Do come and stretch your brain at my house near Alford on Sunday 20th May, 3-5 with a bit of ‘Teatime Thinking’. General discussion over tea and cakes on ideas of the main philosophers but no previous knowledge required, anyone and everyone can join in. This month: Engels - Are shareholders exploiters? For encouragement/directions: [Email]
We’re making a return visit to Nottingham Greyhound Stadium in Colwick on Friday 25th. I’m suggesting a 7.00pm rendez-vous time but gates open at 6.00pm with the last race finished by 10.30pm so you can arrive and leave whenever convenient. Tickets cost £5 each for admission and race card (usually £6) and all money will go to Cancer Research UK as the stadium have kindly donated the tickets as part of their charity tournament. We’ll be allocated a dog to cheer on the night and if it wins will go forward to the final in October. Under 18s are admitted free of charge if accompanied by an adult. A fun night out for all ages.
We end the month in the usual way with good food and drink at the Cowper Arms, Digswell, Herts (by Welwyn North station). Call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement. The pub is next to the railway station, which is served by stopping trains from Kings Cross to Cambridge and Peterborough. If the weather’s fine, we might be outside for a bit!
The following evening, from 7.00pm on Saturday 26th, I’ll be hosting a Eurovision Song Contest party in the private function room of the Bowman in Hucknall. Tickets cost £16 and include a three course buffet of European dishes, two large screen TVs to watch the contest live, a Eurovision quiz to test your trivia, optional fancy dress and more. Royaume Uni nul points? Please book by 19th.
Sunday breakfast will be at 10.15 am on Sunday 27th, at Carluccio’s in the Centre:MK. Feel free to come for a full breakfast, a snack, or just a drink, but if possible please let me know by Saturday 26th so we have an idea what size table to grab when we arrive. We will probably be in one of the red booths just outside the restaurant.
Those who came to the tour of Stewart Linford’s furniture factory in January last year may want to join us on the afternoon of Sunday 27th May to visit “Windsors in Wycombe”. This has nothing to do with the Royal Jubilee, but is an exhibition of antique Windsor chairs at West Wycombe Park (National Trust). If the weather is good we will also walk round the park and gardens and then find some refreshments in West Wycombe village.
We will meet at the entrance kiosk near the car park at 2:15pm. Please ring me on [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email] to let me know you are coming.
Looking ahead there are a number of events planned for the rest of the year.
In late June / early July I will be arranging a guided evening walk with a local expert to seek out glow worms near Princes Risborough. I am assured that when it rains the insects still glow, it is just that the humans won’t come out to see! There will be a small charge, expected to be less than £10, for this event. If you are interested in coming, please drop me an e-mail or phone and tell me which evenings are best for you, eg weekends or mid-week. Final dates may change depending on the season, but if I know you are interested I can contact you and let you know in good time.
Further ahead I am planning a trip to Hughenden Manor to see an open air performance of Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday 4th August at 7pm. Reserve the date now. Tickets (£16 / £12) are available from the National Trust on 0844 2491895.
There are some local members who would like to host informal (scoring optional!) Scrabble evenings in their own homes on a regular basis. If you would be interested in taking part, please contact me and I will co-ordinate some initial dates and venues.
Pub meeting at the Essex Arms, Langley Way, Watford. WD17 3EG
Please look for the Magazine on the table.
New members always warmly welcomed.
Finally our “eating meeting” at 7.30pm on Tuesday 29th will be an Italian meal at Gino’s in Ruddington. See menu at www.ginos-ruddington.com. On Tuesday the restaurant have an offer of any pizza, pasta or chicken dish for £6.95 or 20% discount if ordering a starter and main course. Please let me know by 25th if you’d like to join us so a table can be reserved.
We will meet as usual at the Old Mill at 7.45-ish., the pub set back from the London road, next door to the Esso petrol station on Berkhamsted’s High Street, (the old A 41 before they built the by-pass).
Come and chat / drink/ eat and meet. New members welcome.
We have a variety of events for you this month ranging from the physical to intellectual. We start with our monthly get together at the Vat & Fiddle pub on Queensbridge Road in the city centre. It’s near the railway station and has free parking right outside. Find us in the Golding’s Room to the left of the bar from 8.00pm on Tuesday 5th to round off the long Jubilee weekend.
