BWG Bangkok Contact Magazine October 2022

OF THE BRITISH

October 2022

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.

Directory Page 2

Diary Page 4

Books for Sale Page 5

Save the Date

Page 16

message Page 3

Birthdays Page 18

Requiem for the Queen Pages 8-11

Christmas Crackers Pages 20-21

Editor becky.adderley@btinternet.com

British Women’s Group. bwgbangkok@gmail.com

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

September has whizzed by and I’m sorry I have not written the promised review of our finances and welfare. So much time spent glued to the screen watching various episodes of Her Majesty’s send off and attending the Christ Church service for which we delayed our lunch and postponed our trip to the Observation Tower.

Our committee members have been in and out of town and we haven’t managed to hold a meeting so the fact that our usual coffee day is a public holiday has only just dawned on me. We will decide soon whether we move that and you will receive an email.

I will write that review and I invite any of you with any interest to attend our November 3rd committee meeting to discuss this.

Meanwhile, mark your diaries with the date of our Christmas lunch and get your order in for your Christmas crackers. Liz

Tuesday 4th October – Book Club to discuss The Promise by Damon Galgut. Next book The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller.

Thursday 6th October – Committee Meeting

Thursday 20th October Lunch at the British Club

Thursday 3rd November – Committee Meeting at 10.30am at The Royal Oak pub, please come to discuss the future of our welfare payments if you have any interest in that. BWG will stand you a coffee and I’ll make shortbread.

Thursday 8th December – Christmas Lunch

October Diary

1

2 3

Mahjong 4 Bridge Golf Book Club

Mahjong 11 Bridge Golf

5 Mah-jong Art Group

12 Mah-jong Art Group

6 Committee meeting

7 8

13 14 15

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 9 10

16 17 Mah-jong Jackie Reynold’s games afternoon 1pm

18 Bridge Golf

19 Mah-jong Art Group

20 October Lunch at The British Club

21 22 23 24 Mah-jong 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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)

Contact Petra Gordon rsvpbwg@gmail.com 0839919041

Tuesday

Bridge - Audrie Sill

Golf - (morning) Ami 0971851834

Book Club - 1st Tuesday (10am) Laura Smith 0859667580

Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr

Wednesday

Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm)

Contact Elizabeth Bryans

Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 10am

Shout Out! MedConsult – Dr Donna

Dr Donna always supports BWG with generous donations to raffle appeals. She is herself an active member of BWG and is often in attendance at BWG events – say hello and introduce yourself to her next time! Her company, MedConsult, has been active in Bangkok for over 35 years.

Currently the clinic offers one of the cheapest PCR/fit to fly tests in Bangkok at 1500B and is extremely competitive in pricing, of all services, compared to the major hospitals.

www.medconsultasia.com

Shout Out! Jimmy’s Kitchen

Jimmy’s Kitchen supports the BWG by providing raffle prizes. This is an excellent place to take visitors, or for anyone, to learn Thai cooking and carving. Please support her if you can. www.jimmys kitchen.com Phone 0819096729

Shout Out! The Royal Oak Pub

The Royal Oak is a long-term sponsor of the BWG, allowing us meeting space as well as supporting raffles, and book sales. Bookshelves on the first floor are well stocked with up to date and popular titles and worth a look at 100B for 3 books. (Feel free to leave your own book donations too). The Oak does an excellent

Sunday Roast and if you’re looking for an ‘English Pub’ with quizzes and sports events in the week, then this your pub!

Bangkok Music Society (B.M.S.)

Immediate Press Release – 29th September 2022

The Bangkok Music Society Choir (BMS), one of the oldest ongoing choral groups in Thailand, begins its first full season of events since the pandemic with a memorial concert on Saturday, 8th October 2022, 6.00pm at Christ Church, Silom (intersection of Convent Rd with Sathorn Rd)

Accompanied by the pipe organ of Christ Church, this choral performance is dedicated to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8th September, aged 96. Her Majesty visited Thailand on state visits twice, in 1972 and 1998. Most of her 70-year reign coincided with King Bhumibol the Great’s equally long reign, whose 6th anniversary memorial falls on 13th October.

