November Nuggets

Here are our offerings for November. If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

November 23 - Christmas Market, Ludlow
This a destination which offers something for everybody; history, shops, brewery, markets, medieval (craft) fair, castle, architecture!  In short, a place where you can walk around and not get bored. Ludlow is about an hour and a half drive away, so we have looked into hiring a coach to get those who are interested to and from there.  The idea is to leave around 9:30 am and return at 9:00 pm, leaving enough time to explore the town, have an evening meal there and get back at a reasonable time.  As this would double up as our Christmas event, NTC will contribute towards the cost of the transport, keeping it at a very reasonable price of £10/pp. If you would like to join us please contact Renee van der Laan.



Other Suggestions
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Here are some other events that are on in November. If you are interested in any of them, perhaps you would like to choose a date that is good for you and email the other members to see if anyone would like to join you. 

November 15 - 17 - Chester Arts Fair, Chester Race Course  A high calibre of local, national and international Artists and Independent Art Galleries will be featuring at the event, including Sir Peter Blake, Kerry Darlington (No 1 Best Selling Published Artist in the UK 2012) and Nick Elphick (who was commissioned to sculpt the Queen for the Jubilee last year as well as the Olympians), with work by artists such as Antony Gormley and Michael Bennett also featuring. Featuring a wealth of paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, ceramics and original prints, all shown in a friendly and relaxed environment, the Chester Art Fair really does have something for everyone.

November 21 - Chester Christmas Lights Parade  The annual Christmas Light Switch-On parade announces the arrival of Christmas in Chester and also kicks off the Christmas events programme.

November 21 - January 5 - Winter Wonderland at Chester Racecourse  Winter Wonderland at Chester Racecourse sees the whole of the Paddock area turned into a magical festive fantasyland filled with fun and excitement for all the family. See more at: http://www.winterwonderlandchester.co.uk/

September

Here are our offerings for September. If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

September 14 - Evening of Bellydance When:  Saturday 14th September  8-11
Where:  All Saints Church Hall, Vicarage Rd, Hoole
What: An evening of music and dance with Hossam and Serena Ramzy. Hossam Ramzy, the world famous percussionist will be performing. There will be dancing from Serena, and the best dancers from the Region, ( and Debra! ) The cost is £10 and you can bring your own food/nibbles and drink to share. This is a rare opportunity to see world class performers and to bring a little taste of Egypt to Chester. Everyone welcome. For tickets email yaraqs@hotmail.co.uk.

September 15 & 29 - Sunday Lunch  At Oscars Brasserie in the Rossett Hall Hotel. Lynda and Sue have booked a table for 12:15 pm  and it would be great if any of you would like to join them.  We could meet at 1 pm for a drink at the bar first if you wish. They have a brilliant deal on - £10 for 3 courses (with 4 or 5 choices for each course), virtually half price.  Sue had dinner there recently and the food and service were very good. We left the table size open but we will have to let them know soon.  If you would like to join us please contact Sue Timms.


Other Suggestions
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Here are some other events that are on in September. If you are interested in any of them, perhaps you would like to choose a date that is good for you and email the other members to see if anyone would like to join you. 

September 6, 7, 8 - Nantwich Food Festival  This is one of the best food festivals in the area. There are over 100 food and drink stalls, and lots of activities going on all weekend - there is even a bouncy castle for the kids. It is easy to get to and there is lots of parking. If you don't want to drive there is also a bus that leaves Chester Bus Station every half hour. Jacqui will probably be going on Saturday so contact her if you want to meet up at the festival.

September 12-15 - Chester Heritage Open Days  This event celebrates the architecture and culture of Chester. It provides you with an opportunity to visit interesting properties, many of which are not normally open to the public, such as the Bishop's Palace, The Guildhall, Watergate House and many others. There are also free tours and other activities. For more information go to http://www.heritageopendayschester.co.uk/.

September weekends - Helfa Gelf Art Train  171 Welsh art and craft artists are opening their studios to the public, in conjunction with workshops and several exhibitions in venues across North Wales. More information on the studios and exhibitions can be found at http://www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/

August Proposals

Here are our offerings for August... why not join us? If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

August 11 - Cyrano de Bergerac  At the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre. Michaela and Paul have tickets for the 4:00pm performance, and have booked picnic terrace seats. If you are interested in going, book you tickets here then contact Michaela for where and when to meet before the performance so you can all sit together.

