On The Trail of Real Ale
Maxine's June 'R' Alphabet event took a group of Mensans to Newark in search of a good pint of Real Ale. See pages below for a review and more pictures (hic)
Regional News
At the time of writing I've just returned from the Rugby Weekend. It was good to catch up with Mensa friends from years gone by and explore a city that was previously unfamiliar to me. If you'd like the opportunity to visit a part of the country whilst making new friends then please consider the Scottish Mensa Annual Gathering in Stirling over the August bank holiday weekend and/or the British Mensa Annual Gathering in Ipswich 8th-11th September. You can find further details at www.mensa.org.uk or by contacting Diane at the Mensa office.
Closer to home our "alphabet events" continue in the East Midlands region. If you have suggestions for events beginning with U,V,W,X,Y or Z please contact myself or your LocSec. In fact if you live in the LE, LU or NN postcodes and would like to become a LocSec then definitely contact me!
I'm on [Phone Number] or [Email]
Maxine Bates
Regional Officer
Editorial
Welcome to the August Edition of Empress. Hopefully we're now enjoying lovely warm and sunny weather. I hope those of you who attended the West Midlands weekend in Rugby had a great time. The weather was hot and sunny, especially on the Saturday when I went. All members are welcome at these weekend events. There are more such events coming up this year, as Maxine describes below. Be sure to check them out!
Mark Sloan
Events and Meetings
Lively Lincs
On Sun 6th Aug at 15:00pm - Afternoon tea in the Garden
Summer's definitely here, I'm doing the notice for Helen and Paul's annual 'Afternoon tea in the Garden'. This is a meeting I would recommend to everyone, they have a lovely garden to sit in and always provide wonderful food. It's a great event, do come on Sunday 6th August, 15.00-17.00, near Spilsby. Because they may have to limit numbers, please contact them beforehand: hshovlar@gmailcom or [Phone Number] by Friday evening (4 August), please include your phone number so that they can contact you on the day if bad weather forces cancellation.
On Sat 12th Aug at 12:00pm - 2SaOTM
Then, we are now back to our usual SECOND Saturday, 12th August, pub discussion at the Adam and Eve on Lindum Hill, Lincoln. We meet at around 12, start the discussion at about 12.30, this month it's 'Should we have genderspecific awards?" The conversation continues down various byways until we feel like going home, anytime from 2, sometimes as late as well gone 3. Hopefully, we will be in the garden, if not the alcove, look for Mblem; free car park, food available.
Christine Howells
Contact [Email] for details
Notts News
On Fri 4th Aug at 6:00pm - Greyhound racing
On Friday 4th we return to Nottingham Greyhound Stadium in Colwick for another charity tournament. I've been donated 100 tickets and am selling them for only £3 each (normal admission and race card is £6) with all that money going to Cancer Research UK. Come along for a fun night out at a bargain price and help a good cause. A win win situation! We'll grab some tables in the large bar downstairs from where food and drink is available, tote bet counters to hand and we can watch the racing either on the screens or pop outside and stand track side. Betting is purely optional! It's worth a try if you've never been before and friends, family or work colleagues are most welcome with accompanied under 18s free of charge. You can arrive/leave any time from 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Follow the brown signs to Colwick race course and park and ride. There is ample free parking at the venue. You will need to purchase tickets from me in advance as I'm not allowed to hand them out on the night.
On Sat 5th Aug at 8:00pm - 5OTM
The following evening, Saturday 5th, we're at the Vat & Fiddle pub adjacent to Castle Rock Brewery and near Nottingham railway station. We should be in the Goldings Room to the left of the bar from 8.00pm until late. New members are especially welcome so why not come along and find out what you've been missing and suggest some events for the future? We don't bite!
On Thu 10th Aug at 7:30pm - Natter & Nosh
On Thursday 10th we're at the Cadland, High Road, Chilwell, for a meal from 7.30pm or later for just a drink. Their menu is at www.emberinns.co.uk and if you sign up for their emails there are often useful discount vouchers. We reserve tables 20-24 at the far side of the bar. Look for a yellow Mblem.
