10th Birthday Party - Peta Jellis

Ten Pin Bowling - Joyce Roberts

I hummed and ahhed whether to go on this as I had not participated in ten pin bowling for at least 10 years.  My chauffeur for the evening, Pauline, was very informative and assured me I would be fine and welcome - and guess what – I was.  There was the initial trepidation of where to place myself and how to start the introductions but I needn’t have worried – people introduced themselves and spoke to me and I used all my energy (well a great deal of it - had to save some for the bowling) trying to memorise all the names; to which I have failed miserably, so please forgive me if I ask you again what your name is!

The evening of bowling was a success as was the buffet after (even the calamari  was good– joke for some members) there wasn’t much food remaining at the end of the night – I think it had something to do with calories used up after all the strikes!   Needless to say I was not on the winning team who all received the biggest bar of Dairy Milk chocolate I have ever seen ( I did have my eyes on this but managed to restrain myself)  Well done to the winners and thank you to all who participated.
I would just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my first event with the 50+ Adventure Club. This probably comes as no surprise to anyone given that there are approximately 160 members so the events must be pleasurable to have so many members.  All the information and advice I received through people on the night on forthcoming events/trips were positive and gave me the confidence to book my next event. 
Well done to all involved in this club and to everyone please speak to the lonely lady, sorry person, in the corner at the next event – it could be me!!!

Twenty members reported for training on Sunday morning at the St John’s Ambulance headquarters in Northampton.  We were greeted by Paul, our instructor, and given a brief overview of the agenda along with the welcome news that free tea and coffee was available.
 
In the training room upstairs Paul gave out our student packs and questioned us about any previous first aid experience (which was not a lot).  We were given instruction on what to do in an emergency, dealing with a casualty, CPR and bandaging technique.  We watched video clips giving scenarios of people with health issues and saw first hand how best to deal with these situations.
Of course practical experience is essential so we were given a demonstration, ably assisted by Richard, Paul and Carol, on how to treat our casualties.  Emphasis was placed on staying calm and communicating with the patient – something our instructor knew we were good at as we hadn’t stopped talking since we’d arrived!  We then had to practise on each other and there was a very surreal moment whilst looking around the room to find ten 50+’s lying on the floor, legs in the air with trousers rolled up sporting a nifty bandage applied by their partners.
 
Paul, our instructor, was very knowledgeable and managed to cover basic first aid procedures whilst sharing with us some of the hairier moments of his career.  The majority of us, when training was completed, ended up at a local hostelry (of course) where we enjoyed a lovely Sunday roast.  Many thanks were offered to Richard for organising the event.

Well what can I say?  It’s like all these things, you look at this wall, well it’s not too high, and there’s lots of pretty coloured knobbly bits to put your feet on and hold onto, yeh easy(ish)!  And Richard said he would gladly administer first aid if I fell off as he had just got his certificate, so all was fine.
Then it’s your first climb and the adrenalin is rushing and you wish your arms and legs were just a few inches longer and then it would be easy and then half way up you stop and give yourself a serious talking to, saying that I can do this, but oh my what a sense of achievement when you get to the top and then realise that you are breathing properly again.
Then it was my turn to belay and I was a little concerned when Matt (our, as always, excellent instructor) clipped me to a sandbag - I was worried.  But he explained that it was because I was so light, and as I had been climbing another climber fell off and almost met his belayer half way up the wall – that was a missed opportunity for You Tube.
On my second climb I got to the top, with a bit of encouragement and it was easier, and then as we moved across the wall to harder a climb, that was it, I was up for all of it!  They couldn’t keep me off, all I kept hearing was ‘are you going again?’ and with a big cheesy grin I replied ‘Yep!’  Ok so I wasn’t climbing like Spiderman like some of the men were, but they couldn’t scream and whoop like I was. I have to admit the last 2 beat me but I didn’t give up, in fact I should have been doing archery in the afternoon, but that all of a sudden looked so tame, so I stayed on the wall.
So thank you to my excellent belayers, and for the words of encouragement to push myself further than I ever thought possible.
What a great morning, and afternoon, with much encouragement and applause from the floor, and although not everyone got to the top we all thoroughly enjoyed it.  In fact I enjoyed it so much I am going to join a club they have started, probably be the oldest member, but who cares, you’re only 50+ once and I for one mean to make the most of it.
A huge thank you to Paul for organising another great day.
 
And a little foot note, particularly for Joyce Roberts who went ten pin bowling, don’t worry about not remembering peoples’ names, I am useless too, maybe we could wear name badges, health and safety permitting of course, it would help us newbies, food for thought for the members/committee maybe ?
(ed’s note: we used to have name badges but as hardly anyone ever wore them, they were dropped).

