Macmillan morning

In October, Newcomers got together to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Support organisation. We were very happy to welcome quite a few non members, some of whom might actually come back to see us again! Everybody made a big effort and we are happy to say that over £200 was raised on the day. As agreed, we are matching this amount so this year, we will be contributing over £400 to this organisation that does so much to help patients and their families who are affected by cancer. Well done everybody!

Guy Fawkes in The Red House

Where better to see fireworks than over the river, comfortably seated and enjoying some excellent food and company! On Guy Fawkes night, there will be an opportunity of doing just that, in the Red House restaurant. So if you want to come along, don't wait to long to let us know!

Macmillan Cancer Support

Every year, Newcomers joins in the national effort to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. This year, we want to make an extra effort and have pledged that, whatever amount is raised on the day, the organisation will match! So every pound you collect, donate or spend on goods will be matched to make it £2 for the charity!!

Please come and support us, we can be found, as usual, in the Cheshire Cat, on 21st October from 10am onwards.

See you there!

Bodelwyddan Castle was the object of a recent visit by some of our members.

The history of the house and estate extends to before 1460, though the association with the Williams family dates from around 1690. The Castle as seen today is a creation of Sir John Hay Williams dating from between 1830 and 1852. Architects Hansom and Welch were employed by Sir John to refurbish and extend the house while further works at this time also resulted in a magnificent estate wall and formal garden.

During WWI, the grounds were used for training and the practice trenches are still existing. After the war, the Williams family sold the property to the Lowther College, a girls private school.When the college closed, Clwyd County Council bought the castle and, in partnership with the Victoria & Albert museum, renovated it to its present state. Well worth a visit!

MacMillan Support

Each year, Newcomers to Chester organises an event in aid of the MacMillan Cancer Support organisation. This year, we'll be raising money on 21th October, when we'll have our monthly meeting. A lot of effort is going into organising this, so please come along and bring a friend! Bring 10 friends!! If you have any suggestions or can donate something, please get in touch. See you on 21 October!

Film Night

We haven't been to the cinema for some time, so when I saw this film, I thought this might be of interest to other Newcomers as well: Man on Wire by James Marsh. This is a documentary, detailing the exploits of wire walker Philippe Petit, who, in 1974, spent 45 minutes balancing, dancing and lying on a wire, strung between the Twin Towers in New York.

SOAPBOX Film: Man on Wire (12A)
St. Olave's Church, Lower Bridge StreetThursday 23rd July, 8pm£7 (£6 concs)

Pub Night & upcoming dinner

This week, we got together in the recently re-opened pub in Handbridge; The Ship Inn. The Ship had been boarded up for 3 years, so it is nice to see it open its doors again to the public. The place has been completely renovated and has a modern (but not too modern, for the purists under us) feel to it. This is not a forum where we discuss locations per se, however, I think it fair to say that we all thought this a welcome addition to the Chester (gastro) pubs, with a good menu and good service. Definitely worth another visit!

Unlike the last few years, we will not be seeing a 4th July party this year. However, there will be a dinner on 3rd July, at the 1539 Restaurant at the Chester Racecourse. Quite a few members have told us they will be there, so if you want to join the fun and haven't told us yet that you are coming, please do so now, so we can ensure there will be enough space. Email us!

Summer in Chester

For better or worse weather, it is summer and Chester has many activities in store over the next few months. We will try to highlight a few of them here but for a full list, visit http://www.chester.com/whatson/

This week, the Cheshire County show is on again. And I mean again; the first time it was hosted was in 1838! The main players here are the animals, however, there are many other attractions; Jason Smyth's stunt riding, birds of prey, special guests David Bellamy and Alex Langlands (BBC Victorian Farm) flower displays and food talks are a few of the events also organised. Check it out on: http://www.cheshirecountyshow.org.uk/

Newcomers' former Chairperson, Kate Sawallisch, is the organiser of the fantastic Music Festival, which runs from 2 - 18 July. A list of performances as long as your arm, so for more details, log on to: http://www.chesterfestivals.co.uk/site/summer-music-festival

Watch this space for more events!

Pub Night

Apologies for the radio silence, we're back! and to prove it, we have the following activities scheduled:

Easter break!

The Easter break is looming and with that, a plethora of activities for the whole family. We thought we'd quickly check and see what's available between 4 and 19 April in and around Chester. Here are some events, more to follow!

The National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port - worth a visit any time - is organising a children's special; CHOCO-MANIA! 4 - 19 April 2009

Chocolate-flavoured family fun, follow Charlie’s Chocolate Trail around the museum and canal docks. Try your hand at Easter crafts and biscuit decorating. Plus find out about Ellesmere Port’s little-known association with the nation’s favourite sweet.

Contact Information Telephone 0151 373 4373
Timings 10am - 5pm
Cost £5.50, Concs £4.40, Child (5-16) £3.60, U5's Free
Link www.nwm.org.uk/ellesmere


Ice skating in the Grosvenor Park; Eco Ice Skating 4 -19 April
Suitable for budding skaters of all ages, the 300 squrae metre rink will be in the Park throughout the Easter Break. Entry cost vary, see lin

Timings 10:00 - 18:00
Link Wonder Ice


Watch the moon at Jodrell Bank: Moonwatch 4 April 2009
As part of the International Year of Astronomy and National Science Week, we're holding Moonwatch, your chance to have a closer look at the moon through an optical telescope, weather permitting. Moon talks and 3D theatre presentations are included in the ticket price, along with soup, roll and hot drink. (read more about 'Moonwatch')

Contact Information Telephone 01606 882981/888752
Timings 6.30 - 9.30pm
Cost Adults £10, Children £9

Visit in Chester: Bishop Lloyd's Palace 4 April 2009
Bishop Lloyd's Palace, 51/53 Watergate Row (next to Rainforest) is an early 17th century timber framed building in the heart of historic Chester. It is grade 1 listed and has fine carvings. The interior includes magnificent fireplaces and decorated ceilings. Entry is free. Please note access is via stairs.

