Wild West Weekend

Picture of the group square dancing
Another picture of the group square dancing
Picture of three members in their Wild West outfits

Milton Keynes may not seem the obvious choice for a "Wild West" night but it's the centre of the East Midlands region and we hadn't staged a big event there for a while. So on Saturday 25th February a posse of merry Mensans descended on The Cock Hotel in Stony Stratford for a hoe down. A couple of guests had arrived the previous day to spend the weekend exploring this historic town. The hotel itself is famous from the saying "cock and bull story" as The Bull Hotel is three doors away and in olden days drinkers at each establishment used to compete to tell the most ludicrous stories. It's also famous as the coaching inn from where you could "ride a Cock horse to Banbury Cross".

The evening took a while to get going due to many people watching the rugby final or something - I'm not a sportsperson! - and the game extended slightly into the start time of our function. But then the room filled with checked shirts, stetsons and cowboy boots, the buffet appeared and was devoured, and the dancing commenced. Those of you who attended our Burns Night in 2003 may recall the excellent band called Heather Mixture who led us through the dances so I'd hired them again, though this time for square dancing rather than ceilidh dancing.

After three hours of swing-your-partner and do-si-do we were exhausted! Luckily - or unlucky!? - there was some respite as I led three simple line dances. Amazingly everyone got up to dance and managed to follow in perfect step. The evening ended at midnight and surprisingly nobody wanted a room party. I think we were all too tired from the dancing!

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, 14 of us set off on an "art walk" around central Milton Keynes led by Jo Sidebottom and Chris Lonsbrough. We saw sculptures both in and around Xscape made from bronze, wood, copper and other materials. "Black horse" was located outside a well-known bank and "whisper" was located outside the library! Following the walk we lunched and warmed up in Nando's chicken restaurant. A Mensa favourite. Then it was time to bid farewells as guests departed for Notts, Derbys, Lincs and Cumbria.

The next East Midlands Mensa regional dinner will be a charity ball in aid of Cancer Research on Saturday 17th February 2007 at the Rutland Square Hotel in Nottingham. Watch this space as plans are finalised!

Maxine Bates