2016 Other Activities
16th July - Boat Trip
A day out on the tranquil Northamptonshire waterway
A private charter trip has been organised aboard Mountbatten Crusader, a wide beam charity boat operated by Crusader Community Boating, for Saturday July 16th.
The day will start at Gayton Junction on a delightful stretch of the Grand Union Canal at 10am and will finish here at 3pm, with a stop at The Wharf at Bugbrooke for lunch.
The cost will be approximately £5 depending upon numbers, with lunch extra. The money will go to the charity which run free trips for local groups of disabled and disadvantaged people and elderly people in care homes.
Check out the website - crusadercommunityboating.org.uk
Review of the trip
Fabulous weather greeted us on that Saturday morning. Everyone arrived in good time for the 10 am departure. The crew welcomed all the passengers and assured them of an enjoyable trip. The majority of the group opted to stay on the outside deck in the sunshine with three members wanting more comfortable chairs inside. Wildlife was spotted along the canal banks, moorhens and ducks with their new broods, swans swimming elegantly past us and sheep and horses in the fields. Some people saw a heron standing quietly in a field and a variety of birds flew overhead.
Coffee and tea were soon being made to quench thirsts and a happy sound of chatter was heard. Attractive boats passed by and cheery greetings were shouted across from boat to boat.
The turnaround at Furnace Wharf, just before Nether Heyford meant that halfway had been reached and we headed back to The Wharf at Bugbrooke for lunch. The lunch had been pre booked so we just had to wait for our orders to come along to our reserved seats whilst enjoying a leisurely drink. After about an hour we headed back to the boat and set off back to Blisworth Arm.
A most enjoyable day and most agreed that they would like to return next year.
4th June - Annual trip - Bury St Edmunds
The trip will take place on June 4th 2016 from Milton Malsor and Collingtree.
Cost of the coach will be £12 with services of a guide extra. The addition of the tour will add £5 to the cost of the trip but is optional. There will be a maximum of 20 people in a one and a half hour tour. The tour will be history based and consist of visits to the Abbey and Cathedral. Refreshments, preordered at £3 each will be taken on arrival, followed by the tour and then free time.
Check out the website - ourburystedmunds.com
Review of the trip
All agreed that the trip had been a huge success with beautiful weather, a friendly welcome when we arrived and excellent guides. Brenda was asked to write a report for the Tourist Office and put a comment on Trip Advisor which she has done. The town is quite compact and access easy from main tourist points. The Abbey and Gardens were particularly popular and many returned after the tour to continue looking around at a slower pace.
28th April - Bluebell Walk
Start at 9.30am from Pyghtle Way.
We plan to walk through the park opposite to Pyghtle Way off Rowtree Road, East Hunsbury to see the bluebells. The walk continues across to West Hunsbury, near to the Ironstone Railway, with a stop at the Drovers Return cafe for refreshments. After this we shall continue down the Drovers Road (green lane) into Ladybridge Park by the lake and return to Pyghtle Way.
Parking in Pyghtle Way. All are welcome. If you cannot manage the walk, please meet us at the Drovers Return for coffee at approximately 10am.
Review - 5 members, one husband and a puppy set off on a lovely April morning, enjoying the sunshine and the flowers as well as some much needed exercise. We met up with another member and her husband at the cafe and enjoyed a drink and a chat before the 6 of us set off again for the second leg of the walk through West Hunsbury. We saw geese and goslings at the lakeside alongside ducks, swans and a variety of other birds.
April 14th - Bygones Evening
Although this is a Monthly meeting, we are opening it up to everyone.
Please check the relevant page on the website - Programme and Meetings, for more details.
Do come along. £4 to include refreshments and raffle ticket.
Review of evening
Robert (Bert) with the help of his sidekick for the evening, Gabrielle, set out 41 items for us to try to guess in the form of a quiz. We generally worked in pairs and the eventual winners were Jane and Kathryn. The items are varied - some garden based, others farmyard or toolshed or just gadgets.
Cupcakes and drinks were consumed thanks to some members who donated them. The raffle was very good and several members happily took their winnings home.
