Category: Zumba

Zumba is a very popular activity for us.

Phab Weekend in Bournemouth

National Phab organised a weekend in Bournemouth, a great opportunity to get together with other Phab clubs to socialise and do some fun activities together.

A group of 21 of our members signed up for the event, had been looking forward to it for months, and now it was finally time!

Friday 29th November – Getting there, and Dinner

With so many members going, and different needs, not only in terms of accessibility and support, but starting points and work commitments, transport is complex. Our minibus started it’s journey in Kidlington, one car started from Botley, with a pick up in Abingdon, another car from Marston, another from the Oxford Eye Hospital after it’s passenger (not the driver!) had an appointment there and then picked up luggage in Abingdon. The fourth car started after work from Banbury – collecting a passenger in Kidlington.

We did all arrive at the Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth, and checked in. There was an additional check in step for people with additional needs, to prepare evacuation plans for anyone who might require extra assistance, and the hotel were able to lend Strobe Light Alarms to deaf visitors.

Marsham Court Hotel
Some rooms have amazing sea views

At 7pm we had an evening meal, with options of fish pie, chicken curry, a vegetarian option, with a selection of vegetables.

This was followed by singing by the accomplished Lee Austin – who had entertained us for several years at Chichester, and a Karaoke, Games and a Disco. Some of us retired to the quiet of the bar for a chat before making our way to our rooms

Saturday 30th November – activities

A wide choice was available for breakfast between 8 and 9, though this was too early for some, who preferred a lie-in. There were cereals, and fruit salad (a little crunchy, but real, not tinned), toast and croissants , with jam made on the premises. The hot buffet had a similarly wide selection with fried and scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, tomatoes (real ones, grilled, not tinned), and so on. It did tend to run out of some items from time to time, but was being replenished all the way through till 9.

After breakfast, or just getting up for the sleepy heads, we had a selection of morning activities.

Indoor Archery and Nerf guns

We could indulge our inner Robin Hood or Shane in safety with rubber tipped arrows and Nerf gun darts.

A nerf dart is lodged between the yellow ball and the frame – Good shooting!
The bottom left target has been hit.

Yoga

For those who wanted to find their inner peace there was a Yoga session

Lunch

We sat down for some sandwiches for lunch.

Lunch was followed by even more activities!

Boccia

George is pleased with his throw!

Boccia is always popular, and it was good to be able to join together with people from other clubs for a game.

Arts and Crafts

Zumba

George Martini and a group of Zumba enthusiasts were staying at the Hotel at the same time, so he kindly had a break from his Zumba to lead a session for us.

Creature Teacher

Some of our members chose to make friends with the animals

Wine Tasting

The hotel laid on a lesson in wine appreciation, with an experienced member of staff to take us though the wines on offer.

Bingo

Bingo is another popular activity.

Gala Dinner

Have split up for all the activities everyone gathered for the Gala dinner, with a pre-dinner drink in the bar beforehand.

After we had eaten there was dancing, and a professional photographer, so some left with a memento of their weekend.

Sunday 1st December – Worship, quiz, Sunday lunch and home

We had brought the Oxford Phab projector, but it’s bulb blew before the service, and the hotel were able to lend us one so everything was set up just in time. As on previous weekends Mary had put a lot of thought and preparation into the service, and the attendees included several who had been to the services in Chichester in previous years.

We also fitted in breakfast and packing, leaving our rooms clear for cleaning, and many enjoyed Lee’s entertaining quiz.

Sunday lunch and raffle draw

After a Sunday Lunch with lemon chicken, roast potatoes etc, the raffle was drawn, with some of our members winning prizes (and, as is the way with raffles, some not)

Homeward bound

With a slight re-arrangement of passengers to accommodate different destinations, our four cars and minibus set off on the return trip. There was someone who could act as a navigator as well as the driver in each vehicle, in case of major incidents en-route, but our return was uneventful. Although we had enjoyed the weekend it was good to be home!

Zumba getting us moving

As the nights draw in, and it is dark and cold outside it can be hard to get going on a Friday night, but luckily George Martini came to do a Zuma session with us.

In the interests of solidarity we had a seated session, but that did not mean that we were not using a lot of energy. George’s infectious enthusiasm swept us away, and we are really looking forward to his Zumba session at the Phab Fun Weekend

Zumba at Botley W.I. Hall

Due to electricity supply issues at Wesley Memorial Church, where we normally meet, we had a change of scene. Those who were making their way to Phab independently met at McDonalds in Botley, and then walked the short distance the the Hall of Botley Women’s Institute, where George Martini – who normally leads us for Zumba, had already been running a session. The minibus went straight there.

Not our normal meeting place!