We go to the outskirts of Northampton this month. We will be meeting at The Sun, High Street, Hardingstone to put the world to rights over a drink. Look for the Mensa mag on a table to find us. Call Ian on [Phone Number] for directions/details, or e-mail [Email]
Regular first Thursday of the month meeting. Come and join us! We’ll be around for our usual mix of lively conversation and a good atmosphere. As always, we’re at the Millstream, Cambridge Road, Hitchin. Good food and good beer both available! Call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement. The pub is about ten minutes’ walk from the railway station.
Please join us on the 7th from 8pm for informal First Thursday chat at The Old Beams at Shenley Lodge. We will try to get a table in the small room at the right hand end - look out for the Mblem or mag. See http://www.mcmullens.co.uk/oldbeams for location, menu etc. Feel free to join us for a meal or just a drink
This month there are the usual discussion meetings. Firstly, our 2SaOTM pub discussion at the Adam and Eve on Lindum Hill in Lincoln on Saturday 9th June, 12.05-2ish or later. At 12.30 we will start a discussion on ‘Professional v personal mores’, before rambling onto other subjects. Some have lunch, others just a drink.
At 8.00pm on Sunday 10th you’re invited to test your general knowledge with a quiz night at the New White Bull in Giltbrook (near Ikea) where we have the private function room at the back of the pub and our own bar. There will be a £2 per person charge to enter with all money being donated to Cancer Research UK. Play as an individual or part of a team and there will be a good prize for the winner(s). An idea of numbers would be appreciated to help set up the room but you’re welcome to just turn up on the night. Some people think my quizzes are too easy and some too difficult. Why not come and judge for yourself!?
I remember...
An evening of memories that you would like to share - hosted by David Silver.
Please let me know if you plan to attend as spaces may be limited.
Also we will be bringing the usual nibbles.
LE15 8BL
We’ve a busy month around Leicestershire and Rutland this month, starting off with an afternoon of activities at Rutland Water. Meet at 12 noon on Saturday 16th in Whitwell car park (). There’s a £3 charge to park all day. From there we’ll head to the Harbour Cafe for a bite of lunch. Choose from a range of hot and cold main meals, snacks and drinks. Then we can split into smaller groups to either board the Rutland Belle boat for a trip around the water, hire cycles to ride around part of the water (it’s 26 miles all the way so probably a bit far for most!), tackle the hire ropes adventure course (subject to availability if not pre-booked) or just take a stroll. Something for all ages, fitness levels and budgets. Please phone Maxine Bates on [Phone Number] in case of rainy weather to check the event is still going ahead.
Approx. 15 minutes drive from Rutland Water brings you to the pretty market town of Uppingham and you’ll find St Peter & St Paul church hall off the market place. This will be the venue of our “Best Of British” regional event from 6.00pm to 10:30pm. The event is free to all members and guests but please bring your own drinks (glasses provided), a buffet contribution (please advise Maxine what so we don’t end up with lots of just one thing!) and try to wear red, white or blue if possible. There will be a street party (but inside!) accompanied by British music as well as a quiz, a raffle, some other fun activities and rounded off with a disco and some live music. Everyone welcome!
Meet me at Whiteleaf Cross car park on Peter’s Lane above Princes Risborough at 9:45pm on Saturday 16th June for a glow worm walk in the Chilterns. We will be led by a local expert who will give us a short introductory talk about the glow worm before we set off to look for the real thing on Brush Hill. The cost is £5.00 for adults, £2.50 for children.
The site is on a slope, so please wear walking boots if you have them and bring a torch and magnifying glass. I am assured that the glow worms will still be there, even if the weather is bad. The walk should finish back at the car park by 11pm.
Details of the area are available at http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/whiteleaf/whiteleaf.page Do not confuse the monument where we are meeting with the pub of the same name in Princes Risborough!
For further directions or encouragement please ring me on [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email] It would be helpful to have some idea of numbers in advance, but you will still be welcome if you just turn up on the night.
On Sunday 17th June the Leicester and Northants groups will be getting together for a circular walk of about 3 miles along the Welland Valley on the border of Northants and Rutland, and an invitation is extended to all East Midlands members and their families or friends to join us. Other than a couple of stiles and plank bridges there are no major obstacles, and anyone who is reasonably fit will be able to manage it.
