The Bell Hotel  proved to be most hospitable as always, providing us with a spacious room to enjoy drinks and a convivial chat prior to our AGM meeting. Thereafter we relocated to the Sergent Wilson Room for a delicious buffet. During the AGM amongst other items Charles Robson provided the 11 attending members with some background information on FAFICS and its relevance to us as BAFUNCS members.     We were delighted to welcome Amanda Pitt to her first CAM region gathering.  We plan to hold our next event in Bury St Edmunds on Wed 17th June and at Holkham Hall on Wed 9th September.  See you there!   Nicky Rodgers  

Kent and Sussex (KSX) Region held its late-winter get together and lunch at the Seaford Head Golf Course on Thursday, 5 March 2026. Thirteen members and their guests met for a good lunch and chat. The view over the Severn Sisters cliffs at Seaford on a sunny day was spectacular and a pleasant reminder of approaching spring.     Attending: Joan Wilson, Neori Tadulala, Emma Hibling, Anna Eliatamby, Allen & Myra Jones, Heather Johnson, Terri Jezeph, Margaret Baugier, Colin & Marie Davis, Elsbeth Hinser, Richard Sydenham. We look forward to our Spring lunch and AGM at the Black Rabbit, Arundel, West Sussex on Thursday, 7 May 2026. All members and guests are invited. We hope you can join us.   Terri, Heather and Richard

Date: Tuesday, 14 April 2026 Venue: China Thai, 3 Grand ‘Rue, 01210 Ferney-Voltaire. Time: 12.00 Members from all regions are welcome! The restaurant offers a number of fixed menus as well as à la carte. See here. Payment can be made on the day. Please let me know by the latest  Friday, 10 April if you plan to attend. Wishing you all a Happy Easter! Mary Hamouda. maryhamouda@hotmail.fr OVS Regional Representative  

Registration is now open for the 2026 BAFUNCS Annual Reunion, to be held from 13 to 15 September 2026 at the centrally-located Majestic Hotel Cardiff (formerly known as the Radisson Blu).  Our Spring Newsletter contains details of the Reunion, including information on an exciting selection of excursions (pages 4 to 5) and on our three eminent speakers (page 12). AR 2026 Cardiff Invitation AR 2026 Cardiff Registration Form Some members may be aware that after the venue was selected by BAFUNCS, the hotel has been undergoing a rebranding from Radisson Blu to the Majestic.  Unfortunately, this transition is taking longer than anticipated and is expected to continue for a while, with a number of consequences. The telephones are still being answered as Radisson Blu, and a new Majestic Hotel Cardiff website has yet to be created.  Members wishing to take a look at the hotel and its rooms and facilities, including the Azzurro Ballroom where we will be holding the speaker sessions and the dinners, can still do so by accessing https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-cardiff As a result of the transition, and rather than telephone the hotel, members should initially contact the hotel through the email address provided on the Registration Form: reservations.cardiff@majestichotels.co.uk ; and preferably title their email BAFUNCS Annual Reunion.  Members should inform the hotel of the dates of stay and category of accommodation desired (single or double occupancy), and of any accessibility requirements.  Credit card details are not needed at this time, and of course should not be provided in an email; the hotel has indicated that it will contact members at a later stage, or possibly even on arrival at the hotel, to obtain this information.  Members should however ensure that they receive emailed confirmation of their booking at the hotel. The Annual Reunion Committee apologizes for the inconvenience and uncertainty caused by the rebranding of the hotel, which is beyond our control.  The Committee would however like to reassure members that we are still dealing with the same staff at the hotel, and that all the contractual and logistical arrangements made previously with the hotel remain unchanged.  A number of members have already signed up and we look forward to hearing from more of you.