On Tue 29th Aug at 7:30pm - Eating meeting
Finally at 7.30pm on Tuesday 29th we're going for a Thai meal at Grand Siam in Eastwood (NG16 3NQ). This restaurant is close to my home and gets good reviews but I've never visited. Time to change that! See their menu at www.grandsiam.co.uk and let me know by 24th if you'd like to join us.
Ciao for now!
Maxine Bates
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
In Northampton
On Sun 13th Aug at 10:30am - Brunch
As usual we shall be meeting at the Rendezvous Coffee Shop in Market Walk, Northampton Town Centre at 10:30 on 13 August for a drink, breakfast or brunch. We shall be including a discussion on pets, usual and unusual. Contact Marianne on [Phone Number] or email: [Email] for more information or encouragement.
Marianne Kendall
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
Hertfordshire Happenings
On Thu 3rd Aug at 8:00pm - FThOTM
As ever, we are at the Three Magnets, Leys Avenue, Letchworth. Thursday nights are curry nights but other food (standard Wetherspoons' fare) is available as well. Leys Avenue is the main shopping street in Letchworth and is a few minutes' walk from the station (Kings Cross to Cambridge line). Call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement.
On Sat 12th Aug at 1:00pm - Alphabet Event - T is for Tapas Bar
Alphabet Event - T is for Tapas Bar
Join Richard Allen on Saturday 12th at 1:00pm for lunch at Letchworth's famous tapas bar, La Concha, which is locally famous for the quality of its food and wine. As space is limited, please let me know no later than Saturday 5 August if you want to come so I can book a table. The bar is located next door to the railway station.
On Fri 25th Aug at 8:00pm - LFOTM
Last Friday is at our usual venue of the Cowper Arms, Digswell. The pub is next to Welwyn North station and is served by stopping trains from Kings Cross to Peterborough and Cambridge. Good food, beer and conversation guaranteed! Please call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement.
Richard Allen
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
Mensans in MK & Bedford
On Wed 2nd Aug at 7:00pm - Eating meeting
Our first August meeting is a return, after several years, to The GrillMed restaurant on Watling Street, near The Bowl. Despite its external appearance, the food is very good and the staff welcoming. It's £14.99 for the unlimited buffet (drinks are extra). We will meet at 7pm on Wednesday 2nd, but please let me know by Tuesday 1st if you are planning to come, in case I need to book a table.
On Sun 20th Aug at 10:00am - Sunday breakfas
Sunday breakfast is on Sunday 20th at Carluccio's in the Centre:MK. Join us from 10am for a full breakfast, a snack, or just a drink. We will probably be in one of the red booths in front of the restaurant.
On Mon 21st Aug at 8:15pm - Pub & Quiz
Our regular Third Monday visit to the Barge in Woolstone for the quiz is on Monday 21st. Meet from 8.15 - the quiz starts at 8.30pm (note the earlier start time) and costs £1 per person. Please let me know beforehand if you're coming - the maximum team size is 6 people so it helps to know whether we'll be one team or two, or somewhere in between.
Just a reminder about our M-MK & Bedford Facebook group - if you would like to join please search for the group and send me a request. I also keep an email distribution list for meeting reminders and any last-minute changes, so if you would like to be added to this please let me know.
We hope to see as many of you as possible at one or other of our events this month. Do remember that you're welcome to bring a guest with you, so if you've never been to a Mensa event and are a little nervous about coming along on your own, just bring a friend.
Jo Sidebottom
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] / [Mobile Number] for details
Mid Bucks
On Sat 12th Aug at 2:00pm - Bricks Britannia
On Saturday 12th August, join me at Bricks Britannia - the history of Britain in Lego bricks. This exhibition is on at the County Museum, Aylesbury, HP20 2QP. We are promised over 30 models of wellknown landmarks including an 8 metre long Lego representation of the Flying Scotsman train, complete with light, sound and smoke effects. Tickets will be available on the day and are expected to cost less than £5 each. Meet me at the Museum entrance at 2:00pm to go into the exhibition.
