Regional News
At the time of writing the Irish are celebrating a very subdued St Patrick's Day, the supermarket shelves are empty, everyone appears to have a surfeit of toilet rolls (what's that all about!?), the powers that be are saying to close pubs/ restaurants/cinemas/theatres, the aviation industry has almost come to a complete halt (that will at least please Greta Thunberg!), the self-employed are slowly going out of business, and it feels like we are living in some sort of zombie apocalypse!! You should have received an email from the Mensa office recommending that all our social events are cancelled. That is a great shame, but totally understandable under these unprecedented circumstances. As we don't know how long the coronavirus situation will last and events are already advertised, please do check with the host whether that event is still taking place. Even if the venue is open and accepting visitors, the host may be ill or selfisolating. Hopefully normal service will be resumed soon and the world will not be such a crazy place to live.
In the meantime I'd urge you to keep an eye on the main Mensa website and our East Midlands Mensa website for updates. If you don't already belong to our regional Facebook group - search for "East Midlands Mensa" - please do consider joining as this is a great way to keep up to date with what's happening, event cancellations or impromptu events as circumstances allow, as well as to virtually meet other members and offer or receive support as needed. Don't forget there are over 100 Special Interest Groups to join so you can still connect with members from the comfort of your own home. They are all listed on the main Mensa website so take your pick! If you are self-isolating, why not take the time to write a quiz or member profile for Empress? Or an article about your home town? Or take up a new home-based hobby and tell us about it!
Stay safe everyone and if we're at the peak of the pandemic by the time you read this then hopefully see you on the other side! As ever, contact is welcome on [Phone Number] or [Email]
Maxine Bates
Regional Officer
Editorial
Welcome to the May edition of Empress, my first back as a new stint in the hot seat starts. Thanks to Maria once again for holding the fort for the last three months while I have been recovering from an unexpected illness (not COVID-19, before you ask!). Maxine's piece is quite long and so my piece is quite short!
Mark Sloan
Member Profile
Events and Meetings
Derby Diary
On Wed 20th May at 7:30pm - Online - 3WOTM
We are going to hold our 3rd Wednesday Of The Month meeting on Zoom. This is the meeting that would previously been at the Standing Order in the centre of Derby. Hoping for a good chat and a bit of fun. Please contact Susan for details on [Phone Number] or [Email]
Susan Graves
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] / [Mobile Number] for details
Hertfordshire Happenings
On Thu 7th May at 8:00pm - Cancelled - FThOTM
This event has been Cancelled
Once again, we are at the Three Magnets, Leys Avenue, Letchworth. Thursday is traditionally curry night, but other food is also available (standard Wetherspoons fare). Leys Avenue is just a few minutes' walk from the rail station (Kings Cross to Cambridge line). Please call me on [Phone Number], or email [Email] to confirm whether this meeting is still taking place, given the situation with COVID-19.
On Sun 24th May at 11:00am - Circular Walk
Scenic walk from the National Trust Ashridge Visitor Centre, HP4 1LT. There are many walks available and we will choose which one to do on the day. Return to the visitor centre (if open) for a late lunch. Please let me know a few days ahead if you are planning to join us. For further details or encouragement contact me on [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email]
On Fri 29th May at 8:00pm - Cancelled - LFOTM
This event has been Cancelled
As ever, we are at the Cowper Arms, Digswell. The pub is next to Welwyn North station and is served by stopping trains from Kings Cross to Cambridge. Good food, beer and conversation guaranteed! Please call me on [Phone Number] to confirm whether this meeting is still taking place, dependent upon the COVID-19 situation.
Steve Thomas
Contact [Email] or [Mobile Number] for details
In Leicestershire
On Mon 18th May at 8:00pm - Cancelled - Pub Social
This event has been Cancelled
Join me for a drink and a natter at the Cradock Arms, 201 Knighton Road, Leicester, LE2 3TT. We usually gather in the lower part towards the rear of the bar. New faces are always welcome. You are also welcome to bring a friend/partner. Look out for the magazine or Mblem. For directions or encouragement, please contact me on [Phone Number] or by email at [Email].