Timings 10.30am to 12.30pm
Cost Free
Link Chester Civic Trust


Digital Masterclass in the Grosvenor Museum: Portrait Masterclass with photographer David Heke - 6 April 2009
Discover all aspects of portraiture, including digital manipulation, and produce high-grade finished prints for display. Please bring a digital camera and a lunchtime snack. Book at the Museum Shop (01244) 402005.
Timings 11am - 2pm
Age range 11+
Cost £5 per child
Link Grosvenor Museum

Icehockey for beginners...

Well, this was a first for some Newcomers; a visit to the Altrincham ice-rink to see an icehockey game. The event was a battle between the Manchester Phoenix team and the Hull Stingrays. Dian and Scott Woolcock tried to explain the basic rules to us rookies but at the speed this game moves, it isn't easy to try and catch why the referee was giving penalties etc. In general though, we could understand why a player was being sent off.... The place reverberated when a knot of players would catapult full speed into a corner but surprisingly, they all seemed to extricate themselves unscathed!

The game moved at an even pace; although the Stingrays started off with two goals in their favour, Phoenix caught up and that is how it went on, all throughout the three, twenty minute, periods. Which meant that extra time had to be added and after that, a penalty shoot out. In the end and much to the disappointment of the home team, the Stingrays managed to come out with a victory, scoring 6 goals to the 5 goals of the Phoenix team.

We were surprised that the game wasn't better attended because we enjoyed every minute of it. I still don't understand how they can skate backwards almost as fast as they go forwards and hope to see more games, so I can get better acquainted with this fascinating game!

Icehockey for beginners.....

Well, this was a first for some Newcomers; a visit to the Altrincham ice-rink to see an ice hockey game. The event was a battle between the Manchester Phoenix team and the Hull Stingrays. Dian and Scott Woolcock tried to explain the basic rules to us rookies but at the speed this game moves, it isn't easy to try and catch why the referee was giving penalties etc. In general though, we could understand why a player was being sent off.... The place reverberated when a knot of players would catapult full speed into a corner but surprisingly, they all seemed to extricate themselves unscathed!

The game moved at an even pace; although the Stingrays started off with two goals in their favour, Phoenix caught up and that is how it went on, all throughout the three, twenty minute, periods. Which meant that extra time had to be added and after that, a penalty shoot out. In the end and much to the disappointment of the home team, the Stingrays managed to come out with a victory, scoring 6 goals to the 5 goals of the Phoenix team.

We were surprised that the game wasn't better attended because we enjoyed every minute of it. I still don't understand how they can skate backwards almost as fast as they go forwards and hope to see more games, so I can get better acquainted with this fascinating game!

Join us in the evenings!

I am very happy to say that our morning meetings at the Cheshire Cat are proving to be very popular. So much so, that we have decided to also go there one evening per month, to enable those, who would like to know more about Newcomers but can't come to any day time activities, to meet up with us. Our first evening will be on Thursday, 9 April 2009, from 7:00pm onwards. We have organised a large table and you can find us in the room that looks out onto the garden; turn righ when you come into the Cat and walk to the end. For directions, check this site out: http://www.cityofchester.org/cat.html

Out and About

It has been a while since the blog has been updated but we're back on track! So what has been happening lately? To name but a few things, there was the evening at the Red House and the skittles tournament at the Bickerton Poacher, which brought most NtC members together in February. Both events drew enthusiastic reviews from those who attended and we hope to organise more events like this soon.

Of course our regular events have been going on as before. We have our film enthusiasts who meet once a month and the next visit is tomorrow, when the film we'll go and see is 'Young Victoria'. The film starts at 7:50pm, at the Vue cinema in Cheshire Oaks. Filmgoers will meet up at Frankie and Bennies for a drink at 7:15pm.

From Time Out London:‘I will be good,’ Princess Victoria said on discovering she would be Queen. But, as things turned out, it was a touch more complicated. This sumptuous film has no interest in the ‘good’ dumpy adult Victoria, instead giving us a bildungsroman: after a stifling childhood, Victoria (Emily Blunt, above) must find maturity and independence – not easy with a controlling mother (Miranda Richardson), two scheming uncles and a snake-like prime minister (Paul Bettany). As in any traditional romance (and this, written by Julian Fellowes, is so trad its corsets creak), there are blips and the odd tear en route to a prince. That the prince, in this case, is Albert (Rupert Friend), her mother’s choice, just delays the inevitable.
Dignified and charismatic, Blunt gives great lip-wobble, and Friend pulls off the role of sidekick, but historical twiddling can’t render Victoria’s love life interesting and the only moving moment is the epilogue: 20 years’ happy marriage is more than most of us get, but 40 years of sorrowful widowhood is tragedy indeed.

More information tomorrow!