EMPRESS

These are some examples of our how our creative East Mids members have been spending the lockdown. Thank you all for your photos.

It might have taken Christine Howells 27 years to get around to completing her tapestry, but what a wonderful achievement! She says 'it has moved from house to house with me, sitting in various cupboards until I felt moved to do a little more. It's about 26" x 20", 10 stitches to the inch, which I reckon is about 52,000 stitches ...... well, no wonder it took a while.'

Jacquie Harrison, John Margetts and Helen Shovlar have been baking bread, Helen's is a yeastbased no-knead loaf, made with wholemeal flour and including home grown toasted hazel nuts. It has turned out rather tasty apparently, and it's a very quick loaf-in-two-hours process - probably eaten in less time than it took to make!

Jo Sidebottom has been completing brilliant recycled garden projects, and relaxing with a delicious Afternoon Tea delivered to her at home. To my amazement I made a shirt that looks like a shirt, and also two Guinea Pigs beds (they're a snug fit apparently).

Please send photos of your creative pursuits to [Email]

Regional News

How is everyone doing in these ongoing crazy times? 2020 is certainly testing us all to the limits. Hopefully you have not suffered any bereavements or job losses due to COVID-19. Let's look on the bright side though. There have been advantages of lockdown.. Far less money spent on fuel, dining out, holidays, clothes, hair and beauty appointments.. Far more time spent with family for some. I truly hope you've been able to use this once in a lifetime (well, I really hope it's a one off!) opportunity to recharge your batteries, catch up on all that DIY and gardening, and taken stock of what is really important in life for when we return to a new normal. Carole asked on the East Midlands Mensa Facebook group if anyone had taken up new hobbies during lockdown and you can see a few of the responses on the front page.

We have advertised social events for August in the hope some of them will happen. Lots of walks this month as more chance of us being able to meet up outside. We'll be fit! Please do check with the host before turning up in case restrictions are still in place. As ever, suggestions for walking routes, restaurants and tourist attractions to visit in the future or other activities are always gratefully received by myself or Local Officer. I'm on [Phone Number] or [Email]. I look forward to meeting lots of you in due course, but in the meantime continue to stay safe.

Maxine Bates

Regional Officer

Editorial

Welcome to the August edition of Empress. Whatever stage of Lockdown we are in when you read this, I know that creativity for enjoying get-togethers has been stretched to an unprecedented level. Who would have thought of a Virtual Summer Solstice, or Drive-by Birthday parties? Now, we're attending meetings in pyjama bottoms, and enjoying live theatre without a tiresome train journey home at the end of the evening.

Thank you to everyone who sent in photographs of their lockdown activities and projects. If you have found inventive and printable ways of getting together this year, please send a few words on the subject for the next issue of Empress - it's great to hear how everyone is adapting their lives to our New Norm. You can email your comments to [Email]. We love to hear from you, especially if you haven't sent anything in before.

Carole Pollard

Did you know?

If the Mensa membership department has your email address, all this is available to you, throughout lockdown and beyond:

If the Mensa office doesn't already have your email address, contact membership@mensa.org.uk

Mensa won't spam you, and your details will never be passed on to third parties. It will also help save the society the time and money posting material to you.

Short Story

East Mids member Frank Forster is celebrating his 93rd birthday shortly. He has written two books about his life, including A Yellowbelly Childhood, pictured below*. This is one of his short stories -

'FRIDAY' by Frank Forster

If, in 1935 you were an eight-year-old boy living in one particular village, Friday was the day of the week you looked forward to. Yes, it was the end of the school week but it was POCKET MONEY DAY! Five old pennies which today equates to two new pence. And in those days that went quite a long way. As time passed it rose to eight pence. Now, that was living.

Friday evening - picture night. Oh boy, black and white but excitement guaranteed. Then later down the to the fish shop for some chips. Not a cinema as you would know it but an allpurpose hall for sales, dancing, boxing tournaments, even live entertainment on rare occasions, oh yes, films once a week.

The screen hung at the end near the entrance by cord from hooks, like a huge picture. On a dance night long wooden benches would line the walls with some stacked in front of the scree, but on picture night these would be placed crosswise with an aisle down the middle. Thirties films were somewhat grainy, this was not improved by wear on the circuit. Every now and then a hair might get between the film and the lens, magnified several thousand times fluttering like crazy on the screen.