On Sat 30th May at 7:00pm - Cancelled - Pub Meal
This event has been Cancelled
This month we are dining at the Black Horse, 3 Main Street, Grimston (near Melton Mowbray) and we hope you will join us, maybe with a guest too. Booking in advance is essential so please let me know if you want to join us by 25th May. Contact me by phone [Phone Number] or e-mail [Email]
Haydn Starkie
Contact [Email] or [Mobile Number] for details
Lively Lincs
On Sat 9th May at 12:00pm - Cancelled - Pub discussion 2SaOTM
This event has been Cancelled
Please check beforehand that this event will be taking place, in view of Covid-19 restrictions. Meeting at the Adam & Eve Tavern, 25 Lindum Road, LN2 1NT (opposite Pottergate Arch). This month's topic: "What Currently Trending will look silliest in ten years?". All welcome. Look for the Magazine on the table, usually in the alcove. Contact Jacquie Harrison, on [Phone Number] or [Email]
Jacquie Harrison
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] / [Mobile Number] for details
Mid Bucks
On Fri 15th May at 10:30am - Cancelled - Coffee & Chat
This event has been Cancelled
Coffee at The Cedar Coffee Shop, 28 West Street, Marlow, Bucks, SL7 2NB. Lovely food and good coffee. No need to book, but please contact me a few days beforehand to confirm the meeting is still on and let me know you are coming. Either telephone [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email]
On Sun 17th May at 2:00pm - Indoor Games
Join Dave and Alison at home in Flackwell Heath for a relaxed and informal afternoon of indoor board games and chat. Tea, coffee, etc. provided. All members and friends welcome. For further information, directions and confirmation that the event is still on please contact Dave a few days beforehand. Either telephone him on [Phone Number] or e-mail to [Email]
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
Mensans in MK & Bedford
On Mon 18th May at 7:45pm - Cancelled - 3MOTM Quiz
This event has been Cancelled
Our monthly quiz outing to The Plough at Simpson. Meet from 7.45 for a 8.00pm start - cost is £1 per person. Please let me know if you are coming so I know if we will be one team or two. Contact Jo at [Email], or [Phone Number] / [Phone Number] for directions/encouragement.
On Sun 24th May at 10:00am - Cancelled - Breakfast
This event has been Cancelled
Join us at Brown's on Midsummer Boulevard from 10am for a full breakfast, a snack, or just a drink. Contact Jo at [Email], or [Phone Number] / [Phone Number] for directions/encouragement.
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
News from Northampton
On Sun 10th May at 10:30am - Cancelled - Brunch
This event has been Cancelled
All survivors (either by luck or judgment) will be very welcome to join us at our usual monthly brunch/breakfast at the Zapato Lounge, in Welsh House, 2 Newlands Walk, NN1 2EB where we'll be discussing whether pandemics are now the biggest threat to human life. Contact Marianne on [Phone Number] or email: [Email] for host details and/or reassurance.
On Sat 30th May at 11:00am - Visit
Join us if you can for a visit to the Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne Bridge Road, Towcester, NN12 7SE. Lots to see and do - Adults £4.75 admission, less for chidren and concessions. Contact Marianne on [Phone Number] or email: [Email] for host details, directions or encouragement.
Notts News
On Sat 2nd May at 10:30am - Cancelled - Coffee & Cake
This event has been Cancelled
Join us at the 1920 cafe in the Palace Theatre, Appleton Gate, Newark for free coffee and cake! Activities planned in the town today include people in Civil War costumes, musket drills in market place, free concert by local young musicians in St Mary Magdalene, farmers market and 'eco swap' of clothes, shoes, bags and books. Contact Pete on [Phone Number] or [Email] for further details.
On Tue 5th May at 8:00pm - Cancelled - 5OTM
This event has been Cancelled
Our regular get together for drinks and chat at the Vat & Fiddle pub, Queensbridge Road, NG2 1NB. 1930s brewery tap serving Castle Rock beers plus all other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Look for yellow Mblem on table. Contact Maxine on [Phone Number] or [Email] if needing directions or encouragement to come along. Pop in briefly or stay all evening. Guests welcome too.
On Thu 14th May at 7:30pm - Cancelled - Natter & Nosh
This event has been Cancelled
Find us on a large reserved table at the far side of the bar at The Cadland, High Road, Chilwell, NG9 5EG. We dine from 7.30pm or come along later for just a drink. Large car park and near to bus stops. Further info from Maxine on [Phone Number] or [Email] or just turn up on the night.
On Sat 16th May at 7:00pm - Virtual Party
Our annual celebration of all things Eurovision at my home in Langley Mill! Watch the show, heckle the acts, bring a buffet contribution and/or wear something related to a European country. Buck's Fizz welcome drink and Bailey's at the 9th act provided! Or just socialise in the kitchen/garden. Please RSVP and get directions from Maxine on [Phone Number] or [Email]
On Tue 19th May at 7:00pm - Cancelled - 3TuOTM
This event has been Cancelled
Our '3rd Tuesday' night out at the Fox & Crown, Appleton Gate, Newark, NG24 1JY. Join us for food and/or drink and varied conversation. Contact Pete on [Phone Number] or [Email] if needing directions or encouragement or just come along on the night to say hello. New faces always welcome to join this friendly group.
