Welcome to all our new members! Every month we have 4-5 new members, it is amazing how Slow Food has grown in the UK! We also have quite a few lapsed members, who I hope, will renew their membership in time to receive their Snail Mail. Speaking of which, renewal of Membership should now be easier because we at last have our own bank account with the Co-operative Bank. So if you send your check and/or slip to me, payable to Slow Food Oxon, I shall take it from there and make sure your membership is renewed. Ironically enough, 4 our of 5 of our Founding Members are now “lapsed members” so I need your renewal slips with cheques ASAP, or just let me know if you are not going to renew because then we shall need to reorganise our Committee. The news about our bank account came along with the other good news from SF Headquarters that we now have a credit of £750.00 (or Euros? Will check…) so that we should be comfortable in covering our expenses at the Henley Show and maybe plan for a big Slow Christmas party, what do you think? There, though, I will again ask you to do a bit of work, that is to contribute to the 2006 Plan of Activities by suggesting 2 events of your own which you would also like to host/sponsor/help with… A few of us are off to Skye in 2 weeks to attend the first Slow Food UK Congress, that should be fun. And 14 people will be on their way to Romania in September. You can envy them, because at their arrival there will be the Slow Food Romania first Convivium inauguration dinner! Well done, Jim Turnbull! (For those going to Romania – we need your reply as to whether you are available on 8 September for a brief orientation and dinner at a place that Jane Carlton-Smith is organising, so please reply to Jim’s e-mail if you haven’t done so yet.). Speaking of inaugurations, Slow Food Wessex Convivium was launched this Sunday (7 August) at Doves Farm in Hungerford with the participation of Clare and Mike Marriage (Doves Farm), Juliet and Peter Kindersley (Shipdrove Organic) and half a dozen of local producers who brought their wonderful produce for lunch. La Manoirs and “15”s and other celebs nowadays would salivate over the superior menu that the hosts put together with all local and seasonal available produce. I can’t even copy it here because it will make you feel jealous as well ;) Well done, SF Wessex, we should look into having combined events and shared hosts when possible. Moreover that all producers are already members of the Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Food Groups, and therefore – our good friends. All right, shall not keep you any longer, will write back after the Congress, with photos of course, and will let you know well in advance on our next get-together. With my Slowest Regards, Tamara Schiopu