MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP, COLCHESTER

NEWSLETTER NO.17, July 2005

It is rather a long time since the last newsletter, my apologies for this.  Time is the problem and is one of those strange things that we all have the same amount of but which we all use so differently and I run out of all too frequently.  Perhaps someone who has too much time could donate some to me!  

Since the last newsletter we have had a further concert with The West Bergholt Concert Band with both the Mayor and Bob Russell attending with their wives.  What a glorious evening it was too with the addition of £661 earned for MD.   We have raised £283 at a collection at 5 Ways West Mersea in March and a further £206 at 5 Ways Brightlingsea, although this amount was lower than it should have been because there were 2 charities booked on the same day by Colchester Co-operative Society, in error.  SGR once more gave us £250 and Haven Lights put on a splendid show in May and donated takings of £300 to us; thank you most sincerely to Haven Lights for their generosity and to SGR.  More recently we collected £837 at Morrisons in Clacton . We continue to receive funds from collecting boxes in shops, dentists etc. and to receive funds from Maria's Kefir.  

Sadly, Tony & Bridget Farley have reluctantly decided to give up playing the barrel organ for MD, due to health problems.  Tony & Bridget have raised many thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy over the years and I would like to pay tribute to them for all that they have done.  Certainly the last few years have been more and more difficult for them with the only question being how much longer could they do it?  I know that they both thoroughly enjoyed their trips with the organ and they will miss the people they used to meet and the atmosphere generated at these occasions.  If any of you have ever tried to manoeuvre a very large barrel organ you will immediately recognise the problem.   On their last collection at Brightlingsea in May they raised £84.71.

Not only will we be having another concert next March with the West Bergholt Concert Band but we shall also be having Nostalgia playing Glenn Miller music for us on 1st October at Cardinal Bourne Hall, Priory Street, Colchester.  I understand that the band is really good and there is plenty of free parking just across the road.  Anyone booking should arrive any time after 7 pm with the concert starting at 7.30 pm.  Anyone with walking difficulties would be able to park at the back of the hall if they consult with me beforehand.  If you wish to know where Cardinal Bourne Hall and Priory Street are then you would get to it by going down the High Street, turn right into Queen Street, go past the entrance to the bus station and turn next left into Priory Street.  Cardinal Bourne Hall is ¾ of the way down Priory Street (just past the end of the car park) on the corner of Ernulph Walk.  Please come along and enjoy the occasion and support your committee, tickets are £5, with tea, coffee & biscuits supplied at the interval.  

The next AGM should be on March 18th at the usual venue, Tollgate Hall.  At the last AGM we even had a new recruit to our committee, Tricia Stewart.  Tricia is grandmother to Ben Culhane, who is 6 years old and has Duchenne MD.  Welcome to the committee Tricia.  

If anyone has E-mail facilities & would be willing to receive their newsletter in this way please let me know.  

I hope you all received your Target MD this month and enjoyed the story in there about Colchester branch.  Janet is finding it hard to live down her comments about the weather but seems to enjoy the teasing she is getting.  

I look forward to seeing you all at the concert in October.  

If anyone has any ideas for raising funds for MD please do not be shy in telling us about them.    

BRANCH ACTIVITIES  

Apart from the above mentioned we have the following collections planned: