I am delighted to be sending, to all those who have lived in Churchill Hall, the summer 2020 issue of the Churchill Hall Association(CHA) Newsletter.
We have decided to bring forward the publication of the Newsletter because, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so much had to be cancelled- or, at least put on hold. The Alumni Weekend and Churchill Hall Dinner in July are among the activities affected by the need to take the stringent precautions against allowing the virus to spread, so we hope this publication will go a little way towards filling that gap.
Given that there will be no 2020 CHA Dinner, it is hugely important that the 2021 event is a big, big event. While it may be somewhat premature to ask you to start thinking about it…actually, why don’t you start thinking about it!? Maybe now’s the time to encourage your friends from university days to think in terms of joining you at a gathering in Bristol in summer 2021?
Please don’t just put this on one side ‘for later’. And please also action quickly the article in the Newsletter requesting that you sign on to the new University communication platform, Bristol Connects, and (very importantly) make a point of ticking the ‘Churchill Hall’ button. This is the way that we will be able to contact you most readily in future.
There is a delightful article in the Newsletter describing the lives and loves of Emily Koch, a large proportion of whose relatives filled Churchill rooms at one time or another. Emily is a novelist whose second book, Keep Him Close, was published earlier this year; read it!
We have very interesting summaries of the (truncated) year as seen from the perspectives of the President of the JCR, and of the Head of Residential Life, North Village (i.e. the Stoke Bishop halls of residence). Times of massive change and, in the context of this year’s celebration of 75th anniversary of VE Day, there’s a fascinating article describing the connections between Churchill Hall (and the University more generally) and the planning of the end phases of the war effort.
Lastly (but very importantly) you will also see our usual mention of the opportunity of helping the Committee to broaden the effectiveness of its engagement work. Please put a hand up to volunteer.
With best wishes,
Alastair Scott (BSc 1965, Churchill Hall, 1962-63)
Chair, Churchill Hall Association