August 21 - Summer Lunch  As you may remember, we don’t have a Coffee Morning in August. Instead we have lunch at The Red Lion in Dodleston. We have booked a table for 12 people for 12:30. RSVP Barbara George to let her know whether you can come or not. Do feel free to bring any visitors along if you have someone staying with you, we can easily change the number of seats.

August 26 - Ffestiniog Railway Ramble  Meet at Chester Railway station at 9:15 to catch the 9:42 train to Blaenau Ffestiniog, change at Llandudno junction, arrive 11.30. Or, meet in the car park at Blaenau Ffestiniog station at 11:30. We will do a 7 mile walk (about 3 hours) on mostly clear paths and tracks, with one modest climb to end up at Tan-Y-Bwlch station. Picnic at the near-by Llyn Mair. Bring good footwear, a picnic and plenty to drink. A change of clothes and sun/rain protection may be a good idea. RSVP Michaela if you are interested in joining the walking party.

Other Suggestions
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Here are some other events that are on in August. If you are interested in any of them, perhaps you would like to choose a date that is good for you and email the other members to see if anyone would like to join you. 

August TBD - Chagall: Modern Master At the Tate Liverpool until October 6. A few members have expressed an interest in going, but we have not pinned down a date as yet. We plan to meet at Chester Railway Station around 10am, then go to the exhibition followed by lunch somewhere in Liverpool. RSVP Jacqui if you are interested in going.

July Jaunts

Here are our offerings for July... why not join us? If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

July 1 - Chester Mystery Plays  The Chester Mystery Plays is an extraordinary community theatre lasting two weeks which tells the greatest stories ever told! They are only performed every 5 years, and people from all over the globe flock to see them. Meghan & Debra have tickets for the 7:30pm performance. They are meeting for dinner at Duttons beforehand. RSVP Meghan if you would like te meet them at the restaurant, and for more details.


July 20- Lady Heys Craft and Antiques Center, Frodsham  This is a great place to find unusual gifts for family, friends and yourself. There are numerous independent craft and antique stalls to choose from - see their website for details. RSVP Renee for where and when to meet.


Other Suggestions
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Here are some other events that are on in July. If you are interested in any of them, perhaps you would like to choose a date that is good for you and email the other members to see if anyone would like to join you. 

July 25-28 - RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park The North's greatest garden party has lots of fresh ideas for visitors who enjoy growing their own fruit and veg. See them at the Great British Allotment area, or if ornamental plants are more your thing, head to the Floral Marquee to find a huge choice from some of the UK's top nurseries. If anyone is interested in going, please let other members know so you can carpool or meet at the park.

July 20 - Macbeth, National Theatre Live, Cheshire Oaks Directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh, this electrifying new production of Shakespeare’s tragic tale of ambition and treachery unfolds within the walls of an intimate deconsecrated Manchester church. The performance starts at 8:30pm.

June Jollies

Here are our offerings for June... why not join us? If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.


June 1st - Dinner at the White Horse This is the new restaurant on the race course. We've heard some good reports, but think the setting alone, right on the race course, is worth giving it a try. It also has a cosy looking interior and (most importantly?!) a good, varied menu (and for Jim, their own brew!)
So, please come along: RSVP Michaela to book a place.

June 8/9 - Tilston Garden Trail  10.30am - 5pm, entrance fee £6 .  Gardens taking part are posted at the start at near the Carden Arms public house in the centre of Tilston.  Many of the owners offer coffee and cakes at a reasonable price. RSVP Lynda Busler to let her know which day you would prefer to go. Once a day is chosen, we can decide where and when to meet.

June 15 - Thornton Hough Circular Walk  Calling at Brimstage Craft Centre where we can have coffee and cakes, or we can book for a lunch at The Country Mouse Restaurant.  Park in Thornton Hough (suggest bottom of the cricket field by the public lavatories) and meet outside the Seven Stars Public House at 11am. RSVP Lynda Busler just so she know how many to expect.

June 24- Book Club We meet every six weeks at 8pm at the Cheshire Cat. We intend to meet up on a Monday - a quiet evening there by their own admission, so there should be a quiet corner for us.  We picked 8 pm, to give any people who want to have a bite before we begin, time to do so. We will discuss the book "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce. This was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012. You can get it from Amazon as a printed book or as downloadable version to read on your computer. It is also available at Sainsbury's for just under £4. Let Renee know if you intend to be there, we look forward to a good crowd, bring spouses, friends, anyone who might be interested!
FYI: The next book club evening is planned for 27 August; the book for that night is "Notes from an Exhibition" by Patrick Gale.