The Stanwick hand bell ringers made us feel very welcome as we took our seats for a quick but impressive demonstration of how their music should sound. Then we were given a lesson on technique. Less is more when it comes to chiming, as, perversely, if you swing the bell too enthusiastically it makes no sound! There were strict instructions never to touch the bells without wearing gloves and, most importantly never to bang two together. They are liable to break and even a small one costs £180 to replace. Thus warned, we took it in turns in small groups to have a go.
Those who don’t read music had no excuses, as the notation was not presented on a conventional stave but written out as C, E, G, etc in neatly defined rows and bars. So in theory all we had to do was count 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, look for our given note, give a flick of the wrist and Bong! We were playing a song!
  But as is so often the case, it was not as easy at it looked, and the frowns of intense concentration had to be seen to be believed. While one group performed (and I use the term loosely!), the rest of us played ‘Name That Tune’, with varying degrees of success… (Was that really ‘Londonderry Air’?)
 
Thanks to everyone involved in organising this interesting evening (sorry, I’m new to the club and haven’t got a handle on names yet).

I arrived at the Northampton GP Go-Karting reception at 1.30pm. I was given a very “stylish” race suit to wear; the man there must be very good at women’s sizes because it fitted me perfectly even though he didn’t ask me what size I was! Years of experience I guess. I was introduced to everyone and then Richard Stanley took some photos of us as a group. We all then ventured into the Karting area. By this time I was feeling a little bit wary because I have never been Go-Karting before. I was teamed up with Roger; the poor man. There was a health and safety demonstration about all the do’s and don’ts on the track, what the different flags and lights meant, etc. We were then given a full face crash helmet and gloves. Bravely I stepped forward for the first 5 minute warm up session. I found it quite difficult to get into the kart as it was so low down; once in position I felt powerless to change my mind as I was wedged into the seat so tightly there was nowhere for me to go! The warm up session went well; I was still in one piece but still quite nervous. After the warm up sessions the race was on! I did the first 15 minutes; the sweeping bends & tight hair pins were quite scary for a first-timer. Roger had his turn and then it was my turn again. Roger did the final 20 minutes. My confidence grew throughout the race but it was so difficult to get in and out of the kart for change-over. Poor Roger had to pull me out as I was stuck in the seat like a cork in a wine bottle! The whole experience was quite enjoyable and very competitive. Chocolates and cakes were on offer during the whole session which was a very nice touch. Okay, so the winners were - in 3rd place Keith and Janette who received a bronze trophy, Janet and Malcolm were the silver trophy winners and came 2nd. The winners on the podium were Debs and Barry who took away the gold trophy. Congratulations to all three winning teams. Congratulations also to all those who took part because without them there would have been no competitive race.
The day was an unforgettable experience and thanks to everyone for making me feel so welcome. (I was glad to get back to my “proper” car with power steering!!!)

18 of us gathered at the Plough Inn for a 2 course lunch of homemade soup (the spicy Parsnip was wonderful) and a roast which everyone seemed to enjoy.  We then set off to the Racecourse where Richard provided us all with a Race card (well done to Sally for selling hers at a profit!).
It was a lovely dry sunny day but as Towcester Race course is on high ground, there was a chilling wind on one side so we spent a great deal of time on the sunny side.
Then they were off!  ‘Who’d have thought it’ kept winning each race but some were luckier than others.  Two race horses were named after Richard! Simply Irresistible and Man Of The Moment.  Cecil kept running round telling all that the ‘Hookie Bookie’ was a dead cert for the last race – Blaze Ahead won – good job we had left by then or we would have lost our shirts as well.
In the excitement, Richard forgot to ask someone to do the write up – so not only did he organise the event he has had to dictate the write up too.  Well done and we hope to have better luck next time.

My New Year Resolution for 2010 was to try something new at least once a week. Well, following the excellent Survival Skills day at Fermyn Woods, I am well ahead of my target of achieving 52 new experiences before the end of the year.
  
I now know how to: set up and participate in a blindfold trail (great trust-building exercise to do with a bunch people you hardly know!); start a fire without a match (OK, it took some of us a while, but we all managed it eventually – the trick is to use some of the ‘fluff’ from a reedmace, which is that plant we all call a bulrush); build a shelter out of whatever natural materials are lying around (so long so it doesn’t rain and there is nobody more than 5ft tall to be accommodated); to forage for food (again, reedmace is useful here, because the fleshy roots can be boiled, peeled and eaten like potatoes and the inside of the woody stem is also quite tasty, apparently); to set a snare and a trip trap, which catapults the caught animal up into a tree out of the reach of predators, until the hungry hunter can retrieve his/her dinner (not that we would set such a trap, because it’s illegal in Britain); to skin a rabbit (in theory – I was one of the few who declined this activity, preferring to watch from the sidelines); to catch a fish on a stick, a wing and a prayer (congratulations to Lucy who managed to land a roach, and to Barry, who caught something so big it snapped his line and disappeared back into the murky depths); to make string by literally ‘stripping the willow’ and to gather precious water by walking in the long grass with a tea towel tied around my ankles (something that has to be seen to be believed!).
 
