Mix it up in March

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

March 22 - 7pm "Field Notes" music and art, Bickerton Village Hall.
Tim and Lui are going to this musical evening and thought other members may be interested. Bickerton Village Hall is the first venue in Cheshire to host an evening of creative magic with internationally renowned artists,'Field Notes' is a unique collaboration that proves it's the unfamiliar creative experiences which are often the most memorable and intense. Using old county maps and graphic scores as common starting points, composer Howard Skempton and artist Matthew Harris have each created a brand new work for this performance. Harris' freestanding textile artwork of old maps will transform our village hall into a gallery and a concert hall as four of BCMG perform Skempton's new piece 'Field Notes'. Skempton's joyous, sparse enigmatic music has featured at the BBC Proms and has been widely performed by many of the UK's top orchestras and ensembles. Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm. Tickets are £8 and include a Ploughman's, and there will be a bar. Ring Carol Shadbolt at 01829 782392 or email her at shadboltcarol@gmail.com for tickets.

March 27 - 7pm AGM and Dinner at the Cheshire Cat 

This year we are going to hold the AGM as an evening event, rather than have it as part of our monthly coffee morning, so that more of you can join us. We will have the AGM first at 7pm, then those who would like to can stay on for dinner. It will be at the Cheshire Cat in Christelton, please add the date to your calendar so you don't forget.

Other items of interest 
You may enjoy attending one of these other events that have been suggested by our members:

• Various dates, Everyman and Playhouse Theatres. Simon is looking for members who may be going with him to a variety of different plays that will be on in Liverpool during March, April, May, June and July. Sample offerings are Twelfth Night, This May Hurt a Bit, and Spring Awakening. Please contact him directly if you are interested.
• March 8th, Hoole Community Centre, International Women's Day. Each year around the world, International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March.  Hundreds of events are held not just on this date but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Activities arranged included, music and dance performances, market stalls, displays and information, tombola, raffle, and cafe.

Fun in February

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

February 4 - "12 Years a Slave" at the Vue Cinema in Cheshire Oaks 

A few members are going to see the 19:15 showing of this film, if you are interested contact Renee. She will be at the cinema around 19:10, at at Frankie & Benny's from 18:45 if you want to meet for a drink first. If you sign up for Super Tuesday you can get reduced price tickets whenever you go on a Tuesday. If you cannot make Tuesdays and you have an Orange (EE) phone, you also have Orange Wednesdays! There are some good movies on at the moment, and coming up in the next few weeks, so we hope to have a few more outings to the cinema. Don't forget you can also book tickets for Live Feed events (opera, ballet, theatre) at the Vue Cinemas so checkout what they are offering and let the other members know if you are interesting in attending any of them. These are really good, they give you an opportunity to see something you would otherwise miss.

February 13 (or 15) - "Useless Beauty" at the Forum Theatre in Chester 

Tickets are only £7, and Viv is planning on going either on the 13th or 15th, depending on who wants to go along and when. Book now for this exciting new play or call the Box Office on 01244 341296, then let Viv know when you are going.

February 20 - 7:30 Dinner at the Cock O Barton, Malpas 

It has been a while since we have all been together for dinner, and at this time of year we really need something to look forward to. Lynda has bagged us a 50% off voucher at the Cock O Barton, so this will be a really good deal. We have booked a table for 12, but we could squeeze in a couple more. If you would like to join us, please email Barbara G. 

PLANNING AHEAD
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March 27 - Don't forget to put the Newcomers AGM into your calendar

This year we are going to hold the AGM as an evening event, rather than have it as part of our monthly coffee morning, so that more of you can join us. We will have the AGM first at 7pm, then those who would like to can stay on for dinner. It will be at the Cheshire Cat in Christelton, please add the date to your calendar so you don't forget.

Happy 2014!

To all our members, let's hope this year is healthy, happy and harmonious! 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 ideas.  Don't forget, if you are going to an event and you would like some company, you can always send an invite the group. 

We 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 had some flyers made up last year - if anyone would like to take a few to hand out to people you would like to invite to join the group, please let us know. 

For now, here are some ideas of what we would like to add to our  schedule over the next few months:

• Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich
• Hilbre Island, Wirral
• Puffin Island and walk around the Great Orm, Llandudno
• more Sunday lunches, pub nights, film nights, etc.

January events

Here are a few things that our members are attending this month. If you would like to join them, please contact the appropriate members:

• Michaela & Paul are going to see Swanlake at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Tuesday 28th January.
  They are in seats F14 and 15. Tickets are £22 (no concessions). Book your tickets and meet them in the foyer before the show.
• Debra is going to see Giselle at the Vue Cinemas at Cheshire Oaks on January 27th. Book your ticket and meet her there.

Other notable events

At this time there are no other members attending these events, but you could start a trend!

• 21st January - Deer Walk and Lunch at Tatton Hall.
• 22nd January - Tour of Pre-Raphaelite Paintings at Lady Lever Art Gallery
• 25th January - The Battle of Nantwich
• 30th January - Coriolanus at Vue Cinemas. 

Newcomers AGM March 20

This year we are going to hold the AGM as an evening event, rather than have it as part of our monthly coffee morning, so that more of you can join us. We will have the AGM first, then those who would like to can stay on for dinner. It will be at the Cheshire Cat in Christleton, please add the date to your calendar so you don't forget.

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/