Sunshine and Smiles at the Cheshire Cat Monthly Meeting
We had a lovely morning sitting outside for out meeting this month. We even had a visit from a founder member, Barbara, who now lives in Portugal. We are so glad she came on a sunny day!

May Mayhem

Here are our offerings for May... why not join us? If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.


May 3rd - Jewellery Making with Luisa Heaton Following a recent successful ‘taster Jewellery making Session’  at her house attended by some of the Committee members, Lui is offering you a chance to learn to make some jewellery yourselves. The session will be from 10am to around 1pm. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided, so will all the tools, beads, findings, etc. for the session which will cost £20. She will talk about the many jewellery making methods, will have samples of most if not all - and you  will use 2 of the methods in the necklace you will make. She only has room for 6 persons on the day, please let her know asap if you would like to attend. RSVP Luisa Heaton to book a place and for directions to her house.

May 9th - Book Club (new!) Many members have asked us to revive the book club, so the current plan is to meet every six weeks at 8pm at the Cheshire Cat. We intend to meet up on a Monday - a quiet evening there by their own admission, so there should be a quiet corner for us - although, in good tradition,  we start with an exception to the rule, as the first meeting is set on Thursday, 9 May at 8 pm.  We picked 8 pm, to give any people, who want to have a bite before we begin, time to do so.We will discuss the book "Stranger in My Life" by Janet Holt. This is a very interesting autobiography, and recommended by Debra, so it should be a good read. You can get it from Amazon as a printed book or as downloadable version to read on your computer. Let Renee know if you intend to be there, we look forward to a good crowd, bring spouses, friends, anyone who might be interested!.

May 11th - Walk and Pub Lunch The days are finally getting warmer, so it is time to dust off your walking boots/wellingtons and blow off the cobwebs! We will meet at the Glasfryn in Mold (please park in the upper right hand corner of the parking lot), then carpool to Halkyn Mountain for a three-hour walk. This is a remarkable upland limestone plateau situated between the Clwydian Hills and the Dee Estuary in North Flintshire. It runs roughly parallel with the Dee estuary and overlooks the towns of Holywell and Flint. After this breathtaking scenery we will need to replenish ourselves, so we will return to the Glasfryn for a well-deserved lunch. If you don't fancy the walk, just meet us at the Glasfryn for lunch at 1:30pm. If the weather is too horrendous for a walk, we will still meet for lunch. RSVP Lynda Busler so we know how large a table to book.
(Please note: this is the rescheduled walk that was abandoned due to the March snowstorm - let's hope nothing stops us this time!)

April Frolics

Here are our offerings for April... why not join us? If you have a suggestion, please let us know and we will add it to the list.

April 6th - Theatre Clywd Some of our members have expressed an interest in going to the theatre, so here is the first offering for this year. Renee and Gary have tickets to see Fences at Theatre Clwyd, starring Lenny Henry, for the 7:30pm performance. Also, Lynda is going to the 2:30pm matinee performance and would love to have someone to enjoy it with. If you would like to attend, please book your tickets, then contact Renee or Lynda to meet up beforehand.

April 13th - Tatton Park Art & Antiques Show A wide range of antiques, traditional and contemporary art, sculpture and decorative pieces will be on sale, including period furniture, Arts & Crafts and 20th century pieces, English watercolours, Persian rugs and carpets, Victorian and 20th century jewellery, fine silver, glass, enamels, prints, English clocks; decorative mirrors and much more. Prices range from less than £25 to more than £25,000. Exhibits are vetted for quality and authenticity. The entrance fee to the show is £5, and there is a £5 parking fee - so we will carpool to keep down the costs.RSVP Jacqui Seddon so we can arrange a place to meet for carpooling.


April 10th, 17th, 24th - Liverpool Playhouse Simon has proposed going to the theatre to see A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. He can go any Wednesday (see dates here), and would welcome your company.  If you would like to attend, please let Simon know which date works for you, then book your tickets and  meet at the theatre.

Update

Some members went to sample the menu at the new Istanbul BBQ in Chester on April 5th. The consensus was that it was all very good food and they would recommend it to other members. Here are the attendees enjoying their dinner:

March-ing On in 2013

Here are our offerings for March... which ones do you fancy?