To a born and bred townie like me, this walk on the wild side was a real treat. Thanks to Jenny for organising it and to Rangers Pete and Eric for patiently sharing their skills and knowledge with us.

Rain threatened as we arrived so wet weather gear was the order of the day. Blindfolded to disorientate us we walked slowly holding on to a rope and the person in front.  We split into two groups, then into 3 small teams.  Our first task was to make a shelter using whatever we could find. We chose a tree and leaned branches against it, interlocking them as we went, to produce a crawl in tent type shelter.  We covered the structure with grasses, leaves and moss to form our roof then we made a bed support from sticks, and covered them with grass.   When we had finished Peter crawled in while Pete poured water onto the roof to see if it was watertight.  Not quite, but not bad given the short time allowed. Our next task, with Eric, was to light a fire using a flint striker or just one match.  Everyone chose the no match method.  Patience and perseverance were needed.  Some teams were more skilled or maybe just lucky and got their fire going quickly.  Others found it tricky but in the end we all had a fire.  Then lunch round our campfires before Pete took us off to try and collect drinking water, by walking through long grass with cloths tied round our ankles. Next we tried our hand at fishing but first we needed to find a long stick to make our own rods.  Did anyone have any bread for bait?  Steve managed to catch a fish but it got away!  Eric then showed us how we could catch birds or rabbits should the need ever arise and finally how to skin and prepare a rabbit.  This was cold work as the rabbits had come out of the freezer!  We thanked Pete and Eric for a very informative day and Jenny for organising the day for us.

A trip to Wellingborough Laser Maze is one of the club’s regular activities.  This makes it very difficult to say anything new when doing the write-up for the newsletter.  So, if you read this in conjunction with any of the previous Laser Maze write-up, then I apologise if it sounds a little familiar.
Our visit this time should have been in February but had to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions (anyone remember the snow?).  Some of us were ‘old hands’ (in more ways than one) having been before, however there were also several ‘rookies’.
Picture the scene:-
A bunch of fifty-plusers, rushing around in the dark, shooting our laser gun at anyone who could be seen, before they had the chance to shoot you.  Great fun!  Of course, every hit counted towards your score, which was presented to you at the end of each session.  These were examined and compared in some detail, not that any of us are competitive!
Everyone enjoyed themselves and the club is due to go again sometime in December.  Then it will be slightly different with different games – you have been warned.

We arrived at the venue not knowing what exactly to expect and found ourselves using a short zip wire, crawling on knees through a small opening, stepping over laser beams in a smoky corridor and sliding down a slide to escape the Russians!  Oh I nearly forgot: blowing a door out.  What on earth was going on you may ask.
 
Before beginning we were informed that the Russians had taken English money in return for a shipment of guns which were never received.  So our job was to enter the Russian Embassy, without setting off any alarms, and use our brains to complete  puzzles/tasks, some on computers and some physical to enable us to proceed to the next stage and finally getting the shipment of guns and escaping the Embassy undetected.
 
The event was a new one for the club but I don't think it will be the last visit and I believe, from those that participated, that it was thoroughly enjoyable.  It was suitable for all ages, shapes and sizes. At the end we all got our spy authorisation levels- some lower than others (in fact I think I was assigned to office work).    
 
Of course, after all the calories spent in sorting out the Russians, we all retired to the pub for lunch!!!
 
Thank you to Mary for organising this event.

39 of us met in front of the Guildhall and were split into 2. Rosalind, our guide, was excellent and provided many anecdotes enhancing the walk. I made copious notes – virtually none of which feature here!  Our tour began with visit to Emmanuel College and ended at Kings College chapel. Here are some of my memories which may give you ideas for your future visits.
 
I loved Emmanuel College.  Reputed to be the friendliest college, it had a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. The pews in the chapel face each other, as in a Dominican friary. The wall panels in the refectory are painted eggshell blue edged in white.  Items on the refectory menu were cheap, game main course £2.75.  Very big fish in a pond in the grounds – no-one knew the type.
 