Before the film started and again as the hall emptied afterwards you were treated to music. There was only one record. In ¾ time a male and a female singing "Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart, will you love me ever?"

After a few years one tended to remember both melody and lyric. The title as I learned later was "Will you remember?", written many years earlier by Sigmund Romberg. If the film broke during the show you had more of the same, not uncommon.

Everyone is seated not necessarily comfortably and the performance starts. The part they have come for is first. The serial!! Frequently the favourite, cowboys and Indians, or baddies. These last were notable in their appearance as were the Indians (first nation to be PC). The good guys would be quite smart, the blouse of the hero freshly ironed by the wardrobe mistress. The bad guys? Dressed in outfits bought in a rummage sale. If it was not cowboys it could be 'Tailspin Tommy', Whizzpilot, Buster Crabbe in immaculate white uniform of the US Navy. I recall one episode where it ended with him unconscious on a railway line, one arm lying across the rail, and of course thundering towards at great speed an enormous locomotive. One week on, somehow the arm so carelessly laid ready for the wheels had moved. The opening shot showed the train thunder past. When it had gone our hero regained consciousness, got up, retrieved his hat, brushed himself down and carried on.

Almost every boy would have his six shooter - a cap gun, and someone might have some caps loaded. When the hero was in a tight spot everyone reached for their pistol. At the first sign of a baddie they all fired at the screen. That would lead to people at the back calling out "Sit down and be quiet!". A fusillade of caps going off would result in the lights being switched on and the two front rows threatened with eviction if they didn't behave.

Then, Pathe Gazette Newsreel. It would be news if you hadn't read the papers for weeks, said papers had already been used lighting the morning fire.

Now the main feature, if it was an adventure everyone enjoyed it. Comedy was good, George Formby riding his motorbike over a cliff, hilarious, many a drama went straight over the kids however, but they had bought their ticket so they just sat it out.

Show over, the hall emptied quickly, led of course by a stampede of small feet, all vying to be first in the chip shop. A small greaseproof bag in lots of newspaper, holding one pennorth of chips, salt and vinegar.

All to be enjoyed whilst reliving the serial. When his chips had all gone an odd boy would hold his head back and drink the vinegar from the corner of the bag. "You don't want to do that" would be heard, "It'll dry your blood up".

Home now, cocoa, bed. There was next Friday to be looked forward to.

* A Yellowbelly Childhood by Frank Forster

Special Interest Groups (SIGS)

There are more than 100 special interest groups (SIGs) in British Mensa, giving you the chance to explore your interests or develop new ones in the company of like-minded Mensans. SIGs are proposed and run by members and administered from head office. They all produce newsletters and many run other activities such as events or online discussions - and subjects cover everything from codes and ciphers to cats! You don't have to be an expert; all you need is an interest in the subject. If there isn't a SIG for your interest, you can propose a new one.

Your membership includes two free printed SIG newsletters, but you can join as many SIGs as you want, free, if you receive their newsletters as PDFs via email.

If you have a question about SIGs, contact the administrator Manjit Johal on 01902 772771 or sigs@mensa.org.uk. Or manage your SIG memberships online by clicking the SIGs tab at www.mensa.org.uk. You will need to sign into the members' area first.

20 Questions (No. 226)

The answers to the 1980s music quiz were Phil Collins, The Go- Go's, Stuart Adamson, Birmingham, Declan McManus, Nick Rhodes, 1980, Duran Duran, China Crisis, teacher, Stock/Aitkin/Waterman, OMD, Rick Allen, Bobby Brown, Siobhan Fahey, Paul Young, Video Killed The Radio Star, Las Vegas High School, Alannah Currie and Michael Jackson's Thriller. Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner drawn at random from all the correct entries is Lynn Faulkner of Nottingham. Hopefully you'll be able to spend your £10 book token soon.

THIS MONTH can you name these famous Mensans? Send your answers to arrive by 20th August to '20 Questions (No. 226)', [Address] or maxine@marubaevents.com - please include your name and address.