March 1st - Film Showing Barbara has kindly offered to open her home to us so we can have a comfortable seat for a special showing of "The Best Marigold Hotel" The film will begin at 7:30, so get there early to claim a good seat. Bring your own popcorn or other movie snacks! RSVP Barbara Shapton

March 7th - Dinner at the Architect Sadly we missed this last month so we are going to try again! Meet us at the Architect at 7pm. There is limited parking at the pub, but plenty across in the public car park. RSVP Renee van der Laan.

March 17th - Sunday Lunch We have a few members who are also members of the Chester Golf Club near Curzon Park. The Club has a good restaurant and chef, so we are reserving a table for Sunday Lunch to sample their wares for ourselves. We hadn’t realised, when we chose the date for our next Sunday Lunch, that it was also St. Patrick's Day. Now, we can’t promise that we will be surrounded by leprechauns (a leipreachán is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat)or that they will serve our food, but we can promise that you will have a fabulous meal with good friends from Newcomers to Chester. Please let Barbara George know by the 15th March at the absolute latest if you are able to join us.

March 23rd - Walk & Pub Lunch The days are getting longer and warmer, so it is time to dust off your walking boots/wellingtons and blow off the cobwebs. We will meet at the Glasfryn in Mold (please park in the upper right hand corner of the parking lot), then carpool to Halkyn Mountain for a three-hour walk. This is a remarkable upland limestone plateau situated between the Clwydian Hills and the Dee Estuary in North Flintshire. It runs roughly parallel with the Dee estuary and overlooks the towns of Holywell and Flint. After this breathtaking scenery we will need to replenish ourselves, so we will return to the Glasfryn for a well-deserved lunch. If you don't fancy the walk, just meet us at the Glasfryn for lunch at 1:30pm. If the weather is too horrendous for a walk, we will still meet for lunch. RSVP Lynda Busler so we know how large a table to book.

February Frolics

We are looking into several different kinds of events for February, here are some suggestions, let us know if you have any others.

February 5th- Pub Night at the Architect. Interested in seeing the latest pub offering in Chester? This one is by the racecourse, next to HQ. The word on the street is that it is good, let's go and see for ourselves.....Meet there at 7pm.
PLEASE NOTE: This event has been postponed until March.


February TBD- Spring Walk. Well, let's hope it will be more like spring weather by then, at least let's put a spring in our step. We have a few ideas about where to go, but if you have any ideas on places you have been and would like to go again, give us your suggestions. We like to do about 2 hours, not too strenuous, and preferabley end in a pub to replace all those carbs we have just used up!

February/March TBD- Day/weekend away. Many members have requested that we have another trip away from the Chester area. In the past we have gone to the Potteries, Liverpool, gardens of Shropshire, and Bath. We are open to either joining an existing trip (such as through a coach company), or if there are enough of us we can organize our own mini-bus. If you have any ideas for a short sojourn away from home, let us know.

Happy New Year!

To all our members, let's hope this year is healthy, happy and harmonious! Sadly we had to bid farewell to a few of our active members in 2012, and they will be greatly missed. Let's hope this year sees a growth in our membership so we can enjoy the company of new and exciting members who will encourage us to venture out of our safety zones.

We are trying to come up with an interesting mix of events for this year, if you have any suggestions we are always open to new things. For now, this is what is on the menu for January:

January 26th - Pot Luck Supper. To start off with a celebration of the new year, Debra and Phil have kindly offered to host an evening at their house so that we can all catch up after the holidays. To get in training for our new adventurous spirit for 2013 (we don't want to dive straight into the bungy jumping!), we will start by trying out some new dishes. If you would like to come and join in the fun, please contact Pat and let her know whether you will bring a sweet or savoury dish to share (just so we know we have enough of each). Please bring a bottle of your favourite drink for yourself or to share.
Here are a couple of photos from the night - sounds like it was enjoyed by all! (Yes, Renee was there too, but as she is our official court photographer she never seems to get on any photos....)

January 28th - Film Night - Les Miserables. We want to see what all the hype is about - many of us have seen the stage production, let's see if the movie has the same quality, and ability to make us laugh, sing and cry! Meet in the Cheshire Oaks cinema foyer at 6:30pm, the movie starts at 6:45pm. See you there.