The walk to Kings College took us down ‘museum’ street, along Free School Lane and past Cavendish laboratory. Many Nobel Prize winners studied there.  It had large windows with very deep window-cills to reflect the light into the rooms for experiments.
Stopped at The Eagle, an old coaching inn owned by Corpus Christi and leased to Greene King. Through an archway is the ‘RAF bar’, where airmen, many American, put their initials and squadron on ceiling in lipstick. (Must visit to see inside and sample fish & chips on Rosalind’s rec.).  Lease states one small window always kept open, where a little girl burned to death in 1500s, said screaming heard if window is closed.
On corner of Corpus Christi college, behind bullet proof glass, is a huge Chronophage (also known as the Corpus Clock) which uses grasshopper mechanics and cost £1 million. It was created and given by ex student John Taylor, an inventor who developed the kettle thermostat.  It was unveiled by Stephen Hawking who is still based in Cambridge.
King’s College backs onto the river Cam and is well known for Christmas Eve Services from the chapel. Choir boys don’t know who will sing the opening solo until just before service, to prevent nerves.  The chapel is very high roofed and ornate. There are 5 highlights to see: stained glass windows and the stonework around them; the carvings in the ante-chapel screen; the organ screen; the fan vaulted ceiling; and the Rubens' painting over the altar Adoration of the Magi gifted to the college.  Originally painted for a nunnery in Belgium, Sleeve of Virgin Mary’s gown is done with Lapis Lazuli, ground down and more expensive than gold leaf. Nuns didn’t have much money so rest of gown used cheap paint which faded. The painting was attacked and scratched by IRA and now has shutters to protect it.
 
Alan Turing was a Cambridge student and a Fellow of King's College. He was gay and in later life committed suicide with a poisoned apple. Apple Computers logo has an apple with bite from it which is probably in honour of him.
 
Two hours had flown past and my head was filled with information. I was ready to adjourn to the Boat Inn for a welcome lunch. Many thanks to Rosalind for her passion and to Carol for organising the event.

Some brave (?) 50 plussers with knees stiff and unbending
Were starting to feel that the “screws” might be pending
(The veins and age spots are starting to show
It takes buckets of cream for the dark circles to go).
 
So thought we would go on a healthy retreat
A weekend’s good living, with only good things to eat
We moved into The Dinney, with just this in mind
But no-one prepared us for what we might find.
 
Our des-res was so comfy, a real home from home
But no plastic flowers and no garden gnome
We had white fluffy towels and arch of wisteria (poetic licence that last bit)
Even Cecil didn’t suffer a bout of hysteria.
 
We did lots of walking (canoeing, horse-riding, cycling) and unlocked the knees
We sniffed all the flowers and hugged a few trees
We communed with nature and said a few prayers (Please God, don’t let this weekend end)
We staggered back from the pub and scared a few hares.
 
The spag bol and breakfasts (thanks Anne!) settled right down on our waists
But the local hot talent was a question of taste
We even dispensed of a huge Toblerone (more poetic licence)
And had no inclination to write or ‘phone home.
 
We will all miss The Dinney, the ducks and the streams
The freshly baked cakes, all loaded with cream
We headed for home, well and truly chilled out
Having had a brief glimpse of what life is about
 
Many, many thanks Anne for all your hard work.  It was brilliant!

Rumour has it that I fell into the river, tush tush, the day was so hot, the canoe ride was so exhausting, that when we stopped I couldn't help myself - I just had to go for a swim. SO THERE.  But, if you want a rumour, remember The Lakes, R&J - conserving water. Well this year, ask him about the "button mushrooms".  Great w/end, great crowd, great everything.

Pauline and I had never paddled the Severn before so this was a good opportunity. On Friday we did some research and looked at the notorious Trimpley rapids which were guarded by a heron and then paddled upstream from Upper Arley over two challenging rapids to Stanley followed by a quick return. On Saturday we left my bicycle at Hampton Loade (West bank) and then paddled upstream from Severn Park, north of Bridgnorth, past Fort Pendlestone until we had had enough and then swept downstream through Bridgnorth averaging 5.5 mph with little effort until we stopped to chat to a couple of paddlers lunching on the bank. Pauline then settled down to read her book while I cycled back for the car. Then we investigated the sailing club near our base and sampled their very low priced beer.

It was a glorious sunny day and after a hearty breakfast Tony, Cecil, Arthur and myself set off to Bridgnorth for a days canoeing. As the sun was beating down we quickly abandoned thermals, fleeces and cagoules and donned life jackets and found paddles to fit! After some tuition on land we hopefully knew how to go forward, left, right and stop, also what to do if we capsized ….. try standing up as most of the water is quite shallow!!
We climbed aboard two by two (just like the Ark!) and practised manoeuvring with reasonable success amid a lot of squealing and screaming from a party of girls canoeing for the first time.
Arthur and I set off in front expertly negotiated the first bridge under the correct arch and promptly got stuck on a gravel bank! We were pushed off and continued happily along watching birds, running rapids and trying not to eat too many flies!
Lunch was at Hampton Lode, on landing Arthur decided to check the water temperature by falling full length into 12 inches of water … enough to get soaked!!
 