Additionally, we remember the passing of a past president of BMS and long-time Christ Church member, Daphne Colwell, who died aged 92 in June. Born in England, Daphne is fondly remembered by many as a leading light in Bangkok during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, when she worked for the United Nations.

It is fitting that this concert comprises much loved works by British and French composers as both dedicatees had strong ties with France and were very familiar with this music. The main work is the much-loved Requiem in D minor by Gabriel Fauré (1888 with later revisions), performed recently in many cathedrals and churches throughout the UK and in Commonwealth nations. Fauré himself said “It is dominated from beginning to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest”.

Both the start and finish of the concert feature choral works by the British composer, Hubert Parry. The rousing opening of organ and chorus “Blest Pair of Sirens” (1887) acts out the words ‘Their loud uplifted angel-trumpets blow’ opens the concert while Parry’s well-known hymn “Jerusalem” (‘And did those feet in ancient time’) ends our commemoration.

Accompanist on Christ Church’s pipe organ: Morakot Cherdchoo-gnarm

Conductor & new BMS Music Director: Margaret Young

All are invited. Entrance is free (offerings welcomed for Christ Church’s charities). Attached is the Promotional Poster for this Concert. For further enquiries, please contact BMS via tel: 089-188-2020 (Stephen) or Line ID: stephensalmon

We are grateful for your support in promoting this community event and the aims of the Bangkok Music Society.

BMS is open to anyone wishing to make music with others. No qualification or audition is needed. Just a shared love of singing good quality music!

Our very own Shout Outs!

The BWG supports many Thailand based charities and in particular those that are education based helping youth today to help themselves and their community tomorrow.

Thailand Hilltribes Education Project

BWG sponsor at least one student (15,000 Baht pa) through high school and university. www.thepthailand.com

Human Development Foundation

BWG sponsor 2 students in Klong Toey (8,000 Baht each pa) through high school and university. www.mercycentre.org

Imagine Thailand Foundation

BWG sponsor 2 students (12,000 each pa) through High School and University www.imaginethailand.org

Presentation Slums Mission Bangkok

Known as the ‘Milk Run’, BWG donates towards the weekly milk runs and cost of baby milk powder and rice in Rung Moo community, Klong Toey.

New Life Centre, Chiang Mai

BWG sponsor a child through high school and university (12,000B pa) www.newlifecenterfoundation.org

Steps

BWG sponsors a student with additional needs (20,000B pa) to be trained and supported to find employment in the catering trade. Steps run three coffee shops/training centres in Bangkok please visit and support! www.stepscommunity.com/about us

Fatima Centre

Empowering women and children living in poverty. The Fatima shop (near Villa Sukhumvit 33) sells a wide range of exceptionally well made embroidered goods that are fun, educational and unique. These goods are handmade and give women dignity as well as a fair price for their quality work. BWG offices are here and we pay rental to the centre for rooms and storage as well as supporting with further donations. www.goodshepherdthailand.org

As well as our continued annual support to the above we are constantly making donations to other charities that need help. We recently donated 10,000B to Rejoice in Chiang Mai for milk powder for feeding mothers with HIV and also to Little Birds, helping support young orphans with HIV. Thank you for your support of BWG and our events, enabling us to support all of the above and more.

Shout Out! Bistro 33

Bistro 33 is a long-term supporter of BWG. They give us space for mahjong and art groups and always contribute to our raffles. Please support them! They have space and catering for special events or parties and do an excellent Sunday lunch.

www. thebistro33.com

Shout Out! Varuna Sailing Club

The Royal Varuna Yacht Club (RVYC) sponsor our raffles and donate prizes. RVYC is situated in Chonburi, only 2 hours away. If you want to get away from the air of Bangkok why not take a trip here? It is a family friendly place with accommodation, club house, private beach and more.

www.varuna.org

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THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK

