A New Year Message from the Chairman – Richard Downs

This was originally going to be a Christmas message to attempt to fill in for the absence of our annual Christmas ‘bash’, but I’m afraid events took over and this has now become a belated 2021 New Year’s Greetings instead.
I hope, once more, that everyone is keeping safe and that you are all finding things to occupy yourselves with, in what is probably the worst time that we will have to endure, and that as the daylight hours lengthen, we’ll all start to feel better about ourselves very soon.
Our Secretary, Marilyn’s, breast cancer prognosis has been very encouraging since her operation in early December. She’s recovering from the lumpectomy very well and all the signs are indicating that the cancer has been removed, it hasn’t spread – and that there is a low risk of recurrence. She won’t need Chemotherapy, just a course of Radiotherapy in about three weeks’ time and then pills for the next five years. She tells me that she can’t wait to get back to the CHA monthly meetings!
The Cemaes CIC weekly lottery is doing well. So far, participants have helped to raise £350 for funds to help maintain the Chapel in this period of lock down where no money is being generated, but standing charges for electricity, etc. need paying. Some people I know have won and have already been the recipients of begging letters! If you haven’t yet got involved, there’s still time to join in and there are a few numbers available. Just send an email to Marilyn at madowns23@gmail.com or Sian Jones at Sian666@live.co.uk . We’d also like to thank Sian for keeping an eye on all the proceedings and managing everything during Marilyn’s recuperation.
Our Boatswain, Norman, is also maintaining good progress, and getting his regular exercise as he walks the dog early in the morning on Traeth Mawr. It sounds like he’s becoming an expert at designing Fire Stations – using Lego. (He says it belongs to his grandson, but I’m not so sure.)
Simon, our Treasurer and Sailing Officer, has been delivering prescriptions for the local Covid group and, in his role as a MONSAR (Mona Search and Rescue) team member had a call out to Newborough last month where two people were reported lost. Thankfully, the missing people were found using GPS technology. To assist this brilliant organisation, Maggie Bagnall’s daughter Megan, has raised £170 for MONSAR funds by making and selling Covid resistant face masks.
The life jackets that we ordered from Dulas Boats are due to arrive soon. However, as you know, we aren’t in a rush just yet. There is a temporary ban on pleasure craft taking to the water at the moment as part of the Wales wide restrictions and Coastguard report that only commercial vessels are to be seen anywhere.
Steve Bray is assisting with the work to finalise our lease on the Firs at Wylfa and the good news is that our suggestions to management have been heeded and we will now be able to share our facilities with other Community groups such as Cemaes CIC, whereas originally this was not allowed. This will be invaluable, as our organisations are so intertwined.
Mike Thompson has been occupying himself during the present inconvenience by having a regular timetable of activities including ‘Railstream’, which he watches via his ROKU Box (other methods are available) and he can observe freight trains in America as they wend their way through the country! This is just the kind of soothing therapy that we need at the moment. He also regularly takes part in live music sessions with Anna Fern and others via Zoom, which also hosts quiz nights at the Cefn Glas on Thursdays. He hasn’t yet been contacted for a preventative jab, which is surprising since he would have been expected to be one of the first in line. Mike has been to see the CHA in Peibron Farm and reports that the boat is suffering from a touch of rust in places, but nothing that a dab of Jenolite wouldn’t cure.
Mike Whitlam is still able to work, presently near Caernarvon, but says that Janet is not able to do much with the RNLI fundraising due to lack of activity at present.
Piers Beeland is whiling away the time by walking the countryside with Sue whenever possible – when not hiding in his workshop building bird boxes and hedgehog houses for their daughter Heidi. They too are still waiting for vaccines.
If you are doing anything interesting in lockdown or have any suggestions or ideas for future activities that we can share please get in touch with our Secretary, and if I haven’t been in touch with you this time, please don’t feel offended, it’s just that we’ve all been elsewhere lately.
Look after yourselves and let’s hope that we can meet again in the pubs and streets of Cemaes and even on the High Seas when it’s safe to do so once again.
Finally, when reminders for membership come out in April, please seriously consider renewing.

Best wishes,

Richard Downs

January 15th 2021