After a beer and packed lunch in the sun (Arthur steaming gently!) we set off again and reached our destination with no further excitement. We enjoyed a cup of tea, an ice-cream and boarded the steam train for the return journey. It was a great day out … Cecil, Tony and I stayed dry throughout!
 
The weekend was thoroughly enjoyed, weather brilliant, digs superb, food excellent …. especially the CAKES! Many thanks to Anne for organising and everyone for their company!

The sun was shining, the lunches were packed, and the battle for slices of lemon drizzle cake was over. We debated taking fleeces/or not, safety first won & we carried them all day!!
Crossing the fields we walked along the ridge with fantastic views, passing hedgerows bursting with the first blossom of the year (Blackthorn). We stopped to give way to cow with large horns and a calf    crossing our path - we are townies after all!
Crossing the railway line we walked on to the river, crossing the bridge up to the country park. Up the hill to the picnic benches for our lunch break, or was it a cake stop? Those lucky enough to have slices of lemon drizzle cake guarded them carefully. We wondered why some back packs looked heavy but then the emergency rations of Boddingtons appeared - some of us only had juice or tea from the Visitors centre. We stayed for while, some snoozed in the sun (too much cake) others ambled to the bird hide where the birds too were sleepy.
Then it was back down the hill to the river where we picked up the path again. The plan was to cross the river at Hampton Loade for the foot ferry but this wasn’t running so we went on to the Unicorn Inn for refreshment. Unfortunately the short cut bridle path up to the road shown on the map had disappeared so it was up the long steep hill on the road,  then across the fields, by the sailing club  returning to the Dinney. We all agreed that although we were tired and power naps were in order (after tea & more cake) this was a lovely walk. Much discussion took place on its length, 6 miles, no 7, no 8, final answer 8.5 miles Phew! Thanks Ann for a good walk, well planned and led as always.

We arrived at the stables of ‘Country Treks’ in plenty of time to be fitted out for our ride, with only a slight hiccup over a footwear dilemma.  We all managed to mount our trusty steeds without too much hassle, albeit in a rather ungainly fashion, and set off in glorious sunshine.  Amazing views are obtained whilst seated upon 14.2 hands of horse; looking out over the hedgerows we could see for miles into the distance.  Our bird watching skills were put to the test as we tried to identify the variety on offer.  The delights of the countryside could be enjoyed as we meandered along at a leisurely pace – attracting the attention of a number of skipping lambs in the fields – I don’t think it was our equestrian skills that distracted them but probably our discussion of ‘mint sauce’.  After 2 hours in the saddle we returned to base, somewhat sore but clearly satisfied with our wonderful experience.
 
Oswestry visit  Hoping to make the most of all Shropshire has to offer Anne and I set off for Oswestry, a medieval town on the Welsh border.  Undertaking the ‘Town Tour’, a very nice lady, called Margaret, divulged the history of the area – some of the information was slightly hesitant and the dates a bit hazy (within a 100 years or so) but a pleasant 90 minutes passed in the sunshine.
 
Whilst in the area we visited the lovely village of Whittingdon.  In the centre of the village are the ruins of the moated Whittingdon Castle – formally a Norman home. The site is maintained by locals (with aid from the Heritage Fund) and given an additional boost by having a pleasant teashop, second-hand bookstore and souvenir shop to browse. This was chosen as a lovely spot for lunch and a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Thirteen club members met at Pidley for the dubious pleasure of killing each other with paint balls. We joined forces with a large group of 'fit' young men, divided into two teams (red and blue) and equipped with battle dress, face guards, guns and bullets were sent forth to annihilate our foes and capture their flag. Not having a clue what to do I charged around like an elephant and was swiftly slain - I think the blue team won that battle. Game 2 - having observed more experienced combatants I decided the best strategy was to lay low behind a large mound of earth - this I did and managed to fire all of about 40 rounds - boring. Game 3 - survived.  Game 4 - One team had to defend a tower from within, the tower being constructed of wooden slats on three levels whilst the opposing team attacked and attempted to liberate an oil can.  The victors were definitely the blues. This should have been the conclusion of the war but having time and bullets in hand we were encouraged to prevent a kamikaze fool rescuing an oil can from the centre of a bridge. I found a good position behind the roots of a fallen tree.  On a high mound to my rear were two 50+ who proceeded to use my prone body as a target - I know who you are boys - and like the proverbial elephant - I won't forget - revenge is sweet.
 
