Dreaming Spires Tenpin Bowling

from Club Captain Kevin Pamphilon.

We are in the process of playing in the winter league and have just had a Christmas break. All the teams are ready to go again and try to qualify for the final in Sheffield in May. We play at the Bowl Plex in Oxford near the Kassam Stadium. For more information about playing ten pin bowling, please contact Kevin Pamphilon club captain on telephone number 01869 331778.

Jonathan Mitchell

We recently received the sad news that Jonathan Mitchell passed away early in December, aged 28. Jonathan was one of the founder members of VIBNO and the Dreaming Spires Bowling Team. He was a much loved member of both and will be missed at all our meetings and bowling nights.

We would like to pass our thoughts to his family at this time.

Kevin and Nicola Pamphilon

Vision Impaired Visually Active

VIVA is a group for visually impaired people with active minds. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 2.00pm in the North Oxford Association, Community Centre, Diamond Place, Summertown, Oxford. We have an interesting and varied programme for the months ahead. Please note that there is no VIVA meeting in August.

VIVA Programme 2010

- Feb 9th -Neil Stockton - Chairman of Radio Cherwell

- Mar 9th - John Paine - Spanish Fiestas

- April 12th - Talk on the Calibre Audio Book Library Service

- May 11th - Jude Barrett with items from the Ashmolean Museum

- June 8th - Outing, to be arranged

- July 13th - Ann Spokes - Symonds, Lessons from Life

- August - No meeting this month

- Sept 14th - Queenie Hamilton talks about Wolvercote

- Oct 12th - Ralph Wilkins

- Nov 9th - Quiz and Bring and Buy Sale

- Dec - to be arranged

For further details ring Ron Sears on 01865 553063.

Abingdon Information Fair

Age Concern put on a good show at the Information Fair which they held in the Guild Hall in Abingdon on Friday 22 January from 9.30 am to 1pm.

There were a number of stalls at the Fair, while OAB valiantly held their own with a stall providing samples of equipment such as liquid level indicators; talking tin labels; talking watches and clocks; magnifiers and other useful gadgets to assist visually impaired people.

The Information Fair was very well attended and the variety of stalls provided interest for all. These included such stalls as Trading Standards, providing advice and information to protect individuals from bogus tradesmen and other issues; Green Gym, a body promoting health related activities for all ages in the natural world, like working on clearing coppice areas and marsh conservation; a farm shop selling fresh produce; and a massage equipment company to help with those aches and pains!

There was also Homeshare, who organise the exchange of housing in return for help in the home which would appeal to many who find it difficult to live alone and would benefit from having companionship during the day.

It was a very enjoyable, bustling day and I met lots of lovely people who came to the OAB stall to look at our wares. We plan to attend further such functions in the future.