We enjoyed making a range of Christmas items, from cards to bracelets.
Bracelets were very popular
So were angels !
Mama Mia – here we go again !
We went to see Mama Mia, the musical at the New Theatre in Oxford.
It was full of hit songs, and energetic performances – and we had a great time.
Phab Southeast Fun Weekend 2017
The Fun Weekend organised by Phab Southeast in 2015 was very enjoyable, so a dozen members of Oxford Phab signed up to go again in 2017.
Friday
Taking the minibus and a car, we set off on Friday morning, hoping we might even arrive at the coast in time to see the sea before we checked into the hotel. Unfortunately the A34 was completely closed southbound, leading us to enjoy a scenic tour of Hampshire instead, with a highlight of the services at Sutton Scotney.
Finally we arrived at the hotel, checked in, unpacked and mingled with members from other Phab clubs in the bar until it was time for dinner.
Dinner was a buffet, with a selection of hot dishes, and was accompanied by entertainment and followed by disco and karaoke .
Saturday
After a buffet breakfast, and a presentation by the CEO of Disabled Motoring UK, we split into groups for activities in the morning and afternoon with a buffet lunch in between.
Edible Christmas Crafts
In the this activity we learnt how to make a snowman, a wreath and a mug of chocolate out of marshmallows, biscuits and other edible goodies.
Amazing Animals
We saw, and in some cases got close to, a range of animals.
Dinner
We got dressed up for a posh dinner.
Dinner was followed by a Disco.
Sunday
After an Act of Worship for anyone who wished to attend, and who had got up in time, there was a Team Building exercise, once again making things out of edible material.
This was followed by a full Sunday Lunch, with Roast Beef, Pork or Turkey, and then we had a wrap up session and all went home.
Zumbathon in aid of Children in Need
We joined a crowd of Zumba enthusiasts and instructors to raise money for Children in Need at the Christian Life Centre on Cowley Road.
Zumba – preparing for Zumathon
George Martini came, and we had another great Zumba session, which included two routines which we will perform at the Zumathon in December.
Here we are, with a mixture of dance styles – having a good time.
Normal Club with sports
As well as chatting in the Hall, as we often do, we played hockey in the Hall.
Curiosity Carnival
We went to the University Museum of Natural History, as part of Curiosity Carnival. The museum was buzzing with interested members of the public and researchers willing to share their knowledge.
The building itself is fascinating, and the permanent displays, such as the minerals which were available to be touched, and the columns, each of a different stone.
All these features were tempting, but we tried to press on and see the special exhibits, and come back another time to see the parts we could see at any time.
We saw how the colour of our faces as seen by an Infra Red camera matches how much blood flows to different areas.
We learnt a lot about long range weather forecasting from a climate scientist who showed us the tail end of Hurricane Maria, live on the displays at windy.com
Many displays, such as the chance to compare the weight of a cow bone and an ostrich bone of similar size, were rare opportunities, and we learnt a lot about bones. Bones are made of collagen and calcium, and we could feel how a normal bone is very strong; one from which all the minerals have been removed is quite floppy and bends too easily to support any weight, while bones which have no collagen are brittle and crumble under pressure.
This could be seen as a metaphor for they way that people, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, can come together to be tougher and stronger than we are on our own.
Normal Club night with games
After a summer break we try to have a few normal club nights at Wesley Memorial to give members, potential members and visitors a chance to find us.
We also played a few games.
Post Summer Holiday catch up.
It was good to get back together after the summer break to find out what we had all been doing.
One of the highlights was Darren and Maria’s wedding. We brought back napkins and table decorations from their wedding and Kathryn baked a cake. This gave everyone an opportunity to celebrate with them.
We also, as usual, chatted a lot – being especially pleased to see some new faces, and to renew contact with people we had not seen for a while.
Wesley Memorial Church Garden Party 2017
Members of Wesley Memorial Church once again kindly baked scones and cakes, and hosted a party in the garden of one of the church families so that church and Phab members could eat and socialise. Unfortunately the weather was not as kind as last year, but the welcome was just as warm, and the cakes just as delicious.
Sheltering from the light rain in a gazebo.
Tucking into home made scones with jam and cream.