hoping that we can cautiously get going during in February. Liz Dobson has kindly opened her home up to us on Thursday 11th February to meet again for coffee and celebrate Chinese New Year, please come and join us wearing your best red clothes. It will be lovely to see each other again and catch up. Please reply to lizziekhan@yahoo.co.uk We still have committee positions to fill, if you have been thinking about volunteering please take the time to have a look at which positions are available. Being a member of the committee is a very rewarding and fun thing to do, creating events is a great way to get to know people especially if you are new to the city and group.
Ailsa Kneath
I very much hope to see you soon, until then stay safe, well and sane. Ailsa. Thought for the month:Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. Albert Einstein. Welcome to the February issue of Contact Magazine and I hope that you are all keeping well wherever you are in the world. I’m enjoying being back in Bangkok and really noticing the stark contrast between here and the UK. Its good to return to a level of relative normality and I keep hoping that gradual improvements will be evident in the UK soon. As Ailsa has mentioned already, do consider the positions available on the BWG committee. We are a lovely and supportive group of ladies and its a fantastic way to become involved in the social opportunities in Bangkok. www.bwgbangkok.org
info@bwgbangkok.org
British Women’s Group Bangkok
Contact January 2021
February Diary SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 Mah-jong
9 Bridge Golf
10 Mah-jong Art Group
11 Coffee Morning
12 Chinese New Year
13
14 Valentines Day
15 Mah-jong
16 Bridge Golf
17 Mah-jong Art Group
18
19
20
21
22 Mah-jong
23 Bridge Golf
24 Bridge Art Group
25
26
27
28
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 Golf - (morning) Sheona Jackson Bookworms - 1st Tuesday (10am) Jane Upperton Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr Wednesday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (1pm - 4pm) Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 (10am -12:30pm) Karin Worthington
nspiring ndividuals At KIS International School all students can shine. The midsize, caring community allows KIS students to be confident and to be appreciated as an individual, with unique dreams and strengths. The school is a full IB school, offering the International Baccalaureate Programmes for all age groups (IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma), ensuring an academically rigorous curriculum that not only prepares students to be successful at university, but also teaches important life skills. KIS, it’s all about Knowledge, Inspiration and Spirit. Check out the students’ videos to learn more about their passion www.kis.ac.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2274 3444 Email: admissions@kis.ac.th
“With the power of imagination, characters can actually fly off the page” Jun, Grade 11.
BCCT Christmas Lunch – 17 December 2020 – J.W. Marriott Hotel by Gale Bailey MBE I have been attending the famous or rather infamous BCCT Christmas lunch for over 15 years and this was another excellent event, organised by Greg Watkins, Director of BCCT and his hard working team of ‘angels’ as the girls call themselves. It is hosted by two jolly Santas – namely Greg Watkins and Danny Poole who is well known for his wisecracks which gets us all in the festive mood.
I arranged a BWG/BCTFN table but before the lunch, Jane Rodgers, Anna Whitcraft and myself were selling the British Embassy book. This is a wonderful memento for those who remember the wonderful British Embassy of which us Brits were so proud and now we are so sad it has gone. The proceeds from the book go to BCTFN to distribute to Thai charities.
It is a real fun lunch and usually everyone enters into the spirit of things as there are silly games, quizzes and singing competitions which improve with alcohol. There is also a raffle with many fabulous prizes (I won a Maldives trip a couple of years ago - nothing this year!) As Ploenchit Fair did not happen in 2020, BCCT very kindly donated the proceeds of the raffle to BCTFN – WOW!! GREAT! The food was plentiful and delicious and the 3 hours pass very quickly but then there is an after party with music, singing and dancing after which, for those with staying power, it was on to the lobby for a nice quiet and reserved ending to a great day. Thanks to BCCT for another excellent Christmas lunch – you never fail to produce great events. BCCT - British Chamber of Commerce Thailand BCTFN – British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy BWG – British Women’s Group If anyone is interested in purchasing a ‘Remembering the British Embassy’ book @ 500 Baht – please contact btfcn@loxinfo.co.th
Fast
t
n Convenie
behind a e d i Clinic. t e n h t a t s s i t n I a Th PD d’s new O a r g n u r Bum It is perfect for minor illnesses, prescription refills, preventive care including vaccinations, or a doctor’s note. Instead of waiting for hours on end you can see a doctor, settle the bill, receive your prescription and be on your way in under an hour. Simply scan the QR code to learn more about the new OPD Instant Clinic.
www.bumrungrad.com Contact Center: 0 2066 8888
nsive
e Compreh
Bookworms - February
Christmas is Murder
by Val McDermid
In a review, Val McDermid is described as ‘the Queen of Crime’ and ‘a master of the dark and sinister story’. This book is described as ‘a festive collection of chilling tales’. The chapters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous, never above suspicion. Just a few of us turned up for this meeting which came soon after the New Year. But absent members did send in comments and scores. Most enjoyed the book but some felt that the stories were a bit insubstantial and that trying to do murder mysteries as short stories didn’t work so well. A reviewer commented ‘a lot of the stories should have been longer but McDermid removed chunks of the story to make it shorter’. We spent quite some time discussing the lesbian inclusions and references in the book. I have absolutely no issues with LGBTQ groups and we agreed that the inclusions of lesbians in the stories added nothing and became irritating when there were lesbian characters in stories 2-5. The fact that Val McDermid is a lesbian goes someway to explain this aspect of the book.