Thank you Carol, for a fun day though I would add this game is not for the faint hearted or lame. Having said that, would I do it again – YES!

16 members gathered for African drumming at Thrapston Church Hall. We were greeted by our tutor and quickly learnt how to clap in rhythm. We were then introduced to the drums. A Djembe is a skin covered drum played with bare hands. As a result of the density of the wood and the thickness of the skin a wide range of tones can be produced. The drum made from the skin of a ‘billy goat’ had a lower tone than that made from the skin of a ‘nanny goat’. We learnt how to play notes made by a ‘bass ‘tone’ and ‘slap’ though not necessarily in the right order. It seemed quite easy until more than one tune was learnt and keeping to your own part amongst the laughter was more challenging.
We then learnt a song which can be translated as ‘beautiful mother’ or ‘beautiful earth’. Our confidence building we merged our song with our drum rhythm – multitasking was not necessarily our forte.
The evening finished with a ‘Jam’ – everyone doing their own thing including the use of an African version of cow bells.
A good time was had by all. I hope the neighbours were tolerant. We certainly amused the teenagers who walked past.
Thanks to Ann for arranging the evening.

"         "Take my advice,
There's nothing so nice,
As messing about on the river."
 
Even on a cold, overcast day in early May, with a biting wind, canoeing on the River Nene between Irthlingborough Frontier Camp and Stanwick Lakes Park takes some beating.  After two hours, pulling against the wind on the way there and also (I swear that it changed direction!) on the way back, we felt so invigorated that we could have started all over again.
Suitably attired, we launched the two- and three-seater canoes and set out in the safe hands of Rob and Adam, who promised that we wouldn't capsize - and we didn't!  Although we travelled more or less as a group, the learning was differentiated, with complete beginners gaining confidence and improvers acquiring rhythm and steering skills.
There was time to share interesting facts, chat to crew members and take part in friendly rivalry with other teams.  And how we enjoyed those final cups of tea afterwards!
 
Many thanks to Pauline who not only organised the visit, but turned up to sort us out when she herself was not staying - a real selfless act. Cheers, Pauline!  "

The team building exercise I remember best was the Gutterball game. One of the other events I think involved listening to your partner’s voice, so I was on to a loser there straightaway! 
Anyway as the name suggests, we were all given a piece of plastic guttering about two feet long. The idea was to transport a tennis ball 50 yards into a barrel. While the ball was in your piece of gutter you were not allowed to move, so you rolled it along to the next person and then ran to the end of the line to wait for the ball to get there. Sounds easy, but when that ball picked up a bit of speed it was hard to get there on time, also we were going down a slope on wet grass. I think it took us three goes to get it in the barrel after a lot of slipping and sliding on the way, but there was a great cheer when it eventually dropped in so I think every one was enjoying themselves on that one.

Who said Milton Keynes was flat?
19 intrepid cyclists met at Willen Lakes Milton Keynes car park on a cold windy Sunday morning. Whilst some went to the café in search of coffee or hot chocolate others were deciding how many layers of clothing to put on.
Our guide for the ride Jenny Cook (daughter of Mick and Ann Cook) arrived and we set off, alongside the lake, past the miniature railway and the “going ape “ course and out into the water meadows past some medieval fish ponds and continuing through pasture land and some of the small villages that are now part of Milton Keynes.
Where else can you be inside a cathedral without walls? The whole outline is done using trees, very effective. The shape is a scaled down version of Norwich cathedral.  
We then entered the Peace Park, passing the Buddhist temple and then on to the Pagoda for a photo stop. We continued back into the built up areas going down a zigzag path to rejoin the canal tow path, travelling along until we arrived at a disused railway track that is used as a cycle / walking track. As we were a fit lot of cyclists we were ahead of time for the lunch stop so it was decided to make a round trip to New Bradwell Windmill (now a museum).  Upon return to the railway bridge it was back down onto the tow path on the other side of the canal to cycle to our lunch stop the Black Horse pub for refuelling with food and drink. As the morning had progressed the weather had warmed up so those that had put on extra layers were now removing them.
After lunch we returned to our bikes to find that Denise had a puncture in the rear wheel tyre, so a slight delay whilst many hands changed the inner tube and put the wheel back on only to find that Peter (Denise’s husband) cycle helmet had gone walkabout whilst we were at lunch (at time of writing this report it is still missing). We retraced our route back to the village of Great Linford, rejoining a Redway route to the Lookout Point with fabulous views towards Bedfordshire and this spot is only about 800 yards from the Theatre. Time for another group photo before we said goodbye to Jenny our guide. There are two ways down from the lookout point, one is the gentle sloping path down and the other is straight over the top which a few of us did, mad or what? Then it was a very gentle ride back to the cars. Total distance approx 16 miles.
Many thanks to Ann and her daughter Jenny for a very enjoyable day.
There is more to Milton Keynes than roundabouts and concrete cows and for those interested in exploring you can obtain more information on :  http://www.mkweb.co.uk/cycling/home.asp

