And our first meeting of the month is on Thursday 2nd August at 9pm, when we will congregate at The Spinney Hill, Kettering Road, Northampton, NN3 6LR.
Enter the building from doorway on the right-hand side to get to the Lounge at the rear of the pub. We will either be close to the entrance there or, if it's a warm evening, out on the veranda.
Please join us on the 2nd from 8pm for informal First Thursday chat at The Old Beams at Shenley Lodge. Feel free to join us for a meal or just a drink - look out for the Mblem or mag. See http://www.mcmullens.co.uk/oldbeams for location, menu etc.
Regular first Thursday of the month meeting. Come and join us! We'll be around for our usual mix of lively conversation and a good atmosphere. As always, we're at the Millstream, Cambridge Road, Hitchin. Good food and good beer both available! Call me on [Phone Number] for more details and encouragement. The pub is about ten minutes' walk from the railway station..
Join me for an open-air performance of Much Ado About Nothing at Hughenden Manor on Saturday 4th August at 7pm. Tickets (£16 / £12) are available from the National Trust on 0844 2491895. Buy your own tickets, but let me know you are coming so that I can look out for you."
If you would like to join me for an informal meal in High Wycombe before the performance, please contact me a week or so in advance and we will arrange to meet.
For further directions or encouragement please ring me on [Phone Number] or e-mail me at [Email]
Join us from 8.00pm on Sunday 5th for a drink and chat at the Vat & Fiddle pub on Queensbridge Road on the outskirts of Nottingham city centre. We'll be in the Golding's Room to the left of the bar. When you order note the "Mensa meet here" plaque near the whisky bottles!
From 7.30pm on Thursday 9th find us at the Beekeeper pub on Meadow Lane in Beeston for food or just a drink. This is proving a popular event in terms of both location and value for money. Some people pop in briefly and others stay all evening. So feel free to join us whenever convenient. We'll be on the table near the food order point at the end of the bar. There is ample free parking at the pub.
Do join us for the usual 2SaOTM pub discussion at the Adam & Eve on Lindum Hill for lunch or just a drink. People roll up from 12ish, at 12.30 we will start a discussion on 'Is the love of money the root of all evil?', before rambling onto other subjects and more general chat. For encouragement: [Email]
Sunday breakfast will be at 10.15 am on Sunday 12th, at Carluccio's in the Centre:MK. Feel free to come for a full breakfast, a snack, or just a drink - we will probably be in one of the red booths just outside the restaurant.
Picnic and walk at Wendover woods. Hoping the weather will be fine for this one!
We usually meet up near to the Cafe/visitor area and then find a nice spot for the picnic.followed by a leisurely walk along one of the numerous woodland paths.
Please try and email me to let me know if you plan on attending.
Join us from 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th at the Standing Order on Irongate in the city centre for food or just a drink. Find us in the low ceiling area at the rear of the pub. Remember to bring your Cathedral Quarter card if you have one as that gives 20% discount on already low Wetherspoon food prices. Contact me in advance for directions/parking suggestions or just turn up on the night and look for a yellow Mblem on a long table. There are usually 15-20 of us of all ages and nationalities. Everyone welcome!
The Roadshow sets out two weeks later, on Thursday 16th August at 8pm. This month it pays a visit to the village of Piddington; to The Spread Eagle in Forest Road, NN7 2DA. As the road through the village doesn't lead anywhere you many not have ventured there before. Take the B526 Northampton-Newport Pagnell road and turn off when you get to Hackleton. We'll be in the Lounge.
On Friday 17th we're making a return trip to Nottingham Greyhound Stadium. This event usually attracts 30-50 people and is a fun, and sometimes profitable, night out. The stadium have donated tickets and I'm selling them for £5 each. Normal price for admission and race card is £6. So not only do you get a bargain but you'll also help charity as all the £5s go to Cancer Research UK. Gates open at 6.00pm with the first race at 6.28pm and the last race finished by 10.30pm. Arrive/leave when you like. Food and drink is available at the venue as well as free parking. Follow the signs to Colwick race course/park and ride. Under 18s are welcome and admitted free of charge with a paying adult but obviously can't buy alcohol or place bets. Contact me to buy your tickets.
Starlight Express, the long-running musical set on rollerskates, comes to the Royal Concert Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 21st. Tickets are priced from £16. If anyone is interested please contact me and I'll try to arrange a group booking.
As Summer lazily passes by in comforting warmth / freezing cold deluge (delete as appropriate), thoughts turn to barbeques and garden parties. This month, such thoughts will be taking place in The Craddock (http://tinyurl.com/leicsMensaTTOTM) where our regular Third Thursday of the Month gethering will be taking place on the fourth Thursday due to the fact I'm on holiday sunning myself on a Devonshire beach / sheltering from the rain in a doorway (delete as appropriate). We'll be meeting up at 20:00pm on the 23rd and there's a nice outside area there, just in case.... y'know.... well the sun MIGHT be out..! Give me a call on [Phone Number], or email me at [Email] for info / a chat / to offer use of a free villa in Spain (delete as appropriate).
Our final August event is a first for us - geocaching in the pretty market town of Olney. New member Carla has more geocaching experience than most of us (which is none at all) so we hope it will be successful and we'll all get the bug! We'll meet at 2pm on Saturday 25th on Olney Market Square, opposite the Cowper & Newton Museum. If we find the geocache quickly enough we'll do a self-guided walk around the town, with leaflets, finishing up at a tea shop.
After all that thinking we are going to try out the Charm Spice Indian restaurant in Spilsby for an early evening eating meeting, 5.45 on Sunday 26th August. Everyone welcome to join either or both of these events but I would be grateful if you would please book with me for the meal by Friday 14th, thanks."[Email]
Pub meeting at the King's Head, Bridge Road, Hunton Bridge WD4 8RE"
Please look for a Mensa group in the garden! and the Magazine on the bench. We get a good turn out to the pub meets and have a wide age range - come and say hi!
New members always warmly welcomed.
This month's "eating meeting" takes place at Valentino's which is an Italian restaurant on High Street in Ripley. I've never eaten there previously but the venue gets excellent reviews on the internet. As it's only a small restaurant I'll need to reserve a table so please let me know by 23rd at the very latest if you'd like to join us at 7.30pm on Tuesday 28th.
We will meet as usual at the Old Mill at 7.45-ish., the pub set back from the London road, next door to the Esso petrol station. if it is fine we will sit in the garden.
Come and chat / drink/ eat and see what happens.