On Mon 14th Aug at 8:00pm - Indoor board games
Join Dave and Alison at their home in Flackwell Heath for a relaxed evening of indoor board games. Arrive for an 8pm start on Monday 14th August. Please contact Dave on mensagames@ divenal.plus.com or [Phone Number] for directions and to let him know which games you would like to play. For further details or encouragement contact me on [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email]
Val Hinkins
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
Derby Diary
On Fri 11th Aug at 7:00pm - BBQ
Lots of various types of eating opportunities this month! Starting with Susan and Mark kindly inviting us to their home in Ilkeston from 7.00pm on Friday 11th for some socialising and a BBQ. Please bring something for the BBQ and whatever you want to drink but bread rolls and salads will be provided. Contact them on [Phone Number] for directions and to confirm attendance.
On Wed 16th Aug at 7:30pm - 3WOTM
On Wednesday 16th we return to the Standing Order in Derby city centre for a meal and/or drink and some interesting conversation. Find us on a long table in the low ceiling rear section of this Wetherspoon pub on Iron Gate any time from 7.30pm until late. There will be a yellow Mblem on display or phone me in advance if needing directions or encouragement to come along.
On Thu 17th Aug at 2:00pm - Afternoon tea
I recently went for a lovely afternoon tea at Victoria Vintage Tea Rooms in Draycott and was so impressed I'm organising a group visit there at 2.00pm on Thursday 17th. Their afternoon tea comprises a nice selection of sandwiches and cakes, scone with jam and cream, unlimited coffee or tea (including flavours such as liquorice or apple crumble!) and a glass of fruit juice. All this for only £10 per person. We are limited to 16 places but can then have their upstairs Hepburn Suite to ourselves which is decorated with Audrey Hepburn memorabilia. Please let me know by 14th latest if you'd like to join us.
Maxine Bates
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
Intelligence and National Security SIG
Which state bans the import of onions and catfish - whilst owning 50,000 square miles of Venus? Alternatively - how might you circumvent G Code encryption?
The SIG aims to balance topical and serious material with room for the lighter side of Statecraft and espionage. The regular newsletter may be better described as being about spies (a great many like information around spying - a favourite of the media), state policy (very much in the news recently) and human rights (migration for instance). Apart from the newsletter there is soon to be a dedicated website for discussions, ideas, questions and suggestions from members.
Recent newsletter articles did indeed answer the question around the state without catfish imports (Republic of Mollossia. in Texas..) but also examined how Number Stations did and still do send coded messages throughout the world - plus how to listen in. President Trump's "wall" provided a very rich seam of analysis - it is quite challenging to build one quite to his specifications. However the Chinese managed to build their wall over approximately 13,000 miles - so he might be advised to ask them for help with the build... or maybe not.
The main challenge for this SIG is sourcing reliable material - so much is necessarily kept confidential or is a matter of political opinion - which can shift very quickly. And of course some material is simply mis-information or outright lies. Discussions can focus around how actually to identify "truth" or what passes for the truth - from geospatial identification of photographs to analysis of social media.
Tackling the three main aspects of the SIG in turn - spy craft first. Very popular in the media plus spawning a wealth of films, TV series and many, many books. Add into that various newsletters and periodicals across all continents and there is a vast selection to assess - the USSR alone has 4 magazines devoted to different aspects of their Border Guards! Spying is not always glamorous either - whilst some do try to subvert a state - we have others who were recently tasked with obtaining the latest genetically engineered rice seed.
Secondly policy areas - for example various arguments about territorial ownership in the South China Sea. China has some remarkable building work going on to elevate what were minor reefs into entire "research bases". Likewise it is interesting to see how President Trump finances, builds and monitors his new wall between the USA and Mexico.