When I joined this club I was impressed to find a good bunch of guys who by all accounts struck me as ‘gentlemen’, having a lot of respect for us gals.  Play 5 a side human football with them and that attitude goes out of the window!!!  I can’t remember the last time I had so many cuts and bruises on my shins, a few placed there by some of the gals too, I must add.  Oh and a few aches and pains in those muscles which only seem to get used on ‘adventure days’, but hey it was worth it.  What a good day out, superbly organised, thanks to Janette.
And hopefully nobody got me opening the bubbly on camera, my street cred will disappear rapidly, well I’m not used to bubbly stuff with the wire round it, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.  Also thanks to my champion team members (The Ash Clouders – devastating but thick) we did play well together.
Perhaps the club could organise a night’s training for the guys – how to tie your shoe laces – I lost count how many times the game was stopped because their laces were undone!

Human Table Football (more ……..) - Hilary Connon

Out of County Walk - Richard Stanley

The begining..........	..........and the end

15 of us gathered at Kettering Registry Office on a sunny morning at 7.30 am (this surprised Dennis as, since retiring, he thought there was only one 7.30 in a day!).  We set off in a mini-bus to the stunning Derbyshire Dales arriving in Youlgreave around 10 ish and starting our walk with Ordnance Survey Map in hand (thanks Jane) downhill to the River Lathkill, along the river and after two lunch stops – one main and one cake – climbing upwards to the pub.  Along the route the more observant of the
group pointed out local wild flowers including orchids, blue bells and dandelions.  The wildlife included Richard spotting a beaver that the others said was a water vole.
At the pub we downed thirst quenching drinks then split into two groups – the ladies heading back down to the river to complete the walk and the men opting for the ‘difficult’ route along the road back to the bus!
Travelling home, we played I-spy hot air balloons and ‘who’s snoring?’  Paul won both -spying 7 balloons and giving the loudest snore.
 
Words can’t describe what a perfect day it was. Thanks to Jane for organising and supplying all sorts of chocolates and drinks, Dennis for the safe driving and plenty of comfort stops, Jenny for the foot revival care and Marilyn for the final stretching exercises.
 

Jungle Park Ropes - Hilary Connon 

Me Tarzan, you Jane.   Yes we were swinging through the canopy.  All right, not quite the jungle setting, it was Irchester Country Park, but just as exciting.   It was a lovely sunny day and we were ready for adventure.  
We had full instruction, but there were still occasions when we forgot to clip on the karabiners for the safety harness in opposite directions!  There were also some scary moments, especially on the difficult route when my hands got sweaty and as I wiped them on my trousers I slipped and nearly fell off the swinging planks.  At one time we thought we would have to rescue Cecil as he was nimbly stepping across a netted structure when his dangling pulley and karabiners got tangled in the netting, fortunately he managed to extricate himself. Also zipping from tree to tree meant a huge thwack on a padded trunk and I nearly toppled backwards off the landing platform, but it all added to the adventure.  Climbing up the cargo net and hauling up the ropes on ends of the slides did mean I had some aching shoulders the next day.  

It was worth it though, and I felt it was really good value and thanks to the organisers.

Gliding -  Lynne and Peter Toomey 

  It was a beautiful sunny evening when we arrived at Husbands Bosworth Airfield.  A perfect time to take to the skies and, as we viewed the gliders, we wondered which ones were ours.  
During the war the airfield was used for bombers.  Imagine seeing a squadron of Lancasters and gaggles of Wellingtons taking off on the main runway all day and night.  There are some buildings, now derelict, from that period that can still be seen.   
We were put into two flying time slots – 5pm and 6pm.  There were two different forms of getting airborne, one a static winch launch (which took you to around 1,000 ft) and the other aircraft tow, (around 2,000 ft), and hence up in the sky for longer. 
Everybody seemed elated after their flight with comments like “fantastic”, and “terrific”.  Most people wanted to go up again and possibly would after now qualifying for a temporary 3 months membership with the Club.  
Looking down on a clear evening (no volcanic ash here) the terrific views could be seen for some miles – Gordon (Aero tow) said he saw the old Express Lift tower in the south to Leicester in the north.  
There was much banter from the ladies about eloping with the pilot for the weekend to France until they realised that without engines they would not make it over the channel, so in the end decided to return to base.  
Last but not least to go up was Cecil the young seadog.  He was persuaded to swap his lifejacket for a parachute!  
Thank you to Pauline for organising this event and Janette for deputising on the evening.