1st Thursday of every month: Committee meeting

2nd Thursday of every month: Coffee Morning

3rd Thursday of every month: Lunch

4th Thursday of every month: An Activity

OUR REGULAR WEEKLY/ MONTHLY ACTIVITIES You are warmly invited to join these groups, but final approval (spaces) is up to the group organiser

Mondays: MAH JONG at The British Club 10:00 am 13:00 pm (beginners welcome)

Contact: Petra Gordon 083 991 9041

Tuesdays: BRIDGE Contact: Audrie Sill 098 832 0313

GOLF Contact: Ami 097 185 1834 Wednesdays: MAH JONG at Bistro33 10am 13:00 pm (beginners welcome)

Contact: Elizabeth Bryans 062 016 9323

BOOK CLUB: The book club meets up the 1st Tuesday each month. For more information contact Laura Smith 0859667580

PRISON VISITING: This is on hold at the moment due to the Covid situation. For more information please talk to Gale Bailey 081 828 5213

At every lunch or coffee morning please bring along if you can:

RING PULLS from tops of aluminium drinks cans. Jane Rodgers collects these and they go towards helping to make prosthetics.

PLASTIC TOPS from drinks bottles as they are made into all sorts of things which can be sold, pot plant holders for one example. Talk to Jackie Reynolds for more details.

SPARE CHANGE FOR THE ALMS BOWL collecting any spare small change. You will see this being passed around at our events, all proceeds go to help our Welfare Group (tip save at home and bring along)

KNITTED or CROCHET SQUARES something anyone can do at any time. Squares of 6” or any length divisible by 6 any questions please talk to Sally Voravarn: 089 234 7074 These are sent to Sister Louise at the Fatima Centre of the Good Shepherd Sisters Bangkok, where they are sewn together, backed and made into blankets for the rural communities up country.

SECOND HAND BOOKS - sold upstairs at The Royal Oak, Sukhumvit 33/1 B50 per book or B100 for 3 Books are always needed for re stocking, you can drop off your unwanted ones directly at the pub or at the Fatima Shop in the same Soi.

PLACE OF GRACE: On certain occasions we ask for donations of dried goods e g rice, noodles, coffee 3in1, baby milk powder, tins of vegetables, fruit or milk, toiletries plus freebies from hotels or airline bags are very welcome. Please watch out for our requests on Facebook and in our email messages. Talk to any committee member who will give you more ideas on what is needed.

HOME OF GRACE: unwanted clothing and household items are sold by this charity. Please talk to Jackie Reynolds for more information 089 539 9375

Here is some useful information about what we do and when:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

We would like to wish a really happy birthday to:

Sheila Buchanan 1st October

Gaye McHardy 2nd October

Frances Nicholl 6th October

Lindsay Daly 9th October

Debbie Creagh 11th October

Sally Smith 13th October

Val Scagliarino-Baker 13th October

Sue Davey 14th October

Leela Hamad 14th October

Marion Causton 15th October

Pat Barber 15th October

Betty Stewart 19th October

Sylvia Knoss 24th October

Phil Wigglesworth 26th October

Have a wonderful day and we are all thinking of you!

The Anantara Siam Hotel

The Anantara Siam Hotel kindly provide raffle donations to the BWG. We have been there for afternoon tea and highly recommend the ‘tea for two’ for a special occasion!

Delina’s Italian Restaurant

Delina’s restaurant provides space for BWG Book Club meet up and cosy coffee’s. They have an excellent lunch time menu which is worth checking out!

MESSAGE FROM THE CRACKER LADIES

Beautiful Christmas Crackers are now available.

Just 550 Baht per box of 10

So, think how many boxes you would like and THEN PLACE YOUR ORDER!

You can then relax knowing the crackers of your choice will be waiting for you when you need them. The ‘Order Book’ is waiting for you!

Contact any Cracker Lady or email us at bwgcrackers@gmail.com with your name and order.

Cheers, Shirley and the girls

Shout Out! PJ O’Brien’s

PJ O’Brien’s supports the BWG with raffle prizes. You can find them just off the BTS at Phra Khanong. They often have live music on and have a British food menu as well as Thai. Please support them if you can.