On Tue 26th May at 7:30pm - Cancelled - Eating Meeting
This event has been Cancelled
Peri-peri chicken, natas and all things Portuguese at Nando's, Giltbrook Retail Park (near IKEA), NG16 2RP. Vegetarian dishes available too. See menu at www.nandos.co.uk and let Maxine know you'd like to dine with us by 22nd on [Phone Number] or [Email]
Ciao for now!
Maxine Bates
Contact [Email] or [Phone Number] for details
Regular Haunts
Having turned up one Sunday morning in 2019 to find that our usual breakfast venue had closed down without any prior warning, the Northampton group needed to find an alternative. That turned out to be just a couple of hundred yards away and we have been at the Zapato Lounge ever since. Situated on the northeast corner of the Market Square, this café bar inhabits what is known as Welsh House. For us it serves good food and drink in a comfortable, convenient location, but the building also has a back story.
Dating from 1595, the name derives from a Welsh motto on a plaque inset above the right-hand window: 'heb dyw heb dym dyw a digon'; translated as: "Without God, without everything. With God enough". It was placed there by one of the building's early owners, a Dr Prytherch, who hailed from Wales. Though if you believe some accounts, the connection is that the town was on one of the Drove roads from Wales, with Northampton being a major market for lamb and wool at the time. What cements Welsh House's place in local history is the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675, which destroyed three-quarters of the town in just 6 hours. Being the only stone-built building on the Market Square it was the only one to resist the spread of the fire, so for the many trapped in the square it provided an escape route. Without it, the loss of life would have been far greater.
Welsh House changed from residential to commercial use and was greatly modified over the centuries, especially the ground floor. In the 1970s the construction of the Grosvenor Shopping Centre adjacent required that it be demolished and rebuilt, though just how much of the original building (other than the plaques at first floor level) remains is debatable. That rebuild included the reinstatement of the three front gables that had disappeared at some time in the past. It has to be said that it does look a lot better now than it did 50 years ago.
Given the time of day that we meet, our usual food choice is along the lines of a bacon sandwich or the "Lounge Breakfast". You can however get a wide variety of eats from a sandwich, via tapas and salad through to burgers and main meals (oh, and cakes!). A Vegan and Gluten Free menu is also available. Whilst we normally stick to tea and coffee, Zapato's does have a range of draught/bottled beers, lagers and ciders; wines and cocktails. Fruit smoothies, milkshakes and other soft drinks are also available. All served up by some friendly staff.
Ian Sargent
20 Questions (No. 223)
The answers to the Irish quiz in March were Lough Neagh, 1916, apple, Mary Robinson, Jim, Jameson's, Stephen Roche, basalt, Irish pound/punt, Dana, Trinity College Dublin, 1994, Ballykissangel, George Bernard Shaw, Tayto Park, tweed, Battle Of The Boyne, Fairyhouse, Harland & Wolff and Navan. Well done to Andy Cole of Cleethorpes who wins the £10 book token.
Thanks to Kevin Fisher for compiling this month's quiz on numbers. Send your entry to '20 Questions (No. 223)', [Address] or [Email] by 20th May for chance to win. Don't forget your name and address!
1. Which number in English is the only one which when written out is in alphabetical order?
2. What unit of time does a "jiffy" signify?
3. To what does the "four second rule" apply?
4. Which is the only number spelt with the same number of letters as it signifies?
5. What is the maximum number of times a piece of paper can be folded?
6. Is zero an odd or even number?
7. A "hundred" comes from the Norse word "hundrath" but in Norse times how many did this mean?
8. How many colours are sufficient to colour any map?
9. What number reflects the meaning of everything as stated in "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy"?
10. "Google" is actually based on the number Googol but what is a googol?
11. What does the number 57 on Heinz ketchup mean?
12. If you add up all the numbers on the roulette wheel what do you get?
13. What do the dots on opposite sides of a dice total?
14. What is the symbol for division "÷" called?
15. What is the only number that is twice the sum of its digits?
16. What is the most popular number chosen by people?
17. How many are in a "baker's dozen"?
18. Which number is considered unlucky in South East Asia?
19. How many stars are on the EU flag?
20. Why is 555 funny in Thailand?