Scores: (including scores sent by absent members). 6/10 - 3, 7/10 - 6
Next Pick The Island by Veronica Hislop
Next meeting: Tuesday 2nd
February at 10 am. At 28/06 Urbana, 55, Lang Suan, Pathumwan,Chitlom 10330
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Positions available on the BWG committee. Dear Members, Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for March 2021 and we are currently looking for volunteers to fill a number of Committee positions. We would very much welcome any members who would like to be part of the team and willing to participate in helping run the BWG going forward. The Committee is vital to the continued work of the BWG in Bangkok and vital also to the provision of a social network that benefits us all - newcomers through to old timers who have been here for many decades. Many Committee positions still remain available and include the following: Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer Vice-Treasurer Coffees Activities Raffles Welfare If you would like more details on any of the above, please contact our Chairman, Ailsa who will be delighted to explain more of what is involved. Email: aokneath@gmail.com
FEBRUARY COFFEE MORNING Please come and join us for our first event of 2021 to be held on Thursday 11th February. This will be a special Chinese New Year Coffee morning kindly hosted by Liz Dobson. Date: Thursday 11th February Time: 10am - 12 noon Cost: 200 baht Dress: Please wear something red if you can to celebrate Chinese New Year. Raffle: We will be holding a raffle Venue: Liz Dobson's house Address: 50/280 Bangna-Trat Soi 45 Mobile: 081 854 8681 Directions: Liz's place is off to the left before MegaBangna, so BTS to Udum Suk and then a taxi.You must be on frontage road at Chic Republic (look for the dome just after going under the Srinakarin overpass).You pass a Shell station next to an Esso station and it is next road on left.Tell the guards Khun Liz or 50/280, straight over the roundabout. Liz's is a few houses along on the right. She will put a flag on the gate! RSVP to Liz Khan by Tuesday 9th February Email: lizziekhan@yahoo.co.uk We look forward very much to seeing you there.
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Place of Grace Christmas celebrations by Gale Bailey MBE John Robinson of Place of Grace prepares for the Christmas party as the children wait patiently for Santa Claus with his presents then have some nice food afterwards. The BWG support Place of Grace where a children's and teenagers' youth club are run by John and Gillian Robinson to provide a safe place for learning and playing after school. The BWG also donates to the food bank which assists the poor in the community
Carousel by Gale Bailey MBE When Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers fame, passed away and the song You’ll Never Walk Alone was played showing him singing this, the anthem of Liverpool Football Club, it brought back my early memories of this wonderful song. One Christmas, many, many years ago, my sister and I received wonderful presents from our parents who were not rich and we were thrilled. I did not discover until a few years later that they had been purchased ‘on the weekly’ from Kingstones, a well-known Leicester departmental store which is long gone but was a family favourite. I remember ‘Uncle Digger’ who came every Friday evening to collect the weekly payment from my parents – not quite realising the significance! My gift was a Philips portable radio which only worked when the lid was lifted and was operated by a massive 9 volt battery. Although portable it was quite large by today’s reckoning but I loved it with its blue and grey casing and only parted with it when we moved from Derby Close 5 years ago as, although it did not work, just looking at it brought lovely memories. My sister Pat’s present was a Dansette record player which held 8 singles and was a WOW as I think she would have been about 14 or 15 which makes me about 8 or 9 (no one around to confirm that sadly). Her one and only LP was the soundtrack of Carousel, the wonderful musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein and was much played and I knew all the words to all the songs (still do – even the soliloquy!) It was not until a few years later that I actually saw the film at the pictures (not called cinema in those days) to realise the significance of the song You’ll Never Walk Alone! OMG I sobbed at the end of the film as Billy Bigelow (Gordon Macrae) sang to his daughter Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones) to never walk alone. This song prompts tears whenever I hear it as we have played it at many family gatherings – big birthdays, wedding anniversaries (we are a soppy lot) but the words are so poignant and is quite spiritual when we are going our separate ways not knowing when the next meeting will be. If you have never watched the film Carousel then make time, it is a lovely story with great songs!