Page 55 - Phonebox Magazine August 2007

Emmaus Village Carlton
I am writing this report following a monthly meeting in June, with the Staff and Management team of Emmaus Village Carlton.
I am very pleased to tell you that we currently have 28 Companions residing and working in our Community, which is the highest number we have ever had, since the Community was started in 2001. Congratulations to all those concerned.
Some successes are being made, with two Companions moving on, getting jobs and finding a place to live, in the past few months. Good luck to them. You may have read in our Spring Newsletter about Andy Munson, who has been a Companion for almost five years, but since 1st April has become a member of the Staff team at EVC. Andy accompanied me on my annual pilgrimage to Le Mans for my 11th 24 hour endurance race, which was wet but exciting especially for a first timer. We camped with 300 French Scouts and Guides who help the race organisers run the race weekend.
We also made time to visit a French Emmaus Community at La Milesse to the north of Le Mans, which was quite an education for Andy and me. Here they have 60 Companions and everything is much bigger than we have in Carlton, such as the shop is in a huge industrial type building. Workshops and sorting areas are all on a grander scale, but they do not have a Bistro! In the bookshop there is even an English section.
Very impressive, and we were made very welcome by a Companion from Poland, who showed us around the site. He spoke very good English, helped by the fact that he had spent a time at the Cambridge Emmaus Community before settling here at La Milesse.
Some more good news is that our new Clothing Boutique is due to be opened on Saturday 7th July. It is located to the left of the furniture showroom, and has been decorated, a new floor installed, and has display racks for the clothes, blinds for the windows, and even some changing rooms for you to try on your new outfit. Please pay us a visit soon. Kevin Cantwell, Trustee
Olney Bowling Club
As seen in the June issue of Phonebox Magazine the Club’s Open Day was a most enjoyable occasion. The May monsoon broke for the afternoon giving the members and visitors plenty of sunshine and a lot of laughs. A few new members may well have resulted from such a successful day.
We hosted two prestigious matches which took place in spite of the continued rain. May 23rd saw BWBA take on Northampton WBA and on May 27th the London Welsh played the Hunts CBA. There was hope that June would bring endless sunshine especially when Sunday 3rd was all warmth and blue skies. It was the day of the Cox Cup and there was a massive turnout, not just the enthusiastic players but dozens of spectators basking in a proper summer’s day and relishing the high standard of play. It was a real family affair. The winners were Evelyn and Peter Bullen with some tartan assistance from John Smail. The runners up were Jean and Gerald Wilson aided and abetted by Ray Whiting. Our green was chosen for two Middleton Cup matches; Bucks v. Middlesex on 9th June and Bucks v. Kent on 23rd. another county match BCBA v. Notts CBA was played on 14th.
We entertained the Leicester Tourists on 17th and the Bucks Executive on 24th and two rounds of the Trundall Trophy will also have been played during ‘Flaming June’. So much for our early optimism.
We all know now that June 2007 was the wettest since Noah launched his ark and that says volumes for the Club’s green keepers – the ‘Clifton Boys’. Somehow, in spite of the deluge they managed through dedication and hard work to keep the green in excellent playing condition. Congratulations to them.
THE ROYAL COURT CORNER
Last week, we had a chat with this year’s Olney Town Court to find out what they’ve been up to so far
Hi Girls, how are you?
All: We are great thanks, been up to loads!
What have you done in preparation of your crowning?
Anna: We’ve done a lot since our selection night, (which was great despite the nerves) but one of the best bits was the excitement of going to Lesley Hancon’s armed with our ideas for the style of our dresses. We had to keep this a big surprise for our friends by telling them it was going to be fluorescent orange! Emily: Personally, I loved the shopping trip we had, to get our accessories and shoes to complete our outfits.
Steph: It was fab seeing our dresses for the first time at Dianne Warren’s house. It was so exciting!
Sounds like you’ve had fun, what happened on the big day then?
Sarah: First thing in the morning, we were picked up by Elaine to have our hair styled professionally at The Salon in Olney. We felt really special! From there, we were collected and taken back to Elaine’s to get ready.
Emily: The day was already flying by and before we new it our parents arrived just as we were leaving to get into the veteran car to chauffeur us around Olney. We loved it, even though we kept on worrying about our hair blowing out of place.
Steph: Arriving at the Cherry fair, the Mayor of Milton Keynes and Paul Watson greeted us. Anna and I helped out on the Pimms stall. Before we knew it, it was time to be crowned by the Mayor of Milton Keynes.
Anna: From the Cherry Fair, we walked to the Bull, where we tucked into a lovely buffet and some drinks, with the dignitaries to end our wet but wonderful day.
What other events have you attended since then?
Anna: Our next event was the Newport Pagnell Carnival Parade. Unfortunately, the activities for that day on the recreation ground were cancelled, due to the waterlogged field. We sat on the back of a gorgeous Saab convertible courtesy of the Car House in Newport Pagnell.
Steph: After participating in the parade, we arrived back in Olney. We enjoyed some snacks and beverages in the Bull garden, to kill some time before the March of the Abolitionists through the High Street.
Sarah: Along with all sorts of groups, including the Brownies, Cubs and Cadets, we assembled with the Abolitionists at the St. Johns Ambulance Hall ready to begin the march.
Emily: We marched from there to the Market Place, where we heard thought provoking speeches and saw some African dancing. By the end of the march, my feet had bad blisters from the long walk. We also went for a buffet at the Olney Centre and watched a few clips about the slave trade. It was a very busy but interesting day.
Thank you girls, sounds like you’ve had loads of fun and we hope you enjoy your events to come.
Phonebox Magazine 55