Starting at 11.30am from the Market Cross in the village of Harringworth, the first part of the walk takes us across the fields and along the banks of the Welland. We will find a suitable place to have a picnic lunch before the heading uphill away from the river for the second part of the walk, returning to Harringworth via a mix of country roads and footpaths. As there are a number of options on this section the route to be taken will depend on how everyone feels at the time.
on the Internet
NN17 3AH
The village itself is worth a look and the nearby railway viaduct is impressive (at three-quarters of a mile it is the longest masonry viaduct in Britain). If you want to have a look at the area go to: http://tinyurl.com/mensa-walk; and for SatNav users will get you there.
For more information please contact Paul Coulson or Ian Sargent, whose contact details can be found in the Leicester and Northants listings.
The following day, we’ve a walk around Harringworth (see across), just four miles from Uppingham.
Sunday breakfast will be at 10.15 am on Sunday 17th, at Carluccio’s in the Centre:MK. Feel free to come for a full breakfast, a snack, or just a drink, but if possible please let me know by Saturday 26th so we have an idea what size table to grab when we arrive. We will probably be in one of the red booths just outside the restaurant.
Our “3rd Wednesday” get together falls on 20th so come along any time from 7.30pm until 10.30ish and find us in the low ceiling area at the rear of the Standing Order on Irongate. This is a Wetherspoon pub and there’s 20% discount on food for anyone with a Cathedral Quarter card. You are welcome to join us for a meal or just a drink. There are usually 12-16 of us of all ages. Everyone welcome.
Purely by chance we’re returning to Giltbrook on Thursday 21st because the quiz night was already arranged before I found out about this event. The Ikea retail park will be the location for a world record breaking attempt for the largest zumba class and takes place in the car park from 8-9pm. There is a £5 fee to participate with money going to Ikea’s chosen charity (www.ryanleetrust.org.uk). No previous zumba experience is necessary as there will be several instructors to follow. Just wear comfortable clothing and come and party your way into shape whilst raising money for a good cause and maybe helping set a new world record.
The Roadshow goes back to one of our favourite pubs. Join us at The Barley Mow, High Street, Paulerspury to catch up with all the South Northants gossip. The village is just off the A5, close to the Bucks border.
From 7.30pm on Friday 22nd Pen invites you to her home in Ashby de la Zouch for an evening of socialising. Please bring whatever you wish to drink and a buffet contribution if possible. Contact Pen on [Phone Number] or [Email] for address and directions.
Finally, Teatime Thinking at my house near Alford on Sunday 24th June, 3-5. General discussion over tea and cakes on ideas of the main philosophers but no previous knowledge required, everyone can join in. This month: Francis of Assisi: does a life of poverty help anyone else? For directions: [Email]
Pub meeting at the Essex Arms, Langley Way, Watford. WD17 3EG
Please look for the Magazine on the table.
New members always warmly welcomed.
At 7.30pm on Tuesday 26th we’re going to Gurkha Paradise which is a Nepalese restaurant on Nottingham Road in Spondon. The venue gets excellent reviews on the internet, is reasonably priced and recommended by a local Mensan. Please let me know by 22nd if you’d like to join us so a large enough table can be reserved.
Finally, because there’s so much going on, we’re moving our regular Third Thursday of the Month meeting to the fourth Tuesday, and will meet up at The Craddock (http://tinyurl.com/leicsMensaTTOTM) at 8:00pm on the 26th. Please give Paul Coulson a call on [Phone Number], or email him at [Email] for more info.
We will meet as usual at the Old Mill at 7.45-ish., the pub set back from the London road, next door to the Esso petrol station.
I will be abroad on that day so will not be there to greet you, but others will be. Come and chat / drink/ eat and see what happens.
We end the month in the usual way with good food and drink at the Cowper Arms, Digswell, Herts (by Welwyn North station). Call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement. The pub is next to the railway station, which is served by stopping trains from Kings Cross to Cambridge and Peterborough. If the weather’s fine, we might be outside for a bit!
Saturday 30th sees us back at Dobbie’s Garden Centre in Fenny Stratford, just south of Milton Keynes, for T@3. This is one of our most popular meetings and an ideal one to come along to if you’ve never joined us before. Not that you wouldn’t be welcome at any meeting, but most of us agree that T@3 has a particularly nice atmosphere.