Wherry Weekend (or the Werry Lucky Twelve)  - Jane Mills

The cold windswept weekend started off on the Friday for some of us, others arrived on the Saturday. Friday evening began with a Thai green curry, imported especially from Thailand, well not really, I made it and Jenny supplied the strawberries, meringues and cream…. Yum Yum.  A good start to a weekend and a good evening was had by all.
On the Saturday we had a chilled out morning pottering around Potter Higham and then a trip to the museum that tells the story of the Fens and the Wherry workers, who had very hard lives living in cramped conditions with their wives and children. They must have been tiny, tiny people as the beds were very short. In the afternoon a walk in the blustery wind around the fields of Potter Higham was enjoyed by all and sundry. The rain kept off until fifteen minutes before we finished and the happy band was drenched on returning to their cars………… Boo Hoo…
In the evening we had a nice pub meal where we were seated on one round table with a revolving centre, much to the amusement of the man who played with it non stop (as they do!). The food was good, the service was………. well, they were busy….. and paying was good fun with Cecil getting a bill for £67… That was soon sorted, as the men admitted to having a few more pints than they first let on…
The big day dawned…………….
We were up with the lark to prepare the picnic ready for us and the crew; after all we must keep them sweet. Unfortunately it was still cold and windy, or was that the beans I ate last night??
We arrived at the appointed time to find the crew already there and working hard to get The Wherry ready for our Adventure. After an initial safety chat, we sailed out to the sound of a lone cuckoo in the distance; it was lovely and quiet, only the sound of birdsong and the whirring wind.  We could not raise the sail at first and had to rely on a little rowing boat that was fitted with an outboard motor pushing us along. Standing on the front of the boat we saw all manner of wildlife, including Marsh Harriers, many Mallards, young and old and lots of grebes, with their Punk Hairstyles (Featherstyles) combed and gelled to the nines.
When we lent a hand (guess who was first to help, Cecil, well I never) to raise the sail and all the other people on the boats took pictures of us (not the boat of course) and we obligingly posed for the camera. It was like being a film star. Perhaps I had at last been an overnight success. ;o)) It became too windy so we gave a hand scandalising……….  Well you know that lady over there well, she……. Oh, No….  it means to partly lower the sail. We also used the quant to, well, push the boat along, it was fun to literally ‘put your shoulder into it’ for a time, but it could not be fun doing this for a job, day after day.
We sailed from Ludham up to Cockshoot Dyke and then on to Ranworth Broad, where we stopped for a picnic lunch and most of the party went on to dry land for an hour, while I stayed and attempted to find the chocolate that people had brought. They hid it well as I did not find any. So I fed the ducks instead. Unfortunately I used Jenny and Lucy’s tea (sorry) but the dicky birds enjoyed it. We then returned to Ludham, again to the pleasant sound of the cuckoo.
A Wherry good weekend was had by all. Sorry to the people who did not manage to get a place this year.  It will be well worth waiting for.
Many many thanks to Jenny for organising such an exhilarating weekend.

White Water Rafting - Carole Dupont

I wasn’t quite sure about this to start with, so being a bit of a wimp I took a wander down to the centre before I committed myself. I watched them go around once and thought; no problem, I can handle this, and went home!  Had I have stayed maybe I wouldn’t have been so sure of myself. Thank goodness I didn’t!
 
First we were briefed on all the do’s and don’ts, and then clothed ourselves appropriately. When all the chat was done, we carried our boats to a wide stretch of water. (That bit worried me the most. The depth of the water, not carrying our boats!)  And we practise our paddling techniques. “Then to the course.” We went around it once, good fun and quit easy. Little did we know we were being lulled into a false sense of security? Each time got harder. On the third and last time they kept us at the bottom of the course under the biggest rapid in hopes we would fall out!  Just as we were feeling smug with ourselves for not taking a dunking, and tittering at our friends in the other boat for doing just that. (Although we did have one little mishap which we are keeping very low key!!)  They made us all get out of our boats and on to the bank, so we could dive into the rapid and be swept half way across the river, choking and spluttering!  As if that wasn’t enough, we had to shoot the rapids, on our backs, minus our boats!  I would never have done that in my youth. Who would have believed I would start at 50, give or take an ish or two!  I’ve had a fantastic time. The weather was perfect, all the 50+ crowd were good company, the guys at the centre were all very nice and made it great fun, and the guy on our boat was a bit of a hunk as well, which made it all the better. Oh to be thirty again!! What more could a girl ask for, on her first time with the club

See more white water rafting  pictures

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