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<p>Over recent weeks we have tried to re-establish our Studio
Sessions - our new name for the Wednesday meetings at Ripley and
similar events. Several people have worked on this, but it has
been led and driven by Paul Stringfellow. I would like to thank
him for his tremendous efforts. Last Wednesday the Ripley meeting
was full and there was a waiting list to get on it. In fact Paul
was in the process of launching new Studio Sessions at Coney Hall
to add capacity and offer a different location. <br>
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<p>Unfortunately the move into Tier 2 for our area has put paid to
this. There were suggestions from elsewhere that our sessions were
"educational" and therefore exempt. There is nothing I could see
in the regulations that suggests that hobby education for adults
was intended to be exempt. It is clearly important that school age
education for children continues if possible and the risks to them
seem small. (I'm not sure about the teachers!) On the other hand
many of our members are in at-risk groups and we should not be
wriggling around the rules to expose them to risk. <br>
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<p>Your committee took the decision to close the sessions,
reluctantly of course but it was not a difficult decision. I hope
that Paul's hard work will stand us in good stead when we come out
of restrictions, whenever that is. <br>
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<p>In the meantime, we hope to increase our online presence and we
are planning some extra demonstrations for next year. Watch this
space!<br>
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<p>Please consider supporting my NHS colleagues by downloading the
NHS app if you have a smartphone, and by getting your flu jab</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/the-nhs-app/">https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/the-nhs-app/</a></p>
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<p>Happy painting / drawing / .... whatever medium you use. We are a
fantastically diverse group!</p>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<b>Adrian Fowle<br>
Chairman, Bromley Art Society</b></div>
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