A dozen of us met for a meal at The Red Lion in Kidlington, and like the last time we came we had a area set aside for us, where we could chat and enjoy our meals from the wide selection available. Several of our members had let us know what they wanted, which gave the Red Lion kitchen some forewarning, but they were able to add all the members who had not made up their minds before coming.
Spring in the air – Easter Bingo!
We had a good turnout for our Easter Bingo, where members bring chocolates or other treats suitable as prizes for those who can not eat chocolate. We have our own Bingo machine, and Tom, our chair, demonstrated his versatility by moving strait from running the preceding committee meeting to being our Bingo caller.
With plenty of prizes, from hot cross buns to bags, through savoury snacks to the traditional chocolate eggs there was plenty to play for.
We play so that the first to get a horizontal line picks a prize, then the first to get two lines, and then we go on to a full house. Once players have had a big prize they have a mini egg or similar small prize. We play several rounds and then for the last round we keep playing until everyone has won.
By the end of the evening all the prizes had been distributed – and some eaten! All prizes but one – we had a very generous donation of a beautifully wrapped basket filled with Easter goodies – and we put everyone’s names in a draw to pick the lucky winner.
A good way to round off the pre-Easter season.
Red Nose Day Quiz
We enjoy a quiz, and since Phab coincided with Red Nose Day we used a quiz published for the event. After many years of Phab quizzes we should become accustomed to the breadth and depth of knowledge amongst our members, but it is good to be reminded of it.
Club Night without Zumba
We had been looking forward to another of George Martini’s energetic Zumba sessions, but unfortunately he was unwell, and Zumba is not the kind of activity you can lead if you are not really fit – as George normally is.
We had an evening of chatting instead, discussing recent holidays, books and the alarming movement away from compassion and empathy in politics at present. Not a cheerful subject, but talking it through was a reminder that although selfish, narrow minded people dominate the news we are surrounded by kind caring people.
Indoor Curling and Boccia
Although we play Boccia fairly often we also have an Indoor Curling set, with ‘curling stones’ on ball bearings and a target we can tape to the Hall floor.
We have not played it for a while so they both came out tonight.
There is often some friendly rivalry when we play, but everyone is friends at the end.
Pancake evening.
In these bleak February days what better way to cheer ourselves up than with some delicious pancakes.
We assembled the required ingredients, so the pancakes could be batch cooked and kept in the warming cabinet until ready to be served with our usual wide selection of fillings.
There were plenty of pancakes to go round, so people could try different fillings to decide their favourites.
Wesley Memorial Church Party
The Stewards of Wesley Memorial Church invited us to their Annual Church Party – a joyous occasion and an opportunity to mingle with members of the congregation.
There was an icebreaker quiz – featuring pictures of church members as children, and more recent images and we were challenged to match them up.
This was followed by a ploughman’s supper with plentiful bread, cheese, salads etc, followed by deserts which had been contributed by church members. It was another chance to chat with people from the church, either renewing acquaintances or making new friends.
The evening was rounded off with a Barn Dance, where we worked off some of calories taken on due to too many tempting treats during the meal.
Burns Night
Part of Scottish cultural tradition is the celebration of the works of Robert Burns around his birthday, January 25th. We celebrated early, but enthusiastically, and in our own style.
Although some regard whisky as a an essential part of the tradition, we had IRN BRU (“It’s yer aither national drink!”).
We had the music of the pipes, using a mobile phone rather than bagpipes, but the haggis was still paraded around the room, and ‘Ode to a Haggis’ was read.
We then tucked into a tasty meal of haggis, swede and carrot, and mash (with a vegetarian haggis available)
We rounded off the evening with home made flapjacks (or Scottish shortbread if preferred)
I hope The Poet would have been proud of us!
Bingo!
What better way to start a New Year than with a game of Bingo? As we usually do members brought a selection of edible and other small treats for prizes, and we played Bingo. We start the session playing for a horizontal line, then two lines, and then a full house. The first to achieve each of these picks a prize, and if they win again later they pick a small prize, such as a small chocolate. We exchange playing boards after each Full House until the last game of the evening, which continues until everyone has won something.
Committee members had started a little earlier with a hybrid committee meeting, which enabled us to start the planning for the next sessions.
No time to snooze at Sleeping Beauty
This year’s pantomime at the Oxford Playhouse was Sleeping Beauty, and their production featured time travel, true friendship, intelligence, bravery, and a selection of 80’s hits.