EMPRESS

Regional News

This month my Regional News column is going to read like an Oscar speech as I have so many people to thank! Here goes..

Firstly, Philip Lowry has resigned as one of our Empress Editors due to new heavy work commitments at the end of the month when the newsletter has to be put together. Thanks to Philip for his editing stint earlier this year and good luck with his career. If anyone is interested in joining Rosie and Nick on our editing team then please feel free to contact either of them for more information. They thrive on the challenge and would be happy to hear from you. Contact details on the back page.

Secondly, following my appeals for sponsorship in Empress and on various email groups, I am delighted to say I raised £557 for Cancer Research UK for my participation in the 5 km "Race For Life" in July. Thank you to all my Mensa friends for digging deep into their pockets for such a deserving cause and for making my months of training on the treadmill worthwhile. In particular I would like to thank Andy Farrell for being my gym buddy, Helen Dunn for running with me on the day (though we got separated in the crowds!) and Mark Sloan for supporting us at the start and finish line. I ran in memory of Insa Thierling and Charles Vermes, both Mensa members who died of this terrible disease.

Finally, I wish to thank everyone who has offered help at the Diamond whether that is acting as a door host, helping on the Mensa desk, being a guest speaker, donating prizes for our charity raffle, printing the programme reminders or leading events. You are far too numerous to mention by namebut you know who you are and it's much appreciated!

See you at the Diamond!

Maxine Bates

Regional Officer

Editorial

Early in 2006 the Mensa magazine included an anonymous response survey with a question, "Do you read the regional newsletter inserted with every issue?" The result, 88% of respondees said they read it either every time (67%) or most times (21%), was very positive for the newsletters in general but not for any in particular as that left 12%, 1 in 8 , who reported that they either rarely or never read their newsletter. There are 14 regional newsletters. There could be 2 newsletters with no readers! Hopefully Empress isn't one of them but, to be sure, would you please tell Nick and me any ideas you have to improve it? Thanks.

Rosie Jefferson

A Visit To Amersham Museum by Alistair Blackett

In the herb garden of Amersham Museum

Brian getting friendly with one of the exhibits

Alistair paying Wendy his entrance fee

A dozen South Bucks Mensans made a private visit to Amersham Museum courtesy of Wendy Tibbitts, an active local member who works at the museum as a volunteer. Wendy greeted us all in reception where we each made a £1 donation to the museum.

The museum is on 2 floors with an attractive herb garden to the rear where it was possible to sit and relax.

The museum covers all aspects of the history of Amersham and in particular on local trades and professions. There was also a lot to see and read about local natural history.

Of particular interest to me was the display about the coming of the railway to Amersham.

After absorbing all the culture and history it was time to take a short walk to the Peking Empire where Jill Miller, another active local Mensan, who knows the family that runs the restaurant, had ensured that we received a warm welcome. The food and service were excellent, as was the company.

If you have the chance to visit Amersham, both the museum and the restaurant can be found in the "Broadway" in Amersham old town, a pretty thoroughfare with a number of interesting shops and pubs.

Answers to July's 20 Questions (No. 59)

The holiday destination anagrams from August were Majorca, Benidorm, Barbados, Florida, Cyprus, Cornwall, Madeira, Turkey, Seychelles, Isle Of Man, South Africa, New Zealand, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Blackpool, Switzerland, Singapore and Eastbourne. There were lots of entries: from Andy Cole of Cleethorpes, Linda Hearn of Leighton Buzzard, Matt Francis of Hertford, Don Foster of Notts, Marilyn Clark of Nottingham, John Green of St Albans, David Thornley of Matlock, Jo Phelan of Brackley, Judith Meller of Derby, Chris Impey of Tring, Dawn Cox of Derby, W P Salmon of Leicester, Paul Nicholson of Bedford, Roger Plant of Nottingham, Ian Nelson of Letchworth, Paul Henchliffe of Nottingham, D W Dell of Leighton Buzzard, Dave Seddon of Bovingdon, Una Adams of Corby, Michael Warren of Derby, David Alexander of Northampton, Jocelyn Binks of Bedford, Carol Wheatcroft of Derby, Ron Britton of Notts, M Etall of Watford and Geoff Ward of Lincoln.

Congratulations to Dave Seddon who was first 'out of the hat' and wins a Diamond logo mug.

World Gathering In Florida by Wendy Tibbitts

Brian and Wendy make new friends at the World Gathering

I registered myself and my Mensan partner, Brian Beard, for Mensa's 60th Anniversary World Gathering a year ago. It was only as the event drew nearer that we questioned the wisdom and intelligence of holding an event in Florida's warmest and wettest month and during the hurricane season. We arrived in Orlando airport and the 34 degree heat hit us like a fist as we stepped out of the airport into the Disney Magical Express, which whisked us to our Disney resort hotel. For hotel read small village. It was a collection of 2-storey buildings around a giant boating lake, with an enormous convention centre, 3 outdoor swimming pools, 2 restaurants, laundry facilities, fitness centre, etc. In fact a cross between an up-market Butlins and Oasis - and this was only one of the many hotels in Walt Disney World.

Before we made the ten minute walk to our room, we went to the Convention centre to pick up our Mensa registration packs and to look in at Hospitality. This was a huge 11,000 sq. ft. room where there were already a large number of people helping themselves to free snacks and drinks (including beer), and greeting each other with extravagant hugs. The hugging ritual is driven by coloured dots on each member's name tag: Green for all hugs welcome; Yellow for ask first; Red for no hugs and a curious blue dot if you are single and want everyone to know. It was disconcerting to see some people were wearing all the coloured dots, so we opted to display none. The events program was long (over 350 items) and varied. Choices ranged from the serious joggers running around the lake at 6.30am to the night owls in the audience-participation showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show which finished at 2.30am. The only off-site events were a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre and a fossil hunting trip. Both of these took place after the weekend. The majority of events were presentations, ranging from an American showing her holiday snaps taken on a Scottish holiday to a talk entitled, "Sex: 10 things you should have learned, 5 of which you probably didn't." There was a good Gifted Children program, and tournaments for every conceivable board game. Peripherally there were SIG meetings, over 50 Leadership Development Workshops for Mensa officials, committee meetings, and a variety of entertainments.

We did sneak out one day, to visit Epcot, but apart from that we found enough entertainment from the people we met in Hospitality. Wherever we sat people were anxious to hear our British point-of-view (this might be because we forced it on them). On Friday morning I was astonished to see the US Ambassador to the United Nations sitting in Hospitality relaxed and chatty. I asked one American why the Ambassador was not at his desk in view of the previous day's British exposure of a plot to assemble terrorist bombs in flight. I was told that he doesn't needs to be behind his desk because his people take care of everything and he just has to be at the end of a phone to make the decisions. This informant also mentioned that a couple of years back he had Condoleezza Rice sit down next to him in Hospitality!

The weekend peaked with a formal banquet on the Saturday night. It was a good excuse to wear a party frock, eat an excellent meal, and dance to Florida's leading Swing Band. As we walked back around the lake to our room, at midnight in a balmy 24 degrees heat, watching the little lizards scatter on the footpath, I forgave whoever it was who decided Florida in August was appropriate timing for the World Gathering. The next day it was sad to see 2,400 Mensans, from 40 countries, departing. Brian and I picked up a hire car and spent another week touring Florida, but our memories of the WG will live on.

20 Questions (No. 61)

As it's our 60th anniversary this month we have a diamond themed quiz! Send your answers to arrive by 20th October to '20 Questions (No. 61)', [Address], to win a mug.