Finally human rights - a truly vast area covering such areas as migration, minority groups, subversion, women's rights with ecology thrown in. There really is a gulf between what is stated as best practice, produced in research and recommended - as opposed to actually what states carry out. Hence an article on the blocks about gas-based poisons.
I am very open to new ideas and always on the lookout for unique concepts , articles or suggestions. Questions, debate and speculation is always encouraged.
You can contact me at [Email]
And no I am not going to tell you how to circumvent G code encryption.. it's a secret. until the next newsletter..
Kevin Fisher
The Real Ale Trail in Newark
On Saturday 10th June our "R" alphabet event took us on a real ale trail around the Nottinghamshire town of Newark. The date was arranged way in advance so that real ale loving Mensans from around our region as well as beyond could join us. We met at midday at Wetherspoons off the market square for a spot of lunch before consulting the civil war ale trail map and setting off in an attempt to visit 7 of the 10 pubs listed at a rough pace of one per hour (before my last train home!).
First stop was the Fox & Crown owned by Castle Rock Brewery. Regulars at the "5th of the month" event in Nottingham would be familiar with their range of ales, although some of us opted to sample the mango cider. We were also entertained by a choir who were performing in the pub. Then it was onto the Clay Tavern where we sat in the beer garden discussing the merits of astro turf! One of the most unusual pubs on the tour was the Vaults. Not surprisingly in a cellar. And another unusual venue was Castle Barge, a bar on a boat moored within the shadows of Newark Castle. Unluckily timed to be an hour too soon for their 2-4-1 cocktails. Shame! After a short walk along the river and crossing locks expertly guided by local member Sally we emerged at micro pub Just Beer where some of us ordered the cheese platter and the staff gave us gin flavour crisps to sample. I think the overall verdict was not very tasty! Just a hop across the road and we were in the Flying Circus with Monty Python memorabilia and a gin list to celebrate World Gin Day which just happened to be on 10th June. Finally ending up in the historic Prince Rupert where some of us opted to dine.
Many thanks to the 15 members who came along from as far as Lancashire and Cheshire and made it a such a fun day. A good range of ales as well as ciders, wines and soft drinks, snacks and food when we liked, most enjoyable company, a variety of interesting conversations, snippets of history of Newark and decent weather. When are we doing it again!?
20 Questions (No. 190)
Did you guess the Man-Booker answers from the June competition? They were Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark, The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler, Mother's Milk by Edward St Aubyn, Brick Lane by Monica Ali, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil, Headlong by Michael Frayn, The Orchard On Fire by Shena MacKay, The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald, The Children Of Dynmouth by William Trevor, According To Mark by Penelope Lively, Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, The Nice And The Good by Iris Murdoch, Morality Play by Barry Unsworth, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle and Lies Of Silence by Brian Moore. Congratulations to Roger Plant of Nottingham who wins the £10 national book token.
If you've been travelling around Britain over the summer you may be interested in this month's British quiz. Send your answers to arrive by 20th August by post to '20 Questions (No. 190)', [Address], or by email to [Email]. Don't forget to include your name and address!
1. The Ashmolean Museum is in which city?
2. Which is the largest county in Wales?
3. 01603 is the dialling code for which city?
4. Mull is part of which Scottish island group?
5. In which county is Leeds Castle located?
6. Britain's first escalator was installed in which department store in 1878?
7. What is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Devonshire?
8. Which county is home to the National Horological Institute?
9. Which line is coloured brown on the London underground map?
10. Vectis was the Roman name for which part of Britain?
11. Who designed Marble Arch?
12. The Mumbles are the posh waterfront area of which city?
13. What is the county town of Buckinghamshire?
14. On which river does Preston stand?
15. Which place is at the western end of the A5?
16. As what are Gillingham, Rochester and Chatham collectively known?
17. Heathrow airport is in which London borough?
18. In which county is Wookey Hole?
19. Dalcross airport serves which British city?
20. Which university in Britain has the most students?