Christmas lunch, a sing-along & topical jokes – a recipe for festive fun

THE Thame and District Day Centre will be celebrating 30 years in Thame in 2016, and to celebrate, will be producing a special recipe book.

One of the Day Centre’s trustees, Alison Champken Woods, announced plans for the anniversary celebrations at the Centre’s annual Christmas lunch last Wednesday (16/12) at The Oxfordshire, and asked that anyone who would like to submit a recipe to be included in the book, should call the Centre Manager, Gill Coleman or email her at: gill.coleman@thameanddistrictdaycentre.co.uk

Over 60 Day Centre members, the Mayor of Thame, Nichola Dixon, volunteers and supporters enjoyed a three course Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, and were joyously entertained by Ian English of Thame Pop Choir, and Boodlum Band fame, with comic songs, impersonations of Tom Jones and Ken Bruce, and a lot of locally themed jokes that had everyone chuckling in their seats.

The best joke of the afternoon has to be his revelation that Atalay’s kebab van has got a Michelin – two Goodyear and a Dunlop! And it was noticeable how the musical tastes of our elder citizens are changing; no longer will a rendition of ‘Daisy, daisy’ or Vera Lynn classics dominate a seasonal sing-song. These days it’s Jim Reeves, Buddy Hollie, The Carpenters and Tom Jones that most of the guests can be seen cheerfully singing along to, and re-living memories of their younger days.

Gill Coleman, the Day Centre’s Manager, thanked the Trustees for all the hard work they do in the background, and, as she put it, ‘for keeping us open!’ and thanked her Deputy, Stephanie and the Members themselves for making their jobs so worthwhile, and finally, she paid tribute to the hospital staff for their help and advice, of which, concluded Gill, the centre could not do without.

The Centre re-opens on Tuesday, January 5th.