Mid Thames Area Quaker News
Pericles – All at Sea
A production from multi story theatre on 16 February. A pair of story-tellers evoke a world in which a young girl is sold to a brothel; in which conflict and famine are devastating parts of Syria, Lebanon and Turkey;in which a fisherwoman finds bodies tangled in her nets; and in which the kindness of strangers…
Read MoreIn Our Hands
How nine farmers seize the ‘Brexit’ moment to outgrow an outdated food system. This film explores their daily reality and refusal to be ground down by the machinery of big agribusiness. It reveals the wisdom of the old and the innovations of the young, who are bringing back the worm to the soil, the ‘culture’…
Read MoreFoodshare donation
Maidenhead Quakers collected for Foodshare, who operate the local foodbank and provide meals for homeless people. Two Maidenhead Quakers went to see Foodshare’s founder, Sue Brett, and a bus they have acquired to provide accommodation.
Read MoreSnowdrops at Henley Quaker Meeting
Henley Quakers’ garden was open on the afternoon of Sunday 3 February so that our neighbours, friends, and passers-by could enjoy our spectacular display of snowdrops. This event has become an annual favourite at Henley Friends Meeting House, and this year, according to professional gardeners, has been the best for snowdrops for twenty years. Our…
Read MoreMindfulness walk for new students
New students joined Angela, our Quaker chaplain, for a ‘Mindfulness winter walk’ in the lovely Harris Garden on Friday 25 January. They took photos on their phones to help focus on seeing the wonders of nature, and shared them over a glass of mulled apple punch when the walk was over.
Read MoreAction through enterprise
ATE is a small charity giving practical support to Lawra, a community in Upper West Ghana with chronic food shortages where 100% of people live in poverty. Its focus is to work in partnership with the community rather than imposing external ‘solutions’. Since it was founded in 2013, ATE has improved school attendance of hundreds of school…
Read MoreChristmas at Newbury Quakers
‘Mince pies and Music’ was enjoyed after our Meeting for Worship on December 23. There was a trio of Piano, Flute and Cello, to lead and accompany the singing. We started with an instrumental rendering of two Dutch carols, after which some of the more traditional English carols were sung with gusto!
Read MoreMince pie Sunday 16 December at Henley
Our mince pie celebration, following years of tradition, was held after meeting for worship on Sunday 16 December, when greetings and mince pies were shared.
Read MoreQuakers at Christmas
17th century Quakers would have shunned any special celebrations for Christmas: they believed that each day, and all of life, was sacred and Christmas Day was no different. We’ve moved on a bit since then, and did enjoy a few mince pies and carols together. However, led by our belief in equality, peace and justice…
Read MoreQuakers and the First World War
Mark and Ruth Tod of Henley Quaker Meeting spoke on 27 November at Dunsden Village Hall about the Society of Friends and pacifism in the First World War. The Wilfred Owen in Dunsden association, which organised the event as part of a commemorative series, has reported about their talk: ‘During the First World War, Quakers made up…
Read More