Mid Thames Area Quaker News
Wokingham Quakers now meet online
The Quaker meeting for worship at Wokingham is now by videoconference, after a successful experiment last weekend! See the pages of other Local meetings for what is planned.
Read MoreLiving Simply in our Age
Quaker membership means being part of a worldwide community of welcoming, caring and thoughtful people. Helen Addison from Newbury Meeting recently enjoyed the chance to join Quakers in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, in retreats to consider the Quaker testimony to simplicity. What does simplicity mean to us today? Many participants already knew the…
Read MoreMeetings suspended
Quakers won’t gather together for worship over the coming months. But our Meetings won’t stop. Some of us will wait in silence from our homes, at our normal times of Meeting for worship, holding our fragile world in the light and knowing that others are doing the same. Some will join online meetings. Many will…
Read MoreInvitation: Henley’s Tree for Peace, Thurs 2 April
Henley’s new Tree for Peace, a rowan provided by Henley Quakers, has been planted in Mill Meadows close to the River and Rowing Museum. On Thursday 2 April, at 10:45 for 11:00, it will be inaugurated when the mayor of Henley, Ken Arlett, will unveil a plaque. We hope that peace-lovers will join us for…
Read More‘Snowdrop Sunday’ at Henley
Each year the lovely garden of Henley Quaker meeting house has a splendid display of snowdrops. On the afternoon of Sunday 2 February, we were pleased to welcome some seventy of our friends and neighbours, who had come to admire them. Apart from the snowdrops, we enjoyed tea, cake and conversation together.
Read MoreMince Pie Sunday at Henley
Mince Pie Sunday at Henley Meeting was on 22 December this year, when we enjoyed mince pies together after meeting for worship. One of our former members, who recently moved to Caithness, was able to be with us. She commented that it was a little unusual to travel 600 miles for a mince pie.
Read MoreParliamentary candidates listened…
…and responded to questions and opinions from 60+ community members at Reading Quakers’ election hustings on 28 November. We focused on three topics: Our future relationship with Europe – including how long it takes to complete a trade deal, and what are the most positive values associated with the EU; A fairer society – including…
Read MoreLetlapa Mphahlele leads discussion on shared humanity
What is it that unites us as human beings, beyond all our different cultures and beliefs? Students and local residents recently took part in a thought-provoking discussion of this idea of ‘shared humanity’, led by guest speaker Letlapa Mphahlele and hosted by the Reading University Chaplaincy. Letlapa was born and grew up in South Africa…
Read MoreRemembrance at Henley
A delegation from Henley Quakers, wearing both red and white poppies, attended the service of remembrance in the market place on Sunday 10 November. A month earlier (Sunday 13 October), for the third year running, we distributed white poppies from our stall in the market place. We explained their significance as a reminder of all…
Read MoreClimate crisis protests
Quakers from the Mid Thames area took part in Extinction Rebellion protests in London over the past two weeks, highlighting the risks posed by the climate crisis. Here’s a personal view from John: “Like the April rebellion, the impressive things were the number of people of all ages coming together, the strength of humanity and…
Read More