EMPRESS

Regional News

I'm delighted to welcome Carole onto the East Midlands Mensa team and hope you enjoy reading her first issue of Empress. She joins Maria and Mark as an editor and they will be doing two month stints to share the task. As always, do feel free to send in contributions to empress@mensa.org.uk whether that is a member profile, article about your own town, job or hobby, or you would like to announce an engagement, marriage, birth, special birthday or anniversary. Call me nosey, but it's nice to find out what members are up to! If you've found yourself with a bit more spare time whilst staying safe at home, volunteers are always welcome within Mensa, so do contact myself if you would like to get more involved. Some roles can be done without leaving home. We are still seeking a Local Officer for NN postcodes. Marianne is doing a great job - when not self-isolating - of keeping things going with a monthly get together in Northampton, but it would be nice to have someone to contact new members, encourage other activities, contribute to Empress and represent the county on the East Midlands Mensa committee.

This volunteer role can take up as much or as little time as you're able to offer. Please do contact me for further information. There was much interest in getting activity going at our regional event in Northampton a couple of years ago, but for various genuine family and work commitments at that time those people could not step into the role. Perhaps the situation has changed?

We have listed some social events for July, but obviously we're living in strange times so nobody knows if these will actually be able to take place or not. Hopefully by listing them we will all have something to look forward to when we are finally back to any kind of normality. In the meantime some groups are holding virtual events on Zoom and similar in order to stay in touch. Don't forget our East Midlands Mensa Facebook group that has welcomed many more members since lockdown began and where we can get to know each other via various discussions.

I'm looking forward to meeting you all in person at some point in the future. I'm on [Phone Number] or maxine@marubaevents. com

Maxine Bates

Regional Officer

Editorial

Welcome to the July edition of Empress, my first as Editor, and thank you to everyone who sent in their VE Day photos - great social distancing there! During the lockdown, I know lots of people have enjoyed getting creative and it would be great to see what you've all been getting up to. Please send in photos of your achievements - whatever it is, whether you've been learning a new skill, gardening, crafting or organising cupboards - anything you will look back at the first half of 2020 and say 'this is what I did while I couldn't (insert your usual leisure activities here)'. For now, I hope you all stay safe and enjoy the summer.

Carole Pollard

Dobbies Garden Centre, Milton Keynes

Mensans in MK & Bedford

Our Regular Venue

We've been meeting once every three months at Dobbies Garden Centre restaurant for at least ten years, and regularly enjoy good attendances. It's just south of Milton Keynes, technically in Bletchley/Fenny Stratford, but it's easy to find on Watling Street not far north of the big roundabout where the new A5 trunk road rejoins the old A5 (Watling Street). There's plenty of parking even when it's busy.

The area was once the Roman town and fort of Magiovinium and at the back of the garden centre, amongst the plants and hot tubs, is a small Roman garden that commemorates that fact.

Like most large chain garden centres these days, there is more on offer than plants and garden equipment. Much of the store is devoted to homewares, and there are also Cotton Traders and Edinburgh Woollen Mill concessions, amongst others. There is a small Food Hall, and also a book stall in aid of local charities. Most of us take the opportunity to have a wander around, and at least window shop, either before or after enjoying our tea.

The restaurant is large, which makes it well-suited for Mensa get-togethers, because we are usually assured of getting a table regardless of how many people turn up, in the conservatory area, and the delicious cakes and savouries are worth the occasional wait.

This is by far our longest-running get-together now: over the years we've had various regular locations for other events but - maybe because it's only once a quarter - Dobbie's has outlasted them all as our T@3 venue. If you haven't yet joined us there, what are you waiting for?!

Jo Sidebottom

[Phone Number] / [Phone Number]

[Email]

Socialising in a Lockdown

It's an overused expression, but these are strange times and it's a particularly strange time to be writing about regular events that we've all taken for granted in the past. At the time of writing it's not clear what the situation will be for the coming months, and how many of these events will be taking place face to face, but it's great to see how creative people are being with their socialising.

Walks and Garden Centres will be proving more popular and more likely to go ahead than the usual pub/restaurant visits as places to meet up, but the benefit of a virtual get-together of course is that no travel is involved so the audience can be wider. In Mid Bucks they're playing online board games, and in Derby their usual gathering is planned as an online Zoom.

If you have arranged any unusual socially distancing or virtual get-togethers with fellow Mensans, or among your families and friends, send the details so we can include them in future editions of Empress. Hopefully the feature will be headed, 'Look what we did back in the days of Lockdown.' And are you looking forward to the end of the restrictions, or are you one of those currently suffering from FLEE (Fear of Lockdown Ending Early)?

Let us know by emailing empress@mensa.org.uk.

SIG Profile - Cricket

Scarborough - Photo by Bill Masters (How's That! issue 41)

"What is cricket all about?" Cricket is a bat and ball game played between two teams of eleven players. One team tries to hit three pieces of wood with a ball while the other team tried to hit the ball with a wooden bat. A game can last a few hours or a few days. Too simple?

It's a game that delights in terminology such as googly, off-break, reverse spin, long leg. Too complicated?

But It is a game that provides ample opportunity for discussion and writing, not just about actual matches but about how cricket fits into social history etc.

The Cricket SIG magazine, How's That!, tries to capture a wide range of cricket-related topics, recently including memories of specific players, how hitting sixes ended up in the Court of Appeal, travelogues from cricket tours overseas, the role of a Chief Executive of a county side and much more. We have a range of contributors including some who might be termed traditionalists through to a teenager who writes enthusiastically about the Indian Premier League and the World Cup.

How's That! is published three times a year, and if you would like to contribute to a future issue or read a sample copy then please email me at cricketsig@btinternet.com.

David Wood

20 Questions (No. 225)

The answers to the numeric quiz in May were forty, 1/100th of a second, the number of seconds on average a person will wait before going to another web page, four, 12, even, 120, 4, 42, 1 with 100 zeros, the number of pickles Heinz made at the time of its creation, 666, 7, obelus, 18, 7, 13, 4, 12 and hahaha is how you pronounce 5 in Thailand. Congratulations to the winner,Nigel Bryant from Bedford. Hopefully you will be able to spend your book token soon.

The NHS has featured significantly in the news this year. But do you know what these three letters stand for within the National Health Service? Send your entries to arrive by 20th July to '20 Questions (No. 225)', [Address] or [Email] for your chance to win. Don't forget to include your name and address or we won't know where to send the prize!