Fortunately we were able to make a last minute booking for the W.I. Hall, which had lights and power for the music, so we had a very enjoyable Zumba session – this time largely seated.

George is qualified in several areas of Zumba from the high energy versions we enjoy at Zumbathons to slightly more sedate version we did today, which still left us feeling exercised!

George will be running a session at the Phab Fun Weekend in November, so something to look forward to for those who are going to that.

Zumba Fundraiser

George Martini and his Zumba Instructor friends kindly laid on a Zumba session for us from 11am until 12:30 – a morning of high energy activity which sped by. Phab members, friends and supporters paid £10, came and danced and had a great time and raised over £300.

Afterwards we were able to restore the burnt-off calories with home made coffee cake, courgette and poppy seed buns and tea or coffee.

We were also delighted to be joined by one of our original members, and had an opportunity to chat and reminisce.

Zumba with George Martini

One of the highlights of our online sessions, when we could not get together in person during the Covid pandemic were our Zumba sessions with George Martini.

These allowed people to participate who would not have been able to get to an in-person Zumba session. Also, as one member observed ‘You can turn your camera off and really go wild !’. On the other hand being together and being able to see how others are doing can be inspiring as well as inhibiting.

George is always very positive and encouraging with us, and makes sure the sessions match our abilities. We are already looking forward to having another Zumba session in our next programme.

Saying goodbye to 2021 – with Zumba

Unfortunately the worsening Covid-19 situation meant that we were unable to meet in person at Wesley Memorial, but several of us, including some who could not have come in person anyway, were able to get together on-line and chat.

We rounded off the evening with some Christmas themed Zumba, run by George Martini.

We are looking forward to a better year in 2022 !

Oxford Phab under lockdown

In the nature of Phab, Oxford Phab members are a diverse bunch, and lockdown has affected us in different ways, but at the same time there are things which are the same for all of us.

Normal Club

Before lockdown a keystone of Oxford Phab was our normal club meetings at Wesley Memorial Church on a Friday night. Whenever possible we ran a minibus to bring members who could not otherwise get there, and did art and craft activities, played games, cooked and/or ate meals together. All the activities could be enjoyed by all our members, and also – something we appreciate more now that this is harder to do, we could just rage against the injustice of the world, chat, smile or laugh.

We do our best to replace this by getting together over the Internet for a chat on a Friday night, and also another chat session on a Monday night.

Online chat in lockdown


Meeting like this is a valuable social contact, but we are very aware that not all of our members can meet this way. Not everyone has access to the Internet and it does not provide the chance for smaller chats about subjects which might be deeply interesting to a small subset of our members, and deeply boring to the rest. I do still have occasional Jitsi chats with Phab friends to ensure the world continues to be set to rights.

The wider Phab

Another thing we did under the ‘old normal’ was to get together with members of other Phab clubs. While getting together in person is not possible at the moment the National Phab are organising quiz sessions through Facebook, which we then link to from our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oxfordphab/ and some of our members join in those sessions.

Loss and remembering

Lives cut untimely short are not a completely new experience for us. Roy Lewis, who was chairman of Oxford Phab several years ago, was someone who everyone who was fortunate enough to know him will always remember. His wisdom, kindness, intellect and optimism certainly inspired me. He was also a ruthless draughts player, and could knock back Brandy and Babycham when we were out and about with an impressive lack of impact on his ability to hold an intelligent conversation on a wide range of subjects. He was not the first member we have lost, and there have been several others since, but I, and as many members as could, made a special effort to join the diverse group of mourners at his funeral.

It is particularly hard to lose Kelly at a time when we can not gather to mourn and remember. Although in many ways a completely different person to Roy, she too had an astonishing range of friends, inside and outside Phab who will miss her very much. One of the things which makes Phab special is that we find common ground within our diversity.

Kelly at a Zumbathon

Zumba

One of the things Kelly enjoyed at Phab was Zumba, and we are very fortunate that George Martini is able to do online Zumba sessions with us on Friday Nights, which we follow with a chat (as we did when we all met up at Wesley Memorial).

This can be just as energetic as face-to-face Zumba – and we are sometimes joined by people who have supported Phab through running garden parties, helping out selling refreshments and so on, who would not normally be able to join in, as well as particularly close members of other Phab clubs.

  • Online Zumba session

Holidays

We were really excited about our planned holiday to Avon Tyrrell in August, but have had to cancel that due to the virus. We have to make do, for now, with remembering the fun we had last year, and in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and all the other jolly holidays we have had.

Looking forward

Nobody can be sure what the future will hold, but we hope we can learn from these difficult times, continue to support each other in new ways, as well as old and that the strengths which have brought us through previous crises will bring us though this too. We appreciate the support we have had from Wesley Memorial Church, friends and families of members, carers and NHS staff.