Living well with Dementia – Planned opening September 2018

Kennington Memory Club is going to provide a new service for local people living with dementia. Until last year, Kennington residents were able to attend, if they wished, the Abingdon Alzheimer’s Club, which served all the villages around Abingdon. Although it had been of great help to people with dementia and their families over many years, that club was closed last August, and as the need for such a service is even greater now than in the past, a group of local residents has joined together to create a new dementia day centre in Kennington.

Plans for the club are well advanced, (we have had the benefit of advice from Age UK and a grant from Oxfordshire County Council). It will meet twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) from 9.30 to 3.30 in Kennington Methodist Church, and we are now recruiting for both paid staff and a team of volunteers.

Paid Staff Roles

Details of the two paid staff roles are recruiting for can be found here:
https://kenningtonmemoryclub.wordpress.com/jobs/. The closing date for completed applications for paid staff posts is Friday 6th July.

Would you be interested in becoming a volunteer helper at the club?

Volunteers will be an essential part of the staff team. They will welcome and encourage our club members to participate in activities and enable them to feel comfortable and included. They will join in with club activities and also the more mundane jobs like setting up the rooms and clearing up, if they are able. Training will be given.

For further information about volunteering, e-mail kenningtonmc.webmaster@gmail or phone Margaret on 01865 739539 or Gillian 01865 735590.

The website is: www.kenningtonmemoryclub.wordpress.com

The picture is of Alois Alzheimer, whose birthday is today. He was born on 14th June 1864. More of him at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alois_Alzheimer.

Thankyou to Peter Skuse of the Vale of White Horse Ramblers for this piece …

The Vale Way walking trail was launched on 3rd July 2015 by the mayor, Helen Pighills. Since then the local Ramblers group have waymarked the route by adding small blue decals with the words ‘The Vale Way  Ramblers’ to existing way mark signs along the way. Last year the route was accepted for inclusion on Ordnance Survey mapping. Currently available on online maps, we await being able to purchase paper maps with the route shown.

This year the Ramblers have funded two metal finger post signs to mark the two ends of the trail. The sign at the eastern end of the trail was installed on the post at the junction with the Thames path adjacent to the bridge over the millstream near Abingdon weir on Tuesday 24th April 2018. The sign was officially unveiled by the Mayor of Abingdon on Thames, Cllr Jan Morter.

A sign at the western end of the route will be installed and unveiled in late May.

The Vale Way team left to right are Stuart Hughes, John Gordon, Peter Skuse, Jim Parke.

Details of the 27.25 mile route from Abingdon to Longcot via Wantage and Faringdon can be found at:www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk/thevaleway/valeway.htm

The route is divided into 5 shorter sections with instructions given for each section. Generally start and finish points can be accessed by buses. Please enjoy our wonderful Vale countryside and historic market towns and villages.

I recently typed up the minutes for Preston Road Community Centre Association after the February 2018 meeting. While at the centre I was interested to find a folder of papers from the early 1970s with TRA on the front. That was the Thames-side Residents Association. There is a draft letter detailing their activities in 1972. Some bits are crossed out and may not have made it to the final version sent to residents.

They held 14 committee meetings, and had meetings with councils and lots of other organisations, and produced six newsletters for people in the area.

Socially there was a darts match, a car treasure hunt, 2 socials, and a meeting to discuss education in the area.

The area was under-represented on local councils and they made a strong protest to the Home Office.

They produced a report showing the overcrowding at local primary schools.

They approached the GPO to ask for more phone boxes and post boxes in the area.

They asked councils for more play equipment in the area.

They also acted as a pressure group concerning the future Marina development, and further gravel extraction.

They arranged interesting visits for members. The letter above concerned a proposed visit to the sewage works in South Abingdon.

Looking to the future, the letter says that they could plan a Children’s party but need to know what people really want. The letter ends, and this part is crossed out, ‘We badly need an infusion of new committee members. We are yesterday’s men!’

Anne Gould took a party of 50 from the Abingdon U3A Group to witness the ancient Ceremony of The Keys at HM Tower of London. They were hosted by Yeoman Warder Spike Abbott from Abingdon, now living within The Tower walls, and were fortunate to have a few ‘refreshments’ in the private club frequented by the Beefeaters. Anne was lucky to catch a photo here with the Tower Gaoler, Pete McGowran, ex RAF, just after he had secured the Fortress with The Queens Keys.

There is more about the Abingdon U3A (University 3rd Age) on their website with their programme of activities and events. Last Monday they had an interesting talk by Jeff Rozelaar based on his book Bagels and Bacon telling of his childhood not far from the Tower of London in the East End.