A Warm HELTA Farewell at Amadeus

By ROSIE SIEMSEN

On a wet Thursday evening in February, HELTA members – both familiar faces and newer ones – gathered at Amadeus Restaurant in Barmbek for a cosy social evening. The weather outside may have been damp, but inside the atmosphere was warm, lively, and full of good conversation.

This was no ordinary social, however. The evening also gave us the opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to Wilton for his many years of unwavering support to HELTA. As long-standing treasurer, Wilton has played a central role in keeping HELTA running smoothly behind the scenes, and it was wonderful to see so many members turn out to wish him well as he prepares to move north.

The evening began with a few short speeches from colleagues who have known Wilton for many years. Our current co-chair Vincent shared some kind words (and a few anecdotes passed on from former chair Sarah), and former treasurer Kay added her own reflections. Former chair Andreas then took to the floor and, in true ELT style, turned his speech into a mini activity — inviting us to work in groups to spot the elements of famous speeches cleverly woven into his tribute. It was both entertaining and very fitting.

After the speeches, we settled into an evening of delicious food and drinks, served by a wonderfully friendly and patient team at Amadeus, who coped admirably with our many requests.

We rounded off the evening by presenting Wilton with a few small gifts: a wind-up torch, a Hamburg flag, and a homemade cake in the shape of a treasure chest – a fitting tribute to our long-serving HELTA treasurer.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening, and of course to Wilton for everything he has done for HELTA over the years. We wish him all the very best for his next chapter.